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The deadline for public comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration&#39;s (DEA) rescheduling proposal concluded on Monday July&nbsp;22.
This marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing process of potentially reclassifying certain controlled substances, with significant administrative steps lying ahead.
<h3>Public Sentiment And Key Dates</h3>
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and DEA&nbsp;proposed reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) on May 21, 2024.
A Benzinga <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/39011156/exclusive-we-analyzed-4-000-dea-marijuana-rescheduling-comments-heres-what-americans-really-thin">analysis</a> of over 4,000 public comments submitted by May 23 reveals strong support for this move, with 75.9% positive responses. Commenters highlighted the medical advantages and urged alignment with state laws and scientific evidence.
While most support rescheduling, there are calls for complete descheduling. Some argue that rescheduling alone won&rsquo;t address all legal and research limitations.
Key dates include the end of the public comment period on July 22, 2024, with the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/38920897/infographic-deas-proposed-rules-for-marijuana-what-you-need-to-know">final ruling expected </a>around August 20, 2024, and becoming effective 30 days after publication.
<h3>Biden Administration&rsquo;s Role</h3>
With President Joe Biden in office until January 20, 2025, the Biden administration is expected to prioritize concluding the rescheduling process before Inauguration Day. However, analyst Pablo Zuanic anticipates potential delays if the DEA must address the large volume of comments received.
While the DEA will review the 37,000 submissions, not all will require a response, and an extended review period could further delay the process.
<h3>Potential For ALJ Hearings</h3>
The decision on whether to hold Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings is also pending.
Several state Attorneys General have called for hearings, arguing that they meet the criteria of affected parties. The necessity for these hearings could extend the timeline, with subsequent reports from ALJs potentially causing additional delays.
<h3>Expedited Process Possibility</h3>
Alternatively, Zuanic suggests the DOJ&nbsp;might expedite the process by forgoing hearings and directly moving to finalize the rule. Despite this possibility, hearings will likely be held, lengthening the process.
<h3>Timeline</h3>
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/pablo-zuanic">Zuanic</a>, to meet the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/05/38905962/cannabis-rescheduling-when-will-it-happen-expert-lays-out-timeline-risks-and-wild-c">January 2025 deadline</a>, the final ruling must be published in the Federal Register by December 21, 2024. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election, her administration would complete the process. If not, the DOJ might accelerate its efforts under a different administration.
<h3>Legal And Legislative Uncertainties</h3>
Legal uncertainties remain, including the potential for judicial interventions. Additionally, legislative changes, such as those proposed by Representatives Nancy Mace and Rashida Tlaib, could influence the process by lifting restrictions on the DEA&rsquo;s ability to reschedule substances.
<h3>What If Rescheduling Takes Place?</h3>
This transition will involve the release of new regulations from the DEA, which will detail <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/38881456/bidens-greenlight-what-to-know-about-fed-regulated-marijuana-markets-legal-circuits-and-complian">prescribing and dispensing protocols</a>, aligning cannabis with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/38905472/cannabis-meets-prescription-drugs-steroids-and-ketamine-in-schedule-iii-what-it-means-key-stocks">other Schedule III substances</a>.
Analysts expect that if rescheduled, cannabis will benefit from tax reforms and enhanced research opportunities, though the regulatory landscape will need to address challenges such as FDA approval and insurance coverage for broader access.
Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39908970/trump-and-desantis-supporters-love-their-cannabis-is-rift-between-anti-weed-politicos-pot-users-">Trump And DeSantis Supporters Love Their Cannabis: Is Rift Between Anti-Weed Politicos, Pot Users Brewing In The Sunshine State</a>
These issues will be among the hot topics at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Join us to get more insight into what the wave of weed legalization means for the future of investing in the&nbsp;industry. Hear directly from top executives, investors, advocates, and policymakers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Get your tickets now</a>&nbsp;before prices go up by following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">this link</a>.
Photo: AI-Generated Image.

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As Election Buzz Swirls Around Biden And Harris, DEA Comment Period Ends: What's Next For Cannabis Rescheduling?

The Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero (D), recently signed into law Sen. William Parkinson&#8217;s (D) bill that allows cannabis cultivation and sale without laboratory testing. Under the new law, cannabis will be exempted from testing until there's a marijuana testing facility accredited or certified by the Americans for Safe Access Patient Focused Certification Program, or for the next two years, whichever comes first. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment.
In Guam, a US territory, cannabis has been legal for adult use since 2019. The bill that just became law was introduced in March 2024 amid struggles to get the industry rolling, without an established testing laboratory in Guam. Prior to the testing exemption, the law demanded that all cannabis and cannabis products be tested for potency and safety before being sold, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.postguam.com/news/cannabis-testing-exemption-and-14-other-bills-now-law/article_0e656124-4805-11ef-9604-bfe7f09734ae.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">writes The</a> Daily Guam Post.
&#8220;There are benefits and safeguards to laboratory testing, but I also recognize the apprehension of investing in an expensive laboratory testing facility without knowing the value of the market," the governor stated. "Bill 260-37 finds a balance through labeling and reassurances from cannabis cultivators to ensure safety, in order to give an opportunity for these businesses to open and create a market. Once a market is established, investors will have data points to justify investing in a laboratory testing facility,&#8221; the governor added.
Read Also: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39778288/maines-medical-marijuana-law-does-not-require-lab-testing-public-health-advocates-want-that-to-c" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maine&#8217;s Medical Marijuana Law Does Not Require Lab Testing, Public Health Advocates Want That To Change</a>
Parkinson told the outlet that the exemption doesn't just apply to marijuana plants, but to all products, such as edibles, because Guam's law defines cannabis very broadly. It includes all parts of the plant, such as seeds, resin, concentrates, etc. The law also contains marking and labeling provisions, meaning that cannabis flowers or buds must be properly labeled to reveal the amount, strain, batch number, date of harvest, and the name and address of both the cultivation and manufacturing companies.
Under the law, businesses need to put various disclaimers such as that cannabis is addictive and can impair an individual&#8217;s ability to drive, that it has not been tested for contaminants, and that should be put out of reach of children, among others.
In order to deliver and sell cannabis flower or buds, growers must attest under penalty of perjury that their flowers or buds meet the contaminant regulations found in Section 9802 (F) (2) of the Cannabis Testing Facility Standards and Testing Protocols.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bill Protecting Employment</h2>
Additionally, another cannabis-related bill became law on Monday but without the governor's signature. A measure called the "Responsible Cannabis User Employment Protection Act" or Bill 6, also sponsored by Parkinson, aims to prevent any employer, landlord, college, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/23/03/31137674/cannabis-in-guam-weed-tax-funds-in-nm-mmj-in-kentucky-pot-home-grow-delays-in-wa-state" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">or government agency from testing</a> for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cannabis as</a> a condition of employment, housing, education, or government services.
Continue reading on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.postguam.com/news/cannabis-testing-exemption-and-14-other-bills-now-law/article_0e656124-4805-11ef-9604-bfe7f09734ae.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Daily Guam Post</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/02/37249944/cannabis-banking-in-guam-home-cultivation-in-costa-rica-hemp-hits-australia-more-global-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cannabis Banking In Guam</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39895214/cannabis-stocks-react-to-biden-announcement-mondays-closing-market-moves" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cannabis Stocks React To Biden Announcement: Monday&#8217;s Closing Market Moves</a></li>
</ul>
To learn more about cannabis regulation, join us at the 19th Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, coming to Chicago this Oct. 8-9. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get your tickets now before</a> prices surge by following <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener">this link</a>.
Photo: Courtesy of Michele Ursi via Shutterstock

