Lucid Motors has announced that it's acquiring certain facilities in Arizona owned by Nikola, an EV truck maker that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in February. It will also offer more than 300 former Nikola employees jobs across its facilities in the state, including roles in engineering, software, assembly, vehicle testing and warehouse support. Lucid says that most of the space it's buying is comprised of state-of-the-art manufacturing and warehousing buildings. It's also getting the equipment inside those buildings, such as Nikola's battery and environmental testing chambers, machining equipment and a full-size chassis dynamometer, among others.  Nikola, which was founded in 2015, used those facilities as its factory, headquarters and development center for zero-emission heavy trucks. When it announced its bankruptcy in February, the company also said that it was going to sell off its assets. Lucid didn't say how much it's paying for the purchase, but the deal is valued at $30 million in cash and non-cash considerations, according to Electrek. The acquisition is part of Lucid's planned expansion in Arizona, but it still has to be approved by the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.  "As we continue our production ramp of Lucid Gravity and prepare for our upcoming midsize platform vehicles, acquiring these assets is an opportunity to strategically expand our manufacturing, warehousing, testing, and development facilities while supporting our local Arizona community," said Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO at Lucid. The company launched its electric SUV, Gravity, 2024. At the moment, only the $94,000 Grand Touring trim is available, but Lucid plans to start production for the $79,900 Touring model sometime this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lucid-to-buy-nikolas-arizona-ev-facilities-after-the-latters-bankruptcy-123027329.html?src=rss

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Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. U.S. existing-home sales totaled just 4.06 million in 2024—the lowest annual level since 1995, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s far below the 5.3 million in pre-pandemic 2019. But here’s the thing: Today’s housing market is even more constrained when you consider that the U.S. now has 76.3 million more people and 33.2 million more households than it did in 1995. To illustrate this point, ResiClub created the following chart: U.S. existing home sales adjusted for population size. (We used total household counts instead of total population counts). In January 2025, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate of U.S. existing home sales was 4.08 million. Dividing that figure by the total number of U.S. households (132.2 million) results in 3.1%. Pretty much the last time U.S. existing home sales—adjusted for population—were lower was in the early 1980s, when the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate peaked at 18.63% in October 1981. The sharp deterioration in housing affordability has constrained existing home sales across the country. Some of this is due to homebuyers pulling back from the market, but much of it stems from homeowners who would like to sell and buy something else but aren’t doing so. Giving up their lower monthly payment and interest rate—73.3% of outstanding mortgages have a rate below 5.0%—for a much higher monthly payment and rate is hard to stomach. And even if they were willing to move, many homeowners can’t qualify right now for that new mortgage at current mortgage rates and home prices. To compare with the analysis/chart above, below is the monthly seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of U.S. existing home sales without adjusting for population. Big picture: To some degree, pent-up churn is building up in the housing market. In theory, the lock-in effect caused by the affordability deterioration and mortgage rate shock is most acute right out of the gate. However, over time, as lifestyle changes increase, incomes rise, and affordability improves, some additional turnover in the existing home market could be unlocked as “switching costs” come down.

A nightstand doesn’t have to be bulky to be beautiful—and this Floating Wooden Bedside Table proves it perfectly. Designed with minimalism in mind (and using premium solid wood), it’s the kind of piece that adds elegance and practicality without taking up extra floor space. This nightstand is ideal for small bedrooms, guest rooms, or apartments where smart storage is key. It features a clever floating design with compartments for books, candles, glasses, and nighttime essentials. So you can keep everything you need when in bed right at hand, but without taking up too much space in your room. Its warm, natural tone and clean lines bring a cozy and organic vibe. This works amazingly with everything, from rustic to Scandinavian interiors. Use it beside your bed, next to a reading nook, or even in an entryway—it’s that versatile. Plus, installation will take you just minutes. This makes it a win for DIY lovers and design minimalists alike. Whether you’re updating your space or gifting a piece of furniture with real staying power, this floating nightstand is both a functional favorite and a stylish standout. We especially love it as a housewarming gift, too! You can find yours now, available on Etsy.

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This health-conscious meal delivery offers veggie-focused fare with little to no prep or cook time.

