Money. This is real money. You are the most important part of the show. Join our live conversation for the next half hour on twitter and also facebook. 6,226,000. Thats the total number of vehicles General Motors has recalled this year alone. Today america demanded answers from g. M. Over ignition switches linked to 13 traffic deaths over a decade. And america got virtually nothing. When members of the house panel one after another pressed g. M. Ceo mary barra over what g. M. Knew and when, she simply repeated were reviewing that. She later told reporters we hired tony velucas. Tony vel ucas is a lawyer. Talk to our lawyer. Were still left hanging. 2. 6 million vehicles recalled in february and march over faulty ignition switches going back to the year 2000. That can suddenly move to the off position and shut down a vehicles electrical system. In an instant you could lose your steering and brakes. In an instant you could lose your ability to deploy the vehicles airbag. In an instant you could lose your life. At least 13 people did. To be fair g. M. s new ceo is clearly not familiar with the 2,000 plus documents turned over even though she has worked at g. M. For 34 years. G. M. Only exists today because of the good graces of the american taxpayer. A 49. 5 billion taxpayer bailout saved the company from collapse during the darkest days of the recession. Most of it was paid back but still taxpayers are still in the hole for 10. 5 billion. I along with many others supported g. M. s bailout strenuously because the damage of letting it fail would have been too grate. From the ashes we were told a new g. M. Would emerge. What we got today from mary barra is more of the old g. M. As far as what g. M. Knew about the ignition switches in 2001, 13 years before the recall, correct . Yes or no will work. The investigation will tell us that. You conclude from my Opening Statement that the tooling cost and price piece pieces are too , what does that mean . I find that statement to be very disturbing as we do this investigation and understanding the context of the whole timeline, if thats the reason why the decision is made that is unacceptable. Do you take responsibility . Is the Company Responsible . The new g. M. Is it responsible . We will make the best decisions for our customers, recognizing that we have legal obligations and responsibilities as well as moral obligations. Right now how many parts are being used in General Motors product that dont meet your own companys specifications . I dont have that except number but i can tell you the parts that were using today meet the performance and the reliability, the safety that they need to if we find we have a part that is defective that doesnt meet the requirements, we then do a recall. Whats changed at g. M. . Isnt it true that throughout its corporate history g. M. Has represented to the driving public that safety has always been there their number one priority . I cant speak to the statements made in the past, i can only tell you that weve changed our core values and were leading by example. Thats your job now as ceo but you need to fix it, and fix it as quick as you can because its going to cause us problems, obviously. I agree with you, it is completely my responsibility, and i will workday and night. Weve already made tremendous change, and i recognize that its my responsibility. There you have it, and there were several more hours that have. It doesnt sound like it went too well for g. M. And libby casey is covering the hearings for us at capitol hill. Libby, youve seen lots of these hearings. How did it look from your perspective . 7. It it was an intense line of questioning. You dont want to say that she was held in the hot seat or grilled but she really was questioned. What we kept hearing from ms. Barra is that theyll have to wait for the investigation to see how it plays out. In the documentation that you supplied, she said in that case, yes, otherwise we have to wait for this investigation to play out. It was a heated hearing, and there are a lot of concerns. Its not just the fact that there were these faulty ignition switches, but as you said, the company did have some knowledge and they did change the switches over time but they didnt let the public know. They got these switches. They werent up to specs, but they installed them any way. Barton called mary barras responses gobble di gook at one point in the hearing then they got the switches switched with the same part number. Now that will cause them headaches because they cant tell which ones are faulty and which ones arent because they all have the same spec. The issue is by not changing the part number you dont have to tell anybody about the part. If t now sees that its an easy fix. But now with all these cars recalled, you cant tell which ones feed to be fix. Mary barra said that is not standard procedure and that should not have been done. She was asked are there employees that oversaw the ignition starter starters still butted and it sounds like theyre still there. As a financial journalist i thought a very strange dig when they decided after the resurrection, after the bankruptcy. They refer to themselves as the new g. M. Mary barra has been there for 34 years and many of the Senior Executives have been there for years, too. Shes a Second Generation g. M. Even though she has been in the ceo chair since january, but she has been at the company for a long time. Congress is asking who will ultimately be held responsible . They want to know names, personnel, they want to hear that from her. Now shes giving us a timeline on a couple of issues. Something else that Congress Wants to see happen, compensation. You mentioned the bankruptcy. This is a big part of the story. When g. M. Declared bankruptcy in 2009 it wiped the slate clean. Accidents that happened prior to 2009, ignition switches that from faulty and install before 2009 that is under the old g. M. And the company may not be held responsible. They are asked will you step up and compensate victims and families of those now dead victims, at least 13 people. Mary barra said they have appointed ken feinberg, he worked on the compensation packages of 9 11 attacks and the bt oil spill. Barra did not say that they will do compensation packages. To see the families of victims, holding their pictures in their arms, thank you. Libby casey, from capitol hill. Was g. M. Worth saving with taxpayer money . John said on facebook, i dont trust g. M. To make safe cars. Waiting over ten years. Another tweet, why