The price of lithium batteries is dropping as demand for electric vehicles continues to fall. The price of the commodity is down more than 30 percent in 2023, ending a two-year rally that pushed the price of the key battery material to new heights. In addition, prices for other metals that go into batteries, such as cobalt and nickel, are also sliding. The reversal comes as electric auto makers such as Tesla and Ford cut vehicle prices to attract more customers.
The cost of financing a home surged again this week as the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed to its highest level since December 2000, further dimming the affordability outlook for many would-be homebuyers.
A commercial fisherman accused of conspiring with others to sell 200,000 pounds (90,000 kilos) of fish in excess of legal quotas has been convicted in federal court in New York.