US stocks plunge ahead of bailout vote

Financial markets endured another difficult start Monday ahead of a planned House vote on an unpopular $700 billion plan to rescue troubled financial companies and as investors examined a deal for Wachovia Corp. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 300 points, while demand for safe-haven buying in government debt remained high ahead of the vote. Wall Street is fearful the government's plan to buy up toxic debt wouldn't be sufficient to resuscitate nearly frozen credit markets.