Workers leave GM plant.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Tough times in Michigan.

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Today on Planet Money:

We're all about the auto industry. President-elect Barack Obama wants to save them, but others aren't sure it's a good idea. We look into the problems at General Motors and hear from a listener on the ground in Detroit.

Kimberly Rodriguez, an economist with Grant Thorton LLP, says the U.S. automotive industry needs to survive.

— Economist House Call! An auto worker in Detroit is nervous about the industry's future. Simon Johnson tells him to sit tight, for the moment.

Download the podcast; or subscribe. Music today: Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars." Get the opening clip in full. Follow our Twitter feed. Join our Facebook group.

Tags: Simon Johnson, GM