Cannabis Sales Without Lab Testing Now Legal In Guam

The stock of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) experienced a significant drop in after-hours trading following a bold statement by CEO Elon Musk <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39922189/elon-musk-talks-robotaxi-delay-nvidia-clusters-and-mexican-gigafactory-postponement-amid-tariff-">regarding vehicle autonomy</a>. The stock&#8217;s plunge came despite the company&#8217;s second-quarter financial results, which were described as &#8220;impressive&#8221; by Jim Cramer.
What Happened: Gene Munster, a tech analyst at Deepwater Asset Management highlighted Musk&#8217;s statement during the second-quarter financial results call on X. 
&#8220;I recommend anyone who doesn&#8217;t believe that Tesla will solve vehicle autonomy should not hold Tesla stock. They should sell their Tesla stock. If you believe Tesla would solve autonomy should buy Tesla stock. And all these other questions are noise,&#8221; Musk said.
Musk also responded to Munster&#8217;s post on X, commenting, &#8220;Yup.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Elon said it all as when he wrapped up the call: &quot;I recommend anyone who doesn&#39;t believe that Tesla will solve vehicle autonomy should not hold Tesla stock. They should sell their Tesla stock. If you believe Tesla would solve autonomy should buy Tesla stock. And all these other… <a href="https://t.co/PLumDpss1I">https://t.co/PLumDpss1I</a>
&mdash; Gene Munster (@munster_gene) <a href="https://twitter.com/munster_gene/status/1815886117935444367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Despite the stock&#8217;s decline, Cramer expressed his admiration for the conference call, particularly Musk&#8217;s insights on autonomy, humanoids, and batteries, in a post.
Cramer said, &#8220;I know that Tesla&#8217;s stock is down in after hours but, holy cow, what a terrific conference call: tutorial on autonomy, humanoids, batteries&#8230;really impressive&#8230;&#8221;<a href="https://x.com/jimcramer/status/1815921349493199155"></a>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39883677/investors-anticipate-unraveling-of-trump-trade-as-biden-exits-presidential-race-but-analyst-says-its?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Investors Anticipate Unraveling Of &#8216;Trump Trade&#8217; As Biden Exits Presidential Race, But Analyst Says &#8216;It&#8217;s A Bit Too Early For The Markets To Declare Victory For Trump&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: The drop in Tesla&#8217;s stock comes on the heels of the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39918390/tesla-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-robotaxi-update-2024-growth-rate-to-be-notably-l">second-quarter financial results</a>, which were a mixed bag. While the company&#8217;s revenue of $25.5 billion beat the Street&#8217;s consensus estimate, the EPS, operating margins, and free cash flow fell short, leading to a post-market session decline in Tesla&#8217;s stock. 
Musk also discussed various aspects of the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39922189/elon-musk-talks-robotaxi-delay-nvidia-clusters-and-mexican-gigafactory-postponement-amid-tariff-">operations during the call</a>, including a robotaxi delay and the company&#8217;s energy business.
Moreover, Musk has been in the news for other reasons as well. He recently initiated a poll on X (formerly Twitter) to gauge whether <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39922283/elon-musk-is-polling-x-and-asking-if-tesla-should-invest-5b-in-grok-parent-xai-this-is-just-to-test">Tesla should invest $5 billion in his AI company</a> and Grok-parent, xAI.
Additionally, Musk refuted <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39900117/elon-musk-denies-45m-monthly-donation-to-trump-clarifies-true-purpose-of-the-america-pac-in-intervie">claims of donating</a> $45 million monthly to former President Donald Trump&#8216;s campaign in an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Dr. Jordan Peterson.
Price Action: Tesla's stock closed at $246.38 on Tuesday, down 2.04% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock fell further 7.77%. Year to date, the stock has decreased by 0.82%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39898236/jeff-bezos-era-downstream-impact-losing-its-mojo-amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-is-reportedly-rethinking-?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeff Bezos-Era &#8216;Downstream Impact&#8217; Losing Its Mojo? Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Is Reportedly Rethinking Alexa Devices Business Model Resulting In Billions Worth Of Losses</a></li>
</ul>
Image Via Shutterstock 
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Kaustubh-Bagalkote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>

Equities

TSLA

Elon Musk's Strong Conviction Highlighted By Gene Munster: 'Anyone Who Doesn't Believe That Tesla Will Solve Vehicle Autonomy Should Not Hold Tesla Stock'

Iowa beverage manufacturers are embroiled in a legal battle with the state over a new law that restricts THC levels in adult beverages. The companies claim the state knowingly approved 12-ounce cans with up to 10 servings of THC each, contradicting the new law&#39;s limits.
Local media reported ten Iowa companies have filed a federal lawsuit to block the enforcement of the new hemp law, which restricts THC levels in consumables.
The companies <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/07/16/companies-claim-state-approved-thc-drinks-with-10-servings-per-12-ounce-can/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR30NfpGcnYXmqJoVt2Z2OsSMuaq9JOo9bp1gilMAYw7aVngbJO4_t-xvN8_aem_JCH7qEOxnUSTiRKuXShu9w">argue</a> that House File 2605 and House File 2641, passed this year, are preempted by federal law. They allege that the new law needs to be more specific, leaving them uncertain about what constitutes lawful business practices.
<h3>Unofficial &ldquo;Shadow-Banned&rdquo; By Retailers</h3>
The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/02/31004589/iowa-dems-present-bill-to-legalize-recreational-cannabis-expand-mmj-while-republicans-fight-for-deat">Iowa</a> Attorney General&#39;s office argues that no state defines serving sizes for food and beverages because federal law requires companies to determine and label serving sizes.
&quot;To know how many servings are in their products, (the companies) need only look to the side of their cans,&quot; the office stated.
The companies argue that the law&rsquo;s vagueness has led to their products being unofficial &ldquo;shadow-banned&rdquo; by retailers. They claim state regulators have refused to clarify which products are legal.
<h3>Public Safety And Regulatory Changes</h3>
The state&#39;s attorneys argue that the litigation stems from the companies&rsquo; opposition to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/38917867/iowa-gop-governor-signs-bill-limiting-thc-content-in-hemp-derived-consumable-products">public safety measures</a>.
The law limits THC in consumable hemp products to four milligrams per serving. Federal law defines a serving as &quot;an amount customarily consumed,&quot; typically 12 ounces for beverages. The companies argue that the state needs to consistently apply this standard, as it previously allowed manufacturers to determine serving sizes.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose recently denied an initial motion for a preliminary injunction but expressed concerns about the law&#39;s vagueness. The companies have incorporated these concerns into their <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39460763/iowa-beverage-companies-file-lawsuit-challenging-state-changes-to-thc-potency-restrictions">renewed push</a> for an injunction.
Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39781066/libertarians-back-florida-cannabis-legalization-5m-from-hemp-execs-to-gop-green-waves-in-red-sta">Libertarians Back Florida Cannabis Legalization, $5M From Hemp Execs To GOP: Green Waves In Red States</a>
These issues will be a hot topic&nbsp;at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Join us to get more insight into what the wave of weed legalization means for the future of investing in the&nbsp;industry. Hear directly from top executives, investors, advocates, and policymakers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Get your tickets now</a>&nbsp;before prices go up by following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">this link</a>.
Photo: AI-Generated Image.&nbsp;

Shadow-Banned By Retailers, Iowa Beverage Manufacturers Sue State Regulators Over New THC Law

