This week's program enters its final phase of production, rousing us from our somnolent Capitol Hill watch.

One auto crisis strategy we are tracking across the world, which could give heart to the Big 3: government bailout. Sweden, Australia, Brazil, France, and Spain are just a few of the countries whose governments have opened their checkbook in recent weeks to shore up sluggish auto industries.

If the U.S. Congress does in the end warm to Detroit, one group in particular will be sure to rejoice: members of the extended Ford family. The Detroit News reported last week that the Ford family's stock wealth has plummeted in recent years to a mere $117 million today. You can track their losses in the graphic here.

Detroit is in trouble, and its competitors in India, Brazil, Japan and Germany eye the US as a market for their small, cheap and (relatively) green vehicles. TV news sources in this episode include SABC (South Africa); Russia Today; Southeast Asia Newsline (India), NHK (Japan); KBS (S. Korea); the BBC; and Al Jazeera English.
 
- Global Pulse -

We're watching the New York Times live blog of the auto bailout session on Capitol Hill, though drowsiness has begun to set in. Sen. Richard Shelby got the most pressing item out of the way early on, confirming that auto executives have in fact shared driving responsibilities for the Detroit-Washington ride. R.I.P. to comfort class.

Our tired eyes are now drifting elsewhere, first to Salon where Andrew Leonard counsels a healthy distrust of a Big 3 bailout, reminding us of Detroit's countless past economic and environmental sins. CNN meanwhile stirs up populist fury with its poll of Americans against the bailout.

Hope is in the future though if we are to believe the car lovers at Wired's Autopia blog, who sing the praises of Chrysler's  fuel-efficient sedans set to roll out in 2011.

But will Chrysler even live to see a new decade? Let us know what you think starting tomorrow in the comments section here.

With apologies for our Thanksgiving slumber, Global Pulse re-emerges tonight with a look at the BIg 3 automakers' return to Washington, pleading for a tow. What many Americans may not yet realize is that Detroit's breakdown could have dramatic implications for jobs and stability across the globe. Also, we find that auto outfits in Latin America, Asia, and Europe may soon lap US-based GM, Ford, and Chrysler in energy-efficient, profitable production.

Watch the episode beginning tonight here.