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Elon Musk tweeted Tesla may get into the lithium mining and refining business directly and at scale because the cost of the metal, a key component in manufacturing batteries, have gotten so high.
“Price of lithium has gone to insane levels,” Musk tweeted.
Lithium deposits are not uncommon in the US, but refining resources are limited.

Elon Musk tweeted Tesla may get into the lithium mining and refining business directly and at scale because the cost of the metal, a key component in manufacturing batteries, has gotten so high.
“Price of lithium has gone to insane levels,” Musk tweeted. “There is no shortage of the element itself, as lithium is almost everywhere on Earth, but pace of extraction/refinement is slow.”

The Tesla and SpaceX tech boss was responding to a tweet showing the average price of lithium per tonne in the last two decades, which showed a massive increase in prices since 2021. According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the cost of the metal has gone up more than 480% in the last year.
There are indeed deposits of lithium all over the United States, according to the the U.S. Geological Survey, a division of the U.S. Department of Interior.
Lithium is valuable in electric vehicle batteries because it is both the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. That means that batteries made with lithium have a high power-to-weight ratio, which is important when dealing with transportation.
Friday’s tweet is not the first time Musk has raised the idea of Tesla mining its own lithium.
In 2020, Tesla secured its own rights to mine lithium in Nevada after a deal to buy a lithium mining company fell through, according to Fortune, which was siting “people familiar with the matter.”

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The landlord for two Washington, D.C., men accused of impersonating Homeland Security agents won a judgment for more than $222,000 in unpaid rent.
The rent was for five apartments they lived in and loaned out to Secret Service agents, a court filing shows.
The default judgment against “United States Special Police,” a company connected to the men, Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali was entered in Superior Court in Washington in January.

Arian Taherzadeh seen in photos submitted in a D.O.J. affidavit.
Courtesy: D.O.J

The landlord of two Washington, D.C., men charged with impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents won a judgment for more than $222,000 in unpaid rent for the five apartments they lived in and loaned out to U.S. Secret Service agents, a court filing shows.
The default judgment against “United States Special Police,” a company connected to the men, Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali, was entered in Superior Court in Washington in January.

United States Special Police, which is not a law enforcement agency, had leased the five apartments at Crossing on First Street since late 2020, according to a lawsuit filed in July by a limited liability corporation owned by Tishman Speyer, the real estate giant that owns the building.
But USSP had not paid any rent during that time, the suit says.
And “they had created a fake person to sign the lease,” a federal prosecutor said in court Friday, referring to Tazherzadeh and Ali.

A Tishman Speyer spokesman declined to comment on the case.
The rent case came to light as the men were due to appear at a detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Prosecutors have asked a judge to order that the men be held without bail.
Ali, 35, and the 40-year-old Taherzadeh were arrested Wednesday at Crossing on First Street, located in the Navy Yard area of Southeast Washington.
Federal prosecutors accuse them of impersonating Homeland Security agents for several years, and say the FBI found weapons, ammunition, and law-enforcement paraphernalia in their apartments, despite the fact that neither man is employed by law enforcement.
A court filing by prosecutors on Friday said, that while they were claiming to be law enforcement agents involved in covert operations, “they compromised United States Secret Service (USSS) personnel involved in protective details and with access to the White House complex by lavishing gifts upon them, including rent-free living.”

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“Taherzadeh stated that Ali had obtained the electronic access codes and a list of all of the tenants in the apartment complex,” which has hundreds of units, the filing said. Those access codes allow tenants to enter their apartments and the amenity areas, and operate elevators in the complex.
Four Secret Service personnel have been placed on leave as a result of the case.
The Secret Service has not said if those agents include one who had been assigned to first lady Jill Biden’s protective detail.
That agent was identified in a criminal complaint as being offered an AR-15-style assault rifle valued at $2,000 by Taherzadeh. He lived in an apartment below Taherzadeh in the same building, the complaint said.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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Target has a new landing page on resale site, ThredUp, which features items from its private labels and limited-time designer collections along with select items from luxury brands.
The big-box retailer previously launched — and then shut down — a test in 2015 with the online thrift shop.
The resale market totaled $15 billion last year and is expected to more than triple to $47 billion by 2025, according to Jefferies.

Target ThredUp website
Source: Target

Target is tiptoeing back into secondhand sales through a deal with resale company, ThredUp.
The big-box retailer confirmed Friday that it launched a page on ThredUp’s website in late March that includes listings of women’s and kids’ apparel, along with accessories. Some items are from Target’s private labels, such as kids’ clothing brand Cat & Jack, or its limited-time designer collaborations, such as one with Lilly Pulitzer in 2015, and others are from luxury brands not typically sold by Target. All are curated by Target from ThredUp’s inventory.

