AMERICAN AUTO - General Motors

"How General Motors is planning to become carbon neutral by 2040" PBS NewsHour 2/15/2021

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SUMMARY:  One of the main causes of the carbon emissions that drive climate change is automobiles.  And General Motors made big waves in its industry recently by announcing a dramatic ramp up in electric vehicle production, and plans to be carbon neutral by 2040.  William Brangham talks with Dane Parker [Chief Sustainability Officer], a senior executive for the carmaker, about the challenges of meeting those goals.

CHINA: POWER AND POSTERITY - Their 'People' Spying System and More

"How China’s high-tech ‘eyes’ monitor behavior and dissent" PBS NewsHour 9/30/2019

Right out of George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four"

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SUMMARY:  Technology is transforming China, helping improve life in some ways, but also collecting big data.  The government is beginning to convert that data and surveillance footage into social credit scores, which critics say can be used to penalize those who criticize the Communist Party.  Nick Schifrin reports as part of "China: Power and Prosperity," with support from the Pulitzer Center.

"Chinese tech makes cities ‘smart,’ but critics say it spreads authoritarianism" PBS NewsHour 10/1/2019

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SUMMARY:  Chinese 5G technology is designed to transmit huge amounts of data instantly, and deploy vast networks of surveillance cameras and facial recognition software.  While dozens of countries around the world plan to adopt the innovation, human rights advocates and the U.S. are sounding the alarm.  Nick Schifrin reports as part of "China: Power and Prosperity," with support from the Pulitzer Center.

"How China is driving the future of electric cars" PBS NewsHour 10/2/2019

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SUMMARY:  In China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, putting more electric vehicles on the road is critical.  Determined to become a world leader in the market, that nation has imposed a requirement that’s compelling international manufacturers to go more green.  Special correspondent Katrina Yu reports as part of "China: Power and Prosperity," with support from the Pulitzer Center.

"Why China’s art market is evolving from knockoffs to new works" PBS NewsHour 10/3/2019

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SUMMARY:  In the past, China was better known for producing 75 percent of the world’s art knockoffs than for its own creative innovation.  Today, that is changing, as Chinese artists are reviving what they call the country’s “cultural aristocracy” by producing original art.  Special correspondent Katrina Yu reports on the artistic, cultural and political implications of China’s creative resurgence.

"China calls it re-education, but Uighur Muslims say it’s ‘unbearable brutality’" PBS NewsHour 10/4/2019

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SUMMARY:  Uighurs are Muslims who trace their roots back thousands of years in Central Asia, most currently living in the Chinese province Xinjiang.  The group represents less than 1 percent of China's population, but they have endured what the U.S. calls one of the worst human rights crises of modern times.  Nick Schifrin reports on how Communist China has persecuted this religious and cultural minority.

THE LEADING EDGE - Electric Cars and Consumers

"Are consumers ready to hit the gas on electric cars?" PBS NewsHour 7/19/2017

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SUMMARY:  Electric cars have a reputation for being a pricey, niche product that only a handful of people would want or could afford.  But that reputation is starting to crumble as carmakers promise to put electric vehicles in reach for more consumers.  Sonari Glinton of NPR joins William Brangham to discuss the realities of the market, and how Tesla's cheaper electric car could shape the industry's future.

NORWAY - Electric Cars and Greener Future

aka "America's Lost Leadership in Innovation"

"How Norway's government made electric cars irresistible" PBS NewsHour 5/29/2017

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SUMMARY:  Norway's vast wealth comes from decades of gas and oil production, yet its citizens are turning their backs on fossil fuels and embracing electric cars like nowhere else.  In fact, the Norwegian government is planning to end sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2025.  Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports on the Scandinavian country's investment in a greener future.

AUTO INDUSTRY - Tesla's Rocketing Stock

"How Tesla's 'story' is driving its skyrocketing stock value" PBS NewsHour 4/10/2017

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SUMMARY:  The market value of Tesla, the high-end electric car manufacturer, has surpassed that of American automotive giants like Ford and General Motors, both of which sell millions more cars than Tesla does.  James B. Stewart of The New York Times joins William Brangham to discuss Tesla's brand allure and the state of today's auto industry.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM (NewsHour):  Here are some head-scratching numbers to consider.

Tesla's market value is $50 billion, yet Tesla may lose nearly a billion dollars this year, whereas, combined, Ford and GM are expected to earn more than $15 billion.  Last year, Tesla sold just about 80,000 vehicles.  Ford and GM?  They sold nearly 17 million.

James Stewart is a business columnist for The New York Times and a staff writer for The New Yorker, and he's here to help us understand why Tesla's value is skyrocketing.

James Stewart, welcome to the NewsHour.

You know these numbers very, very well.  What is going on here?

JAMES STEWART, The New York Times:  Well, these numbers are pretty amazing.  They make no rational sense, really.

But Tesla is what I call the sort of ultimate story stock, which means investors care about the story.  They don't care about the numbers.  They do not care that it's losing.  They have lost over $500 million last year, may lose a billion this year.  And they don't really care that GM and Ford are making billions of dollars in profit.

The story with Tesla is that they are going to dominate the auto market, that they are going to create the world's safest car, that they are going to take over the battery market, and that they are going to dominate and reinvent the electric grid.

I mean, these are all huge markets, and they think Tesla is going to dominate every one of them.