Reuters - Many NASCAR fans think nothing of jumping in their recreational vehicles or pickup trucks and driving 300 miles or more to watch races in places like Talladega, Alabama; Bristol, Tennessee; and Las Vegas.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Monday as record crude oil prices lifted energy shares on the final trading day of the month and the second quarter, offsetting a financial sector sell-off on fears of further credit losses.

Reuters - Business activity in the U.S. Midwest contracted in June for a fifth straight month but at a less severe rate, even as production and new orders both slipped, a report showed on Monday.

Reuters - The U.S. economy continues to bump along at a slow level of growth but has probably not fallen into recession, a series of regional purchasing managers' reports showed on Monday.

AP - Four-dollar gasoline has stolen a beach vacation from Julie Jacobs' family, "little small luxuries" like exotic bath washes from Angela Crawford and dinners out from folks all over the country. Phil English has had to sell his beloved but fuel-guzzling red pickup.

Reuters - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will reveal more details about his accelerated plans for the Federal Reserve to assume a larger regulatory role in maintaining financial system stability in a speech in London on Wednesday.

Reuters - A couple of times a year, David Holzhammer drives more than 200 miles from his home in Iowa City, Iowa, to see the Chicago Cubs play baseball. That is a luxury he is not giving up, despite high gas prices and other strains on his wallet.

Reuters - The Federal Reserve may be hesitant to raise interest rates ahead of the U.S. election in November, although there is no hard evidence to support the widely held view that politics influences monetary policy.

Reuters - U.S. consumer spending jumped last month as government stimulus checks boosted household budgets and pushed the saving rate to a 13-year high, but another report released on Friday showed confidence took a hit.

Reuters - U.S. auto sales in June are expected to post a double-digit decline, dropping to a 15-year low as record gas prices killed the market for trucks and SUVs and made it impossible for many drivers to swap out for more fuel-efficient, new cars.

AP - Millions of economic stimulus payments sent after-tax incomes surging in May by the largest amount since a similar recession-fighting effort by Gerald Ford 33 years ago.

Reuters - Consumer confidence fell more than expected in June, hitting another 28-year low as surging prices and mounting job losses contributed to a bleak outlook, according to a survey released on Friday.