Latest news with #BobLee
Nikkei Asia
15-05-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
LG Energy faces obstacles diversifying US anode supply chain for EV batteries
NEW YORK -- Developing a domestic anode materials supply chain for electric-vehicle battery production in the U.S. is the biggest challenge for LG Energy Solution as President Donald Trump's tariff policies drive up costs for raw materials and equipment. The South Korean clean-technology giant has sought alternatives for "quite a lot" of its imported raw materials, according to Bob Lee, its North American president. But anode materials -- key to EV batteries -- remain highly dependent on Chinese sourcing.
Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Your Singapore Story: A special series to mark The Straits Times' 180th anniversary is launched
(Clockwise from top left) Mr Bob Lee and his son Jun Le, busking duo Davidson Teo and Gillian Goh, Mr Ahmad Zahid Isnin, Ms Latha Govindasamy and Mr Davin Choo share their stories for ST180. PHOTOS: SPH MEDIA SINGAPORE - Behind every morning kopi ritual, every stroll through the heartland and every festive gathering lies a story that connects us as Singaporeans. Every Singaporean has a story to share, be it a moment of triumph, a time of struggle, or years of perseverance. Take photographer Bob Lee, 49, who refuses to set limits on what his son, Jun Le, who has autism and is now 18, can achieve. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they discovered Jun Le's talent for calligraphy. Mr Lee now uses photography and conducts public talks to raise awareness about autism because, as he says, if parents do not share these stories, who will? There is chef and entrepreneur Ahmad Zahid Isnin, 47, who dons big-headed doll costumes at Chinese funeral processions. 'People find it strange that I... would take part in something so deeply rooted in Chinese traditions. But I never saw it as belonging to just one group,' he says. 'These rites, these performances – they are part of Singapore's cultural fabric. And, somehow, I found a place in them.' Meanwhile, former educator Latha Govindasamy, 56, gives cheer to migrant workers through a soup kitchen in Little India that she co-founded with her sisters and their husbands in 2018. Krsna's Free Meals provides free breakfast, lunch and dinner to these workers, many of whom leave their dorms before dawn. Her family wants to do more. 'We want to go into the heartland, have a central kitchen and make food accessible to all Singaporeans,' she adds. The Straits Times has told stories like theirs over the years, and will continue to do so. To mark its 180th anniversary since its first edition on July 15, 1845, ST is launching a special feature to capture these stories that have an impact on communities and neighbourhoods, and reflect who Singaporeans are as a people. Titled Your Singapore Story, the special series celebrates the lives, memories and dreams of people in every corner of the country, from tales of resilience and reinvention to the quiet moments in everyday life. The first set of 12 stories is available at with accompanying videos, and more stories and videos will be added in the coming weeks. Among those currently featured are long-time friends Davidson Teo, 66, and Gillian Goh, 70, who busk across the island as Silver Hype. The duo sing in different languages to reach a diverse audience, particularly seniors who may feel isolated in their golden years. Also featured is fitness coach Davin Choo, 30, who during the Covid-19 pandemic taught Singaporeans on Instagram how to work out while self-isolating, with unorthodox gym set-ups made from everyday household items like wooden poles and rice sacks. 'It makes me glad that I made the right choice to try out fitness,' says Mr Choo. 'I'm also happy I'm able to use my story and this message to reach out to and motivate others to become the best version of themselves.'
