Auto

The automaker this morning reported a $12.7 billion loss for 2006 — its worst performance ever. And even if you figure in all those employee buyouts, Wall Street expected better.

President Bush wants us to use a lot more ethanol. The corn-based fuel substitute is a rising political star on Capitol Hill. But ethanol's future may not be in corn. Sam Eaton reports.

The president's push for ethanol as an alternative fuel means one thing — subsidies. Economist Susan Lee says bureaucrats and politicians don't usually do well with those.

President Bush is expected to call for better fuel economy in his State of the Union address tonight. Sounds simple enough, but not everyone agrees on the best way to achieve it. Sarah Gardner reports

Nearly 40,000 hourly Ford employees have accepted buyout offers that begin this month. And that could send city budgets in places like Brookpark, Ohio into the red. Mhari Saito has the story.

The Bush administration has raised the cost for leases that allow oil and natural gas companies to drill in the Gulf of Mexico. But critics say loopholes in the leases could still cost the U.S. billions. Jeff Tyler reports.

The Big Three U.S. carmakers have a lot riding on the Detroit car show that opens later this week. Kai Ryssdal talks with Los Angeles Times auto critic Dan Neil about what he expects to see there.

Analysts expect an across-the-board slump in new auto sales for December — except for Toyota. Sam Eaton has details.

It was another tough year for GM, Ford and Chrysler. The U.S. automakers are working to turn things around — will they fare better in 2007?

Striking Goodyear workers vote on a new labor contract today — one that was painstakingly negotiated between management and the labor union and retirees and ... Steve Tripoli has the rest.