Thailand&#8217;s Deputy Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai (BJT) party leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, confirmed Tuesday that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin agreed that proper regulation is a better solution than reclassification. It's still not clear how both medical and recreational cannabis use will be regulated, but the announcement suggests a step back from proposed reclassification,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/719998" rel="noreferrer noopener">writes</a> Bloomberg.
In June, the Thai government decided to reverse its 2022 marijuana decriminalization decision by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/06/39298781/thailand-unveils-proposals-making-cannabis-illegal-again-and-reduce-meth-possession-limits" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relisting parts of the cannabis plant as a narcotic</a>, starting January 1, 2025. While Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to allow legal recreational use of marijuana, it has never been properly regulated, resulting in a proliferation of cannabis shops across the country.
According to Tuesday's statement by Charnvirakul, whose party was instrumental in the decriminalization, Thavisin is now reversing course.
&#8220;I thank the prime minister for considering this matter and deciding on issuing an act,&#8221; Charnvirakul said, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-07-23/thailand-to-legislate-marijuana-for-medical-use-deputy-pm-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> Reuters.
Read Also: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39140255/japan-could-become-first-to-allow-cbd-in-food-thailands-medical-marijuana-costs-increase-6x-trig" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thailand&#8217;s Medical Marijuana Costs Increase 6X Triggering Recriminalization</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hunger Strike, Political Party Influence?</h2>
What led to the Prime Minister's change of heart?
Shortly after the Thai government issued draft legislation to reclassify cannabis, marijuana enthusiasts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39694786/video-cannabis-advocates-in-thailand-protest-reclassification-stressing-need-for-scientific-revi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">called for a scientific review</a> and for cannabis to be regulated under a special law to address any issues of concern. Pro-cannabis activists quickly took things even further and began <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39817884/thai-cannabis-advocates-on-hunger-strike-to-protest-recriminalization-of-marijuana-health-minist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a hunger strike on July 10 </a>to demand that the government listen to their views. The hunger strike ended after 10 days, and the organization behind it, Cannabis Future Network, announced the formation of a people&#8217;s committee with representatives from all relevant parties to study and analyze marijuana&#8217;s impact on society. The report is meant to be completed in two months and presented to the public and authorities in charge of marijuana regulation.
Charnvirakul also recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39875683/deputy-prime-minister-of-thailand-speaks-out-against-govs-decision-to-recriminalize-cannabis-adv" rel="noreferrer noopener">expressed opposition to cannabis reclassification</a>, saying that the government's decision lacks convincing evidence to justify changing the status of marijuana. He also pointed out that politicians from his party have the right to vote against the proposal.
On the other hand, people supporting recriminalization of the plant also voiced their support. Last week, the Youth Network Against Cannabis (YNAC) and several other health advocacy groups gathered at the NCB&#8217;s headquarters to submit a petition for the change in status. According to the report, the petition was co-signed by 200,000 people.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic Benefits, Impact On Tourism</h2>
Since cannabis decriminalization more than 1.1 million people registered for licenses to grow and tens of thousands of pot shops opened their doors, the industry is projected to be worth $1.2 billion by 2025, unless new laws restrict it.
With so many cannabis operations, there's no doubt that re-criminalization would have an economic impact. Somkiat Nitiketkosol, owner of the "Suan Fah Yim" marijuana farm stressed that if the government proceeds with its plan it must offer assistance to farmers who are licensed to cultivate marijuana.
Furthermore, Thailand's Tourism Ministry reported Tuesday that it had 19.6 million foreign tourist arrivals from January to July 21 period, which is 34% more than in the same period a year earlier. The target for this year is 40 million foreign arrivals. Tourism is one of the biggest employers and contributors to the country's economy. Would cannabis reclassification impact Thailand's tourism industry, which is recovering from the pandemic?
It's possible, considering that the country is a popular destination for medical tourism and wellness travel and numerous wellness brands jumped on the opportunity quickly after decriminalization by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/22/02/25844248/marijuana-and-exotic-destinations-will-thailand-become-the-next-cannabis-tourism-hotspot" rel="noreferrer noopener">upgrading its offers</a>.
While there are no government figures on how many tourists come specifically to consume cannabis, Kueakarun Thongwilai, manager of a Bangkok pot shop, projects at least 70%-80% of his customers are foreigners, primarily from Asian countries like Japan, Malaysia, China and the Philippines, and some from Europe, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/thailand-cannabis-tourism-asia-ad54d1ff0ba57ecaadf75aa48072f8db" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">writes</a> the Associated Press. Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau announced plans to randomly test people returning from Thailand. China's embassy in Thailand also cautioned Chinese tourists that consuming cannabis abroad could lead to penalties upon their return, as such actions are considered domestic violations.
It's hard to say if the protests against cannabis recriminalization, the Bhumjaithai (BJT) party's opposition, and potential impacts on the economy and tourism were responsible for the Prime Minister's decision to regulate, but they must have had some effect.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39896772/passionate-pot-advocate-in-new-zealand-tells-jury-to-jail-him-as-he-fights-for-his-right-to-cult" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Passionate Pot Advocate In New Zealand Tells Jury To Jail Him As He Fights For His Right To Cultivate Cannabis</a></li>
</ul>
To learn more about cannabis regulation at the 19th Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, coming to Chicago this Oct. 8-9. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get your tickets now</a> before prices surge by following <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/benzinga-capital-conference-cannabis-fall-2024-tickets-858948065787?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="noreferrer noopener">this link</a>.
Photo: Courtesy of Nelson Antoine via Shutterstock

Thailand Will Not Re-Criminalize Cannabis, Prime Minister Agrees To Regulate Industry Instead - What Made Him Change His Mind?

The value of&nbsp;Neuralink, the brain implant company founded by Elon Musk, has skyrocketed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38955288/neuralink-patient-looks-to-monetize-himself-on-social-media-gets-elon-musks-support-for-streaming-ra">following its first human trial</a>, leading some employees to reportedly gear up for a possible stock sale. 
What Happened: Neuralink might initiate a tender offer as soon as next month to repurchase shares from staff looking to sell, reported Reuters, citing two people briefed on the matter.
The company&#8217;s shares&nbsp;are not publicly traded, and&nbsp;selling them without Neuralink&#8217;s approval involves intricate procedures on specialized private market exchanges.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39879895/if-youre-a-lawyer-for-crowdstrike-youre-probably-not-going-to-enjoy-the-rest-of-your-summer-say-dan?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8216;If You&#8217;re A Lawyer For Crowdstrike, You&#8217;re Probably Not Going To Enjoy The Rest Of Your Summer&#8217;: Microsoft-Crowdstrike Outage Could Top $1B In Costs, Analyst Says</a>
Neuralink&#8217;s valuation has reportedly climbed&nbsp;to as much as $8&nbsp;billion, over twice its value last year, based on secondary market trades. 
The brain implant company&#8217;s inaugural human trial was deemed a success, and Neuralink is gearing up for additional&nbsp;trials in Britain and Canada.
Musk has traditionally created a scarcity of shares in his startups, including SpaceX and xAI, making them highly coveted, according to the report.
This scarcity is evident in recent trades, with buyers on private exchanges paying&nbsp;a premium of between 84% and 137% to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/06/32859330/people-are-lining-up-for-elon-musks-neuralink-brain-implant-heres-how-you-can-invest-in-brain-techno">Neuralink&#8217;s valuation</a> in its last private fundraising round in November, the report noted.
Neuralink did not immediately respond to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga&#8217;s</a> request for comments.
Why It Matters: This surge in Neuralink&#8217;s valuation comes amidst <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39432738/elon-musks-neuralink-rival-paradromics-gears-up-for-human-trials-of-brain-implant">increasing competition in the brain-computer</a> interface market, with rivals like Paradromics gearing up for human trials of their own brain implants.
In May, Noland Arbaugh, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38955288/neuralink-patient-looks-to-monetize-himself-on-social-media-gets-elon-musks-support-for-streaming-ra">the first Neuralink patient</a>, reached the 100-day milestone since having the chip implanted in his brain. &#8220;I would like to find some way to provide for myself long-term, build a house for me and my family if I can, and not be a burden on those around me any longer,&#8221; Arbaugh stated at the time.
Earlier this month, during a video update, Musk said that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39722865/elon-musks-neuralink-aims-to-boost-brain-implant-patients-to-high-single-digits-by-year-end-the-idea">Neuralink aims to increase</a> the number of brain implant patients to high single digits by the end of the year. He has also spoken about his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39728003/elon-musk-says-over-1-000-neuralink-chip-implantations-achievable-in-2026">ambitious goal of achieving</a> 1,000 Neuralink chip implantations by 2026.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39873131/apple-skips-tsmcs-2nm-chip-for-iphone-17-unveils-first-ios-18-public-beta-and-more-this-week-in-appl?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Skips TSMC&#8217;s 2nm Chip For iPhone 17, Unveils First iOS 18 Public Beta And More: This Week In Appleverse</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Health Care

Tech

Media

Elon Musk's Brain Chip Company Neuralink Employees Eye Stock Sale After Valuation Surge: Report

Bitcoin, Dogecoin dipped, Ethereum traded flat Tuesday as defunct cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox continued to transfer funds meant to pay out its creditors.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded 9:00 p.m. EDT)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td>
<td>-2.23%</td>
<td>$65,877.24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+0.06%</td>
<td>$3,470.67</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>-6.40%</td>
<td>$0.1299</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
What Happened: Bitcoin steadily dropped during the day as Mt. Gox creditors began <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/307024/mt-gox-creditors-start-receiving-bitcoin-and-bitcoin-cash-on-kraken">receiving </a>BTC on Kraken, the entity selected as the disseminator of the funds. The apex cryptocurrency fell into the $65,000 zone.
Ethereum chopped in the $3,400 &#8211; $3,500 range as spot ETFs tracking the price of the asset debuted in the U.S. stock market. Analysts have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39915620/ethereum-may-be-headed-for-a-sell-off-after-etfs-launched-10x-research">predicted that the launch could trigger</a> sell-offs.
About $183 million in derivatives contracts was liquidated in the last 24 hours, with long liquidations accounting for nearly 80% of the total.
Bitcoin's Open Interest dropped 2.42% in the last 24 hours, signaling the forced liquidation of longs.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Traders placing bearish bets on Bitcoin outnumbered those opening longs in the last 24 hours.
The Cryptocurrency Fear &amp; Greed Index continued to flash "Greed," highlighting bullish optimism in the market.
Top Gainers (24-Hours)
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Cryptocurrency</td>
<td>Gains +/-</td>
<td>Price (Recorded at 9:00 p.m. EDT)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum Name Service (ENS)</td>
<td>+9.55%</td>
<td>$29.13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pepe (PEPE)</td>
<td>+2.86%</td>
<td>$0.00001236</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethena (ENA)</td>
<td>+2.69%</td>
<td>$0.4513</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The global cryptocurrency market stands at $2.39 trillion, following a contraction of 2.21% in the last 24 hours.
Stocks inched slightly lower Tuesday. The S&amp;P 500 slipped 8.67 points, or 0.16%, to end at 5,555.74. The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite edged 0.06% lower to finish at 17,997.35, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.14% to close at 40,358.09.
The investor restraint was likely in anticipation of second-quarter earnings report from tech titans Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>).
See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>
Analyst Notes: Widely-followed cryptocurrency trader Rekt Capital reiterated a previous analysis, noting that Bitcoin needs to hold above $65,000 or at least hold $65,000 as support for any unanticipated correction.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTC</a> Was this an unexpected pullback? &quot;Bitcoin needs to continue holding above $65000 or at the very least, hold $65000 as support on any unexpected pullback&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crypto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://t.co/KSHaRiex08">https://t.co/KSHaRiex08</a> <a href="https://t.co/sDHUAdOAcZ">pic.twitter.com/sDHUAdOAcZ</a>
&mdash; Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) <a href="https://twitter.com/rektcapital/status/1815818932843847732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Another well-known figure in the space, Ali Martinez, highlighted King Crypto's chances of rebounding to $67,600 as he noticed a bullish RSI divergence.&nbsp;
However, for that to happen, the trader remarked that the $66,000 level needs to hold.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">On the lower time frames, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> is showing signs of a double bottom pattern with bullish RSI divergence. If confirmed, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> could rebound to $67,600. However, the $66,000 support level needs to hold! <a href="https://t.co/NBr7xbsyMZ">pic.twitter.com/NBr7xbsyMZ</a>
&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1815743814994145351?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
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Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

