The first national strike against G.M. by the auto workers union since 1970 began today after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a contract.
AP - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioned the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks and defended the right to cast doubt on the Holocaust in a tense appearance Monday at Columbia University, whose president accused the hard-line leader of behaving like "a petty and cruel dictator."
AP - The Bush administration said in a new report Monday that Social Security is facing a $13.6 trillion shortfall and that delaying reforms is not fair to younger workers.
AP - In his outward persona at least, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to this country to lessen hostility toward himself and to defend Iran, not to rabble-rouse and provoke hatred. Whether he succeeded remains an open question.
The United Auto Workers union launched a nationwide strike against General Motors on Monday. The strike by 73,000 union members halted operations at 80 facilities in 30 states, and could also hit GM plants in Canada and Mexico as well as companies supplying GM.
Columbia University president Lee Bollinger slammed Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as he was introduced for a question and answer session with students. When asked if he sought the destruction of Israel, he said the status of Israel should be determined by a free election. "Let the people of Palestine freely choose what they want for their future," he said.