A company spokesperson said Target is in a “test and learn” phase with ThredUp. She declined to share financial terms of the deal. ThredUp also declined to comment.
This is not the first time Target has teamed up with ThredUp, an online consignment and thrift store. Target launched — and then shut down — an approximately six-month test in 2015. It allowed shoppers to get Target credit for gently used items that ThredUp was willing to resell.
A Target spokesperson said the company decided to partner again with ThredUp to tap into customers’ interest in value and sustainability. Target’s new webpage on ThredUp’s website is labeled as a beta test. It includes about 400,000 pieces priced at up to 90% off.
The partnership fits into Target’s broader sustainability initiatives, including Target Zero, a new label in stores and online that points out products or packaging designed to be refillable, reusable or compostable. The retailer also recently turned a San Diego-area storefront into its first net-zero energy store by adding massive carport solar panels.
For retailers, resale is a way to get in front of Gen Z and millennial shoppers who enjoy the “treasure hunt” and green aspects of thrifting, said Ashley Helgans, an equity research analyst who follows the sector for Jefferies. Through secondhand purchases, those younger consumers may develop an affinity for new brands and decide to make purchases directly from the original seller, she said.

For ThredUp, striking deals with retailers is a way to expand its reach and sell inventory more quickly in a growing, but highly fragmented industry, Helgans said. It competes with other players, including The RealReal, eBay, Poshmark and Depop.
ThredUp has also struck profit-sharing deals with retailers like Walmart and Madewell, which cross-list items on their own websites.
Helgans said Target’s previous test may have come too early. In 2015, the resale market stood at about $1 billion, according to Jefferies. It’s now grown to an estimated $15 billion in 2021 and is expected to more than triple to $47 billion by 2025.

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A judge ruled that the Trump Organization can continue to operate a golf course in the Bronx section of New York City, rejecting a court effort by the city’s government to expel the company owned by former President Donald Trump from the site.
The city ended the Trump Organization’s contract to operate the Ferry Point golf course in February 2021, weeks after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and disrupted the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s election win.
The city claimed that the Capitol riot had made the Trump brand “synonymous with an insurrection against the federal government,” and thus ruined Ferry Point’s ability to draw “professional tournament-quality events” to the course.

A ‘TRUMP’ branded helicopter sits near a putting green during a ribbon cutting event for a new clubhouse at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, June 11, 2018 in The Bronx borough of New York City.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images

A judge ruled Friday that the Trump Organization can continue to operate a golf course in the Bronx section of New York City, rejecting a court effort by the city’s government to void its contract with the company owned by former President Donald Trump.
The city ended the Trump Organization’s contract to operate the Trump Ferry Point 18-hole golf course in February 2021, weeks after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and disrupted the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s election win.

At the same time, the city canceled the company’s contracts to operate two ice rinks and a carousel in Central Park.
The city claimed in a letter to the Trump Organization, whose owner is a notoriously avid golfer, that the Capitol riot had made the Trump brand “synonymous with an insurrection against the federal government,” and thus ruined Ferry Point’s ability to draw “professional tournament-quality events” to the course.
The company then sued the city in June after an appeal of the decision was denied, claiming the city breached the contract, which authorized the Trump Organization to run the course for 20 years.

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The case hinged on the city’s reliance on a section of the contract that required the Trump Organization to maintain the course in a way that would make it capable of “attracting professional tournament quality events,” Friday’s ruling noted.
Trump’s lawyers argued that the contract did not obligate the Trump Organization to attract or host tournament-quality events on the course.

Lawyers for the city in turn argued that the damage the riot did to the Trump brand impaired the facility’s ability to attract professional tournaments.
In her ruling Friday, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Debra James wrote that she agreed with the Trump Organization “that there is no ambiguity in the obligation in the Agreement that petitioner is required to ‘operat[e] a first class, tournament quality daily fee golf course.'”
James said that although the city argued that the phrases were ambiguous, “when read in the context of the Agreement as a whole, it is not capable of multiple interpretations.”
A Trump Organization spokesperson said in a statement, “We would like to thank the court for its well-reasoned decision based on law and facts.
“As we have said since the beginning, the City’s efforts to terminate our long term license agreement to operate Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point Park were nothing more than a political vendetta,” the spokesperson said.
“Former Mayor Bill de Blasio used his position to weaponize the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York City Law Department all in an effort to advance his own partisan agenda, score political points and interfere with free enterprise,” the spokesperson said. “This is not just a win for The Trump Organization — this is a win for the people of the City of New York and for the hundreds of our hard-working employees at Ferry Point.”
“We are thrilled that we will continue to operate and manage what has been widely recognized as one of the most magnificent public golf experiences anywhere in the country.”
A Law Department spokesperson said, “Anyone holding a City concession is held to a high standard. We are disappointed in the Court’s decision, and we are reviewing our legal options.

