EV batteries, industrial policy and you
Make Me Smart
Marketplace
4.6 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 13 June 2023
⏱️ 15 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
China dominates the market for electric vehicle batteries, but it didn’t have to be that way. We’ll talk about a story of wasted potential: how a failed U.S. startup made headway on lithium battery tech a bit too early and got caught in the throes of American capitalism. Also, a declassified report shows how the U.S. government has been skirting the need for warrants by buying data about Americans. Plus, if you’ve noticed companies have been quieter about social and environmental issues, it’s not in your head. Mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion and other social initiatives in companies’ earnings calls have fallen recently. We’ll talk about why that is.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “The US Is Openly Stockpiling Dirt on All Its Citizens” from Wired
- “Companies Quiet Diversity and Sustainability Talk Amid Culture War Boycotts” from The Wall Street Journal
- “I-95 Collapse in Philadelphia to Upend Travel, Shipping for Months” from Bloomberg
- “America’s Long, Tortured Journey to Build EV Batteries” from Bloomberg
- “Surfers at Amazon’s mouth ride some of world’s longest-lasting waves” from AP News
- “Jeff Bezos Has Gained $10 on Mystery Purchase of One Amazon Share” from Bloomberg
- “Remember Jeff Bezos’ One-Off Amazon Stock Buy In Late May? Here’s How Much The Billionaire Made From The Purchase” from Benzinga
Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, I'm Rimechres, host of This is Un Comfortable, a podcast from Marketplace. |
| 0:05.3 | This season, we explore how secrets can shape our financial lives. |
| 0:09.7 | We've got stories about the creative lengths people go to pay off student debt, |
| 0:14.0 | what it's like to become addicted to financial submission, |
| 0:17.3 | and how easy it can be to get stuck in a vicious cycle. |
| 0:20.5 | We take a look at how secrets take a toll on our lives, |
| 0:23.6 | and what price some are willing to pay for the truth. |
| 0:26.8 | Listen to This is Un Comfortable, wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:30.1 | Are you curious about the hidden side of everything |
| 0:33.2 | that I have the podcast for you? |
| 0:35.1 | I'm Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio. |
| 0:37.7 | Every week, we hear from some of the world's most fascinating scholars and thinkers |
| 0:42.4 | as we tackle a variety of topics. |
| 0:44.3 | Like why the best employees can make the worst bosses, |
| 0:48.6 | why the banana is the most interesting fruit in the world, |
| 0:51.8 | and why we dread air travel even though it's a miracle. |
| 0:56.0 | Go ahead, listen to Freakonomics Radio wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:59.6 | All right, who's in charge? |
| 1:03.6 | By which I don't mean Bridget. |
| 1:04.7 | There we are. |
| 1:07.2 | Wow. |
| 1:10.6 | Hello, I'm Kim Verly Adams. |
... |
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