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Episode #1245: Honda unveils a brand-wide logo reboot, Tesla brings its massive Texas lithium refinery online, and U.S. workers pump the brakes on job-hopping—opting for stability and side hustles instead.

Show Notes with links:

• Honda is officially going all-in on its new, wider “H” badge. What started as an EV-only identifier will now represent Honda’s entire automotive business—from gas and hybrid vehicles to dealerships and motorsports—blending retro roots with a future-facing look.
  • Honda’s new badge, inspired by its 1960s-era logo, is wider, frameless, and intentionally more modern.
  • Originally reserved for the upcoming 0 Series EVs, the logo will now appear across all Honda vehicles, including ICE and hybrids.
  • The brand says the move unifies Honda’s identity as electrification and internal combustion will coexist longer than once expected.
  • Unlike many “flattened” rebrands, this logo leans on heritage while still fitting next-gen EV design language.
  • Honda says the badge will “represent [the] Honda automobile business as a whole, including… dealership locations, communication initiatives, and automobile motorsports activities.”

• Tesla just flipped the switch on its Texas lithium refinery, bringing battery-grade lithium hydroxide production fully online. The company says it’s the first refinery of its kind in North America—and a big step toward controlling more of its EV supply chain at home.
  • The Corpus Christi-area facility converts raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, skipping common intermediate steps.
  • Tesla says the simplified process is cheaper, faster, and more sustainable than traditional lithium refining methods.
  • From groundbreaking in 2023 to operation in 2026, Tesla fast-tracked the project by running design, studies, and construction in parallel.
  • Elon Musk called it “the largest lithium refinery in America” and added that it’s “the most advanced lithium refinery in the world” and “very clean.”

• After years of churn, the job market has slammed the brakes. New data shows workers are far less likely to job hunt in 2026, choosing stability and side hustles instead as hiring slows and confidence drops across the U.S. workforce.
  • Only 43% of workers plan to job search in 2026, down sharply from 93% last year, according to Monster.
  • Economists are calling 2025 a “hiring recession,” with the weakest job gains outside a recession since 2003.
  • About 75% of employees say they plan to stay put until at least 2027, a trend known as “job hugging.”
  • Instead of switching jobs, nearly two-thirds of workers are turning to side hustles or extra income streams.
  • Monster’s Vicki Salemi says workers aren’t disengaged, just cautious: “They’re basically playing the

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