Circuit City Powers Down

Dropping consumer spending, tightening credit hurt the electronics giant

(AP) - Circuit City Stores has filed for bankruptcy protection today, about a week after it said it would close 20% of its stores. The electronics retailer, based in Richmond, Va., has struggled as nervous consumers spend less and credit tightens. More»

Ice cream chain's model 'is no longer viable,' says expert

(NEWSER) - You may have let out a nostalgic, "Awwww" when you heard the news that ice cream chain Friendly's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this morning. "Oh, that's so sad. I love Friendly's," says one mother whose kids enjoy the same Fribble concoctions she did as a child. Since opening 75 years ago, the restaurant has created a lot of feel-good memories ("Ah! The watermelon slice!" says another former customer whose grandmother used to take her), but that may not be enough to keep it alive. More»

(AP) - General Motors says not enough of its bondholders agreed to swap their debt for company stock, meaning the troubled automaker is almost certainly headed for bankruptcy protection. GM has until Monday to finish restructuring or file for bankruptcy. But the company said today that its offer to exchange $27 billion in unsecured debt for 10% of the company's stock had failed. More»

Fed sees no turnaround until late '09, early '10

(NEWSER) - The Fed predicted more pain for the US economy in today's “Beige Book” report, with a turnaround not expected until late 2009 or early 2010, the Wall Street Journal reports. “National economic conditions deteriorated further,” across January and February, the Fed said. In a distressing turn, the slump has spread from the financial and manufacturing sectors into a “wide range” of general services. More»

Obama administration will not rule out Chapter 11 for ailing autos

(NEWSER) - Treasury advisers are working to line up $40 billion in financing for General Motors and Chrysler—5 times the size of any previous bankruptcy loan—just in case the two automakers need it, the Wall Street Journal reports. While efforts continue to restructure the companies by other means, the administration is speaking to as many as 70 lenders—including Citigroup and JPMorgan, themselves recipients of bailout cash—to provide government-backstopped financing for operations during a Chapter 11 restructuring. More»