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☆ The White House unveils new rules to try and keep China out of the US EV market
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It comes as the US aims to break China's stranglehold over the global electric battery supply chain. Key US automakers like Tesla and Ford are still using Chinese technology in their electric cars. AdvertisementChina is well and truly winning the EV race — and now the White House has unveiled new rules to try and keep Chinese companies out of the US electric car market. The new restrictions could be a headache for US auto manufacturers, which have traditionally relied on China for their battery technology . The American EV market, meanwhile, has stuttered in recent months , with legacy automakers slashing investment and cutting back targets.

Persons: —, Morgan Stanley, Elon Musk's Tesla Organizations: Ford, Service, White, American EV Locations: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Michigan

☆ How American Evangelicalism Became ‘Mister Rogers With a Blowtorch’
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jennifer Szalai | More About Jennifer Szalai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, by Tim AlbertaWhat would Jesus do? It’s a question that the political journalist Tim Alberta takes seriously in his brave and absorbing new book, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” pressing the evangelicals he meets to answer a version of it — even if a number of them clearly do not want to. This phenomenon, Alberta says, cannot simply be a matter of evangelicals mobilizing against abortion access and trying to save lives; after all, they have kept remarkably quiet when it comes to showing compassion for refugees or curbing gun violence, which is now, as Alberta notes, the leading cause of death for children in the United States. What he finds instead is that under the veneer of Christian modesty simmers an explosive rage, propelling Americans who piously declare their fealty to Jesus to act as though their highest calling is to own the libs. No wonder the popular image of evangelicalism, according to one disillusioned preacher, has devolved into “Mister Rogers with a blowtorch.”

Persons: Tim Alberta, “, thrall, Donald Trump, impenitent, Trump, Ted Cruz, Ted, piously, Jesus, Mister Rogers, ” Organizations: THE, Republican, Iowa Republican Locations: “ The, Alberta, United States

Now Widodo also needs a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States for Indonesian materials to qualify for the generous EV subsidies available under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). What it got after last week's bilateral meeting was a commitment "to develop a critical minerals action plan (...) with a view toward establishing the foundation to launch future negotiations on a critical minerals agreement". The joint statement included some pointers as to what the United States expects from that action plan in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. A limited trade agreement on critical minerals could become an even more restricted deal if it were to apply only to non-Chinese material streams. South Korea has the advantage of having had an FTA with the United States since 2012.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Tesla, Widodo, Washington, Biden, Joe Manchin, Janet Yellen, Manchin, Trafigura, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Vale Tbk, U.S, Biden, GREEN, Benchmark Minerals, Australia, Greenpeace, of, Group, Minerals, Korea, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sorowako, Indonesia's, Asian, United States, Indonesia, United, GREEN Indonesia, Philippines, Ulsan, South Korea, Morocco, South

☆ Opinion: Travis Kelce is happy to be Mr. Taylor Swift
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Cristian Arroyo-Santiago | Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the couple of the hour. Jill Filipovic Courtesy of Jill FilipovicThey’re also a surprisingly positive relationship model for men and women alike. Finding love isn’t always easy for American women in a more feminist world, even as American women have become far better off. Fewer than a quarter of single men say they have a hard time finding a romantic mate who meets their expectations. Swift and Kelce are both fabulously wealthy, and money does make relationships easier — she’s now a billionaire, according to Bloomberg.

