Report: Tesla is prototyping its own batteries

Orion Rummler

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

Jun 26, 2019 - Autonomous Vehicles

What's next

Axios, Alayna Treene, Orion Rummler

⚖️ Live updates: Democrats close out their opening arguments

House managers wrapped up their three-day impeachment presentation with a direct appeal to the senators to think about the precedent their actions — or more notably their inaction — would have on democracy and Congress’ future ability to serve as a check on the president.

The close: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) anticipated attacks on him, other House managers, the Ukraine whistleblower, and the Bidens from Trump's team, which begins its defense of the president on Saturday. He appealed directly to GOP senators: “Real political courage does not come from disagreement with our opponents, but disagreeing with our friends and our own party.”

Go deeperArrowJan 21, 2020 - Politics
Marisa Fernandez, Jacob Knutson

Death toll climbs in coronavirus outbreak

41 people have died from an outbreak of a coronavirus strain that originated in Wuhan, China, AP reports.

The latest: The respiratory illness has made its way to Europe, with France confirming three cases, Reuters reports. France's Health Minister Agnès Buzyn said Friday two patients are hospitalized in Paris. The other case is in the southwestern city of Bordeaux. They had returned from a trip that had a stop in Wuhan.

Go deeperArrowJan 20, 2020 - World
Rashaan Ayesh

Lawyer alleges Giuliani associate recorded Trump comments on Ukrainian ambassador

Photo: Oliver Contreras/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The lawyer for Lev Parnas, a Rudy Giuliani associate, claims there is a recording of President Trump saying former Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch should be fired, the Daily Beast reports.

The latest: Parnas said on Friday that he has turned the recording over to the House Intelligence Committee, per the New York Times — as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led House Democrats in laying out the case for impeaching Trump before the Senate.

Go deeperArrow8 hours ago - Politics