Aug 4, 2020 - Energy & Environment

Elon Musk's Cybertruck escape hatch

Ben Geman, author of Generate

Elon Musk at the Kennedy Space Center on May 27. Photo: Saul Martinez/Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk appears to be open to the idea that the blocky, sci-fi looking Cybertruck might not light the pickup truck market on fire.

Driving the news: Musk, in an interview with Automotive News, said building a more conventional-looking pickup is a "fallback strategy" if things don't work out for the Cybertruck that's slated to begin production next year.

Here's some interview details via Business Insider:

"Musk said he realized the Cybertruck could be 'a complete failure,' but the company has a back-up plan."

"But I wasn't super worried about that because if it turns out nobody wants to buy a weird-looking truck, we'll build a normal truck, no problem."

What we're watching: Musk said there are at least 200,000 reservations for the truck. However, it's hard to say how many of those refundable $100 reservations will translate to actual sales.

Go deeper: Elon Musk's chaos theory is paying off for Tesla — for now

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Aug 27, 2020 - Economy & Business

Nasdaq is on the verge of doubling in 20 months

Tuesday's close. Screenshot via CNBC

The tech-driven Nasdaq 100, amid a raging recession and plunge in profits, is on the brink of doubling in 20 months, Bloomberg points out.

Why it matters: It's a vivid sign of how disconnected the markets are from America's economic reality.

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Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m. EST: 32,135,220 — Total deaths: 981,660 — Total recoveries: 22,149,441 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 10 p.m EST: 6,975,980 — Total deaths: 202,738 — Total recoveries: 2,710,183 — Total tests: 98,481,026 — Map.
Politics: House Democrats prepare new $2.4 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Health: Cases are surging again in 22 states — New York will conduct its own review of coronavirus vaccine.
Business: America is closing out its strongest quarter of economic growth.
Technology: 2020 tech solutions may be sapping our resolve to beat the pandemic.
Sports: Pac-12 will play this fall despite ongoing pandemic — Here's what college basketball will look like this season.
Science: Global coronavirus vaccine initiative launches without U.S. or China — During COVID-19 shutdown, a common sparrow changed its song.

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5 hours ago - Sports

Pac-12 will play football this fall, reversing course

A view of Levi's Stadium during the 2019 Pac-12 Championship football game. Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Pac-12, which includes universities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington state, will play football starting Nov. 6, reversing its earlier decision to postpone the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters: The conference's about-face follows a similar move by the Big Ten last week and comes as President Trump has publicly pressured sports to resume despite the ongoing pandemic. The Pac-12 will play a seven-game conference football season, according to ESPN.

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