Persons: Jill Filipovic, CNN — Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Jill Filipovic They’re, Swift, Jason, Taylor, Travis, Gloria Steinem, —, Wives, Kelce, Taylor Swift, ”, they’re, It’s, ’ —, she’s Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Pew Research, Census, Pew, Survey Center, American Enterprise Institute, Bloomberg, NFL, ESPN, Sports, ” Sports Locations: New York, Kelce

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The 2024 presidential election promises to be like no other modern U.S. election. He will be 81 when the election is held in November 2024, making him the oldest American ever to win a presidential election should he secure a second term. Republican presidential candidates are split between those saying abortion laws should be left to the states and those supporting a national ban. Republican candidates, including Trump, have blamed Biden for reversing more restrictive Trump-era policies and have pledged to step up border security. Other Republican candidates, such as Pence and Haley, say the United States must continue to back Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Grover Cleveland, Biden, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, DeSantis, Kamala Harris, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Marianne Williamson, Roe, Wade, Pence, Haley, James Oliphant, Ted Hesson, Heather Timmons, Ross Colvin, Kieran Murray, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Major Economies, White, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Democrat, Trump, White House, Democratic, WHO, U.S, United, New, Biden, Supreme, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Energy, Washington , U.S, Florida, New Jersey, America, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada , South Carolina, Michigan, South Carolina, California, Texas, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Chicago, U.S, Mexico, New York, China, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Midwest, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, . Arizona , Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Southern

☆ Southern Baptist Convention Leader Resigns Over False Résumé
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Ruth Graham | More About Ruth Graham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

is the nation’s largest Protestant denomination and serves as a bellwether for priorities among American evangelicals. The executive committee, which has more than 80 members, conducts business for the denomination between its annual meetings. His ascension even as an interim leader was touted as a historic milestone for the 178-year-old denomination, which was founded as a defender of slavery. Mr. McLaurin is the committee’s third leader in a row to step down in tumultuous circumstances. At a meeting in Dallas this spring, the executive committee rejected its own search committee’s recommendation for the next leader, assembling a new search committee whose work is ongoing.

Persons: McLaurin, Ronnie Floyd, Frank Page, ”, “ It’s, Lord Jesus Christ, McLaurin’s, Robertson, committee’s Organizations: Southern Locations: Dallas, Nashville

☆ Indonesia plans incentives for EV makers, sets up meeting with BYD, Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, has been trying to attract EV makers to invest in the country, enticing them with its rich nickel reserves - the world's biggest - which can be processed into EV batteries. However, some automakers like China's BYD have instead chosen to invest in Thailand, the region's automotive hub. "Tomorrow we are going to finalise incentives that we are going to give to any EV investment in Indonesia," Luhut said, adding they were awaiting President Joko Widodo's approval. Indonesia has been wooing Tesla for years, hoping to host an Asian production hub for the American EV maker. Tesla has been in talks with Indian officials for an investment in an EV factory there.

Persons: Pandjaitan, Luhut, Joko Widodo's, Elon Musk, Tesla, Ananda Teresia, Gayatri Suroyo, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: CNBC Indonesia, Maritime Affairs, Natural, EV, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, China's, Chengdu, California, United States, American

The Bolt does not align with GM's long-term EV technology strategy, but it is the Detroit automaker's best-selling and most affordable EV in North America, by far. Barra and GM officials did not say how much the new Bolt would cost or where it would be built. For GM, the Bolt has been the mainstay for its North American EV sales. In the first six months of this year, U.S. Bolt sales totaled 33,659 vehicles, outselling Ford's Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and other EVs from established automakers. Bolt sales rebounded this year after GM was forced to halt production of the car for nearly six months to fix problems linked to battery fires.

Persons: Rebecca CooK, Mary Barra, Barra, Sam Fiorani, EVs, Sandy Munro, Elon Musk, Fiorani, Bolt, Paul Lienert, Joseph White, Nick Zieminski Organizations: North American, REUTERS, General Motors, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Chevrolet, Detroit, GMC Hummer EV, GM, AutoForecast Solutions, Barra, Bolt, Munro & Associates, UAW, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, North America, United States, Ohio, Michigan, Orion, Detroit

Rising inventories and price-cutting could represent only a short-term pause in EV market growth. If production of EVs continues to outpace demand, automakers will have to choose between slashing prices and profit margins, or slowing assembly lines. More than 90 new EV models are expected to hit the U.S. market through 2026, according to AutoForecast Solutions. In a statement, Volkswagen's U.S. sales arm said "we have seen some softening in EV sales in the U.S. recently" as supply chain bottlenecks have eased, allowing for increased production. Wakefield said it is too soon to declare that U.S. EV demand has hit a plateau.

