Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told lawmakers Wednesday that though the economy is in recovery, the central bank will keep interest rates at record-low levels to stave off a return to recession. Bernanke's appearance before the House Financial Services…

In its first step to unwind emergency measures put in place during the height of the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve announced late Thursday it was raising the rate it charges banks on emergency loans.

The Senate voted 70-30 Thursday afternoon to approve Ben Bernanke for a second four-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. After several hours of debate in which Bernanke supporters argued that voting down his nomination would imperil a…