 The preferred inflation gauge for the interest rate-setting Federal Reserve showed signs of easing last month, what is known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index, continuing to moderate between April and May. Consumer prices were essentially flat from April to May. Compared to a year earlier, prices rose 2.6%, while so-called core inflation, which strips out food and energy, barely budged. Stocks ended the week on a down note. The Dow fell 45 points to 39,118. The Nasdaq dropped 126 points. This is NPR.