Persons: Tesla, EVs, Cox, Ford, Vitaly Golomb, Biden, Price, Mark Wakefield, Wakefield, Joe White, Nick Zieminski Organizations: DETROIT, EV, North, AutoForecast Solutions, Dealers, General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota, Cox Automotive, U.S, Cox, GM, Cadillac, GMC, Volkswagen, U.S ., VW, Industry, EVs, Thomson Locations: U.S, North America, United States, Texas, Washington, Tennessee

☆ Tesla charging technology put on fast track to become US industry standard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 27 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O) electric-vehicle charging technology is being put on a fast track to become a U.S. standard, the automotive industry group of engineers that reviews standards said on Tuesday. Tesla's NACS standard has been gathering momentum for weeks. General Motors (GM.N) and Ford (F.N) have said they would embrace Tesla's NACS, shunning earlier efforts by the Biden administration to make the Combined Charging System (CCS) the dominant charging standard in the United States. On Tuesday the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) said it would start an expedited process to review NACS as a potential public standard. "The new SAE NACS connector standard will be developed on an expedited timeframe and is one of several key initiatives to strengthen the North American EV charging infrastructure," the engineers group said in a statement.

Persons: Tesla's, Biden, Hyunjoo Jin, Peter Henderson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: General Motors, Ford, of Automotive Engineers, SAE, North, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, San Francisco

☆ Opinion: Uganda anti-LGBTQ law is outrageous. Here’s the smart way to fight it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Opinion Brett Bruen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But perhaps most importantly in this context, it actually serves to further erode LGBTQ rights around the world. Putin has used attacks on LGBTQ rights as a way to try to appeal to African leaders, suggesting Russia is more aligned with their conservative values. Slapping stiff sanctions on Kampala will reinforce this rhetoric and allow the anti-LGBTQ attacks he’s using to gain greater strength. Instead, we should look at how to prominently elevate and sustain the focus on LGBTQ rights in our relations with Uganda as well as with these other nations. We should invite more Ugandan musicians, artists and actors to collaborate with leading American LGBTQ cultural figures.

Persons: Brett Bruen, Obama, Yoweri Museveni, doles, Brett Bruen CASME, Biden, George Santos, ” Santos, Ugandans, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Sen, Ted Cruz, Saddam Hussein Organizations: Inc, Georgetown University, Obama White House, CNN, State Department, United Arab, Ugandans, Twitter, Facebook Locations: American, Ivory Coast, Venezuela, Iraq, Madagascar, Uganda, United States, Kampala, East, Russia, Zimbabwe, Africa, China, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Russian, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Eritrea

☆ A Chinese EV billionaire's wealth has plummeted 75% to $1.4 billion as aggressive price wars push customers to higher-tier cars — like Tesla or BYD
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The fortune of He Xiaopeng, CEO of Chinese EV maker Xpeng, has fallen 75% from a 2021 peak. He owns 20.5% of Xpeng shares, which tanked nearly 20% this year. Despite the wealth wipeout, He is still the 2,048th richest person in the world — although his net worth is now just a quarter of his $5.5 billion wealth in 2021, per Forbes. The Alibaba-backed company's first-quarter net loss also widened to 2.34 billion yuan from 1.7 billion yuan a year ago. The EV maker launched its first mass-produced model, the G3, in 2018.

☆ This former Vietnam War POW spent 10 months in a 'tiger cage'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Instead he scrambled out of a porthole and found himself face-to-face with the North Vietnamese. A day that Wallingford recalled as clearly as if it were yesterday, as he recounted it to CNN at a recent reunion for surviving Vietnam War POWs in California. As a longtime veteran of combat in Vietnam, Smith also had battlefield wisdom to impart to his brothers in arms. But what can’t be disputed is that soon after those bombings took place, early in 1973, North Vietnam did finally agree to a peace deal. “He had the stones to go to Hanoi and bomb them for (12) days, which ended the war,” Wallingford said.

