The bottom line
Harry and David files for bankruptcy; CEOs earmark cash reserves for takeovers; Who will be the new spokesduck?; Loans to problem lenders continue; Santa Fe Springs' claim to fame
Harry and David files for bankruptcy
Christmas may never be the same. Harry and David, the purveyor of gourmet food baskets, has filed for bankruptcy-court protection. While the company tries to renegotiate its approximately $500 million in debt, it will continue to take catalog orders and operate its 70 retail stores.
Associated Press
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
CEOs earmark cash reserves for takeovers
The value of corporate takeovers topped $256 billion in the first quarter of 2011, the most since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, as CEOs spent some of their record $940 billion in cash reserves. CEOs are trying to keep profits growing; in 2010 U.S. corporate earnings increased more than they had since 1988.
Bloomberg.com
Who will be the new spokesduck?
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Insurer Aflac received more than 1,500 applications to succeed comedian Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of its spokesduck within 24 hours. Aflac fired Gottfried after he tweeted some tasteless jokes immediately following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The Wall Street Journal
Loans to problem lenders continue
Despite creating an “early warning system” to sniff out problem lenders, the Federal Housing Administration continues to guarantee loans made by problem lenders. At least six times in the past three years, state or federal authorities brought mortgage-fraud accusations against companies the FHA had previously flagged as potentially fraudulent.
USA Today
Santa Fe Springs' claim to fame
Santa Fe Springs, Calif., enjoys the world’s highest concentration of Starbucks outlets. There are 560 Starbucks stores within 25 miles of the town.
BusinessInsider.com
-
Why more and more adults are reaching for soft toys
Under The Radar Does the popularity of the Squishmallow show Gen Z are 'scared to grow up'?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
The bottom line
feature Working families continue to struggle; The least-trusted industries; The bestselling vehicle; Mobil device use triples; Global unemployment among the young
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The cost of e-filing; Dipping into nest eggs early; What Americans are drinking; Planning for death; How tax refunds are spent
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Building bigger houses; And tuition at OSU is?; Christmas at McDonald's; Self-gifting at Christmas; Lloyd’s prepares for Hurricane Sandy claims; Google's billions
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Good results for the third quarter; Compensation at financial firms hits a high; Three cities with recovering economies; Good year for car sales; Broadway's best performance ever; Tax bite is less in 2010 than in 1980
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Airlines cut domestic flights; Income up in small cities and rural areas; Bond and Lincoln lift box office earnings; Don't be fooled by Black Friday; The high toll of identity theft
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature The gender pay gap; U.S. economic growth; Parents who argue about money; Online subscriptions rise
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Can the U.S. keep up?; Airlines spend billions on runway taxiing; Americans exaggerate their working hours; The Dow Jones's 67.9 percent gain; Success and summer babies
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
The bottom line
feature Consumer confidence jumps; Wall Street cuts jobs, raises pay; Goldman Sachs's muppet hunt; Desktop web searches decline; Pizza Hut scraps debate freebie
By The Week Staff Last updated