Nov 19 Watch 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. Continue watching
Nov 17 Congress Set to Debate U.S. Auto Industry Bailout By Admin, PBS News Hour Congress returns to Washington Monday to convene a lame-duck session with the struggling auto industry as its first priority. Democrats want to use part of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout for emergency loans to help the Big Three carmakers. Continue reading
Nov 12 Democrats Press for Billions in Aid to Auto Industry By PBS News Hour 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. Continue reading
Nov 11 Global, U.S. Markets Struggle as Worries Persist for Automakers By Admin, PBS News Hour Global financial troubles worsened Tuesday as stocks fell in many markets and analysts grew more concerned that the worldwide economic downturn is deepening. Continue reading
Nov 07 Watch Soaring Jobless Rate Offers Latest Sign of Weakened Economy In the latest gloomy financial news, the U.S. economy shed 240,000 jobs in October, pushing the employment rate up to 6.5 percent. Two analysts examine the labor numbers and what they say about the economy. Continue watching
Oct 28 Watch 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… Continue watching
Jul 15 Watch 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. Continue watching
Jul 01 Nearly Every U.S. Automaker Posts Double-digit Sales Losses in June By PBS News Hour 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. Continue reading
Jun 25 Watch 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. Continue watching
Jun 25 Watch Extended Interview: Tesla Motors Chairman Elon Musk NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels talked in April to electric car maker Tesla Motors' founder and chairman, Elon Musk -- an entrepreneur who previously founded PayPal -- about the future of the electric car. Continue watching