PBS NewsHour: Transportation Archive | 2008

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	2008 DECEMBER Dec. 26, 2008 Researchers Hope Obama Team Will Reinvigorate Role of Science Adviser Scientists and scientific organizations hailed President-elect Barack Obama's choice of top science advisers as a "dream team" this week.

	Dec. 24, 2008 Toyota's Losses Reflect Troubles Across the Global Economy With car sales plummeting, giant automaker Toyota Motor Corp., posted its first operating loss in 71 years. Economic analysts examine what impact the company's massive losses will have on the global economy.

	Dec. 23, 2008 In Case You Missed It: Infrastructure Projects and Economic Growth On Monday's NewsHour, Paul Solman examined whether big infrastructure projects, such as the one being considered by President-elect Barack Obama, are an effective way to create new jobs and stimulate the economy.

	Dec. 22, 2008 Toyota Projects First Operating Loss in 71 Years Toyota Motor Corp., the world's second largest automaker, predicted its first operating loss in 71 years, based on shrinking demand for vehicles and a surging yen.

	Dec. 19, 2008 Obama Picks Moderate GOP Lawmaker to Oversee Transportation Department President-elect Barack Obama announced Friday his appointment of Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood to head the nation's Department of Transportation, calling on the Republican's seven terms of congressional experience and six years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

	Dec. 19, 2008 Obama Picks Moderate GOP Lawmaker to Oversee Transportation Department President-elect Barack Obama announced Friday his appointment of Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood to head the nation's Department of Transportation, calling on the Republican's seven terms of congressional experience and six years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

	Dec. 18, 2008 Chrysler, Ford Announce Plans to Shutter Plants Chrysler LLC is closing all 30 North American manufacturing plants for at least a month, the company's latest cost-cutting move as the big three auto makers struggle to stay afloat while waiting for a government decision on aid to the industry.

	Dec. 15, 2008 What is the Role of the Board of Directors for Corporations? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 12, 2008 Automakers Look to White House to Revive Bailout Hopes The White House said Friday it may use funds from the $700 billion financial bailout package to aid struggling U.S. automakers after the Senate rejected a rescue plan. Analysts discuss the debate over the bailout.

	Dec. 12, 2008 UAW Chief Gettelfinger Defends Position on Wage Cuts The White House said Friday it may use funds from the $700 billion financial bailout package to aid struggling U.S. automakers after the Senate rejected a rescue plan. UAW head Ron Gettelfinger explains his position.

	Dec. 12, 2008 Why Aren't the Big Three Automakers More Successful? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 11, 2008 GOP Could Put Brakes on Auto Rescue Bill As a compromise deal between Democrats and the White House to extend $14 billion in emergency loans to struggling U.S. automakers moves forward, it faces strong opposition by some GOP lawmakers.

	Dec. 8, 2008 Auto Rescue Plan Advances as Congress, White House Near Deal Congressional leaders are hammering out a deal with the White House to offer General Motors and Chrysler $15 billion in low-interest loans. Two reporters discusses the details.

	Dec. 8, 2008 Could You Help Me Understand Credit Default Swap in Terms of Purchasing a Car? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 8, 2008 Could You Help Me Understand Credit Default Swap in Terms of Purchasing a Car? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Dec. 4, 2008 Auto Execs Renew Case for Government Aid Leaders of Detroit's Big Three automakers returned to Capitol Hill Thursday to renew their case for an expanded $34 billion rescue package, but heard fresh skepticism from lawmakers on their plea.

	Dec. 3, 2008 Ford CEO Promises Shift to Smaller Cars, Greater Efficiency if Industry Survives By the week's end, lawmakers will review business plans submitted Tuesday by Detroit's Big Three. Ford CEO Alan Mulally explains his auto company's proposal to avoid bankruptcy.

	Dec. 2, 2008 Big Three Automakers Submit Plans to Congress The three biggest U.S. automakers -- Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., and Chrysler LLC -- submitted plans to Congress on Tuesday, in hopes of getting a line of credit from the government to keep their companies in business.

	Dec. 1, 2008 Should We Raise the Price of Gas and Use the Extra to Fund a Big Three Bailout? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."



	NOVEMBER Nov. 22, 2008 In Case You Missed It: A Report From Detroit Paul Solman reports on the impact to auto workers.

	Nov. 21, 2008 Michigan Autoworkers Face Uncertain Future Prospects for extending a federal rescue package to Detroit's Big Three automakers remain unclear after a congressional effort stalled until December. Paul Solman speaks with autoworkers about how the crisis is affecting them.

	Nov. 21, 2008 The Pirates of Somalia Piracy off the coast of Africa has increased in recent weeks, with eight attacks just this week. In a brazen attack, pirates captured a Saudi supertanker loaded with at least $100 million in oil, the largest ship ever hijacked.

	Nov. 21, 2008 After Leaving Washington Empty-handed, Automakers Set to Craft Recovery Plan While the Big Three U.S. automakers' hopes of an immediate financial shot in the arm were dashed Thursday on Capitol Hill, they are expected to meet lawmakers' demands to craft a convincing plan for rebuilding their once-mighty industry by Dec. 2.

	Nov. 20, 2008 Piracy Offers Lucrative Career in Lawless Somalia The recent hijacking of a Saudi Arabian oil supertanker demonstrated Somali pirates' increasing capabilities to seize ships, despite the efforts of a multi-national naval force meant to deter such attacks.

	Nov. 19, 2008 Modern-day Somali Pirates Increase Attacks Somali pirates are increasing the frequency of their attacks and targeting larger ships, targeting oil supertankers and grain cargo vessels. Experts explain the rise in modern-day piracy and the efforts among the international community to curb the problem.

	Nov. 19, 2008 GM CEO Defends Auto Industry's Bid for Government Aid Auto industry executives testified before Congress Wednesday, asking lawmakers to provide aid to the struggling companies and responding to criticisms of poor management. General Motors' CEO Rick Wagoner discusses the industry's crisis and his company's case for government help.

	Nov. 12, 2008 Democrats Press for Billions in Aid to Auto Industry Democrats continued to push for aid for struggling U.S. automakers, calling for Congress to act during its lame-duck session next week to give the industry a much-needed financial boost as it confronts weak sales and plummeting stock prices.

	Nov. 11, 2008 India's Car Demands Eclipse Environmental Concerns With a population of more than 1 billion, India has one of the world's greatest demands for automobiles. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the growing accessibility to low-cost cars that also leads to more congested roads and carbon emissions.



	OCTOBER Oct. 28, 2008 White House Considers Extending Bailout to Auto Industry Deepening financial crisis among the nation's biggest auto makers prompted talks to allow corporations to apply for aid under the $700 billion bailout plan. Reporters and analysts weigh the controversy around the access to money for Detroit's Chrysler, G.M. and Ford.

	Oct. 24, 2008 Boston's Big Dig Shirks Prior Notions of State Spending on Transportation In the final segment of a series investigating the health of the nation's infrastructure, Ray Suarez reports on Boston's Big Dig -- the most expensive single highway project in the U.S. that eventually cost more than $14.6 billion.

	Oct. 23, 2008 Chicago Airport Faces Serious Growing Pains Ray Suarez examines Chicago O'Hare Airport's battle to increase its capacity and problems with the entire air traffic system.

	Oct. 22, 2008 Population Growth Burdens Roads, Schools and State Programs Amid explosive population growth, Arizona tackles the traditional problems of urban sprawl as it tries to create a new model for livable communities. Ray Suarez reports on the Valley of the Sun's transition in the face of growing infrastructure demands.

	Oct. 22, 2008 Reporter's Notebook: Ray Suarez Discusses Series on Troubled U.S. Infrastructure As the NewsHour continues airing a series of reports on the country's ailing infrastructure, produced in collaboration with WNET New York, senior NewsHour correspondent Ray Suarez spoke with Steve Goldbloom about his experiences examining the issue.

	Oct. 21, 2008 Increased Decay Strains Budget-strapped New Orleans Port Even before Hurricane Katrina, the structural flaws of the port of New Orleans, combined with increased shipping volume, strained the infrastructure resource. Ray Suarez examines the port's struggle to fund improvements and keep up with its competition.

	Oct. 20, 2008 Aging Bridges Among Country's Infrastructure Woes As the economic crisis continues, a similar crisis looms in the country's aging infrastructure. In the first of a series of reports, Ray Suarez takes a look at Pennsylvania's bridge problem and how it may impact future economic recovery efforts.

	Oct. 6, 2008 General, Dozens More Killed in Sri Lankan Blast A suspected rebel suicide bomber killed at least 26 people, including a prominent retired army general, during an attack inside an opposition party office in northern Sri Lanka Monday.

	Oct. 1, 2008 As Standoff Continues, Somalia Permits Foreign Navies to Attack Pirates Six days after a Ukrainian freighter laden with military hardware was hijacked in the Indian Ocean, the Somali government said Wednesday that it will allow foreign navies to attack the Somali pirates behind the takeover.



	AUGUST Aug. 13, 2008 Sagging Interest in Motor Vehicles Drives July Retail Sales Down Driven down by sagging demand for vehicles, U.S. retail sales had their worst showing in five months in July, according to newly released government figures.

	Aug. 12, 2008 Denver Battles Fuel Prices with New Mass Transit Plan In response to soaring fuel costs, Denver city planners are taking steps toward expanding the city's public transportation system.



	JULY July 24, 2008 Ford Reports $8.7 Billion Second-Quarter Loss The Ford Motor Co. on Thursday posted a second-quarter loss of $8.7 billion, due mostly to the declining value of its SUV and pickup truck lines, and announced a plan to overhaul its North American production to focus on small cars.

	July 21, 2008 Airplanes Scale Back Service as Oil Prices Soar Despite efforts to ease the burden of soaring fuel costs by adding luggage fees and slashing flights, major airlines continue to suffer losses and predict fare hikes this fall. Tom Bearden reports on the latest woes of the airline industry.

	July 17, 2008 Gore Aims High on Renewable Energy Goal for U.S. Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore outlined a bold climate goal for the nation Thursday, challenging the U.S. to create every kilowatt of electricity through renewable energy sources within 10 years.

	July 15, 2008 Small Cars Make a Comeback Amid High Gas Prices Soaring gas prices have led many U.S. drivers to forgo large vehicles like SUVS for smaller cars. Essayist Anne Taylor Fleming examines the shift in consumer preference.

	July 8, 2008 G-8 OKs Plan to Halve Global Emissions by 2050 Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations agreed Tuesday on a target of cutting climate-changing gas emissions in half by 2050 -- an agreement lauded by the participants but rebuked by some environmentalists.

	July 3, 2008 Issues with Large Commercial Carriers Trouble Small Town Airports Trouble has been brewing among large air carriers, plagued with high costs, competition and traffic, but these troubles have now begun to take their toll on regional airports, which are struggling to just survive. Elizabeth Bracket reports from Indiana.

	July 1, 2008 Nearly Every U.S. Automaker Posts Double-digit Sales Losses in June Amid record-high gas prices, a slumping economy and consumer jitters, U.S. auto sales plummeted in June, but General Motors managed to retain its No. 1 spot ahead of Toyota thanks, in part, to a six-day sale featuring zero-percent financing offers.



	JUNE June 26, 2008 Is there pressure to revitalize the U.S. rail system to reduce the oil crisis? Paul Solman answers this question and many more in "The Business Desk."

	June 25, 2008 As Oil Prices Rise, Carmakers Look to Electric Future Rising oil prices and improvements in battery technology are fueling new interest in developing electric cars. Spencer Michels reports on how industry giants and start-up car companies alike plan to release new vehicles by 2010.

	June 20, 2008 Denver Battles Fuel Prices with New Mass Transit Plan In response to soaring fuel costs, Denver city planners are taking steps toward expanding the city's public transportation system.

	June 20, 2008 Beijing to Impose Odd-Even Car Ban During Olympics From July 20 to Sept. 20, Beijing will alternate the days that vehicles with even and odd registration numbers will be allowed on the road in order to reduce traffic and air pollution during the Olympic Games.

	June 9, 2008 Fuel Costs, Job Losses Batter U.S. Economy Rising fuel prices and news of massive job losses buffeted an already shaken U.S. economy in the past week. The record energy prices are affecting the cost of everything from baked goods to diapers. Journalists John Authers and Roben Farzad discuss how the prices got that high and whether it appears they will stay that way.

	June 9, 2008 High Fuel Prices Lead to Protests in Europe Truck drivers in Spain and Portugal blocked roads Monday to protest soaring global fuel prices, which also caused the national average price of gasoline in the United States to rise above $4 per gallon over the weekend.

	June 3, 2008 Extended Interview: General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner The NewsHour interviewed General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner in May about the company's plans for developing alternative fuel vehicles. Excerpts of the interview will air in the coming weeks as part of a report on a new generation of electric cars.

	June 3, 2008 GM to Close 4 SUV, Truck Plants as Demand Dips General Motors announced the closure of four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico Tuesday and said it may discontinue its Hummer brand as soaring fuel prices push a broad shift in the U.S. to smaller vehicles.



	MAY May 28, 2008 Experts Answered Your Questions on Consumer Choices Amid High Gas Prices Gas prices are at an all time high and consumers are deciding whether they can afford to travel. So how are gas prices affecting Americans? And what are some of the money saving alternatives to driving? Two experts answered your questions.

	May 23, 2008 Consumers Face Tough Choices as Gas Prices Rise As the summer travel season begins this Memorial Day weekend, American motorists are shifting their consumption patterns as they adjust to higher prices at the gas pump. Experts examine how consumers are handling the higher fuel prices.

