This AP story that includes expert comment by professor Peter Henning of the WSU Law School, was published widely today in media outlets in the U.S, Canada, England, Australia, and Hong Kong. The story is about General Motors plans to seek relief from its $68 billion post-retirement health care obligation in contact talks with the UAW. The company said in papers filed with the SEC Thursday that health care costs are its biggest competitive disadvantage. In the filing, GM said it is working to improve internal accounting controls, but if it can't fix them permanently this could "adversely impact the company's ability to report its financial condition accurately and in a timely manner." Henning, a former SEC attorney, said GM's filing uses accounting language commonly used in the wake of a wave of corporate scandals in recent years. "It shouldn't be a significant concern for investors," he observed, "because it's more on the reporting side and not on the recording of transactions." But he said if account reporting continues to be a problem over time "then it becomes a real concern."