Hostess Brands closing for good  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Hostess Brands — the maker of such iconic baked goods as Twinkies, Devil Dogs and Wonder Bread — announced Friday that it is asking a federal bankruptcy court for permission to close its operations, blaming a strike by bakers protesting a new contract imposed on them.

Hostess Brands to Wind Down Company After BCTGM Union Strike Cripples Operations  —  Hostess Brands Inc. today announced that it is winding down operations and has filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court seeking permission to close its business and sell its assets, including its iconic brands and facilities.

Hostess going out of business; nearly 18,000 to be laid off  —  IRVING, Texas -  —  Say goodbye to your Twinkies.  —  North Texas-based Hostess Brands, Inc. has decided to go out of business and liquidate its assets after failing to win back striking workers.

No more Twinkies?  Hostess plans to shut down  —  Hostess CEO says strike was fatal blow for bankrupt company and that it is too late to fix it.  Nearly 600 could lose jobs in Schiller Park and Hodgkins bakeries.  —  Hostess, the company that makes Twinkies and other sugary snacks …

Hostess to Liquidate, Lay Off 18,500 After Crushing Union Fight  —  Failing to persuade striking employees to return to work, Hostess Brands disclosed plans on Friday to liquidate its assets and lay off most of its 18,500 workers, bringing the 82-year-old maker of Wonder Bread and Twinkies to the end of its line.

Petraeus testifies CIA's Libya talking points were changed, lawmaker says  —  Former CIA Director David Petraeus testified in a closed-door hearing Friday morning that his agency determined immediately after the Sept. 11 Libya attack that “Al Qaeda involvement” was suspected …

In testimony, Petraeus says he always saw Benghazi as terrorism  —  Former CIA Director David Petraeus told lawmakers at a closed-door briefing Friday the agency believed the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was a terrorist attack from the beginning.  —  Petraeus also indicated …

The Audacity of 51%  —  Get ready for higher taxes and no spending reform.  —  “Maybe peace would have broken out with a different kind of White House, one less committed to waging a perpetual campaign—a White House that would see a 51-48 victory as a call to humility and compromise rather than an irrefutable mandate.”

CNN: PETRAEUS TO TESTIFY HE KNEW LIBYA WAS TERRORISM ‘ALMOST IMMEDIATELY’  —  Just a few minutes ago on CNN, Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reported that a high-placed source informed her that former CIA Chief David Petraeus will use his upcoming testimony to amend his previous testimony.

Here on the Fiscal Slopes  —  I don't think this will be a regular feature, but here are a few things on everybody's favorite cliff/slope metaphor that caught my eye at the end of the day:  —  First of all, unions are so far following through on protecting social insurance against potential attacks from both parties: