Nov 16 Watch GM to Repay Government Loans Early, Cites Profit Progress Despite reporting more than a billion-dollar loss since July, General Motors says it expects to pay the federal government's bailout money back five years early. Gwen Ifill speaks with David Shepardson of the Detroit News for more. Continue watching
Oct 21 Watch Former Car Czar Rattner: No Reason GM Can't Succeed "People will start buying cars again," former car czar Steve Rattner tells Judy Woodruff. He also discusses ousting GM's CEO and how the auto industry will evolve. Continue watching
Oct 15 Watch Exploring the Hazards of Texting, Talking While Driving As new evidence emerges about the hazards of driving while talking on a cell phone, more states are pushing to ban the practice. KCET's "SoCal Connected" takes a closer look. Continue watching
Oct 01 Enforcement of Texting-While-Driving Bans Proves a Tough Task By Talea Miller Distractions on the road are plentiful, but as cell technology continues to creep behind the wheel, drivers sending phone text messages are creating a new danger on the roads. Continue reading
Aug 24 Watch Popular 'Cash for Clunkers' Program Winds Down The government is ending its popular 'Cash for Clunkers' program two months early due to dwindling funds. Jeffrey Brown speaks with an automotive journalist about its impact on the auto industry and the economy. Continue watching
Aug 21 Taking a Lesson from Cash for Clunkers, Why Don't We Recycle Old Cars? Question: With the success of the cash for clunkers program coupled with all of the auto plants that had to close this past year, why doesn’t the auto industry, the government, or some young entrepreneur reopen some of these plants… Continue reading
Aug 03 Why Do Cars Have Fuel Doors on Different Sides? Editor’s Note: Robert Frank, author of The Economic Naturalist’s Field Guide: Common Sense Principles for Troubled Times, recently guest-blogged for several weeks here at the Business Desk with answers to some of life’s economic ironies: why brides… Continue reading
Jul 16 Simon Johnson on the Future of the U.S. Auto Industry Paul Solman: The fourth in this week’s series of conversations with economist Simon Johnson concerns the future of the suffering American auto industry. Johnson weighs in on whether the new GM will make it and responds to the… Continue reading
May 29 How Might GM's Bankruptcy Work? Question: How might GM’s bankruptcy work? Paul Solman: For answers, I can’t improve upon this exchange with Wayne State law professor Laura Bartell, whose interview we’ll feature in our GM bankruptcy story, slated to run on Monday’s NewsHour. This… Continue reading
May 07 GM Reports Heavy Losses in the First Quarter By Admin, PBS News Hour General Motors Corp., which faces a June 1 government deadline to finish a restructuring plan or go into bankruptcy protection, said Thursday it lost $6 billion and its revenue was cut nearly in half in the first quarter. Continue reading