Bernanke: Financial turmoil in markets easing
WASHINGTON – Turmoil in financial markets has eased somewhat, but the situation is still “far from normal,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday.

Stocks decline after retail sales report, Bernanke speech
NEW YORK – Wall Street pulled back Tuesday after a report on retail sales and comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave investors little incentive to extend the previous session’s big advance.

Retail sales dip for second time in 2 months
WASHINGTON – Consumers, battling soaring gasoline prices and a slumping economy, cut back further on their spending in April.

Gas prices jump to record above $3.73 as oil waffles
NEW YORK – Gas prices shot to a new record over $3.73 a gallon Tuesday, and their advance shows little sign of slowing with Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer driving season, just 10 days away.

Median home prices drop in many cities
WASHINGTON – Median home prices fell in two-thirds of the cities surveyed during the first three months of this year, a real estate trade group reported Tuesday.

The Declining American High School Graduation Rate: Evidence, Sources, And Consequences
The high school graduation rate is a barometer of the health of American society and the skill level of its future workforce… Therefore, it is surprising and disturbing that, at a time when the premium for skills has increased and the return to high school graduation has risen, the high school dropout rate in America is increasing. America is becoming a polarized society. Proportionately more American youth are going to college and graduating than ever before. At the same time, proportionately more are failing to complete high school.

Expanded Food And Nutrition Program Shows $10 Benefit For Each $1 Spent
ScienceDaily (May 13, 2008) — A program to teach low-income adults about healthy food choices is a good bargain in terms of the health and economic benefits achieved, reports a cost-effectiveness study in the May/June issue of Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.