Earlier this week, the US government sold its last shares of General Motors. Today, the company named the first female to head a major American car company. Earlier this year, GM's chairman and CEO, Dan Akerson, told a women's business group in Detroit that what he called a "car gal" would soon head one of the Big Three. Now, he's stepping down early, to be replaced as CEO by Mary Barra. Daniel Howes is a columnist for the Detroit News.