Strike

Hostess Brands Inc. must return to a "liquidation scenario" after mediation with its bakers’ union failed to avert a shutdown that would eliminate more than 18,000 jobs, the judge overseeing the company’s bankruptcy said.

The Hostess Thriftshop attached to the Hostess bakery in Ogden remained open Thursday. A sign on the window read “Now Hiring.” But a sign inside, attached to some empty shelves, apologized for the products that were not there.

“Due to a labor dispute at our producing bakeries our supply of bread and cakes may be temporarily interrupted,” the sign read. “We are doing our best to keep our stores stocked. We appreciate your continued support by shopping our stores. Again, we are grateful for your business.”

Hostess Brands Inc. said it would ask a U.S. bankruptcy judge for permission to liquidate if enough striking workers did not return to work by the end of the day Thursday.

CHICAGO — The city’s teachers agreed Tuesday to return to the classroom after more than a week on the picket lines, ending a spiteful stalemate with Mayor Rahm Emanuel that put teacher evaluations and job security at the center of a national debate about the future of public education.

Teachers in Chicago went on strike for the first time in 25 years on Monday in a bitter dispute with Mayor Rahm Emanuel that is reverberating across the country as the issues at the core of the conflict - teacher evaluations tied to student test scores, a longer school day and other education policy changes - are being hotly debated from Hawaii to Maine.

ROME — Italian financial market jitters worsened on Monday, as workers angry about government austerity reforms went on strike and held nationwide rallies while investors turned skeptical about an EU pact to save the euro.

LOS ANGELES — A union representing workers at three major grocery chains in Southern California distributed picket signs Sunday, as the clock ticked toward the end of a three-day notice period required before calling a strike.