Stolen out of thin air

More top stories

• House OKs mortgage reductions in bankruptcies

• Deere to eliminate 325 jobs in Iowa

• Head of USOC resigns before decision on 2016

• Northfield Lab's blood substitute shows promise in pancreatic cancer trial

• FDA to take more time reviewing Takeda diabetes drug

• OfficeMax CEO compensation down 13%

• Boeing union reject contract; no strike authorized

• United Stationers reaches new financing deal

• Orchard buys troubled bank in sign of things to come

• Greg Burns: As U.S. economy retreats, France holds its ground

• Green product sales stagnating, survey finds

• Phil Rosenthal: Employee cuts rock WLUP, WKQX

• Mortgage rates move higher

• Oil above $44

From today's Tribune

• CFO suit in retaliation?

• Stealing out of thin air

• Auditors question survival of GM

• Boeing commercial jet orders nose dive in February

• Independent auditors doubt GM's future as 'going concern'

• February retail sales better than expected

• Bank, GM worries add to investor uncertainty

• Thursday's market movers

From the business wire

• Receiver orders bulk of troubled investment firm's workers terminated without severance

• Cheap tax help available if you look for it; 5 ways to help save on tax preparation costs

• Ethanol producers want EPA to raise limits on amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline

• Britain's PA Sport sells SportsTicker to rival STATS, a News Corp.-AP venture

• Judge: Japanese would-be space tourist may proceed with lawsuit against Va.-based space broker

• Ways to teach kids of all ages to manage money; start out by giving them their own

• 'Post-Trump syndrome' hits once-hot strip of Mexican oceanfront as buyers lose condo deposits

• Group of Madoff investors discover trade-off of specialized accounts: You're on your own

• Peanut products recalled for possible salmonella contamination

• With anticipation high, Swiss government offers no plan for solving tax evasion spat with US

• Roche increases hostile tender offer for Genentech to $93 per share, extends deadline

• Treasury Secretary Geithner's choice for deputy withdraws; department still lacks senior staff

• Newspaper Guild employees at The Sacramento Bee approve pay cuts of up to 6 percent

• Bernard Madoff expected to plead guilty next week, person close to case says

• Former Qwest CEO Nacchio argues newly discovered evidence warrants new trial

• Stymied by $410B spending bill, Congress passes measure to avoid government shutdown

• Peanut Corp. bankruptcy filing lists more assets than liabilities, but not enough for injuries

• Coca-Cola plans to invest $2B in China over 3 years on top of bid for juicemaker

• Obama auto task force meets at White House to discuss GM, Chrysler

• Former KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz indicted on fraud charges linked to stock option backdating

• China sees signs economy might be recovering, says it will determine whether to boost stimulus

• Regulators close Freedom Bank of Georgia; 17th bank failure so far this year

• Appeals court upholds most charges against ex-Ala. governor, all against ex-HealthSouth CEO

• Bernard Madoff says he stole $50 billion, but the number may be wildly inflated

• How the Dow Jones industrials and other major stock indexes fared in Friday's trading

• Boeing union rejects contract; does not authorize strike at military aircraft plant in Wichita

• Unusual Massachusetts court ruling has journalists fearing libel lawsuits run amok

• Federal judge lifts freeze on about 12,000 Stanford investor accounts of $250,000 or less

• As Barbie turns 50, Shanghai flagship store brings iconic doll to China's city of chic

• SC jury finds ex-HomeGold chairman guilty of securities fraud, not guilty of conspiracy

• Greek government says its advisers have picked Marfin Investment Group to buy Olympic Airlines

• Roche increases hostile tender offer for Genentech to $93 per share, extends deadline

• Meltdown 101: Job hunts take longer as work dries up in worsening recession

• Whole Foods plans to sell 13 stores in settlement it offered FTC over Wild Oats buyout

• General Motors shares drop to lowest price in more than 75 years as bankruptcy concerns grow

• Federal rule creates potentially stinky problem for Mo. farmers: what to do with dead cattle

• H&R; Block posts 3rd-qtr profit, tops Wall Street view

• Wells Fargo, AnnTaylor, H&R; Block, Whole Foods are among big market movers Friday

• Consumer credit posts unexpected increase in January following 3 months of declines

• Wells Fargo slashes dividend 85 percent, expects $5B annual savings

• Bearers of bad news: Economic crisis takes emotional toll on those who deliver news of layoffs

• Rohm & Haas' portfolio a prized asset that led Dow Chemical to make premium offer

• Summary Box: Farmers look for new ways to deal with dead cattle

• New Zealand's foreign minister says small countries need trade boost at G-20 summit

• Shanghai's East China trade fair sees deals fall 39 percent; port activity slows

• Treasury Secretary Geithner's choice for deputy withdraws; department still lacks senior staff

• Texas agriculture inspector incorrectly failed to flag salmonella-linked plant as unlicensed

• Delinquencies, foreclosures climb to almost 12 percent of US home loans in 4th quarter

• RV maker Monaco Coach seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it explores sale

• Trade group says services sector contracted in February for fifth straight month

• Preparing for summer: A parental toolkit for saving on camp

• Home Depot reports 4th-quarter loss of $54 million, adjusted results beat analysts' estimates

• Smoke-filled workplaces a danger, supporting job-hunters, worries about jobs

• Lowe's profit slumps with housing market; company doesn't see stimulus plan as substantive fix

• Forget history: Small-cap stocks may not prove better than large when this bear market ends

• Freddie Mac says average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages falls to 5.16 percent

Top tech stories

• Steve Johnson: President Barack Obama's plunger photo and Michelle Obama's dresses

• Steve Johnson: Last week's 5 most viewed stories on chicagotribune.com

• Steve Johnson: Obama doodle, vampire canoodle

• Download a Mississippi River tour guide

• Find fall's veins of gold by leafing through the Internet

From the tech wire

• Microsoft tweaks Windows 7 settings for Web browser in possible bid to stave off EU action

• EMC CEO's 2008 compensation more than doubled to $11.7 million on stock and option grants

• Motorola's ex-CFO Liska sues company for firing him, claiming it retaliation

• Qwest CEO gets compensation valued at $11.4 million in 2008; shareholder wants say on pay