Rumored reason for the stock market plunge of 5/6/10, whose effect is seen in this puzzle's theme answers

Question:

Length:

Similar Crossword Questions:

Struck out, as one letter in each of this puzzle's theme answers
Equipment for each of this puzzle's theme answers
Tip, and a hint to this puzzle's theme found in five answers
Bit of footwear that appears at both ends of this puzzle's theme answers
Term for each of the 15 asterisked theme answers in this puzzle
1987 market crash, and this puzzle's title, whose first word can precede each word in the starred answers
Plummet ... or what this puzzle's theme answers do?
Postseason gridiron game, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in starred answers
ConfuseÂ—or what to do to four common phrases to form this puzzle's theme answers
What one must have to solve this puzzle's theme answers
Nanobot's hypothetical ability, and the process that's overtaken this puzzle's theme answers
What the puzzlemaker did to the name in each of this puzzle's theme answers?
Proper sort ... or a cry upon solving each of this puzzle's theme answers?
Grate, with "get," or what this puzzle's theme answers get
New element whose name will be ratified in January, 2010, and whose symbol appears in the middle of this puzzle's theme answers
Structure of this puzzle's theme, hidden in five answers
Characters who "haunt" this puzzle's theme answers
HBO's "Inside the __" (and hidden theme in this puzzle's four longest answers)
Numerator for this puzzle's theme answers
What the self-contradictory words found in this puzzle's theme answers are examples of
Agent "embedded" in this puzzle's theme answers
Word before the first word in this puzzle's theme answers
"Gosh!" (or, based on the starts of starred answers, one who is expert at solving this puzzle's theme?)
Surplus integral to this puzzle's theme answers
___ to school . . . or a hint to the puzzle theme suggested by the ends of five answers