TECHNOLOGY

Google reacts to government’s claim that ­ it doesn’t pay women fairly

Google said it’s ‘‘taken aback’’ by the government’s claim that it doesn’t compensate women fairly. The company said it conducts ‘‘rigorous analyses’’ that its pay practices are gender-blind and found ‘‘no gender pay gap’’ in 52 major job categories it analyzed last year. Google added that analysts who calculate suggested pay don’t have access to employees’ gender data. Google also said that beyond gender pay equity, the company recently expanded the analysis to cover race in the United States as well. The US Department of Labor had accused Google of shortchanging women doing similar work to men, saying it found ‘‘systemic compensation disparities’’ across the company’s workforce. Google responded in a blog post Tuesday that the department’s assertion ‘‘came without any supporting data or methodology.’’ The company said it had already produced hundreds of thousands of documents in response to 18 separate requests, and the government is seeking thousands more, including contact details of employees. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

ENERGY

Gas to cost more this summer than last

You didn’t think those super-low gas prices would last forever, did you? The US government says a rebound in oil prices means drivers will be paying more at the pump this summer than last year. But that will still be a bargain compared to just a few years ago. The Energy Information Administration on Tuesday forecast that retail gas will cost an average of $2.46 a gallon from April through September, up from $2.23 a gallon over the summer of 2016. Gas prices are now the highest they’ve been in about a year and a half, according to the American Automobile Association. Prices at the pump are now above $3 a gallon in some places, a barrier that is psychologically significant and keeps some people from driving as much as they would otherwise. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEGAL

Sculptor of famous bull statue isn’t happy with ‘Fearless Girl’ placement

The sculptor of Wall Street’s ‘‘Charging Bull’’ statue is accusing New York City of violating his legal rights by allowing the ‘‘Fearless Girl’’ statue to be installed facing the bronze beast without his permission. Attorney Norman Siegel said that Arturo Di Modica will explain Wednesday how he’s challenging city officials who are allowing the bronze girl to stay until February. Siegel says he already demanded the city release documents showing what procedures were followed. Di Modica calls the statue an ‘‘advertising trick’’ created by two corporate giants. He says the presence of ‘‘Fearless Girl’’ infringes on his own copyrighted artistic expression while drawing global attention.The ­Italian-born sculptor created the bull after the 1987 stock market crash as a symbol of America’s financial resilience. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

SNACKS

Meat snacks look to challenge chips as snack favorite

Chips have long been a favorite snack for Americans, but they may be starting to lose their edge. A recent study from Nielsen has found that sales of meat snacks, such as jerky and convenience-packaged dry sausage sticks, have grown, while chip sales have slowed. And if Slim Jims are what come to mind, think again: New competitors have entered the market, driving growth by emphasizing their wholesome qualities and marketing toward consumers on specialized diets. Meat snack sales have increased 3.5 percent over the last year to $2.8 billion, according to Nielsen, with 7 percent compound growth over the last four years. Though chips sales are more than twice that amount, the category posted a dollar growth of just 1.7 percent last year. — WASHINGTON POST

BODY SHOP

Bain Capital among those bidding for Body Shop

L’Oreal SA drew bids from around 15 private equity firms and companies, including CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Group LP, and South Korea’s CJ Group, for its Body Shop division, according to people familiar with the matter. Bidders for the next round will be shortlisted this week, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details aren’t public. BC Partners, Bain Capital, and Advent International Corp. were also among firms that submitted bids, they said. L’Oreal said in February it was exploring “all strategic options’’ for Body Shop, which was founded in 1976 by British entrepreneur Anita Roddick and spearheaded the trend for environmentally minded products. Operating profit at the firm known for its body butter and hemp creams has been falling for the past three years as it struggles to compete with newer rivals. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

TECHNOLOGY

Yahoo sued over fund for Chinese dissidents

Yahoo Inc. failed to keep financial and humanitarian commitments made a decade ago ­after it admitted helping the Chinese government find dissidents who were later jailed, according to a lawsuit against the Web company. The suit, brought by seven previously imprisoned Chinese dissidents and the wife of an eighth, seeks to enforce promises made when the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company settled a 2007 lawsuit in San Francisco federal court. The complaint was filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington. Yahoo had pledged to give support — legal and otherwise — to the families of two men jailed as a result of the company sharing their e-mail address and other information with Chinese authorities. The company also said it would create a relief fund for others imprisoned for expressing their views online. That fund was allegedly ravaged by self-dealing, according to the revised ­complaint and a statement issued by the law firm that filed it. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

RETAIL

Bain-controlled Gymboree set to file for bankruptcy protection

Gymboree Corp., the struggling children’s clothing retailer, is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection as it faces a June 1 interest payment on its debt, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Bain Capital-controlled company is seeking to reorganize its debt load and may transfer control to its lenders, including Searchlight Capital and Brigade Capital Management, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn’t public. Representatives for Bain, Gymboree, Brigade, and Searchlight declined to comment. Gymboree, laboring under more than $1 billion in debt from its Bain buyout in 2010, warned last month that it’s running short on cash and may not survive if it can’t persuade creditors to refinance its debt. The retailer, which operates about 1,300 stores, hasn’t posted an annual profit since 2011, with losses totaling more than $800 million. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

Starbucks to offer health insurance to Chinese workers

In China, Starbucks already invites workers’ parents to an annual employee meeting. Now it’s planning to offer those parents health insurance. The ­coffee giant said early Tuesday that it would begin offering a ‘‘critical illness ­insurance plan’’ to its eligible full-time employees in stores operated by the company in China. The locally minded benefit, a response to traditional family values in China that could help retain workers in a crucial market, will cover employees’ parents for 30 illnesses, such as cancer and heart ­disease, as well as some surgeries. The benefit, which will launch in June, is estimated to cover 10,000 parents of Starbucks workers in China. The new perk comes at a time when success in China, which Starbucks has called its ‘‘second home market’’ and has more than 2,600 stores, has become increasingly important to the Seattle-based company. — WASHINGTON POST