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Bitcoin, Dogecoin Pull Back, Ethereum Holds Steady Amid Mt.Gox Payouts: Analyst Highlights Importance of This Level During Any Unexpected Pullback By King Crypto

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has penned an opinion piece urging Democrats to unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she takes on Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.
What Happened: In her<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/23/opinion/kamala-harris-donald-trump.html"> piece</a>, published in The New York Times, Clinton lauded President Joe Biden&#8216;s decision to step down from the race, calling it a &#8220;pure act of patriotism.&#8221; She urged fellow Democrats to continue Biden&#8217;s fight for the nation&#8217;s soul.
Clinton expressed her confidence in Harris, describing her as a candidate who can offer a &#8220;hopeful, unifying vision&#8221; for American politics. She also highlighted the significance of the upcoming election, emphasizing the choice between &#8220;old grievances versus new solutions.&#8221;
&#8220;I look forward to hearing her prosecute a compelling case against Mr. Trump, who failed as a president the first time and is running on a dangerous agenda,&#8221; wrote Clinton
Clinton acknowledged the challenges Harris might face as the first Black and South Asian woman to lead a major party&#8217;s ticket but emphasized that progress is possible. She also drew from her own experiences, encouraging voters to be thoughtful about the information they consume.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872154/trump-vs-biden-latest-round-of-polls-all-seem-to-suggest-grim-news-for-this-candidate?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Vs. Biden: Latest Rounds Of Polls All Seem To Suggest Grim News For This Candidate</a>
Clinton also addressed the sexism and double standards that women in politics often face, drawing from her own experiences as a presidential candidate. She expressed pride in her campaigns for making it seem normal to have a woman at the top of the ticket. The former secretary of state noted that Harris was &#8220;chronically underestimated.&#8221; 
Clinton concluded by emphasizing Harris&#8217;s readiness for the moment, citing her experience as a prosecutor, attorney general, and vice president. She expressed her anticipation of Harris&#8217;s compelling case against Trump, warning of the potential consequences of a second Trump term.
Why It Matters: Clinton&#8217;s opinion piece comes at a crucial time in the 2024 presidential race. Harris has recently secured the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39905133/kamala-harris-has-majority-support-from-democrats-to-run-against-trump-in-2024-presidential-race-pol">majority of Democratic delegate support</a>, positioning her as the party&#8217;s nominee against Trump. 
However, early polling data show a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/politics/24/07/39914544/trump-vs-harris-former-president-has-9-point-lead-over-vp-bidens-decision-to-step-aside-for-harr">close race between Harris and Trump</a>, with the former president gaining support that Biden lost.
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</ul>
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

Hillary Clinton Says Kamala Harris is 'Chronically Underestimated' — Says VP Can 'Prosecute A Compelling Case' Against Failed President Trump

Telsa Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk initiated&nbsp;a poll on X, formerly Twitter, asking if the EV giant should invest $5 billion in his AI company and Grok-parent, xAI.
What Happened:&nbsp;On Tuesday, Musk posted the poll intending to &#8220;test the waters&#8221; before Tesla ivests into xAI. His question was: &#8220;Should Tesla invest $5B into xAI, assuming the valuation is set by several credible outside investors?&#8221;
He also said that for this to come to fulfillment approval of the board and a shareholders&#8217; vote is needed.
With 23 hours remaining for the poll to close, nearly 170,000 votes have been cast. At the time of writing, the majority, over 70%, are in favor of the proposed investment, while the remaining voters are against it.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872729/nvidias-potential-50-trillion-valuation-tesla-and-xais-ai-expansion-plans-and-microsofts-trillion-do?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia&#8217;s Potential $50 Trillion Valuation, Tesla And xAI&#8217;s AI Expansion Plans, And Microsoft&#8217;s Trillion-Dollar Tech: This Week In Artificial Intelligence</a>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Should Tesla invest $5B into <a href="https://twitter.com/xai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@xAI</a>, assuming the valuation is set by several credible outside investors? (Board approval &amp; shareholder vote are needed, so this is just to test the waters)
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1815907844434112999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: This move by Musk is not entirely surprising. Last year in November, Musk expressed his intention to explore a potential <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/11/35911508/elon-musk-to-discuss-tesla-xai-partnership-with-ev-giants-board">partnership between Tesla and xAI</a>, following suggestions from investors on X.
In April this year, Musk highlighted that Tesla should be recognized as an AI or robotics company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38405187/elon-musk-echoes-cathie-wood-wants-tesla-to-be-seen-as-an-ai-or-robotics-company-if-you-value-te">rather than just an auto company</a>.
Previously, it was reported that xAI has seen an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39397562/is-elon-musk-poaching-talent-from-his-own-companies-xai-reportedly-sees-influx-of-former-tesla-e">influx of former Tesla employees</a>, sparking controversy and accusations of Musk using Tesla as a talent pool for his other ventures.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Tesla also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39918390/tesla-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-robotaxi-update-2024-growth-rate-to-be-notably-l">reported second-quarter revenue</a> of $25.5 billion, marking a 2% increase year-over-year. This figure surpassed the Street consensus estimate of $24.73 billion, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/checkout/benzinga-pro-essential-2024?utm_source=BZprocontent072324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro.</a>
Price Action: Tesla shares experienced a significant decline in after-hours trading on Tuesday, plummeting by 7.8% to $227.23. During the regular trading session, the stock had already fallen 2.04%, closing at $246.38.
Image via Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Elon Musk Is Polling X And Asking If Tesla Should Invest $5B In Grok Parent xAI: 'This Is Just To Test The Waters'

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), discussed various aspects of the company&#8217;s operations during the second-quarter earnings call, including a robotaxi delay and the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39918390/tesla-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-robotaxi-update-2024-growth-rate-to-be-notably-l">company&#8217;s energy business</a>.
What Happened: The company&#8217;s EPS, operating margins, and free cash flow fell short of consensus expectations, leading to a post-market session decline in Tesla&#8217;s stock.
Musk acknowledged the challenges posed by the current discounting in the electric vehicle sector but believes it will be a short-term issue. He assured that the company is on track to deliver an affordable model in the first half of next year. Musk also emphasized the potential of autonomous driving as a significant demand driver.
The much-anticipated robotaxi event has been rescheduled to Oct. 10, with Musk hinting at additional features to be unveiled. He also announced the production of the Optimus humanoid robot next year, with plans for thousands to be deployed by 2025.
Musk also addressed the energy business, stating that Tesla is ramping up as quickly as possible. He stressed the importance of autonomy and the potential of the Optimus robot to perform crucial tasks for the company by 2025.
During the Q&amp;A session, Musk admired NVIDIA Corp.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) GPU clusters but reiterated Tesla&#8217;s commitment to developing the Dojo supercomputer. He also revealed that the company is postponing plans for a Gigafactory in Mexico due to the U.S. election and potential tariffs if Donald Trump is re-elected.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39883677/investors-anticipate-unraveling-of-trump-trade-as-biden-exits-presidential-race-but-analyst-says-its?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Investors Anticipate Unraveling Of &#8216;Trump Trade&#8217; As Biden Exits Presidential Race, But Analyst Says &#8216;It&#8217;s A Bit Too Early For The Markets To Declare Victory For Trump&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Tesla&#8217;s second-quarter financial results, showed a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39918390/tesla-q2-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-miss-robotaxi-update-2024-growth-rate-to-be-notably-l">2% year-over-year growth in revenue</a>, beating the Street&#8217;s consensus estimate of $24.73 billion. Despite the revenue beat, the company&#8217;s EPS missed expectations, contributing to the decline in stock value during the post-market session.
The company reported earnings per share of 52 cents in the second quarter, down 43% year-over-year. The earnings per share missed a Street consensus estimate of 62 cents per share.
Tesla reported second-quarter deliveries of 443,956 vehicles and production of 410,831 vehicles, down 5% and 14% year-over-year, respectively.
Price Action: Tesla&#8217;s stock closed at $246.38 on Tuesday, down 2.04% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock fell further 7.77%. Year to date, the stock has decreased by 0.82%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39897708/bitcoin-dogecoin-trade-flat-ethereum-drops-as-spot-etfs-get-approved-the-altcoin-king-migh?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Dogecoin Trade Flat, Ethereum Drops As Spot ETFs Get Approved: The Altcoin King Might Retrace But Analyst Thinks Dip Buying Is The &#8216;Best&#8217; Position</a>
Image Via Shutterstock 
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Kaustubh-Bagalkote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>