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Disney is moving “Dancing With the Stars” from ABC to Disney+.
Disney is seeking to bolster its number of subscribers on the streaming platform by diversifying its content.
The decision also comes as the Disney-owned broadcast network is set to air several “Monday Night Football” games in 2022 and 2023.

This season’s remaining four couples will dance and compete in their final two rounds of dances in the live season finale where one will win the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.
Eric Mccandless | Disney General Entertainment Content | Getty Images

“Dancing With the Stars” fans will need to sign up for Disney+ if they want to watch the new season of the popular dancing competition.
The show, which received a two-year pickup, will premiere exclusively on the streaming service this fall in the U.S. and Canada, becoming the first live series to make its debut on the Disney-owned platform.

Shifting “Dancing With the Stars” to Disney+ gives Disney an opportunity to capture new viewers who have cut ties with cable and to increase subscriber growth. Disney said in March that it would add a lower-priced, ad-supported Disney+ tier later this year.
Disney ended last quarter with nearly 130 million total subscribers for its Disney+ platform and reiterated its guidance of reaching between 230 million to 260 million subscribers by 2024.
“‘Dancing With the Stars’ has been a beloved staple on ABC for 30 seasons and brought so much joy to millions of viewers,” said Dana Walden, chair of entertainment, Walt Disney Television, in a statement. “As we’re significantly expanding our unscripted slate at ABC, this is a great opportunity to introduce this show to a whole new generation of fans on Disney+.”
“Dancing With the Stars” has aired on ABC since 2005.
It appears that football will be taking some of the “Dancing With the Stars'” spots in ABC’s Monday night lineup. Earlier this year, it was announced that one Monday in the fall Disney would air one game on ESPN and one on ABC on the same night.
The 2022 season is the final year of the current “Monday Night Football” contract. The next contract begins in 2023, and ABC will air three “MNF” games during the season while the rest air exclusively on ESPN.

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“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is the first major family-friendly film to be released in theaters this year.
The Paramount movie is expected to signal if the highly sought-after family demographic is finally ready to return to multiplexes en masse.
On Thursday, the film tallied $6.25 million in preview ticket sales, more than double the $3 million the inaugural “Sonic” feature generated from its preview sales in 2020.

Still from Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

Hollywood has its eyes on a speedy blue hedgehog this weekend.
Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” is the first major family-friendly film to be released in theaters this year and is expected to signal if the highly sought-after demographic is finally ready to return to multiplexes en masse.

The movie’s early box office returns are certainly encouraging. On Thursday, the film tallied $6.25 million in preview ticket sales, more than double the $3 million the inaugural “Sonic” feature generated from its preview sales over two years ago.
The studio is projecting the sequel will secure around $50 million during its opening weekend, shy of the $58 million video game movie record its predecessor scored in February 2020. At the time, Covid-19 had started to spread, but it had yet to be designated as a pandemic.
“Sonic 2,” which stars Jim Carrey and the voice of Idris Elba, will be a key comparison for family films in 2022. Throughout the pandemic, parents have been reluctant to return to theaters with their young children, many of whom were not eligible for vaccines until fall 2021. Kids under age 5 are still ineligible to receive vaccines.
“Family films have had a tough time gaining consistent traction over the course of the pandemic with parents being much more selective in what films they chose to take their kids to see at the multiplex, and of course, [there’s] the endless availability of family-friendly content at home on the small screen,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Since March 2020, no movie targeted specifically to families has generated more than $200 million at the domestic box office.

The family-film genre typically caters to parents with kids under the age of 13. These movies are targeted at younger generations and generally have a “G” or “PG” rating. Occasionally, PG-13-rated films are grouped into this category, because the rating is a bit of a catchall before reaching the “R” rating.
For example, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “The Batman” and “Jungle Cruise” are all rated PG-13. Arguably, “Spider-Man” and “Jungle Cruise” are a bit more suitable for younger children compared to the dark and gritty new Batman film.
Marketing is a good indicator of whether a movie is considered to be in the family genre, Dergarabedian said. “Spider-Man,” while technically accessible to families, was marketed to an older demographic in the 18- to 35-year range.
“Jungle Cruise,” on the other hand, was marketed as a family-friendly adventure film based on one of Disney’s most iconic theme park rides. It was the second-highest grossing family film released during the pandemic, snaring $116.9 million during its run last summer. The film came out between the two main Covid variant outbreaks.
The highest-grossing family film released during the pandemic was Universal’s “Sing 2,” which has amassed $161.9 million since its December 2021 debut, according to data from Comscore. The film was released at a time when more children had received two doses of the vaccine.
For comparison, Disney’s “Encanto,” which arrived during the typically robust Thanksgiving holiday, generated just $96 million in theaters before arriving on the studio’s Disney+ streaming service on Christmas Eve.
Because of lackluster attendance during the pandemic, studios have punted family-friendly titles further down the calendar. If “Sonic 2” secures a solid opening, it could be a signal that future films like Pixar’s “Lightyear” — due out in June — and Universal’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” — arriving in July — will post more pre-pandemic-like box office hauls.
“Studios have waited a long time for parental sentiment to be high enough in the waning days of the pandemic before releasing high-profile family content on a regular basis,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “‘Sonic 2’ is capitalizing on a great deal of pent-up audience demand for those family movies, which have only sporadically opened in theaters during the past year and have often been at the mercy of new Covid variants dominating news headlines.”
“That isn’t the case now, though, as many have returned to something resembling pre-pandemic lifestyles like going to the movies,” he said.
BoxOffice.com predicts “Sonic 2” will open with between $60 million and $75 million in ticket sales.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. Universal is the distributor of “Sing 2” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

