美国底特律市18日向联邦法院申请破产保护，使这个昔日辉煌的“汽车之城”成为美国历史上最大的申请破产保护的城市。美国白宫表示，正在密切关注底特律事态的发展。

　　18日下午，密西根州州政府指定的底特律紧急状态管理人凯文?奥尔(Kevyn Orr)根据美国《破产法》第9章，向联邦法院申请立即将底特律市置于破产保护之下。底特律市所在的密歇根州州长施耐德当天表示，已经批准了凯文?奥尔提交的市政破产保护申请，并指出，底特律市当前的财政紧急状况已经无法通过其他的自救措施来化解，宣告破产是当前唯一的出路。

　　北京小知识：

　　《美国破产法》第九章：据美国法院(U.S. Courts)网站显示，《美国破产法》第九章特别针对市政当局的破产保护申请。在破产保护状态下，市政当局可以制定一个调整债务的方案，并就这个方案进行磋商。除非获得州许可，否则市政当局不能申请这一破产保护。

　　DETROIT -- For decades Detroit charted new territory in automotive innovation.

　　Now, Detroit will chart new territory in municipal bankruptcy law. The case that began Thursday is expected to establish legal precedent in many areas.

　　With more than 100,000 creditors, 700,000 residents, 9,500 city employees and 21,000 retirees, Detroit's bankruptcy carries sweeping repercussions.

　　Kevyn Orr, the city's state-appointed emergency manager asked a federal judge for permission to place the city into Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the AP reports. The filing would allow the city to seek protection from creditors and unions who are renegotiating $18.5 billion in debt and other liabilities.

　　In June, Orr released a plan that would leave many of these creditors with "far less" than they are owed, reports the Detroit Free Press.

　　The Freep puts it as well as anyone here: the bankruptcy would lay "the groundwork for a historic effort to bail out a city that is sinking under billions of dollars in debt and decades of mismanagement, population flight and loss of tax revenue."