is g. M. Taking more heat than any other company. Now heres the thing to remember about g. M. This isnt just any company accused of doing something wrong. Its a big force in our economy, and without your tax dollars it probably wouldnt be here today. Ill explain coming up. Plus the secret to a more fulfilling life, it may mean replacing this with something more like this. Ariana huffington explains more. Scared as hell. As american troops prepare to leave afghanistan get a first hand look at what life is really like under the taliban. Were going to be taken to a place, where theyre going to make plans for an attack. The only thing i know is, that they say theyre not going to withdraw. Then, immediately after, an america tonight special edition for more inside and analysis. Why did you decide to go. Its extremly important for the western audience to know why these people keep on fighting. Its so seldom you get that access to the other side. Faultlines on the front lines with the taliban then an america tonight special edition, only on Al Jazeera America u. S. Automakers enjoying a spring thaw after a harsh winter kept people from car show floors. Sales climbing a whooping 13 , nissan posted an 8. 3 increase. Ford was up 3. 3 . General motors in the spotlight today with the ceo testifying before congress over that recall mess still did pretty well of 4 sails gain and g. M. s numbers were delayed for hours by a computer glitch. Now the recall playing g. M. Is just the latest championship. At its peak in 1979 General Motors employed 618,000 people making it the largest private employer in the united states. Only the government was a bigger employer. Competition from japan, bankruptcy other head wins have reduced g. M. s size and importance. But as mary snow reports the companys performance Still Matters to a small arm of workers, dealers, investors, and you, the consumer. Reporter launched in 1908, g. M. Motors gobbled up competitors to become a dominant player in the automobile industry. It hit the peak of its power in 1962 claiming 50 share of the u. S. Market. And it went global in the 80s and 90s with 8 million g. M. Vehicles sold worldwide in 1995. Those numbers were in decline when g. M. Filed bankruptcy the company that emerged may be smaller and leaner, but make no mistake, g. M. Remains a powerful force in the global economy. Today the company employs 219,000 workers and network of dealers worldwide. With 70 of sales now coming outside of the u. S. Gal brought in revenues of 155. 4 billion in in 2014. Its stock remains widely held including banks, pension plans, Mutual Fund Owners an. Bad news for g. M. Could spell band news around the world. Mickey has been covering Car Companies for two decades. She said the bailout did not fix the fundamental problems at g. M. Which is its culture. They predicted the collapse of the americas car makers and is edit or and exploring the changing car industry. Mickey, it doesnt matter what one thinks of g. M. As mary snow just pointed out, it is important. Its central and part of the american fabric. Youre either an investor in this company or you know somebody who works for it or you work for someone who supplies it. We cant have g. M. Getting into these kinds of pickles. That was exactly the rationale for the bailout. If you think back to 2009, 2008, we were in a financial crisis, we had lehmann brothers go down. When president obama came in to office the sense was we cant lose the two detroit car makers that are in the most trouble, and clearly g. M. Got the lyon share of the bailout. They got 50 billion and the treasury owned a good part of General Motors until earlier this year. The issue is as mary barra and General Motors would have you see t the problems are the old g. M. The prerecession g. M. Its prebailout g. M. The prebankruptcy g. M. This is the new g. M. Even though many of its leaders have worked there for a long time, what is the new culture at General Motors. You have a company that is used to being the Largest Company in the united states. It no longer is, but it is still the largest u. S. Automaker. It is still in detroit, which is like the pentagon in washington, or hollywood in california. They are very proud of their company and as General Motors goes, so should go the rest of the auto industry. But the problem is the rest of the world has changed. They have gone from half of the car market to 18 of the car market. They have to fight for every sale they get. The treasury shrank them. You have the old attitude of General Motors bumping up against the new reality of the car market and american marketplace in general. Will this do it . I looked back at toyota when it had its issue with the brake peddles, and toyota is back. When you think of toyota, you think of a good car, not of that. And then ford had bigger problems and no one thinks of the recall at ford. Does this change g. M. Or do they bounce back because everyone bounces back. This could be a very big moment for mary barra in her ten tenure as ceo. This was the year that g. M. Was supposed to get a fresh start, no longer owned by the u. S. Government, and the problems of the past are dogging it. They really have to shake it off and prove to the American Public that the investment was a good investment. Does mary barra survive this . I think she will. Its so easterly and its clear shes just getting her hands around this issue that at the moment i dont think anybody should be concerned about that. But look at this. Youve had a 750 million charge amounts for the first quarter. Basically wiping out their earnings for the first quarter. If we were to get a billion dollar charge or another half Million Dollar charge thats real money. We have to think about the prospects of what happens to a ceo with charges like that. Thank you for coming on the show. Good to see you. Thank you. Editor of curb and cars. Carl levin of michigan said the construction manufacturer caterpillar shifted profits to a subsidiary in switzerland which had no employees or real business activity. Caterpillar said the companys actions were legal and appropriate. What im about to say is not an april fools joke. More than 7 Million People have signed up for Health Insurance under obamacare. Thats what the administration hoped for. Not many people thought that would happen back in october when the website launched with more problems than g. M. s Ceo Mary Barra has. If you missed the deadline. There may be time. The government is giving people who had website problems a