*By Carlo Versano*
Tesla CEO Elon Musk [tweeted](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1053060766771761152) Thursday night that a long-awaited cheaper version of the Model 3 is now on sale.
According to the re-launched Model 3 [website](https://3.tesla.com/model3/design?#battery), the sticker for the new variant ー which has a "mid-range" battery that can go 260 miles between charges ー will be $45,000. But Musk said the cost is closer to $35,000 "after federal & state tax rebates in California."
He added: "But true cost of ownership is closer to $31k after gas savings."
The surprise announcement came as Musk seeks to right the ship at Tesla after a string of controversies and high-level departures. Most recently, Tesla's manufacturing VP stepped down, following resignations from its HR, supply chain, and accounting chiefs, among others . Musk has also agreed to relieve himself of his chairman role in a settlement with the SEC over accusations he manipulated the company's stock price with his tweets about taking it private over the summer.
But the company has been firing on all cylinders in terms of production, having built 53,000 Model 3s in its last reported quarter. Those vehicles were priced higher and came with a longer-range battery.
Enterprise blockchain provider, BlockApps, recently raised $41 million in a new funding round led by Liberty City Ventures. BlockApps builds products and applications for other companies on its own blockchain platform called STRATO. The company says its blockchain technology can help businesses increase the value of their assets, streamline their supply chains, and help them meet their sustainability goals. Kieren James-Lubin, President & CEO of BlockApps, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Tesla has continued to beat expectations as illustrated by its last quarter earnings despite issues in Shanghai, China. Dan Ives, the managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, joined Cheddar News to talk about the resilience of Tesla. "I thought they were almost Cinderella-like numbers," he said about the delivery numbers. "They are performing just miles ahead of any auto player, and that's why the stock is doing what it's doing. In my opinion, they're expanding their lead in EVs, even in this Category 5 hurricane that we're seeing in China." Ives noted that issues in China could pose ongoing challenges going forward even with the largely positive outlook.
Dr. Neta Lavon, CTO and VP of R&D at Aleph Farms, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how the team sent cow cells to space to further research the production of meat in space, and why developing cultivated meat is so critical to the future of space travel.
A new report from DrakeStar Partners, an investment bank that closely tracks the sector, said $98.7 billion in deals were announced or closed in the first three months of the year. T
AT&T reported a 2.5 percent rise in its core wireless revenue for the first quarter as its 5G rollout expands across the United States, even as the company pivots away from streaming to focus on its communication business amid heightened demand for high-speed internet. CEO John Stankey joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's 5G plans, its divestment from WarnerMedia, and its push into the metaverse. "To the extent that we start to see social aspects come into the metaverse that allows people to — as they're out and about — experience those kinds of things, that just puts a higher premium on mobile networks and scaled robust mobile networks to enable those applications, which is our bread and butter, and it's probably one of our best returning and best yielding businesses," he said.
