AP - Despair over the economy has sent Wall Street plunging again, propelling the Dow Jones industrials to their second-largest point loss ever. Stocks fell on a combination of disheartening economic data, including a big drop in retail sales and a Federal Reserve report that said tight credit conditions are hurting businesses across the country.

AP - John McCain sought to change the course of a campaign moving decidedly in Barack Obama's direction Wednesday night in the third and final presidential debate.

Reuters - Turmoil in credit markets poses a "significant threat" to the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday, suggesting an openness to further interest-rate cuts.

Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Wednesday as bleak economic data fed worries that all the efforts to unlock credit markets may not stave off a severe recession.