surges

Sarah Palin was thought to be a pick of potentially high risk and high reward when she was selected as John McCain's running mate.

So far, the reward has been that, as a Washington outsider with a conservative record, she has galvanized the base and boosted the campaign's fundraising.

On Monday, however, the potential risks of a largely unknown candidate also were on display as the campaign released a statement that Palin's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

Zimbabwe's rate of inflation surges above 11,250,000% as an economic crisis continues to grip the country.

Gold prices jumped Thursday, rising back above the psychologically important $900 mark, on renewed fears about the health of the U.S. economy.