☆ Analysis: GM's 2025 EV output could be crimped by battery bottleneck
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have not changed our targets," GM spokesman Jim Cain said. Those targets include cumulative EV production of 400,000 from early 2022 through mid-2024, a revised goal that CEO Mary Barra reiterated earlier this year. "We believe GM’s targets are hittable despite hurdles to get there," Wedbush auto analyst Dan Ives said. GM has not issued specific North American EV production targets for 2024 and 2025. GM’s North American EV production targets beyond 2025 “will continue to push the limits” of its battery plants, according to AFS, including a recently announced fourth factory with new partner Samsung SDI (006400.KS) that isn’t expected to open until 2026.

☆ Tee-k Tock: The ‘appalling’ slow play controversy riling golf’s biggest stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Koepka, whose frustrations with slow play lit the touchpaper of a fiery feud with rival Bryson DeChambeau in 2019, made no secret of his grievances. It does become frustrating when you are waiting so long.”1-on-1 with newly minted PGA Tour winner Matt Fitzpatrick 03:48 - Source: CNNFurther complaints came from beyond the confines of the PGA Tour. I was penalized on LPGA for slow play … and it forced me to speed up,” Alvarez said. “It’s not very pleasant to watch somebody stand over the ball for half an hour.”Nicklaus is not a fan of slow play. “We want to keep the focus where it should be: on world-class shot-making.”Solutions: Golf’s shot clock eraSo how do you solve a problem like slow play?

☆ As lithium prices bounce, analysts love these stocks — giving one 155% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

After a tough few months, lithium — a battery metal crucial in electric vehicles — is back in the spotlight as prices start to rebound. By the end of last week, however, lithium prices had started to bounce back. "Lithium prices in China gained for the first time this year on signs demand growth may be finally gathering pace … [and] amid thinning inventories across the supply chain," the ANZ Research analysts added. Canadian miner Sigma Lithium stood out for getting the highest potential upside from analysts at 155%, and a buy rating from 75% of analysts. Stocks that received a 100% buy rating included American EV battery maker Microvast Holdings and Australian miner Piedmont Lithium .

The American EV market is small in comparison to operations in China and Europe. In 2021, the U.S. accounted for less than 10% of new global EV registrations, while China accounted for 50% and Europe 35%. China also accounts for 70% of the world's global EV battery production capacity, meaning that the U.S. is heavily dependent on imports of battery minerals. However, a number of companies are currently working on ways to recycle lithium-ion batteries including Spiers New Technologies, or SNT which focuses on remanufacturing, refurbishing, repurposing and recycling EV batteries. With the demand for critical minerals such as graphite, lithium and cobalt expected to increase by 2050, extending the life of an EV battery can be an important step to reduce the need for mining.

☆ Here's how EV batteries can be given a second life
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

China also accounts for over 70% of global EV battery production capacity, meaning the U.S. is heavily dependent on imports of batteries and battery minerals. It estimates that the lifetime of an EV battery is around 12 to 15 years in moderate climates. The company now has over 400 employees and offers what it calls a "one-stop solution" for used and faulty EV batteries. The company wouldn't disclose the number of battery packs it's capable of storing but said it handles on average 15 thousand battery packs and modules per month. "When I think about the future of EV battery recycling specifically, I see it as an increasingly competitive space," Malloy said.