few extra weeks to sign up for the healthcare plan. Ariana huffington will tell us how having an accident helped her discover the third metric, and the low cost that could have been the difference between life and death in the g. M. Recall crisis. Google and the world brain it would be the worlds greatest library, under one digital roof. But at what cost . Google could hold the whole word hostage. Al jazeera america, take a new look at news. Evey saturday, join us for exclusive, revealing, and suprizing talks with the most interesting people of our time. Thinking differently is actualy punished. This saturday, is Public Education actually failing america . Education is the biggest investment we make in our futures. But what are we really teaching our kids . I think its a catastrophe that so many School Disticts have cut arts programs back. Could his reforms lead to happier, more fufilled lives. Schools need to encourage the development of imagination. Sir ken robinson talk to al jazeera only on Al Jazeera America Ariana Huffington knows plenty about success. She sold the website she cofounded for 15 million. She still runs the business and the Huffington Post is one of the most popular news and information sites in the world. With 90 million global visitors a month. When it comes to money and power Ariana Huffington knows what shes talking about. But her latest book called thrive she said a successful life needs something else, something she calls the third metric. She said she found herself lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Sorry about the graphic nature of the introduction but it was a turning point for. You it was, and i cant blame you. In april of 2007 i collapsed from exhaustion, sleep deprivation, two years after founding the Huffington Post. Literally there i was in a pool of blood beginning to ask myself the question is this success . If we define success by the convention terms of money and power, we are successful. But if you define success by any sane definition, lying in a pool of blood is not success. Not sleeping, skipping meals, being all over the world on planes sounds like success to a lot of people. Exactly. That is really why i wrote the book. Its part of my personal journey, but more to the point i see the collective there now all around. I feel its time for the sake of our individual lives and the sake of businesses to realize that this is a collective delusion. In order for the business to succeed, and people are praised in a corporation often for working 24 7. The language being used, killing it, crashing t the language of war which makes it hard for us to take care of our wellbeing. Thats why this consists of four pillars. Our wellbeing, if we sacrifice our health, clearly not worth it. Wisdom. You see so many leaders making terrible decisions. They are not smart, theyre not wise. Then our ability to bring joy and wonder in our lives, and to make giving part of our lives. You and i have had this conversation elsewhere, and you mentioned that we should all trade in our phones, which is what i used a my alarm clock, and because its my alarm clock it has to live next to my bed. You say keep the phone in another room and invest in an Old Fashioned alarm clock to move your phone from your bed. I have Scientific Evidence if you look up in the middle of the night and look at your data your sleep is not recharging. Dont allow your day life to intrude in your nightlife. At the end of each section i have three tapes because my hope is that people are not just going to agree with me, but make living microscopic changes in their lives. But our bosses have to change. How do you manage this . You could come in within day and say i read the book, im going to put wonder in my life, joy, and get twice as much sleep in my life than you normally do, and then the boss feels like hes going to suffer. Im not saying dont get responsible, dont get the job done. But when were recharged well get the job done faster and better. In my own life ive been much sore effective since my collapse since i prioritized getting enough sleep and recharging. We pay people for their judgment, not their stamina. Did you know you were exhau exhausted before you collapsed of exhaustion . No. Many of us sleep very few hours, you had to recharge yourself. I dont remember the last time i wasnt tired. So we dont even remember what its like to be completely recharged, and ready to go. Which when i have my best ideas and i thought now a lot of ceos, a lot of people who i admire including steve jobs and the ceo of bridge water, who meditates. They create quiet times in their lives. You can call it prayer, contemplation, fly fishing, just some quiet time when youre not tethered to your smart phone, and we actually get our best inside. Im going to try it. I said im going to try it. I said the last time you and i talked that i was going to try it. Im going to try it. Thank you for writing the book. It gives us a new way of think about lives. Thank you very much. Ariana huffington, author of thrive. I spent a lot of time on this show on numbers as they relate to General Motors. I got one more number for you, 57. Thats how many cents per car it would have cost General Motors to fix the ignition switches and prevented 13 traffic deaths. 0. 57 to fix. Take a look at what were talking about. A spring inside the switch, a piece that costs pennies. You failed to provide enough force i just want to show how easy it is to turn this key in this switch. Even nor disturbing than that g. M. New it would only cost 0. 57 to fix. It shows an unacceptable business case. You want to hear what i think the real unacceptable business case, g. M. s apparent unwillingness to put its customers ove safety first for over a decade. On Al Jazeera America when science intersects with hope. Im hoping to give someone a prosthetic arm for under 1000 inovation finds oppurtunity a large earthquake would be an inconvenience rather than a disaster. And hardware meets humanity this is some of the best driving ive ever done eventhough i cant see. Techknow our experts take you beyond the lab were here in the vortex. And explore the Technology Changing our world. Only on Al Jazeera America chile rocked by a massive 8. 2 magnitude earthquake, sparking fears of a tsunami. Sending hundreds of thousands fleeing for higher ground. Protesters and police go head to head in greece. Mobs of people willing to take tear gas and stun grenades. An upclose look at
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