Auto

The Federal Reserve has one last Christmas gift for the auto industry. It's allowing GMAC, General Motors's financing arm, to become a bank holding company -- which makes it eligible for TARP funds. Jeremy Hobson reports.

Christmas came early for the Big 3 when the White House announced it would bail out the troubled automakers. But how would bankruptcy compare to the government rescue? Tess Vigeland speaks with bankruptcy expert Douglas Baird.

With a $17 billion loan package for General Motors and Chrysler come strings attached involving wages. But the United Auto Workers union isn't entirely satisfied, which could make negotiations ahead rocky. Steve Henn reports.

The $17.4 billion that President Bush made available to General Motors and Chrysler today is being seen by auto industry analysts as only a temporary lifeline. Big decisions await the next administration. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.

Like the Big Three, Honda is also having a hard time selling cars. The company issued profit warnings for the third time this year. Steve Chiotakis talks to Marketplace's Alisa Roth about how the automaker is saving cash.

There may be a large contingent of greener cars on the road, but gas guzzlers and other fuel-consuming vehicles are still zooming down the freeways. Commentator Virginia McConnell says that higher gas prices and taxes could be good for the auto industry and us.

The White House looks poised to take action to help the auto industry, and there are a few routes it could take. Stacey Vanek-Smith talks to Marketplace's Alisa Roth, who goes over what could happen.

Chinese company BYD unveiled a new electric car with a plug-in battery that's supposedly two years ahead of the competition. Scott Jagow talks to Marketplace's Scott Tong, who got a first-hand look.

The Treasury Department may dip into the $700-billion bailout fund to rescue the ailing auto industry. Kai Ryssdal speaks with John Dimsdale about what's next for the automakers.

The Senate's denial of a $14 billion loan package for the auto industry has a global effect. Scott Jagow talks to David Buick with the Cantor Index about the roughly 2 million people employed throughout the industry.