Thus inspired, Michtom duly created a stuffed bear cub, and he put it in his shop window, accompanied by a sign that read "Teddy's bear", having already sent an earlier version to Roosevelt, who promptly gave him permission to use his name.

BBC: A Point of View: The grown-ups with teddy bears

Sure enough, the Fed's actions Sunday, including lowering the rate it charges banks to lend directly from it and opening its discount window to Wall Street brokerages, didn't save Bear Stearns from collapse.

FORBES: After Bear

Bear Stearns was not a bank, could not borrow from the Fed's discount window and wasn't even all that big, yet the government still wouldn't let it fail.

WSJ: Obama vs. Wall Street

Bear Stearns is not technically a bank, but the Fed's move to allow it access to the discount window shows just how complex and intertwined the financial world has become.

FORBES: Bear On The Bubble

Their most telling gripe: If the Fed had opened the discount window to the investment banks on Thursday, March 13, instead of Monday, March 17, might Bear have been able to get the transfusion it need to keep its doors open?

FORBES: Bottom? What Bottom?