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Full-time flight attendants who don’t call out from April 8 through May 31 are eligible for the bonus.
Airlines, including JetBlue, have turned to bonuses or other forms of extra pay, to encourage workers to pick up shifts or ensure attendance.
The revelation comes days after JetBlue made a $3.6 billion, all-cash offer to buy discount carrier Spirit Airlines.

A jetBlue Airways airplane takes off from Newark Liberty Airport on September 30, 2018 as seen from Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty Images

JetBlue Airways is offering flight attendants $1,000 bonuses if they don’t call out from work starting Friday through the end of May as the carrier tries to ensure adequate staffing during a surge in travel demand, according to a company message.
Flight attendants will also receive $100 bonuses for picking up open trips, said the message, which was shared with staff Friday and seen by CNBC. Part-time flight attendants would receive $500 for meeting attendance goals.

JetBlue’s latest incentive shows it is willing to pay crews extra to avoid potentially costlier flight disruptions as travelers return in droves after two years of the Covid pandemic.
Staffing shortages have hamstrung airlines over the past year, particularly during Covid peaks, such as widespread omicron cases that sidelined crews during the year-end holidays. JetBlue, United, American and others turned to bonuses or even triple pay to ease staffing shortages.

“The spring rewards programs comes at a time where every flight makes a difference as hours are tight and staffing levels are not where they need to be,” Ed Baklor, JetBlue’s head of customer care and programs, said in the memo.
Baklor last month urged flight attendants not to turn down assignments.
JetBlue didn’t immediately comment but COO Joanna Geraghty on Wednesday told CNBC that JetBlue will “continue to moderate capacity as needed” as the airline industry grapples with staffing shortages and high fuel prices.

The incentive program starts days after JetBlue made a surprise, $3.6 billion, all-cash offer to buy discount carrier Spirit Airlines, throwing Spirit’s $2.9 billion deal to combine with fellow ultralow-cost airline Frontier Airlines into question.
Spirit late Thursday said it would entertain JetBlue’s offer but said its merger agreement is still in place with Frontier.
JetBlue executives told investors this week that the deal would allow it to grow quickly and better compete against the four largest U.S. carriers: Delta, United, Southwest and American. Frontier said a JetBlue-Spirit tie-up would lead to higher fares for consumers.

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Natural gas is one of several commodities affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 
Prices on the Dutch TTF hub, a European benchmark for natural gas trading, more than tripled between February 16 and March 7 before pulling back.

But despite being at the center of the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia’s natural gas continues to flow through Ukraine to the rest of the continent.
“If you’re not familiar with European gas you think there’s a horrible invasion and horrible war going on and the gas is flowing, generally and also through Ukraine as if nothing were happening, it does seem strange,” said Laurent Ruseckas, an energy analyst at IHS Markit. “But the fact of the matter is that Russia, as we’ve seen more recently, is taking a different approach with European gas.”
The European Union receives about 40% of its natural gas from Russian pipelines and about a quarter of that flows through Ukraine. Germany gets roughly half of its natural gas from Russia.
“What’s happening is that the Russians are making a lot of money with it,” said Georg Zachmann, a senior fellow at Bruegel. “They are making hundreds of millions of dollars every day with the gas that they are selling to the Germans and the Europeans. The Europeans on the other hand are highly dependent on Russian gas for filling their storages.”
At the start of the conflict Germany froze its participation in the Nord Stream 2, a 760 mile long gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea connecting Russia to Germany’s coast. The EU announced plans to reduce demand for Russian gas by two-thirds and make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

And the U.S. along with its partners imposed economic sanctions targeting Russia’s financial institutions and members of its elites.
So what role does natural gas play in the conflict with Ukraine and how are Europe and the U.S. impacted? Watch the video to learn more.
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