Reuters - Rising spending on U.S. Social Security and Medicare programs, if unchecked, will inflate national debt and the budget defect, ultimately affecting interest rates and economic growth, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday.

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Monday that rising U.S. government spending on health care risks triggering runaway budget deficits that could put economic stability in danger.

Reuters - Policy- makers around the globe declared soaring inflation a top threat on Monday, with pressure rising for central bank interest rate increases amid protests against higher costs of living.

AP - Bolstering the performance of the U.S. health care system is one of the biggest challenges facing the country, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday.

AP - Crude oil futures swung wildly on Monday, rising to a record and then tumbling as investors wrestled with whether they should put stock in Saudi Arabia's promise to boost production. Retail gas prices rose to a record $4.08 a gallon.

Reuters - Stocks closed higher on Friday, helped by a government report that showed underlying price pressures rose moderately in May, easing fears that inflation would force a near-term rise in interest rates.

AP - Wall Street ended a turbulent week with a sharp gain Friday after government readings on inflation and a drop in oil prices eased worries about the effect of rising prices on consumers. The advance lifted the Dow Jones industrial average more than 165 points, and the three major indexes turned in a mixed performance for the week.

AP - Oil prices pulled back Friday after OPEC questioned whether crude can remain so high and the dollar gained against the euro.

AFP - Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan told the Latin American Economic Forum here Friday that he sees a reduced possibility of a deep recession in the United States.

Reuters - Stocks closed higher on Friday, helped by a government report that showed underlying price pressures rose moderately in May, easing fears that inflation would force a near-term rise in interest rates.

Reuters - Soaring gasoline prices helped drive up U.S. consumer prices in May at the fastest rate in six months, the government said on Friday, but core prices remained tame, easing inflation fears in financial markets.

Reuters - Former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday the Fed will have to tighten monetary policy to put a brake on inflation, adding that the worst of the credit crisis may have passed.

Reuters - Between chewing sauce-slathered ribs and corn on the cob, the neighbors and relatives of Wall Street's top prognosticators had one thing on their mind this past Memorial Day: gasoline prices.