	May 21, 2008 Fuel Prices Reach Records Amid Supply Concerns Oil and gas prices once again surged into record territory Wednesday after a U.S. government report showed a surprise drop in crude stockpiles and stoked fears of a worsening supply crunch.

	May 16, 2008 Cities Are Looking to Share and Share a Bike European style bike-sharing programs are soon coming to U.S. cities.

	May 6, 2008 Indonesia Mulls Quitting OPEC; Oil Prices Leap Past $122 a Barrel Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Tuesday that his country is considering dropping out of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries based on its declining oil output.



	APRIL April 24, 2008 Ford Posts Surprise $100M Quarterly Profit Ford Motor Co. surprised Wall Street Thursday when it announced a $100 million profit for the first quarter, marking the automaker's first profitable quarter since the spring of last year.

	April 15, 2008 Schwarzenegger Adviser Outlines U.S. Oil Addiction In the fourth installment of the NewsHour's Costly Crude series, environmentalist and adviser to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Terry Tamminen discusses the shrinking oil supply with Ray Suarez.

	April 15, 2008 Proposed Delta-Northwest Merger Raises Questions for Airline Industry A proposed Delta-Northwest airline merger comes at a tumultuous time for an airline industry facing high fuel prices and questions over safety procedures. An airline analysts describes the possible implications of the mega-merger and whether consumers will benefit.

	April 15, 2008 Pilots Could Prove Obstacle to Airline Mega-Merger To combat rising fuel prices and other economic woes, Delta and Northwest airlines have agreed to a merger that would create the planet's biggest carrier, a move that could prompt similar proposals in the troubled industry.

	April 14, 2008 Chevron Executive Discusses Oil Prices, Industry Outlook In the third of the NewsHour's 'Costly Crude' series on the rising price of oil, a Chevron executive offers insight on rising oil prices and the future of the oil industry.

	April 10, 2008 FAA Audits Deal New Blow to Airline Industry, Travelers American Airlines canceled some 900 flights Thursday for a third day of deep-reaching schedule changes due to a new round of tighter FAA safety inspections. An airline safety expert and an FAA representative examine the impact on the airline industry and on passengers.

	April 10, 2008 Flight Cancellations Continue Amid FAA Checks Flight delays continued Thursday as American Airlines moved to cancel another 900 flights and expectations grew that cancellations are likely to spread to other U.S. carriers as regulators tighten their safety audits of airlines.

	April 9, 2008 Economics Writer Examines Oil's Shifting Market Position In the first in a series of NewsHour interviews on oil's standing in the rapidly changing world economy, author Vijay Vaitheeswaran discusses the causes and effects of the recent rise in oil prices and how energy technologies will impact future business practices.

	April 9, 2008 American Airlines Cancels 850 Flights Due to Wiring Concerns American Airlines, the world's largest carrier, cancelled 850 additional flights on Wednesday after cancelling nearly 500 on Tuesday in order to reinspect and possibly rework the wiring of its widely-used MD-80 fleet.

	April 3, 2008 FAA Inspectors Claim Agency Was Lax on Safety Enforcement Veteran Federal Aviation Administration inspectors told a House committee Thursday that safety violations by Southwest Airlines were ignored by their supervisors due to the "cozy" relationship between FAA officials and the airline. An analyst examines federal oversight of commercial airlines.



	MARCH March 11, 2008 Costs at the Pump Reach Record as Oil Prices Soar Prices at the gas pump rose to a record high Tuesday as oil prices climbed, putting further strain on American consumers already confronted with slumping home values and overall concerns about a lackluster economy.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 12, 2008 GM Offers Employee Buyouts After $38.7 Billion in Losses After announcing record annual losses Tuesday, General Motors said that it would offer buyouts for all 74,000 of its union employees -- allowing GM to hire lower-wage workers -- to help reduce costs. New York Times business reporter Micheline Maynard offers perspective on the auto industry's financial struggles.

	Feb. 12, 2008 GM Reports Record Loss, Offers Round of Buyouts In an effort to stave off record losses, General Motors Corp. announced Tuesday it was offering a new round of buyouts to all 74,000 of its U.S. hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers.



	JANUARY Jan. 28, 2008 Why don't auto-manufacturers sell cars built to the customers' needs? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Jan. 15, 2008 Design Flaw Cited in Investigation of Minnesota Bridge Collapse The National Transportation Safety Board revealed findings Tuesday from its probe of last year's deadly Minnesota bridge collapse, citing a design flaw with steel "gusset plates" used to build the structure. NTSB chief Mark Rosenker details the agency's investigation.