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
Magic flight: Observing geese migration at Freezout Lake unique experience
Mar. 30—I pulled onto a gravel road just before 7 a.m., making my way to the shore of one of Freezout Lake's many nearby ponds. Just south of Choteau, the area sits among north central Montana's rolling hills and Great Plains. Just as the first glimpse of sunlight seeped through a cloudy sky, and just as I stepped out of my car, a deep, loud echo drumming noise took me off guard. I looked to the right and saw what appeared to be a mist of white lift off the lake. It moved right, it moved left, dancing through the sky with ease and coordination. Thousands of snow geese were making their way from the lake to the Arctic, an annual event that draws visitors and bird watchers from near and far. Five friends and I made our way a bit closer to the action. The geese began making their way to the plains, flying above us in perfect order. It seemed like it could never end. We sat for an hour, watching the birds soar through the sky in synchronicity, before leaving the lake until later in the morning when we returned to watch again. LOCATED JUST north of Fairfield on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain Front, the Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area at 12,000 acres has become a hot spot for waterfowl hunting and bird watching. The area is a "waterfowler's heaven and a birdwatcher's delight," according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Approximately 230 species of birds have been documented in the area, including shorebirds, raptors and other non-game birds, but waterfowl are what the area is known for. The reason I went to Choteau, and one of the biggest highlights Freezout Lake has to offer, is the spring waterfowl migration, when tens of thousands of birds stop to feed in surrounding fields enroute to their Arctic nesting grounds after spending the winter in California. Snow geese numbers usually peak at the end of March, with other migrating birds traveling through both before and after. The geese, while at Freezout Lake, feed twice a day in the surrounding fields. They leave the lake at sunrise and return in the late morning to rest until dinner time. The routine is repeated daily, and an average goose spends four days at Freezout Lake, the state agency says. "It's just the magnificence of all these birds being there at the same place," said Bob Lee with the Flathead Audubon Society. "They're just another interesting life form in this world." Lee leads a trip to Freezout Lake for the Flathead Audubon every year. The number of birds, weather and visibility varies each year, Lee said, reminiscing on a year where his group stood watching during a blizzard. This year, Lee and three other birders traveled to Freezout Lake on a Sunday night to watch the birds Monday morning. Of course it was spectacular, Lee said, but he observed a lower number of birds than usual. "This is a pretty warm winter, so I think maybe the geese are a little more strung out in their migration," Lee said. "They're not pushing as hard, but otherwise I think it was a pretty good year. We saw plenty of geese flying in as we were leaving on Monday." Brent Lonner, a wildlife biologist at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said that water levels at Freezout Lake have been lower this year, leading to a different trend in the bird's migration. He specifically sited swans, saying that many are choosing to skip over Freezout Lake for better conditions in Southern Canada. "We've had a slow migration this year," Lonner said. "We've been slow, had below average numbers throughout this entire migration. But now we're starting to build." The average amount of geese on a peak migration day is around 50,000 birds on the lake. Lonner recalled one spring around 20 years ago, when approximately 300,000 birds were on the lake in one day. He attributed the phenomenon to bad weather father north, keeping the birds at Freezout. Five years ago, in similar circumstances, the lake pushed to 200,000 birds. As of Thursday, that number peaked at 40,000, according to Lonner, who expects the end of March to maintain good numbers after a slow start. "What I'm telling folks if you think of making a trip out to Freezout, the sooner the better," he said. Dan Casey led the trip to Freezout for the Flathead Audubon from the 1980s to 2015. He was there to witness the flock of 300,000, which Casey says may have actually been as large as half a million birds. "It's one thing to see individual birds, but to see the entirety of these flocks in action is incredible," Casey said. "Even in a low year, that's still more birds than most people see in a flock." An estimated 30,500 geese were at the lake the morning of March 22, when I visited. To the naked eye, it was nearly impossible to attempt to count the birds as they sailed throughout the area, but it was the most birds I have ever seen at once. While we were in Choteau, we were able to attend the Wild Wings Festival, an event put on to celebrate the peak of the migration. With numerous educational booths and raffle options, people from across the state gathered to learn more about the famous geese and visit the famous lake. "It's just a happy time for a lot of people, it kind of symbolizes the fact that spring is on the way," Casey said, reflecting on his decades of watching the migration. "Waterfowl are one of the first things that happen in the spring and the spectacle of the snow geese is moving." As Mary, the kind Airbnb owner who shared her house with us the night prior, said, we were lucky enough to watch "the magic flight." Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@ Snow geese fly above Freezout Lake in Choteau, Montana during their yearly migration north. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Leah Guttman, a Whitefish resident, holds a snow geese feather at Freezout Lake during the migration. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Bobby Oshaben, a Whitefish resident and artist, paints a plein air piece as snow geese take off from Freezout Lake on March 22, 2025. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) The moon hides behind clouds during sunrise at Freezout Lake. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Thousands of snow geese fly above Freezout Lake in Choteau, Montana, during their yearly migration north. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Thousands of snow geese fly above Freezout Lake in Choteau, Montana, during their yearly migration north. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Birds rest on the water at Freezout Lake. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Two Canada geese fly near Freezout Lake during the snow goose migration. (Kate Heston/Daily Inter Lake) Tundra swans glide across the skies at dusk. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News) Tundra swans and ducks gather in one of the ponds with Priest Butte in the background. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News) Tundra swans, snow geese and a variety of ducks gather in one of the ponds at the Freezout Wildlife Management Area. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News) Snow geese take off from a pond in the gray light of dawn at Freezout Lake. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News) A flock of snow geese glides in at dusk with the Rocky Mountain Front in the background at Freezout Lake. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)