Global

NVDA

Elon Musk Talks Robotaxi Delay, Nvidia Clusters, And Mexican Gigafactory Postponement Amid Tariff Worries If Trump Wins — Tesla Falls Almost 8% After-Hours

David Bailey. the CEO of the Bitcoin 2024 conference, revealed ongoing discussions with Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; campaign for her potential appearance at the much-awaited cryptocurrency event.
What Happened: On Tuesday, Bailey posted on X about the ongoing negotiations with the Kamala Harris campaign. He suggested that it would be a strategic move for Harris to engage with the rapidly growing voter demographic interested in cryptocurrency.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">We're in talks with Kamala Harris campaign for her to speak at the conference. Would be very savvy of her to reset the democrat positioning on the fastest growing voter block in the country. They're making up their minds today.
&mdash; David Bailey&#x1f1f5;&#x1f1f7; $0.65mm/btc is the floor (@DavidFBailey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidFBailey/status/1815848521205178404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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The Bitcoin 2024 convention, organized by&nbsp;Bitcoin Magazine, gets underway on July 25. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has taken a pro-cryptocurrency pivot in recent months, is all set to address the event.
Apart from Trump, other influential political figures, including independent candidate&nbsp;Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former GOP candidate&nbsp;Vivek Ramaswamy, and Senators&nbsp;Bill Hagerty&nbsp;(R-Tenn.) and&nbsp;Marsha Blackburn&nbsp;(R-Tenn.), are also expected to speak at the convention
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/07/39920695/battle-of-humanoid-robots-and-robotaxis-vs-electric-vehicles-trump-rumor-to-drive-bitcoin-to-the-moo">Battle Of Humanoid Robots And Robotaxis Vs. Electric Vehicles, Trump Rumor To Drive Bitcoin To The Moon</a>
Why It Matters: This development comes in the wake of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39875949/democrats-have-huge-opportunity-to-win-back-chunk-of-crypto-vote-after-bidens-exit-from-20">the new-found Democrats&#8217; opportunity to win back a significant portion of the cryptocurrency vote</a> following Joe Biden&#8217;s exit from the 2024 race. Biden has endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee. 
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency community was abuzz with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39914148/donald-trump-to-announce-a-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-crypto-bettors-think-its-unlikely-but">rumors that Trump would announce a strategic Bitcoin reserve</a> at the conference, although bettors on the prediction market, Polymarket, are somewhat skeptical about the possibility.
Price Action: At the time of writing, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) was exchanging hands at $65,790.82, sinking 2.63% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image by Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/07/39914429/the-curious-case-of-the-sec-lawsuit-involving-a-dubai-kidnapping-and-a-400m-transfer">The Curious Case Of The SEC Lawsuit Involving A Dubai Kidnapping And A $400M Transfer</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Kamala Harris To Speak At Bitcoin Conference Featuring Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump? Event CEO Says Discussions Ongoing

Donald Trump&#8217;s campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s campaign. The complaint alleges that Harris&#8217;s campaign improperly acquired funds from President Joe Biden&#8217;s campaign.
What Happened: The Trump campaign lodged the complaint on Tuesday, alleging that Harris&#8217;s campaign improperly took over Biden&#8217;s campaign funds after his withdrawal from the race. Following Biden&#8217;s decision not to seek reelection, his campaign account was renamed &#8220;Harris for President&#8221;.
David Warrington, counsel for the Trump campaign, said, &#8220;Kamala Harris is seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 million dollar heist of <a href="https://thehill.com/people/joe-biden/">Joe Biden's </a>leftover campaign cash — a brazen money grab that would constitute the single largest excessive contribution and biggest violation in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended,&#8221; according to the report.
While many campaign finance experts believe Harris has rightful access to the funds, the final decision rests with the FEC. Republican FEC Chair Sean Cooksey, a Trump appointee, hinted at his possible opposition to Harris accessing the funds. However, Democratic Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum and Steve Roberts, former general counsel to Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, expressed their belief that Harris should be able to use the funds.
Despite the complaint, Harris&#8217;s campaign has set fundraising records since its Monday launch, raising over $80 million in the first 24 hours. The campaign&#8217;s spokesperson, Charles Lutvak, dismissed the complaint, attributing it to Republican jealousy and vowing to continue their strong fundraising efforts.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39878848/trump-vs-harris-first-poll-after-bidens-exit-shows-majority-approve-of-decision-but-heres-how-it-mig?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Vs. Harris: First Poll After Biden&#8217;s Exit Shows Majority Approve Of Decision, But Here&#8217;s How It Might Affect Ex-President&#8217;s Chances</a>
Why It Matters: Legal experts have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39903457/kamala-harris-presidential-run-to-remain-unbothered-by-gops-legal-shenanigans-say-experts-an-express">expressed confidence</a> that lawsuits questioning Harris&#8217;s right to utilize the Biden-Harris campaign funds will not succeed. Despite Republican factions, including The Heritage Foundation, questioning the appropriateness of Harris taking the top line of the ticket after 14 million state primary voters cast their votes for Biden, nonpartisan experts believe any lawsuit aimed at preventing Harris from using Biden's campaign cash or replacing him on the ballot will fail.
Following Biden&#8217;s withdrawal, Harris has secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 presidential race and has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39905133/kamala-harris-has-majority-support-from-democrats-to-run-against-trump-in-2024-presidential-race-pol">majority support from Democrats</a>. This move is seen as an attempt to quell weeks of internal party disputes and unite in the mission to defeat Trump with just over 100 days until Election Day.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

Trump Campaign Files Election Commission Complaint Against Kamala Harris, Accuses VP's Campaign Of $91.5M 'Heist' And 'Brazen Money Grab'

The latest House Homeland Security Committee hearing has shed new light on the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that took place on July 13. Col. Christopher Paris, head of the Pennsylvania State Police, provided fresh insights into the incident.
What Happened: Paris testified that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was flagged as suspicious by local law enforcement when he failed to enter the secure area ahead of the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Officers noticed Crooks using a range finder and alerted the Secret Service, according to a <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4789237-pennsylvania-police-commissioner-trump-shooting/">report</a> from The Hill.
Pennsylvania's Police Commissioner Paris confirmed that Crooks fired eight shots into the rally before being neutralized by Secret Service agents. This contradicts the previous statement by now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who refused to specify the number of shots fired.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872154/trump-vs-biden-latest-round-of-polls-all-seem-to-suggest-grim-news-for-this-candidate?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Vs. Biden: Latest Rounds Of Polls All Seem To Suggest Grim News For This Candidate</a>
Paris also revealed that two officers left their post to follow Crooks, leaving a clear view of the position Crooks eventually assumed. The roof from which Crooks fired was approximately 147 yards from the former president's podium and fell outside of the Secret Service's security perimeter.
According to Paris, Crooks spent about three minutes on the roof before firing. The officers assigned to their posts by the Secret Service had no say in the security operation&#8217;s design. This has raised questions among lawmakers about why no agents or officers were stationed on the roof, given its proximity to the stage.
Why It Matters: The assassination attempt on Trump was a shocking event. Trump was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39761846/trump-left-bloodied-after-shots-fired-at-pennsylvania-rally-evacuated-by-secret-service">left bloodied</a> and was evacuated by the Secret Service. The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39873874/trumps-pleas-for-extra-security-repeatedly-ignored-by-secret-service-prior-to-assassination-attempt">Secret Service had repeatedly ignored Trump&#8217;s pleas for extra security</a> in the two years leading up to the assassination attempt.
The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39764903/fbi-probes-trump-rally-shooting-as-potential-domestic-terrorism-it-appears-that-he-was-a-lone-actor">FBI is treating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism</a> and an assassination attempt. Following the incident, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/07/39911075/secret-service-director-kimberly-cheatle-resigns-following-trump-assassination-attempt-congressional">resigned</a>, further highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Image via Shutterstock
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

