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GAIA

Gaia, Inc. (NASDAQ:GAIA) has appointed James Colquhoun as CEO, who will oversee the company's growth and operations. Colquhoun, previously Gaia's COO and FMTV's CEO before its acquisition by Gaia, brings digital marketing and brand building expertise. Gaia also launched a new AI-powered search engine for its media library, enhancing content discovery and recommendations for its members.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 04, 2023 | 5:34 pm

BEN

BTCUSD

ETHUSD

SUSHIUSD

UNIUSD

Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson disclosed her personal cryptocurrency investments, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), SushiSwap (SUSHI), and Uniswap (UNI). She is guiding the company towards blockchain technology to innovate asset management and improve access to private markets. Johnson differentiated Bitcoin from blockchain's broader applications and hinted at the potential of a Bitcoin spot ETF. Franklin Templeton has successfully tokenized a U.S. money-market fund, attracting over $270 million, and is exploring NFTs.

Portfolio Pulse from Murtuza Merchant

December 04, 2023 | 5:26 pm

CVS

DGX

HUM

UNH

WBA

The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing a bankruptcy settlement involving Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over the opioid crisis. Purdue filed for Chapter 11 in 2019 due to lawsuits alleging OxyContin's role in the crisis. The settlement could grant the Sacklers immunity for a financial contribution, sparking debate over bankruptcy law's use to protect individuals from mass-tort liabilities. Initially approved in 2021, the settlement offers $10 billion to creditors. The Biden administration opposes the deal, citing abuse of bankruptcy protections, noting the Sacklers withdrew $11 billion from Purdue before the $6 billion settlement. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court upheld the settlement, but protests continue against the Sacklers.

Portfolio Pulse from Vandana Singh

December 04, 2023 | 4:29 pm

HUBC

HUB Cyber Security has appointed Noah Hershcoviz as its new CEO. Uzi Moscovich, who previously served as Chairman of the Board and played a key role in stabilizing the company after the previous CEO's termination, will return as an Active Director on the board.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 04, 2023 | 2:55 pm

XOM

Exxon Mobil Corp's CEO Darren Woods defended the company's investment in carbon capture technology at the COP28 climate summit, rejecting the IEA's claim that it's an 'illusion' for fighting climate change. Woods compared carbon capture's potential to that of electric vehicles and solar energy, emphasizing that no current solution is sufficient to solve the climate crisis alone. Exxon plans to invest $17 billion in low-carbon initiatives, including carbon capture, and maintains that fossil fuels will remain important through 2050. This marks Woods' first attendance at a U.N.-sponsored climate summit, indicating a shift in the oil and gas industry's approach to climate change.

Portfolio Pulse from Lekha Gupta

December 04, 2023 | 2:52 pm

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

TSLA

Larry Page and Elon Musk's friendship ended after a debate on AI's threat to humanity. Page, co-founder of Alphabet Inc., accused Musk, co-founder of Tesla Inc., of being a 'speciesist' for preferring humans over AI life forms. Musk, concerned about AI's potential to eliminate humanity, tried to prevent DeepMind's acquisition by Google but failed. He later co-founded OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp., but left due to similar concerns and has called for a pause in AI development.

Portfolio Pulse from Rounak Jain

December 04, 2023 | 2:49 pm

KSCP

Knightscope, Inc. (NASDAQ:KSCP) has hired Mark R. Basile, Esq. and The Basile Law Firm P.C. to investigate and take legal action against potential market manipulation related to the company's stock performance. This follows the publication of research papers by Capybara Research, which Knightscope claims contain misinformation. Basile has a history of battling market manipulation and dilution funding, including a landmark decision against Adar Bays. Knightscope's CEO, William Santana Li, emphasizes the importance of their work for national security and the need to protect retail shareholders from short and distort campaigns.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 04, 2023 | 2:31 pm

SSNT

SilverSun Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:SSNT) stock surged over 100% after the announcement that Jacobs Private Equity II will invest $1 billion in the company. Jacobs will take over as CEO and majority stockholder, with plans to spin off the current business and create a new platform for acquisitions in an undisclosed industry, as well as rebrand the company. The investment and leadership change signal a strategic shift, leveraging Jacobs' experience in building large companies through mergers and acquisitions.

Portfolio Pulse from Henry Khederian

December 04, 2023 | 2:21 pm

MCD

McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD) is taking a bold step by acquiring Carlyle Group Inc's (NASDAQ:CG) minority stake in its China business, aiming for aggressive expansion despite a consumer slowdown and geopolitical tensions. This move goes against the trend of multinationals scaling back in China. The market for limited-service restaurants in China is expected to grow 4% annually through 2025, with McDonald's holding a 70% share in the burger segment.

Portfolio Pulse from Lekha Gupta

December 04, 2023 | 2:19 pm

TWLO

Twilio Inc. has announced a new workforce restructuring plan to streamline operations, which includes the elimination of approximately 5% of its current workforce. The company expects to incur charges of about $25M-$35M in connection with the workforce reduction, according to an SEC filing.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 04, 2023 | 2:18 pm