☆ TravelCenters of America to Add EV Fast-Charger Stations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jennifer Hiller | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

While most EV charging takes several hours at home, fast chargers can repower a car battery in about 30 minutes. TravelCenters of America Inc. and Electrify America LLC plan to build around 1,000 electric-vehicle fast chargers across the U.S. starting this year, the latest matchup that would boost the amount of equipment available to American EV drivers who need a jolt of power on road trips. The partnership aims to add fast-charging stalls to around 200 of TravelCenters’ TA and Petro Stopping Centers. Fast chargers available to drivers of any kind of EV are in short supply across U.S. highways, where their presence is considered key to greater EV adoption as auto makers convert fleets to electric.

☆ Tesla pushes back Model 3 delivery times in Germany after price cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) pushed back the delivery window for Model 3 vehicles on its website in Germany to February to April 2023 from January to March previously, a week after it slashed prices by between 4% and 12% depending on the variation of the model. Delivery times on the Model Y rear wheel drive, which saw the biggest price cut at 17%, had already been pushed to February to March from January to March. Expected delivery of the Model Y Long Range and Performance vehicles remained unchanged on Friday at January to March, the website showed. Tesla delivery times are still far ahead of other competitors in Germany, according to car comparison portal carwow. The company cut prices globally on the Model 3 and the Model Y last week, reversing course from the profit-over-volume strategy deployed across the industry since the pandemic of raising prices to overcome supply chain shortages.

Now, Chief Executive Elon Musk is using that superior profitability as a weapon in the EV price war he started. That emboldened automakers to push EV prices higher. Vietnamese EV startup Vinfast said Thursday it will use price promotions to fight back against Tesla. Chinese EV market leader BYD Co Ltd(002594.SZ) announced price increases effective Jan. 1 after Beijing phased out EV subsidies. However, BYD's gross margins of $5,456 per vehicle give it more headroom in a price war than VW, Toyota or GM.

☆ Tesla Sales of Chinese-Made Cars Hit Record, as Nation’s Auto Market Shrinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG— Tesla Inc.’s Shanghai factory had a record month of sales despite China’s auto market shrinking in the grip of a slowing economy and consumer demand under harsh Covid curbs, constraints that Beijing has just moved to start easing. The American EV giant sold more than 100,000 China-made electric vehicles in November even as passenger car retail sales shrunk by more than 9% on the year amid poor market conditions, according to China Passenger Car Association data released on Thursday. More than 60,000 of those were sold domestically, representing more than one-tenth of China’s EV market share. The rest were exported.

☆ Rep. Ted Lieu reflects on becoming the highest-ranking Asian American ever in House Democratic leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who recently became the first Asian American to be elected vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, took a moment to reflect with NBC News on how he got there. “It’s actually more of a recognition by my colleagues of the growing importance of the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities,” he said. In two decades the Asian American electorate surged 139%, according to Pew Research. The congressman added that beyond Asian Americans, his win also showcases the power of a broad collective. “If you look at what the House Democratic Caucus did, it was, I feel, remarkable.

☆ Trump laughed at coverage of Pence refusing to eat alone with women who weren't his wife, according to new book: 'Now they're attacking Mike for being faithful to his wife!'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former Vice President Mike Pence had a rule to never dine alone with a woman who wasn't his wife. Trump thought it was funny and ironic, Pence writes in his new book. Numerous commentary followed, much of it accusing Mike Pence of disadvantaging women's careers. Mike Pence wrote that Trump "saw the irony" of the coverage about the "Pence Rule." In response to the reports, Pence writes, Trump often quipped that his vice president was "way ahead of his time!"

☆ Tesla Breaks Its China Factory Delivery Record but Trails BYD
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Selina Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG— Tesla hit a record of more than 83,000 electric-vehicle deliveries from its recently upgraded Shanghai factory in September, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association. The plant delivered 83,135 EVs last month, an 8% increase from August, according to data released by the association on Sunday. The American EV maker still trailed Chinese rival BYD Co., which topped the charts for EV deliveries last month with almost 95,000 units, up 14% from August. BYD’s total sales, including hybrids, were a combined 201,000 units in September. BYD also broke its own records in September, in EVs as well as total sales.

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