Trump Assassination Attempt: New Details Emerge From Pennsylvania's Police Commissioner — Eight Shots Were Fired By Crooks

Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 presidential race. In her first campaign rally since replacing President Joe Biden, Harris took a marginal lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.
What Happened: As per Reuters, Harris, in her first campaign rally in Wisconsin since replacing Biden, assailed Trump&#8217;s record as a convicted felon. She compared her background as a former prosecutor to his vulnerabilities.
During her speech, Harris outlined her liberal priorities, promising to expand abortion access, make it easier for workers to join unions, and address gun violence. &#8220;Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,&#8221; she told the crowd.
Her rally was a stark contrast to Biden&#8217;s smaller, more subdued events, indicating Democrats&#8217; hopes that Harris can revive the flagging campaign. Harris emphasized her commitment to reproductive rights, an issue that has troubled Republicans since the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated a nationwide right to abortion in 2022.
According to a national Reuters/Ipsos poll, Harris led Trump 44% to 42% among registered voters. This poll was conducted after Biden dropped out of the contest and endorsed Harris as his successor. The results may suggest that Harris&#8217; elevation blunted any momentum Trump hoped to gain from the recent Republican National Convention. The poll had a margin of error of 3% and was conducted among 1,241 adults nationwide including 1,018 registered voters.
Trump and his allies have attempted to link Harris to some of Biden&#8217;s more unpopular policies. However, Harris swiftly consolidated her party&#8217;s support after Biden abandoned his reelection campaign. Her campaign reported raising $100 million since Sunday.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39872154/trump-vs-biden-latest-round-of-polls-all-seem-to-suggest-grim-news-for-this-candidate?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Vs. Biden: Latest Rounds Of Polls All Seem To Suggest Grim News For This Candidate</a>
Why It Matters: Harris&#8217; nomination comes after Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/politics/24/07/39920146/harris-vs-trump-vice-president-trails-former-president-by-2-points-gains-independent-voters-59-o">withdrawal from the race</a>, which saw her gaining support that Biden had lost. The Reuters poll indicated that voters see Harris as sharper than both Biden and Trump. If independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. was included on the ballot, the poll indicated that Harris led Trump 42% to 38%, which is an advantage greater than the margin of error.
Harris, a former California Senator and San Francisco district attorney, stands in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/07/39918749/kamala-harris-vs-trump-views-on-nearly-every-industry-evs-oil-gas-health-care-are-worlds-apart">stark contrast</a> to Trump on key political issues. Following Biden&#8217;s decision to withdraw his reelection bid, Harris secured the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39905133/kamala-harris-has-majority-support-from-democrats-to-run-against-trump-in-2024-presidential-race-pol">majority of Democratic delegate support</a>.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39897685/ted-cruz-says-trump-victory-in-november-not-a-given-cautions-republicans-against-underestimating-kam">warned his party</a> not to underestimate Harris. &#8220;Now I still think Trump wins in November. But this is not a layup. It is not given,&#8221; said Cruz.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

'Donald Trump Wants To Take Our Country Backward,' Says Kamala Harris In First Campaign Speech: Poll Shows VP Leading Over Ex-President

<img alt="" src="https://thearorareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-23_08h48_24.png" style="height:382px; width:700px" />
To gain an edge, this is what you need to know today.
<h4>Speculative Sentiment</h4>
Note the following:
<ul>
<li>This article&nbsp;is about the big picture, not an individual stock.&nbsp; The chart of TSLA stock is being used to illustrate the point.</li>
<li>Speculative sentiment is one of the major drivers of the stock market.
<ul>
<li>Right now, speculative sentiment is in the very high zone.</li>
<li>The battle of humanoid robots and robotaxis vs. electric vehicles is ahead. The result of the battle will significantly add to or take away from the speculative sentiment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The chart shows TSLA stock ran up on gamma squeeze.&nbsp; Gamma squeeze is an important Wall Street mechanic.&nbsp; Investors can gain a big edge by learning about Wall Street mechanics.</li>
<li>The chart shows the resistance zone and support zones for TSLA stock.</li>
<li>RSI on the chart shows that TSLA stock is close to being oversold. This makes it easier for TSLA stock to move up.</li>
<li>The battle after Tesla&rsquo;s earnings release will be the major determinant of the stock.&nbsp; Tesla will release earnings after the close today.</li>
<li>Elon Musk has succeeded in getting a portion of Tesla&rsquo;s shareholder base to focus on humanoid robots, robotaxis, and AI.&nbsp; In spite of Musk&rsquo;s success in refocusing the shareholder base, a large portion of Tesla shareholders continue to be focused on the electric vehicle side of the business.</li>
<li>Electric vehicle business continues to be weak and is likely to further weaken.</li>
<li>Musk says that Tesla has humanoid robots in production, and they will be put to work at Tesla next year.
<ul>
<li>Tesla aims to sell humanoid robots to other companies starting in 2026.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Tesla&rsquo;s robotaxi event was postponed from August to October.&nbsp; Expect more pump and mind blowing projections about robotaxis.&nbsp;</li>
<li>After the earnings release, there will be a battle between those who are focused on electric vehicles and those who are focused on humanoid robots and robotaxis.&nbsp; The result of the battle will not only impact TSLA stock but also the overall sentiment of the entire stock market.</li>
<li>Among important earnings, General Motors Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gm#NYSE">GM</a>), General Electric Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ge#NYSE">GE</a>), Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ko#NYSE">KO</a>), Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/lmt#NYSE">LMT</a>), SAP SE (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/sap#NYSE">SAP</a>), and Spotify Technology SA (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/spot#NYSE">SPOT</a>) are reporting better than expected earnings.</li>
<li>United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ups#NYSE">UPS</a>)&nbsp;and NXP Semiconductors NV&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nxpi#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>) are reporting worse than expected earnings.</li>
<li>About 25% of S&amp;P 500 companies are reporting earnings this week.</li>
<li>The stock market is excited that Kamala Harris has secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination.&nbsp; Expect the excitement to be short lived.</li>
</ul>
<h4>India</h4>
India continues to be one of the best long term opportunities.&nbsp; As full disclosure, India focused fund&nbsp;Fairfax India Holdings Corp&nbsp;(OTCMKTS: FFXDF) is in The Arora Report&#39;s&nbsp;ZYX Buy Model Portfolio.&nbsp; Three India focused ETFs,&nbsp;WisdomTree India Earnings Fund&nbsp;(NYSEARCA: EPI), iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF&nbsp;(BATS: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smin#BATS">SMIN</a>), and&nbsp;VanEck India Growth Leaders ETF&nbsp;(NYSEARCA: GLIN), are in The Arora Report&#39;s ZYX Emerging Model Portfolio.
The central government budget is always a big event for Indian stocks.&nbsp; The just unveiled budget is great for the long term, but in the short term, investors are spooked due to an increase in capital gains tax.&nbsp; Short term capital gains will have a 20% tax rate, and long term capital gains will have a 12.5% tax rate.
<h4>Magnificent Seven Money Flows</h4>
In the early trade, money flows are positive in Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are neutral in Apple Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>), and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are negative in NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
In the early trade, money flows are negative in SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>).
<h4>Momo Crowd And Smart Money In Stocks</h4>
Investors can gain an edge by knowing money flows in SPY and QQQ. &nbsp;Investors can get a bigger edge by knowing when smart money is buying stocks, gold, and oil. &nbsp;The most popular ETF for gold is SPDR Gold Trust (ARCA:GLD). &nbsp;The most popular ETF for silver is iShares Silver Trust (ARCA:SLV). &nbsp;The most popular ETF for oil is United States Oil ETF (ASCA:USO).
<h4>Bitcoin</h4>
Bitcoin whales are hard at work with a wild Trump rumor aiming to drive Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) to the moon.&nbsp; The rumor is that Trump could create a national bitcoin strategic reserve.&nbsp; Of note is that Trump has apparently invited investors to the much hyped Bitcoin 2024 conference, including a private&nbsp; round table event.&nbsp; Trump is apparently charging $845,000 per person.
<h4>Protection Band And What To Do Now</h4>
It is important for investors to look ahead and not in the rearview mirror.
Consider continuing to hold good, very long term, existing positions. Based on individual risk preference, consider a protection band consisting of cash or Treasury bills or short-term tactical trades as well as short to medium term hedges and short term hedges. This is a good way to protect yourself and participate in the upside at the same time.
You can determine your protection bands by adding cash to hedges.&nbsp; The high band of the protection is appropriate for those who are older or conservative. The low band of the protection is appropriate for those who are younger or aggressive.&nbsp; If you do not hedge, the total cash level should be more than stated above but significantly less than cash plus hedges.
A protection band of 0% would be very bullish and would indicate full investment with 0% in cash.&nbsp; A protection band of 100% would be very bearish and would indicate a need for aggressive protection with cash and hedges or aggressive short selling.
It is worth reminding that you cannot take advantage of new upcoming opportunities if you are not holding enough cash.&nbsp; When adjusting hedge levels, consider adjusting partial stop quantities for stock positions (non ETF); consider using wider stops on remaining quantities and also allowing more room for high beta stocks.&nbsp; High beta stocks are the ones that move more than the market.
<h4>Traditional 60/40 Portfolio</h4>
Probability based risk reward adjusted for inflation does not favor long duration strategic bond allocation at this time.
Those who want to stick to traditional 60% allocation to stocks and 40% to bonds may consider focusing on only high quality bonds and bonds of five year duration or less.&nbsp; Those willing to bring sophistication to their investing may consider using bond ETFs as tactical positions and not strategic positions at this time.
The Arora Report is known for its accurate calls. The Arora Report correctly called the big artificial intelligence rally before anyone else, the new bull market of 2023, the bear market of 2022, new stock market highs right after the virus low in 2020, the virus drop in 2020, the DJIA rally to 30,000 when it was trading at 16,000, the start of a mega bull market in 2009, and the financial crash of 2008. Please click here to sign up for a free forever <a href="https://thearorareport.com/generate-wealth-newsletter-benzinga">Generate Wealth Newsletter</a>.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

