Five current and former Tesla employees say the company is prototyping its own "advanced lithium ion battery cells," CNBC reports.
Why it matters: Creating its own batteries could allow Tesla to "offer cheaper, higher-performance electric vehicles than it does today, without having to pay or share data and resources with outside vendors or partners," per CNBC. Tesla currently relies on Panasonic to develop its batteries.
Go deeper: Billion-dollar bets on electric vehicles await payoff
President Trump announced he's nominating federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
Why it matters: She could give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the high court, and her nomination sets in motion a scramble among Senate Republicans to confirm her with 38 days before the election. Sen. Mitch McConnell appears to have the votes to confirm Barrett with the current majority.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Sen. Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sept. 24. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee are tentatively scheduled to begin Oct. 12, two Senate sources familiar with the plans told Axios.
Why it matters: The committee's current schedule could allow Senate Republicans to confirm the nominee weeks before November's election. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell currently has enough votes to confirm Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who is expected as the president's pick.
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