To the Point
General Motors is Still in the Hotseat, but Sales are Soaring
General Motors risked its reputation by instituting a record number of recalls after news of deaths and injuries due to faulty ignition switches. The company has admitted it failed for years to address safety problems. So why are sales back to where they were before the recession?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenFor years, General Motors ignored defects in ignition systems until deaths and injuries forced the issue of auto safety into the open. Since then, there’s been a record number of highly publicized recalls by GM and other companies, too. But sales of new cars have gone through the roof. So, where’s the backlash? Where does that consumer confidence come from? Are new cars that much safer than old ones? When the average car in America is 11 years old—how many dangerous vehicles are still on the road? Also, the jihadist Islamic State that now controls much of Iraq has trapped at least 40,000 members of the Yazidi sect, who are taking refuge on Mount Sinjar. And, the 69th anniversary of the first atom bomb.
Banner Image: General Motors automobile mural; credit: Toban Black
In this episode
3 storiesIslamist Advance in Iraqi Kurdistan Sparks New Humanitarian
The jihadist Islamic State that now controls much of Iraq has trapped at least 40,000 members of the Yazidi sect—one of that country’s oldest minorities. Men, women and children have taken refuge on Mount Sinjar, where they face slaughter if they go down and dehydration if they stay where they are.
Read the story6 minWhy is America's auto industry back despite millions of recalls?
General Motors has begun the process of compensating victims of faulty ignition systems that led to an avalanche of auto recalls. But, despite reports of deaths and injuries—and publicity over the recalls--GM is still America’s number one automaker and sales are at pre-recession levels. Maryann Keller is an independent auto analyst and author…
Read the story34 minOn the 69th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing, A Look at The Current State of the US Nuclear Arsenal
Sixty-nine years ago today, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, it dropped another on Nagasaki. Since then, Russia and 7 other countries have developed nuclear weapons, but none has ever been used in warfare. We hear about their destructive potential and get an update America’s arsenal.
Read the story9 min
