NEW YORK — Twinkies may not last forever after all.
Hostess Brands Inc., the maker of the spongy snack with a mysterious cream filling, said Friday it would shutter after years of struggling with management turmoil, rising labor costs and the ever-changing tastes of Americans even as its pantry of sugary cakes seemed suspended in time.
Some of Hostess beloved brands such as Ding Dongs and Ho Ho’s likely will be snapped up by buyers and find a second life, but for now the company says its snack cakes should be on shelves for another week or so. The news stoked an outpouring of nostalgia around kitchen tables, water coolers and online as people relived childhood memories of their favorite Hostess goodies.
CALIFORNIA
Judge leaning toward OK of $22.5M fine of Google
SAN FRANCISCO — A proposed $22.5 million fine to penalize Google for an alleged privacy breach is on the verge of winning court approval, despite a consumer rights group’s cry for tougher punishment.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston told lawyers during a Friday court hearing in San Francisco that she is likely to approve the fine, which is the cornerstone of a settlement reached three months ago between the Federal Trade Commission and Google Inc.
The rebuke is meant to resolve allegations that Google duped millions of Web surfers who use the Safari browser into believing their online activities couldn’t be tracked by the company as long as they didn’t change the browser’s privacy settings. That assurance was posted on Google’s website earlier this year, even as the Internet search leader was inserting computer coding that bypassed Safari’s automatic settings and enabled the company to peer into the online lives of the browser’s users.
NEVADA
Trump steakhouse fails inspection
LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas Strip restaurant bearing the initials of celebrity financier Donald Trump was briefly shut down after health inspectors found violations including month-old caviar and expired yogurt.
DJT, the signature steakhouse at the Trump International Hotel, reopened Nov. 2 with a restored “A” grade — several hours after Southern Nevada Health District officials logged 51 violations during a routine inspection.
Thirty violations merit a “C” grade, district spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said Friday.
Inspectors reported finding outdated, expired, unlabeled, mishandled and improperly stored food, according to a summary posted on the health district’s website.
• From wire dispatches and staff reports
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