Apple has some significant changes in mind for both future versions of the Apple Watch, and the software for existing recent models.Future and recent Apple Watch models will get new features in watchOS 12.Amid rumors that future Apple Watch models could gain cameras and additional health sensors, a new report suggests that software changes are also on the way.A new report from Bloomberg suggests that the Apple Watch won't be gaining Apple Intelligence on its hardware directly. However, watchOS 12 will be able to display results from the technology that is powered on a user's other devices. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Bungie has finally revealed gameplay for Marathon, resulting in cautious enthusiasm from many fans. Unlike Destiny 2, which is free to start, the extraction shooter must be purchased, though the developer has yet to announce pricing. It did confirm a battle pass and seasons, with Season 1 launching alongside the game in September. Speaking to GameSpot, game director Joe Ziegler went into some more detail about the seasonal model. “Part of our seasonal model is actually to make it so as you’re having these adventures and there are things that you are earning and commemorating at an account level. Some of which are achieved by you doing some crazy things with friends or things of that sort that unlock things, potentially cosmetics or things of that account level that will stay with you throughout the time. “The idea is every season should be a moment to go on adventures, commemorate them, and then, some of those commemorative elements you can use as expressive elements for yourself in the future, whether they be skins or titles or things like that as a new season starts – a new opportunity to go on a new adventure. Part of the burden on us in terms of thinking about the service is to make sure every adventure that every season offers is in and of itself different and feels different to create those new stories.” Of course, what shape and form those adventures will take and how Bungie will allow you to commemorate them remains to be seen. Gameplay director Andrew Witts chimed in as well. “We’re taking some pretty big swings for what the middle and end of the season looks like, and we’re already starting to think about what’s happening in the world. What are some consequences? “How does that manifest into the decisions players can make, interesting ways on the mercenary fantasy and all the different ways that happens? Am I just getting something and getting out? Am I trying to take out a specific enemy? Things like that and that add to more fidelity and choice.” Despite how the gameplay looks, it seems that Bungie is trying to think beyond your average extraction shooter experience. Marathon launches on September 23rd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Sign-ups are available for a closed alpha, which starts on April 23rd and ends on May 4th. Stay tuned for more details, and check out the overview trailer on its factions, Runners and more. You can also watch the incredible cinematic short written and directed by Alberto Mielgo.

One night in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, a felting artisan ended her day with a prayer. May our partners have good health. May they be ambitious, and successful, and may their businesses grow. The next morning, sisters-in-law Chinara Makashova and Nazgul Esenbaeva, and the people they worked with awoke to what seemed like a miracle: Shopify orders. So many Shopify orders. They got to work. It felt like everything was falling into place: The company they had built from scratch was exporting felted slippers and artisan products to wholesale partners around the globe. And with help from USAID’s green business initiative in Central Asia, they were expanding their production abilities — and finally building their own modern, direct-to-consumer web store: one with the payment processing and data security infrastructure to help them reach customers directly. Staff in one of the rooms in Tumar’s Bishkek factory, evaluating a finished batch of Kyrgies “wool slide” slippers. Photo by Alexandra MarvarBut just as their new ecommerce infrastructure was coming together, the USAID funding vanished around the world — leaving them with a $35,000 funding gap. In so many places, the internet makes building a retail business easy — but in the world’s most land-locked country, with a banking system bogged down by sanctions against one neighbor and cybersecurity barriers against another, growth is a balancing act. Tumar’s path has been unconventional: bringing together nomadic tradition, Soviet legacy, and digital commerce to build a modern business, even when the infrastructure around them can’t keep up. Their first challenge: scaling a 5,000-year-old process that had never before been automated, with machines salvaged from the collapse of the USSR.Nearly erasedFor centuries, Kyrgyz nomads on the Eurasian steppe drove their flocks from the low green valleys to the snowy slopes of the Tian Shan mountains, sheared their sheeps’ lush thick wool, and used heat, water, and friction to felt it into the durable shyrdak blankets that lined their yurts. Felt may have been the world’s first-ever textile. It was strong, dense, and durable. It could stand up to bitter cold or