Make Me Smart With Kai And Molly

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 Tra