Motoryzacja

WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush signed into law Wednesday a 40% increase in fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, the result of a grand, if strained, compromise between Democrats, Republicans, environmentalists and automakers.

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush said today it's "important" that Congress do something to help Detroit's automakers but offered no indication that he would give in to suggestion he authorize a portion of the $700-billion Wall Street bailout for that purpose.

The federal and Ontario governments will provide the Canadian subsidiaries of the Detroit Three automakers with $3.29 billion in emergency loans, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Saturday. The announcement follows a pledge Friday by President George W. Bush to offer $17.4 billion in emergency loans to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

A compromise plan to provide $25 billion in loans to automakers would only have $7.5 billion to grant under federal rules, according to the Congressional Budget Office, throwing another complication in the effort to save Detroit's automakers.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration declined again today to venture an opinion about the Detroit automakers' pleas for $34 billion in government loans to prevent their collapse.