pouring rain. But between industrialization and the pressure, under Soviet rule, to abandon the past, Kyrgyz wet felting by hand almost disappeared. In fact this particular felting tradition was just a few farflung elders and hidden artifacts from extinction in the 1990s when some women in Bishkek, graduating from university into a post-Soviet world, began to seek out, re-learn, and revive the practice. Merino sheep near Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issykül, at Jaichy sheep farm and yurt camp run by shepherd Baatyrbek Akmatov and his family. Photo by Alexandra MarvarMakashova and Esenbaeva — with help from Makashova’s aunt Roza — learned how to use this millennia-old technique of wet felting with Kyrgyz wool to make things like shyrdaks and kalpak hats. In 1998, they started Tumar Art Group. Within a decade, Tumar had its first wholesale partner. And in recent years, USAID-funded programs helped them share their knowledge with women throughout Central Asia, reviving an ancient industry while spurring a new economy. On the felt factory floorToday, Tumar’s Bishkek facility is a labyrinth of sunlit workspaces, some with pastel floor tiles, some with geraniums lining the windowsills, one full of old jelly jars and coffee containers full of pigments and dyes. Workers pull giant, fluffy sheets of “pre-felt” off the conveyor belt of a wool carding machine. On a switchboard that looks like a Cold War rocket launch interface, they toggle dials that are labeled in Chinese, with hand-scrawled Cyrillic translations taped above. These days, modern, commercial felting operations use a water-free needle-felting process, Makashova explained. Some incorporate glue or synthetic fibers. But not here. Tumar’s engineering team hacked their way to avoiding all that, leveraging their custom manufacturing line to automate processes like carding (aligning the fibers), or kneading, done with a one-of-a-kind “beating machine.”The Tumar team found these metal components in a scrap heap and restored them into this two-hammer machine for pressing felted shoes — “the most complicated process in the production of felt,” according to Makashova. “No one makes this kind of equipment nowadays. It is possible only by special order.” Photo by Alexandra Marvar“We take care to keep our traditional technology of wet felting,” Makashova said. But “for the most complicated process of wet pressing, modern engineering does not offer machines, so we have to look for old Soviet schemes, adapt and make these machines ourselves — or restore old machines.”To make one of their most in-demand products — felted slippers — they needed a heavy metal tub to hold water and heat, and flywheels that could apply consistent rhythmic pressure and agitation to the wool. An old Soviet wool milling machine would have done the trick. “Unfortunately,” Makashova said, “they are almost impossible to find.” With scant financial resources and an economy in upheaval, it was hard for this start-up to find, acquire, and ship in the machines they needed — in part because some of those machines didn’t yet exist: Kyrgyz hand felting had never before been automated. Makashova’s brother, an automotive engineer, organized the group’s own small “mechanization base,” collecting, first, Soviet tools and metalworking machines. Gradually, the company acquired textile processing equipment from Italy, China, Russia, and beyond, salvaging, renovating, retrofitting, and Frankensteining equipment to bring automation to an ancient craft.Sheet felt is being dried in a large centrifuge — a piece of Soviet equipment “which we accidentally found during the dismantling of an old factory where we produced blankets,” Makashova said. Photo by Alexandra MarvarThen, more good fortune arrived: A Tumar associate found a tub and flywheels in “a heap of scrap metal intended for recycling,” Makashova recalled. The company’s engineering group restored the find, “and now we can’t imagine our work without these machines.” Steppe to storefrontAs of the 2010s, Tumar was working more with wholesale partners around the world while continuing to make goods for their brick-and-mortar shop of the same name, on a sunny corner in central Bishkek, popular with tourists and expats. By the late 2010s, the global market for sustainable, natural materials was on an upswing, and travelers coming through their Bishkek shop took notice, including a guy in Richmond, Virginia named Barclay Saul. He loved that you could see Tumar’s entire supply chain, from field to factory, in a day, and in the exploding landscape of eco-conscious “Instagram brands,” he and a partner decided to launch Kyrgies out of a Richmond storage space, and sell the slippers online. At Tumar’s lone brick-and-mortar retail space in central Bishkek, the company makes about a quarter of its revenue, selling felted goods directly to shoppers. Photo by Alexandra MarvarIn spring of 2020, when tourism came to a halt, Tumar’s bustling retail business did too. Saul’s bet was a smart one: Kyrgies’ sales surged. People were staying home — and they wanted the right footwear for it. But they also wanted natural materials. “This business has taught me simply that [people want to] buy less stuff, quality stuff,” Kyrgies CEO Saul said. Kyrgies’ ecommerce business has continued to double year over