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Battle Of Humanoid Robots And Robotaxis Vs. Electric Vehicles, Trump Rumor To Drive Bitcoin To The Moon

By Chris Yoko
Two major&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offset&nbsp;projects that were supported by California businesses, including Salesforce and Patch Technologies, were<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/top-brands-buy-amazon-carbon-credits-from-suspected-timber-laundering-scam/" target="_blank">&nbsp;accused recently of participating in a timber laundering</a>&nbsp;scheme in Brazil &mdash; a fraud that undermines the integrity of the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offset&nbsp;industry as a whole.
It&rsquo;s the project proponents that sell these fraudulent&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;that a&nbsp;bill&nbsp;being debated in California&#39;s legislature would crack down on, applying the state&rsquo;s false advertising standards to the wild west market of&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offsets.
The idea of&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;has drawn scorn and scrutiny over the last few years, as investigations by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8zAbFKpW0" target="_blank">media</a>&nbsp;have uncovered misleading reporting and significant mismanagement of the&nbsp;offset&nbsp;market. Several of the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;credits that companies and individuals purchased over the years were found to be scams &mdash; funding already existing projects, or selling the same&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;multiple times over.&nbsp;
In the best case scenarios, these&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;had a net-zero impact. In the worst cases, they made the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe" target="_blank">climate crisis worse</a>.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a tragedy for the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offset&nbsp;market, and the environmental community at large; bad actors operating in an unregulated environment were able to take advantage of a system for financial gain. It&rsquo;s an age-old story, but one that still leaves a bad taste in the mouth, like a bad run-in with a dishonest building contractor. It doesn&rsquo;t mean all builders are bad &mdash;&nbsp;but it will be hard to convince you otherwise for quite some time.&nbsp;
California&rsquo;s latest legal action is an attempt to bring some of these&nbsp;offset&nbsp;companies back into regulated territory, holding them accountable for anything the state deems&nbsp;<a href="https://www.schwabe.com/publication/reintroduced-california-bill-would-subject-voluntary-carbon-offsets-to-the-states-false-advertising-law/" target="_blank">false advertising</a>&nbsp;under California&rsquo;s existing legal parameters.&nbsp;
California&rsquo;s proposed law is far from an ideal solution. It rightly goes after parties making money&nbsp;off&nbsp;of a corporation&rsquo;s desire to do better for the planet, but it still leaves too much unstated. The new&nbsp;bill&nbsp;doesn&rsquo;t stipulate what form&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;should take, or give guidance as to what level of scrutiny companies should use to evaluate their&nbsp;offset&nbsp;providers.
That the federal government has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.clearygottlieb.com/news-and-insights/publication-listing/voluntary-carbon-markets-an-overview-of-us-regulatory-developments" target="_blank">slow to address</a>&nbsp;regulation around&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;is no surprise. The SEC has said they would like to begin tracking organizations&rsquo;&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;but, with no clear legislative direction, federal agencies have danced around the&nbsp;offset&nbsp;issue. That, in turn, has created a landscape that depends on the case-by-case due diligence of the marketplaces and businesses buying the&nbsp;offsets.&nbsp;
Currently the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offset&nbsp;exchange markets are dominated by two major players:&nbsp;<a href="https://verra.org/programs/verified-carbon-standard/" target="_blank">Verra</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goldstandard.org/" target="_blank">Gold Standard</a>. Luckily, both of these groups take the issue of&nbsp;offset&nbsp;diligence seriously, adopting comprehensive standards to determine the viability and ultimate effect of a given project.&nbsp;
The hope for many of us in the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;exchange community is that the standards that Verra and Gold Standard have&nbsp;set&nbsp;could be the ones that we eventually see the federal government adopt.&nbsp;
This process mirrors one aspect of how disabled access standards were created for the internet; the FTC initially tried and failed to establish accessibility standards, so the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.w3.org/" target="_blank">World Wide Web Consortium</a>&nbsp;created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/" target="_blank">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)</a>. Eventually, the federal government, via the ADA, adopted those same standards for the regulatory framework.&nbsp;
A similar process could happen in the&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;exchange world as well &mdash;&nbsp;with governments, formally or informally, adopting the standards created by private groups.&nbsp;
Of course, the danger is in what happens when some bad actors still get through. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/ceo-contentious-company-departs-amid-190000133.html" target="_blank">CEO of Verra stepped down last year</a>&nbsp;as the organization was facing scrutiny over the legitimacy of a large percentage of their rainforest&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offset&nbsp;projects and chosen methodologies.
As someone who runs a company that purchases&nbsp;offsets, I can say first-hand that it&rsquo;s not always easy to determine which&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;are completely substantive and which projects are bunk. A lot of the&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;these credits support are run on the other side of the world from the companies buying them, and require experience and judgment to know when they&rsquo;re not what they seem.&nbsp;
Critics of the&nbsp;bill&nbsp;in California argue that increased regulation of the exchange market could have a&nbsp;<a href="https://capitolweekly.net/how-a-california-senate-bill-could-stifle-the-states-legacy-of-climate-ambition/" target="_blank">chilling effect on the&nbsp;offset&nbsp;market at large</a>; the cost of the&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;will escalate if a more thorough screening process knocks junk projects out. Companies who may already be skeptical users of&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;will be required to put more money down in order to counteract their footprint.&nbsp;&nbsp;
That said, something&rsquo;s got to give. Just like we pay to get our junk hauled away, we&rsquo;re paying these&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;exchanges to provide a similar service. You&rsquo;d be upset to find out that the junk hauling company had merely picked up your trash and dumped it in your backyard.&nbsp;Carbon&nbsp;should be no different.&nbsp;
More regulation is certainly coming&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/us-launch-carbon-offset-guidelines-boost-integrity-2024-04-19/" target="_blank">California is only the start</a>. The EU just&nbsp;<a href="https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/certification-permanent-carbon-removals-carbon-farming-and-carbon-storage-products/certification-permanent-carbon-removals-carbon-farming-and-carbon-storage-products_en" target="_blank">introduced their own</a>&nbsp;preliminary standards and, as governments push to track the emissions of companies, ensuring that&nbsp;offsetting&nbsp;work is done correctly will be all the more important.&nbsp;
If California&rsquo;s&nbsp;bill&nbsp;passes, it will be the next step in bringing much needed regulation to the wild west of&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;exchanges.&nbsp;Carbon&nbsp;costs are a future inevitability. Tomorrow&rsquo;s regulations will be shaped by the standards and&nbsp;bills&nbsp;introduced today.
__
Chris Yoko is the founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://carbonoff.co/" target="_blank">Carbon&nbsp;Off</a>, a&nbsp;carbon&nbsp;offsets&nbsp;marketplace for employers.
Image via shutterstock
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

