Good Thursday morning! US lawmakers try to help Americans detained for bullets in luggage in Turks and Caicos; Growing demand for lithium across the globe; Most Americans think there’s a recession.

First time getting the Mo Newsletter? Subscribe now.

Good morning,

It’s gonna be a busy weekend — the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend in almost 20 years! Pack your patience 😉 

• What to know: Nearly 44 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home over the weekend, according to AAA.

  • That's up 4% over last year and close to matching 2005's record.

  • Most people (38 million) are expected to travel by car, and gas prices are about the same as last year — $3.57/average.

• Best times to drive: Heading out, try to hit the road before 11am or after 7pm Thursday or Friday, according to transportation data firm INRIX. Saturday after 6pm is also ideal. As far as the trip back, try to leave before 1pm on Sunday or after 7pm on Monday.

Good luck planning — have a good one🍹🇺🇸!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

🇹🇨 AMERICANS FACE JAIL TIME AFTER STRAY AMMUNITION FOUND IN BAGS

US lawmakers are asking officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to show five Americans leniency after they accidentally brought ammunition in their luggage — they each face up to 12 years in prison.

It comes after the popular tourist destination — about 600 miles southeast of Miami, FL — has imposed stricter gun and ammunition laws to combat rising gun violence.

ABOUT THE CASES
Over the past five months, five Americans have been detained in Turks and Caicos after having bullets in their bags, but not guns.

• WHO THEY ARE: Ranging from their 30s-70s, the American tourists were traveling for birthdays to Mother’s Day celebrations.

  • One of the detainees, Florida grandmother Sharitta Grier, was arrested on May 14 after two stray bullets were found in her carry-on luggage. The bag had cleared the TSA, which only confiscated her lotion and body spray.

  • Bryan Hagerich was arrested after 20 rounds of ammunition was found in his luggage while on vacation with his wife and two children. Returning from his 40th birthday celebration, Ryan Watson and his wife Valerie were detained after four rounds from a deer rifle were found in his luggage — she was released and returned to their kids in the US.

    • The two men — who did not know each other before — say they accidentally had the bullets in their bags from hunting trips.

• Four of the Americans have had their passports confiscated and have had to remain in the islands. 72-year-old Michael Evans was allowed to return to the US due to a medical condition. Here’s more of their stories.

  • Their cases are at varying phases, but they each have court dates set for the upcoming months. In the meantime, the Americans face financial and logistical nightmares.

• Been here before: Five other Americans who were charged with violating the gun law have been adjudicated. Only one saw jail time — a man from Indiana was sentenced to eight months in prison in September 2023, but was released in February.

A bipartisan congressional delegation met with TCI officials on Monday, but were unable to secure the Americans’ releases. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), said, “These people did not set out to break the law. They are people who made a mistake and now face substantial time in prison because of it. I urge the court to be lenient when addressing this case."

ABOUT THE LAW
The British territory significantly tightened its gun laws two years ago after gun violence and weapons trafficking increased. The US State Department has warned travelers visiting the TCI to be vigilant about guns and ammunition in their luggage. “If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody,” a September alert said.

📌 LITHIUM DEMAND SKYROCKETING AS 🌎 LOOKS TO GREEN FUTURE

As electric vehicle sales are projected to skyrocket over the decade, demand for key elements like lithium and other critical minerals is also set to soar. But, a new International Energy Agency analysis finds that demand far outpaces supply, and massive production increases are needed to meet global climate targets.

WHAT MAKES EVS
The EV market is seeing major growth, with an estimated 17 million vehicles expected to be sold globally this year.

• NPR reports that building a battery is an environmental cost that's paid once, while burning gasoline is a cost that's paid again, and again, and again.

• Despite making up only 7% of a battery's weight on average, lithium is so critical for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries that the US Geological Survey has classified it as one of 35 minerals vital to the US economy. But there is a problem: we can’t mine and refine enough of it to keep up with demand.

A CLOSER LOOK AT LITHIUM
The traditional process that has been used for decades—extracting lithium from brine pumped to the surface—can take up to 18 months and is considered pretty inefficient. The saltwater is left to sit in large ponds for months, and lithium can then be extracted when the water evaporates.

But a new technology can speed things up from 18 months to just two days. EnergyX is a US-based company that is using lithium extraction technology that increases recovery rates from traditional methods from 30% to 90%, and is much faster. CNBC recently dove into the new process and companies like EnergyX can help the world meet lithium needs in the near future.

• EnergyX's patented Lithium Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS) technology is a type of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) that uses solvents, membranes, or adsorbents to extract lithium directly from brine rather than waiting for months.

• Click here to learn more and invest in their growing, US-based company.

✈️ NEW POLLING SHOWS US PUBLIC PERCEPTION VS REALITY ON ECONOMY

More than half of Americans think the US is in a recession, technically when the US GDP declines for two straight quarters, aka a significant decline in economic activity. In reality, while the US economy has faced challenges in recent years, sparked by the pandemic, the economy has bounced back and consumer demand is high. Unfortunately, that has helped cause inflation to surge.

The Federal Reserve even managed to achieve what we thought was impossible: the soft landing. The Fed raised interest rates enough to slow down inflation, but not too much that it put the economy into a recession.

Still, the new findings from a Harris-Guardian poll found persistent pessimism about the economy as election day draws closer.

Bottom line: Americans are unhappy about inflation — two in three say inflation has made their finances worse. And data shows that the cost of a run to the grocery store is still much higher than 2019. (If you listen to the Mo News podcast, you know this is one of Jill’s biggest gripes.)

• The WSJ reports that prices for hundreds of grocery items have increased more than 50% since 2019 as food companies raise prices — an average grocery store cart is about 36% more.

• 72% of Americans say they are “doing at least okay” financially, but one in six Americans says they have bills they can't pay, according to a new Federal Reserve report.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Uvalde families reach $2M settlement with city and say they are suing school district and 92 officers over shooting response (CNN)

East Palestine, Ohio residents face choice over $600 million train derailment deal (PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE)

📌 Biden administration cancels $7.7 billion in student debt for 160,000 more people (MO NEWS)

📌 Hunter Biden's tax evasion trial postponed from June until September (NBC NEWS)

📌 Trump's attorneys found classified docs in his bedroom months after raid (AXIOS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Sherpa guide Kami Rita breaks record again this month, climbs Mount Everest for his record 30th time (NBC NEWS)

📌 Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state (AP)

📌 Billions from Russia's frozen assets will go to help Ukraine's military, the EU says (NPR)

📌 British PM Rishi Sunak calls election, with his Conservatives at risk of a heavy defeat (BBC)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Second human case of bird flu linked to dairy cows found in Michigan (NBC NEWS)

📌 TikTok plans global layoffs in operations and marketing (CNN)

📌 Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN strike 5-year deal for College Football Playoff games (THE WRAP)

📌 BuzzFeed stock soars after Vivek Ramaswamy acquires activist stake (YAHOO)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Graceland auction halted after Elvis Presley granddaughter's push for injunction (FOX NEWS)

📌 University of Georgia QB sues rival university head coach and others alleging broken promises worth millions (CNN)

📌 Nicole Brown Simpson’s sisters break silence over O.J.’s death (PEOPLE)

📌 Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck living separately as 'whirlwind of love' is over and 'real life' sets in (FOX NEWS)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: MAY 23

• 1785: Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocal glasses.

   

• 1845: The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is formed, replacing an old night watch system.

   

• 1934: Notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde are shot to death by Texas and Louisiana state police.

• 1980: The Horror film ‘The Shining’ is released, based on the book by Stephen King.

• 1995: Series Finale of ‘Full House’ airs.