year, enabling Tumar to double its staff and scale their output fourfold in the past five years. This is the dream, Chinara said — but there’s one dream they still haven’t been able to manifest in the reality of today’s complicated internet: their own web store. The sale of artisan goods out of the Bishkek storefront is still, in some ways, the most important thing they do, said Makashova. It’s just a quarter of their revenue, but it’s a source for their product innovation. Thanks to platforms like Shopify, Kyrgies could launch their retail business in the US virtually overnight. But for a Kyrgyzstan-based business, online retail is no easy feat. The cost of shipping by air or land from the heart of Central Asia is the first hurdle. And another thing: There’s no PayPal here. Payment systems, Makashova said, are “a very, very big problem.” A handwritten ledger, detailing the recipes for each of Tumar’s dye colors. Photo by Alexandra MarvarStill today, Kyrgyzstan’s banking system is closely tied to Russia’s, and Western sanctions put in place after Putin’s invasion of Crimea have made cross-border transactions tricky. Some Kyrgyz banks, wary of being blacklisted, have cut off connections to Russian-linked payment systems, and that’s left companies like Tumar in a lurch. Another wrinkle: With growing concerns over China’s access to US consumer data, platforms handling payments in countries near China — neighboring Kyrgyzstan included — are subject to serious cybersecurity hurdles. And if a payment doesn’t go through on the first attempt, often, there won’t be a second attempt. “We’ve lost many customers for this reason,” Esenbaeva said.All this to say, Tumar’s old-school web store quickly became obsolete. They figured out they needed to rebuild their site with ISO 27001-compliant back-end infrastructure: encryption protocols, secure socket layers, and a payments gateway capable of navigating cross-border compliance from Central Asia, all in hopes of keeping international customers (and the cybersecurity platforms that protect them) from getting scared out of the purchase flow. For its raw wool, Tumar does business with approximately 1,500 small, family owned farms (think a few dozen sheep each) across Kyrgyzstan. At this end of the supply chain, the technology may be even more rudimentary. Photo by Alexandra MarvarAs of January 2025, the entire plan was in place. A new website was launched. They had the money in hand to build out the direct-sale infrastructure. But there was just one catch: The project was being financed by a green business grant from the now gutted and shuttered USAID. Tumar is hoping that enrolling in Estonia’s e-Residency program will pull their plans for modern, global payment processing out of a death spiral — but they still have about a $35,000 international funding gap to fill with USAID’s dissolution. Scaling sustainabilityOn the outskirts of Bishkek, at Tumar’s new wool processing facility, the “break yurt” feels like a step back in time. Workers drink black tea and snack on puffy little squares of fried dough with clotted cream and jam. Right next door, a more modern scene unfolds: sun pours through the oculus in the yurt’s tunduk dome roof onto architectural drawings unfurled on a conference table. Shelves of binders and spiral-bound notebooks lean against the richly colored, shyrdak-lined walls. A flat-bed all-in-one printer, reminiscent of HP circa 2010 — whirs. A similar-vintage, thick-bezeled, matte-black computer monitor and keyboard set-up peeks out from piles of print-outs, a glue stick, an old calculator.A traditional yurt becomes an office where architects and the Tumar team are discussing plans for the expansion of their sustainable raw wool processing facility, which had been partially funded by USAID. Photo by Alexandra MarvarAt this new factory, some 100 tons per year of course wool that would have been burned as waste is instead being cleaned and processed. More USAID green business support had been on the way — and it would’ve helped Tumar double the output. Now, they may be on their way to accomplishing that on their own, expanding their product line to include, for example, an entirely biodegradable slipper, and soundproofing and insulation panels (both “no-waste” products made, in part, from slipper scraps). And, importantly to the founders, reliable stocks of high quality raw material that other businesses across the region haven’t previously had access to. Across a stretch of grass from the side-by-side yurts, the warehouse is abuzz with activity. “We want to open [up] possibilities [for] artisans to get new direct online orders,” and to learn how to maintain quality and consistency as output increases, Makashova said. And the only way they can do it is to keep growing. There are workshops and small businesses across Central Asia waiting for this raw material to come their way, Esenbaeva said. That means—aside from their own production of felted goods—they’re needing to expand their partnerships with small, family-owned Kyrgyz sheep farms, and increase their capacity for processing wholesale felt. To make it all happen, they’ll need to keep collecting—and building—machines. Esenbaeva laughed, quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “We are responsible for those we tame.”See More: Tech