How To Refine California's Carbon Offset Bill

It almost feels like that every new week brings a new EV as automakers race to build and enhance their EV lineups.
Ferrari will be joining automakers in launching its first EV and according to a new report by&nbsp;Autocar, it should be unveiled as early as next year.&nbsp;Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna confirmed the news by telling Autocar the prototype testing is well underway. According to Autocar, Ferrari&rsquo;s all electric vehicle should be revealed the end of next year, followed by the launch sometime in 2026.&nbsp;
Ford Motor (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/f#NYSE">F</a>) is resureccting another iconic name plate to bring in its electric lineup. The new Capri will be&nbsp;an electric coup&eacute;-SUV that shares parts with the Ford Exlorer. But compared to the Ford Explorer, the Capri will be a lot more sporty, yet more muscular compared to the traditional Capri. This is not the first time Ford is bringing back an iconic nameplate to life for the EV era. Ford tried to direct its best-selling F-150 vibe to the the Lightning. Next year, Ford is launching the all-electric Puma. With the new Capri, Ford made an equivalent of Volkswagen&rsquo;s ID.5.&nbsp;
Suzuki is also to launch its first EV next year. Suzuki only revealed that the chunky small SUV will have a ranfe of up to 310 miles. Ahead of its EV launch, Suzuki is clearing out its internal-combustion engine lineup. With the eVX, Suzuki officially enters its EV era.
But electric pickups will also be much more than just electric-powered compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts. With the EV era comes a new set of clean energy accessories. For example, Worksport (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wksp#NASDAQ">WKSP</a>) is set to launch the world&rsquo;s first solar-powered tonneau cover this summer. In addition to the SOLIS tonneu-cover, Worksport is also developing a portable battery system COR. With this clean energy duo, Worksport is promising to provide EV drivers with off-grid power on the go. The Alpha release of the SOLIS is scheduled for this summer, and it is just the beginning for this revolutionary company that aims to establish itself as the leading provider of sustainable energy solutions for the automotive industry. Worksport just scheduled its second quarter live earnings call for August 13th, at 4:30 PM ET where it will speak of a dynamic quarter that was filled with significant developments as well as important milestones.
With a wealth of new models only set to arrive before this year comes to an end, it does not seem EV makers will be slowing down any time soon.&nbsp;
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Penny Stocks

WKSP

The EV Lineup Is To Gain Promising New Additions

Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) announced plans to release a new game to subscribers every month starting in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming">July 2024.</a>
This ambitious strategy was unveiled during the company&#8217;s latest earnings call, where co-CEO and President Gregory K. Peters declared Netflix&#8217;s commitment to expanding its gaming portfolio, GamesIndustry.Biz reported.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/07/39865226/netflix-analysts-praise-q2-earnings-but-are-cautious-on-advertising-growth-slower-t">Netflix Analysts Praise Q2 Earnings, But Are Cautious On Advertising Growth: &#8216;Slower Than NFLX Planned&#8217;</a>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">A Growing Focus On Gaming</h1>
Peters stressed the potential of the gaming market, noting that it generated &#8220;almost $150 billion, excluding China and Russia&#8221; without relying on advertisement revenue.
&#8220;We&#8217;re getting close to three years into our gaming initiative, and we&#8217;re happy with the progress that we&#8217;ve seen,&#8221; Peters said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve had set ourselves pretty aggressive engagement growth targets. And we&#8217;ve met those, exceeded those in many cases. In 2023, we tripled that engagement. We&#8217;re looking good in our engagement growth in &#8217;24, and we&#8217;ve set even more aggressive growth goals for &#8217;25 and &#8217;26.&#8221;
Despite these successes, Peters acknowledged engagement with Netflix&#8217;s gaming content is still relatively small. He also pointed out that the spending on gaming is modest compared to the company&#8217;s overall content expenditure.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Netflix&#8217;s Future Plans</h1>
Netflix already launched more than 100 games, and Peters revealed the company had over 80 in development. The focus, he explained, is on refining their offerings based on what has proven successful.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen what works, what doesn&#8217;t work,&#8221; Peters added. &#8220;We&#8217;re refining our program to do more of what is working with the 80-plus games that we currently have in development. And one of those things that really is working is connecting our members with games based on specific Netflix IP that they love.&#8221;
One area where Netflix has seen particular success is in interactive narrative games. These games, which are integrated into a narrative hub called Netflix Stories, are easier to build and offer engaging experiences based on popular Netflix shows.
Between April and June 2024, Netflix launched games based on &#8220;Virgin River&#8221; and &#8220;Perfect Match.&#8221; Starting in July, the company plans to release &#8220;about one new title per month,&#8221; with many more diverse games expected in the coming quarters and years.
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Enthusiasm From Leadership</h1>
Co-CEO and president Theodore A. Sarandos expressed excitement about the potential of gaming to deepen fan engagement.
&#8220;I think our opportunity here to serve super fandom with games is really fun and remarkable,&#8221; Sarandos said. &#8220;I think the idea of being able to take a show and give the superfan a place to be in between seasons and even beyond that, to be able to use the game platform to introduce new characters and new storylines or new plot twist events [&#8230;] I&#8217;m really excited to see where this goes.&#8221;
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39857102/netflix-co-founder-marc-randolph-reflects-on-leadership-and-the-courage-to-step-aside-president-bide">Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph Reflects On Leadership And The &#8216;Courage To Step Aside:&#8217; &#8216;President Biden… Now Faces A Momentous Decision&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/es/@ventiviews?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Venti Views</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/es/fotos/edificio-de-hormigon-blanco-y-negro-durante-la-noche-lI7dlA5VBp8?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

Entertainment

Gaming

NFLX

Netflix To Launch Over 80 Games, Promises New Releases Monthly

Banco Latinoamericano (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLX#NYSE">BLX</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $1.36 per share. This is a 33.33 percent increase over earnings of $1.02 per share from the same period last year. The company reported $75.00 million in sales this quarter. This is a 30.66 percent increase over sales of $57.40 million the same period last year.

Earnings

Banco Latinoamericano Q2 GAAP EPS $1.36 Up From $1.02 YoY, Sales $75.00M Up From $57.40M YoY

A petition to add a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39466535/texas-cannabis-advocates-gather-50-000-signatures-to-place-marijuana-decriminalization-on-novemb">marijuana reform amendment</a> to the Dallas city charter has been certified by the City Secretary, paving the way for voters to make the final decision to decriminalize cannabis in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/2024-election">November 2024</a> ballot. The petition was initiated by Ground Game Texas, which has organized cannabis reform initiatives <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/texas-cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">across multiple Texas cities</a>.
The proposed amendment, the "Dallas Freedom Act," seeks to change how marijuana offenses are handled in the city, home to 1.3 million people.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/07/39678834/texas-town-joins-statewide-push-to-decriminalize-cannabis-with-successful-petition">Texas Town Joins Statewide Push To Decriminalize Cannabis With Successful Petition</a>
The amendment directs the Dallas Police Department to stop issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor for the possession of up to 4 ounces of marijuana. It also prohibits the use of city funds or personnel for testing any cannabis-related substance to determine if it meets the legal definition of marijuana under state and federal laws.
In addition, the amendment language stipulates that police officers cannot consider the smell of marijuana as probable cause for search and seizure "except in the limited circumstances of a police investigation," <a href="https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-07-23/will-dallas-voters-add-marijuana-reform-to-the-city-charter-or-will-the-idea-go-up-in-smoke">according to</a> KERA News, adding that cops can be punished if they are found to be violating the policy.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Democracy In Action: &#8216;Refreshing&#8217;</h2>
The city council will not influence whether the amendments appear on the ballot. According to a Council member Chad West, the council must vote to include the amendments in the Charter package for the November election, as they have no legal discretion in the matter.
West told KERA in a text message that he was delighted with all the popular (and local government&#8217;s) support for the issue.
"It's refreshing to see so many Dallas residents get excited about a policy initiative," West said. "I appreciate the engagement in and passion for city government and hope they keep it up."
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">And Then There's Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</h2>
Paxton is spending many hours prosecuting several cities across Texas that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/05/39041635/73-of-texans-support-full-cannabis-legalization-or-decriminalization-including-plurality-of-repu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">have decriminalized marijuana</a>&#8230;most with over 70% voter approval, we might add.
Those cities include Denton, Elgin, Killeen and San Marcos, all of which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/01/36880984/gop-attor-ney-gen-er-al-in-texas-sues-five-cities-to-stop-voter-approved-mar-i-jua-na-reform-say" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">are being sued&nbsp;</a>by the busy Attorney General. In June, a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39302347/texas-judge-dismisses-gop-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-lawsuit-against-voter-approved-cannabis-m">judge dismissed Paxton's lawsuit</a> against Austin.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why Does Paxton Do It, You Ask?</h2>
We'll let him tell you. "I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities," Paxton wrote in a press release earlier this year and has reiterated the claim on numerous occasions.
Now Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/24/06/39302347/texas-judge-dismisses-gop-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-lawsuit-against-voter-approved-cannabis-m">Texas Judge Dismisses GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton&#8217;s Lawsuit Against Voter-Approved Cannabis Measure, Upholds Austin&#8217;s Marijuana Decriminalization Law</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Dallas skyline courtesy of Texas State Historical Association

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