<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081114/capt.5a48d42ae4244cd0bb83261ad7231df0.economy_reta il_sales_carf204.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=QiMFOZvTJ 9UdXv.pmsNbGw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Chevrolet sales manager Tom Callahan, left, shows Edward Dollard a 2008 Cadillac DTS Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, in downtown Los Angeles. Retail sales plunged by the largest amount on record in October as the financial crisis and the slumping economy caused consumers to sharply cut back on their spending. (AP Photo/Ric Francis)" border="0" /></a>AP - The worst monthly drop on record for retail sales set off new alarm bells about the economy Friday, stepping up pressure on policymakers to figure out how to combat what increasingly looks to be a severe recession. Confronting opposition by the Bush administration, Democrats in Congress said they would try next week to pass $25 billion in emergency loans for the auto industry, so wobbly that one or more of Detroit's Big Three could go under.</p><br clear="all"/>

View the entire article: Retail sales sink as Dems seek auto industry loans
(AP)