Forbes
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
LG Exec, Capgemini Study Lay Out Reasons EV Adoption Stuck In Neutral
Improvements in battery chemistry and form, recharging infrastructure, product mix and government policies must all be made to accelerate the slower-than-anticipated adoption of battery electric vehicles in the U.S. according to an industry report and analysis by the leader of a top battery company. In addition, at the current sales rate, some EV-related suppliers may not survive, resulting in fewer companies through consolidation or attrition. 'The market is not growing as fast as everybody expected, but it is growing,' declared Bob Lee, president of LG Energy Solution North America, during a presentation to the Society of Automotive Analysts in Troy, Michigan on Friday. Indeed, Lee pointed to automakers that predicted EVs would account for anywhere between 50% and 100% of their sales in the early 2030's, targets he labeled, 'not realistic.' What's happening now is simply a temporary 'ebb' in EV market growth, which is typical of new technology adoption, Lee said. He cited research from Boston Consulting Group laying out various scenarios for EV market growth. They ranged from 19% in a worst case situation where tax incentives and aggressive emission standards are removed, supply chain disruptions and a pullback in EV investments up to 43% where federal and local legislation prioritize achieving a zero emission industry. While the major automakers and tier-one suppliers may be able to survive what Lee sees as only a lull in EV adoption, smaller players may not. 'There are a lot of medium sized, tier two type of companies who want to be part of the ecosystem,' said Lee. 'The reality is also that I expect some level of consolidation in the industry, because there was this euphoria six or seven years ago, so we overbuilt, and there's excess capacity.' Building the EV industry and accelerating sales all comes down to a combination of technical improvements and governmental policy support, according to a study by the Capgemini Research Institute based on a global survey of 750 senior executives from large battery, automotive, and energy and utilities organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific along with in-depth interviews with 22 industry leaders. Key findings of the study titled, 'The Battery Revolution' were: Addressing some of the same challenges, LG's Lee noted while current battery range is sufficient for daily local driving, an average of 42 miles, the charging infrastructure is not sufficient for EV drivers on longer road trips, declaring, 'I think the public charging infrastructure is really key for me if we're going to unleash this market for a long distance vehicle driving.' There's also the issue known as compatibility, where many drivers are finding their batteries are not being charged because of technical incompatibility between their vehicles and some public charging stations. It's something LG is working on, Lee said. The matter of battery chemistry is also dynamic. While solid state seems to be a bit of a stretch goal for the industry, Lee says his company is looking closely at an alternative to commonly used lithium-ion—an amalgam of nickel, cobalt and manganese, or NCM, as well as a lower nickel percentage version. 'Just on this NMC, you may have heard of something like 811 which means 80% nickel, 10% cobalt, 10% manganese. So higher nickel content means higher energy density, but also higher cost,' he explained. 'Now we're talking about something called mid- nickel where it's like maybe a 60% nickel content, bringing the cost down.' The notion of one standard battery cited in the Capgemini report is a type of nirvana that's so far being blocked by a moat of corporate preferences and investments in proprietary technologies. Of course, affordability remains another key challenge towards greater EV adoption. The average price of an internal combustion engine vehicle in the U.S. last year was $48,000, according to Lee, while the average sticker for an EV was $56,000 as some automakers entered the market with their premium brands. That's changing, said Lee as the car companies are introducing a broader range of EVs at lower price points. But just as affordability may be improving, the Damocles Sword of import tariffs set to go into effect on April 2 represents a roadblock. Lee says tariffs can be helpful in certain situations, but what's been threatened by the Trump administration is more troublesome. 'We're trying to kind of develop different scenarios and make sure that we have contingency plans built,' he said. 'But I think this overall tariff on the auto industry is something that we all are struggling with. But despite the myriad challenges, Lee is confident there's no stopping the EV revolution, declaring, 'there's going to be ebbs and flows. I believe EVs will have a long-term growth.'
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Murder of San Francisco tech titan Bob Lee on ‘Dateline'
(NBC) — Friday's 'Dateline' examines a case that made headlines around the world, the murder of tech titan Bob Lee. The show contains exclusive interviews with the investigators who worked the case and those closest to Lee, including his children. Here is a preview of Josh Mankiewicz's report: The 911 call came in around 2:30 a.m., the man never gave his name, he had only one desperate plea. 911 CALLER: Help me. Please. KRISTA LEE: I realized I had missed calls. It was San Francisco General Hospital. People may have thought they knew what happened. Well, this was no ordinary crime. OLIVER LEE: I think murder is always the last thing you expect. And that man on the ground was no ordinary victim. Police were about to learn what the tech world already knew — Bob Lee was a big deal. CARLOS WHITT: He was building some of the best tools on the planet. KRISTA LEE: He loved the opportunity to make the world a better place. So, what brought him to that lonely block on the streets of San Francisco? Watch 'Dateline: Under the Bay Bridge' Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC4. 'Dateline NBC' is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 33rd season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Blayne Alexander, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. The stories range from compelling mysteries to powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. When major news breaks, they go to the scene, putting the pieces together to bring the viewer the full picture. And in every story they tell, they help the real people who lived the events share their journeys with the viewer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
