However, one of those early scoops caused a firestorm that threatened to severely damage the new paper's reputation. In late July, "Crain's" learned through sources in the Chicago advertising community that Sears, Roebuck & Co. planned to drastically curtail its advertising. The banner story on August 7, with the headline "Sears slashes TV, print ad budgets," stated that cuts could reach the $100 million mark. The giant retailer angrily denied the report. "They called it preposterous," Yahn said. "As a result, we suffered credibility problems around town. From early August until mid-October, we kept trying to find a way to get it back."