Just Before Deadline, County in Alabama Delays Bankruptcy Move.

There may still be a way out for Jefferson County, the Alabama county being crushed by its debt. The governor of Alabama, who for months told the county to deal with its woes on its own, has been working behind the scenes in recent days on a state-brokered deal to avert what could be the biggest municipal bankruptcy filing in United States history. On Wednesday evening, a proposal was aired to a small group of lawyers for the county in a private meeting, according to one official present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]