Steven chu, the energy secretary, who specialises in atomic physics, travelled on June 2nd to Fort Wayne, Indiana, which specialises in pickup trucks. General Motors (gm) had declared bankruptcy the day before, and Mr Chu was one of many cabinet members sent to cheer up the rust-belt. He toured a local firm that makes geo-thermal heat pumps, then announced $5om to promote such technology. On the far side of town Orval Plumlee, the president of the local United Auto Workers, was too busy to leave the union hall. Panicked workers had been calling him non-stop.rnAs a manufacturing giant topples, Indiana finds itself in an odd position, gm's bankruptcy will devastate Michigan, the rustbelt's feebly beating heart, and Indiana will suffer too. The state had about 80,000 workers in the car and parts manufacturing industry in 2007, the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
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