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.

Twinkie Maker Hostess to Close  —  Hostess Brands Inc., the maker of iconic treats such as Twinkies and traditional pantry staple Wonder Bread, said Friday it is shuttering its plants and firing about 18,000 workers as it seeks to liquidate the 82-year-old business.

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.

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 …

Petraeus ‘Knew Almost Immediately’ Al Qaeda-Linked Group Responsible for Benghazi  —  David Petraeus is going to tell members of Congress that he “knew almost immediately after the September 11th attack, that the group Ansar al Sharia, the al Qaeda sympathizing group in Libya was responsible for the attacks,” CNN reports.

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: