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Uber will let women drivers and riders request to avoid being paired with men

2 Mins Read

Uber announced a new feature Wednesday that pairs women drivers and riders, in its latest move to address safety on the ride-hailing platform.

The new tool, which the platform will begin piloting next month in the U.S., allows women passengers to match with women drivers when booking or pre-booking rides, and create a preference in their app settings. Women drivers can also choose to drive women.

“It’s about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,” Camiel Irving, Uber’s vice president of U.S. and Canada operations, said in a release.

The company said the rider’s preference isn’t guaranteed but the feature increases the chances women will be paired in the app.

Uber will pilot the program in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit. The company also said it tested the feature in countries such as France, Germany and Argentina.

This isn’t Uber’s first foray into gender preferences on its platform.

In 2019, Uber rolled out a women rider preference feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia after women won the right to drive in 2018. That offering later expanded to about 40 countries. A survey from the company in 2015 found that about a fifth of its U.S. drivers were women.

Over the years, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft have faced safety concerns and questions over the roles these platforms have played in various sexual assault and harassment incidents.

Uber has rolled out several features in recent years to improve safety on the platform, including teen accounts and rider and pin verification.

Competitor Lyft launched an option in late 2023 that pairs women and nonbinary drivers and riders.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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In Politics

GREGG JARRETT: Newly declassified documents destroy Russian collusion hoax

7 Mins Read

Lies and lying people comprise the sorry epitaph of Barack Obama’s presidency.  

The Big Lie was that then-candidate Donald Trump colluded with Russia to rig the 2016 presidential election. It derived from a phony dossier commissioned and financed by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Obama’s national security team happily peddled to destroy his successor.  

It begat an even bigger whopper that ‘Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump’ and ‘aspired to help’ his election chances. This notorious deceit was inserted in the official Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that was ordered by Obama himself and conjured up by his CIA Director John Brennan.  

None of it was true. 

The bogus dossier was exploited to justify the ICA. Conversely, the ICA was used to legitimize the dossier. The circular faux verification was a clever ruse. And it worked splendidly. When both documents were leaked to the gullible Trump-hating media, journalists adopted them without question as sacred gospel from the Holy Book of Obama. The Russia hoax took off like a rocket.  

It crash-landed on Wednesday, July 23, when Tulsi Gabbard, the director of National Intelligence, accused Obama, Brennan and others of engineering the false intelligence. ‘They knew it would promote this contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t,’ she added.  

Newly declassified documents show that a December 8, 2016, draft of Obama’s Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) debunked the notion of Russian electoral meddling to help Trump. But wait … that was problematic because it did not conform to the preferred narrative of Trump-Russia collusion. So, FBI Director James Comey and his cohorts reportedly scuttled it. That way, Trump, as president-elect, could not be briefed on its contents.   

The next day Obama convened a highly confidential meeting at the White House. The president ordered his intelligence cronies to expedite a new ICA that would reverse the PDB’s conclusion and energize the collusion fiction. With his marching orders in hand, Brennan immediately went to work on it. 

His challenge was devising a way to contort the known evidence and contradict the consensus of nearly everyone else in the intelligence community. No problem. CIA experts on Russia who strenuously objected were sidelined and silenced. Brennan ignored their warning that there was no direct evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to elect Trump.  

Other intel agencies that typically contribute to the assessment were deliberately excluded to stifle dissent. Evidence shows that Brennan then selected a handful of sycophants — with only one principal drafter — to craft the entire ICA that bore little resemblance to the truth and established facts.  

On January 6, 2017, the rushed-to-completion ICA was produced. It offered a remarkable transformation from the earlier PDB: ‘Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-Elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.’ (Page 7 of ICA)  

The head-spinning about-face of intel conclusions was an immaculate conception of corrupt handicraft that belongs in the Intelligence Hall of Shame.  

Although Brennan denied it, numerous delusions drawn from the fake dossier were placed in the formal intelligence assessment to give it the sustenance that it otherwise lacked. Armed with both fallacious documents, Comey then met with Trump later that day in a devious but misbegotten scheme to entrap him. It failed miserably because the newly elected president had no idea what the FBI director was talking about.        

Obama’s dirty fingerprints were all over the cooked-up intelligence claiming that Moscow helped Trump in some grand collusion conspiracy. On Wednesday, Gabbard held a news conference to lift the veil of secrecy and malevolence. She leveled the following broadside:  

‘President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, James Clapper, James Comey and others, including their mouthpieces in the media, knowingly lied as they repeated the contrived narrative that was created in this January 2017 intelligence community assessment with high confidence, as though it were fact.’   

Mincing no words, Gabbard accused Brennan of lying about his use of the dossier even though he knew it was a discredited and politically manufactured document. ‘He directed senior CIA officials to use it anyway,’ she said.  

Other intel agencies that typically contribute to the assessment were deliberately excluded to stifle dissent. 

As ‘irrefutable proof,’ she unlocked the 2020 report of the House Intelligence Committee that had never before been seen publicly, thanks to the machinations of then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who buried it as classified in a limited-access vault at CIA headquarters. The report outlined in detail the events that I summarized above. 

It was easy to do so because many of them are contained in the book I wrote six years ago, ‘Witch Hunt:’ ‘John Brennan was instrumental in proliferating the dossier. But even before the Clinton campaign and Democrats funded Christopher Steele’s project to smear Trump with the collusion hoax, the seeds of the collusion narrative were germinated by none other than Brennan.’ (Pages 66-67)  

I recounted how Brennan boasted to the House Intel Committee in May of 2017 that he had been the first to alert the FBI about collusion. ‘As he exerted uncommon pressure on the FBI to pursue a counterintelligence probe on Trump, he resolved to help spread the false allegations to Congress and the media. He politicized phony intelligence and instigated the fraudulent case against Clinton’s opponent.’ (Page 68) 

The Russians never had ‘Kompromat’ (compromising material) on Trump, as the dossier falsely accused. But they apparently did have it on Hillary. And that proved quite a stunner on Wednesday.  

The heretofore hidden House Intelligence report reveals how Russian intelligence ‘possessed DNC communications that in 2016 Clinton was suffering from ‘intensified psycho-emotional problems, including uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression, and cheerfulness.’ Clinton was placed on a daily regimen of ‘heavy tranquilizers’ and while afraid of losing, she remained ‘obsessed with a thirst for power.’’  

Obama and Democrat Party bosses apparently knew all about Clinton’s mental instability and found it ‘extraordinarily alarming.’ So much so, they worried it might have a ‘serious negative impact’ on the November election.    

Unlike the dossier, those shocking discoveries were not just idle gossip. The committee reviewed reams of source material and obtained corroboration during some 20 interviews with FBI agents and intelligence officers.  

How did the Russians get their hands on the damaging material? The report explains that Putin ordered hacking operations on the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. It seems that since Putin believed Hillary would win the election, he held the ‘Kompromat’ in his back pocket to use as potential blackmail for later use. 

His challenge was devising a way to contort the known evidence and contradict the consensus of nearly everyone else in the intelligence community. No problem. CIA experts on Russia who strenuously objected were sidelined and silenced.

In sending a criminal referral for possible prosecution to the Justice Department, Gabbard stated, ‘The evidence that we have found and that we have released directly point to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment.’ 

In response, the DOJ announced that it had formed a ‘strike force’ to fully assess all the evidence and to investigate the next legal steps. Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to ‘leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.’  

Obama denies any wrongdoing. But he should thank Trump for winning the recent landmark Supreme Court decision that provides all presidents with immunity. Ironically, the former president can now hide behind its broad protections. However, no such shield extends to others involved.  

It is folly to predict at this stage what prosecutions, if any, the future may hold. But the stain of corruption is already embedded in the epitaph of Obama’s presidency.   

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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In Stocks

Russia plane crash: 49 people onboard feared dead

2 Mins Read

A Soviet-era Antonov An-24 aircraft carrying approximately 50 people crashed on Thursday in Russia’s remote Far East, with initial reports suggesting no survivors, according to Russian emergency services officials.

The aircraft, operated by the Siberia-based airline Angara, was en route from Blagoveshchensk to the remote town of Tynda in the Amur region, which borders China.

The plane lost contact with air traffic control as it approached its destination and dropped off radar screens, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.

Burning wreckage located by helicopter

The burning fuselage was spotted by a Mi-8 search helicopter operated by Rossaviatsiya, Russia’s aviation authority.

Emergency responders were en route to the crash site, which was located on a hill approximately 15 kilometres from Tynda, according to officials cited by Interfax news agency.

“During the search operation, a Mi-8 helicopter belonging to Rossaviatsiya discovered the fuselage of the aircraft, which was on fire,” emergency services official Yuliya Petina said on Telegram.

“Rescuers continue to make their way to the scene of the accident.”

Unverified footage posted on social media appeared to show the plane’s remains in a densely forested area.

The video, reportedly filmed from the air, has not yet been authenticated by authorities.

There were discrepancies in the reported number of people on board.

Vasily Orlov, governor of the Amur region, said preliminary data indicated that 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members were on the flight.

However, the Russian emergencies ministry put the figure lower, estimating around 40 people on board.

The aircraft involved in the crash was nearly 50 years old, with its tail number indicating it was built in 1976.

The Antonov An-24, a twin turboprop plane, was widely used in Soviet times and continues to serve on regional routes in parts of Russia and the former Soviet republics.

Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the crash. The causes remain unknown at this stage, and emergency teams are expected to provide more information once they reach the site.

The crash is one of the deadliest involving an An-24 in recent years and raises fresh questions about the continued use of aging aircraft in Russia’s vast and often difficult-to-access regions.

This is a developing story.

The post Russia plane crash: 49 people onboard feared dead appeared first on Invezz

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In World news

Joe Cavatoni: Gold’s Key Driver Now, Catalyst for Next Leg Higher

1 Min Read

Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist, Americas, at the World Gold Council, explains that market risk and uncertainty are driving gold, with H1 2025 seeing multiple record highs.

‘Think strategically when you think about gold, and keep that allocation in mind,’ he said.

He also shares thoughts on the importance of central bank allocations and the potential impact of tariffs and US economic conditions on gold during the second half of 2025.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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In Business

Businesses are cautiously spending on corporate travel as trade uncertainty looms

5 Mins Read

Corporations are continuing to spend on business travel, but are being strategic about how they allocate those dollars amid ongoing trade uncertainties, according to new reports from the travel and expense platform Navan and the Global Business Travel Association.

Corporate travel spending activity increased 15% year over year in the second quarter of 2025, according to a business travel index published Tuesday from Navan.

Navan’s index, backed by Nasdaq, is derived from millions of corporate business transactions on its platform. It examines the amount spent and number of transactions relating to airline travel, hotel reservations and expense transactions from corporate cards.

Amy Butte, Navan’s CFO, said during an interview that from talking with other chief financial officers over the past few months, she never got the sense that corporate leaders would stop spending on business travel altogether. Instead, they are in “wait and see” mode.

“If you’re making choices about where you’re being cautious, we’re not seeing people be cautious in the area of relationship building, either with their customers or with their teammates. We’re still seeing the spend allocated towards travel as a key component of any business strategy,” Butte said.

But while global business travel is expected to reach a new high of $1.57 trillion in 2025, according to a Monday report by the Global Business Travel Association, that total represents 6.6% year-over-year growth, which is less than the 10.4% increase that was previously predicted. GBTA cited trade tensions, policy uncertainty and economic pressures as the reasons for the more moderate growth.

A string of sentiment polls by GBTA also shows that corporate travel optimism for the rest of 2025 appears muted. The percentage of respondents who said they were optimistic about the overall outlook for the business travel industry in 2025 dropped sharply from 67% in November 2024 to 31% in April and declined slightly again this month to 28%.

The findings from both reports, grouped together with commentary from airline CEOs last week, show C-suite leaders are still largely left in wait-and-see mode amid President Donald Trump’s fluid tariff policies, but companies appear now to have a better read on how they will manage the uncertainty.

“Historically, corporate travel has been the first thing, one of the easiest things, to minimize if you’re a company,” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said during the company’s earnings call this month, adding that corporate travel on the airline has been flat on a year-over-year basis.

But Butte said that Navan has not seen a drop-off in business travel. Instead, businesses are shifting how they are spending.

For example, Butte said businesses are continuing to commit to individual, face-to-face meetings, rather than spending on large group outings. The Navan index shows that spending on personal meals, meaning one-on-one meetings held over a meal, was up 9.8% from last year, while spending on team events and meals was the only category in the report that declined.

Navan did see some compression earlier in the year in the share of higher-priced airline tickets purchased that were first class or business class, Butte said, but she added that the platform has since seen an acceleration as uncertainty has lessened.

Airfare prices have also declined so far this year, which means business and consumers alike are spending less on plane tickets. Airfare fell 3.5% in June from a year earlier while inflation overall rose, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

GBTA CEO Suzanne Neufang said during an interview that CFOs have not cut travel spending off entirely, but are looking for efficient ways to get employees on the road. This may look like booking multicity trips, scheduling multiple meetings per trip or booking fewer trips per month, she said.

Neufang said the business travel industry has been focused over the past five years on making sure every trip has a purpose and delivers a return on investment.

“Gone are the days when there’s really frivolous business traveling,” Neufang said.

The new findings on business travel spending also come as airlines are reporting their quarterly earnings.

When Delta reported earnings on July 10, Bastian said he expects both consumer and corporate confidence to improve in the second half of the year, creating an environment for travel demand to accelerate.

Delta and other airlines saw travel demand come in weaker than expected at the beginning of the year, especially from price-sensitive customers traveling domestically. Bastian said back in April that Trump’s trade policies were hurting bookings.

Bastian took a more positive tone this month, telling CNBC that corporate travel has stabilized as businesses have more clarity and confidence than they did earlier this year. But he said corporate travel is in line with last year, not the 5% to 10% growth Delta expected at the start of the year.

Meanwhile, Delta President Glen Hauenstein said on an earnings call this month that corporate travel trends are “choppy” and overall corporate volumes are expected to be “flattish” over last year.

United Airlines reported earnings last week. CEO Scott Kirby said during the company’s call with analysts that so far this month, the airline has seen a double-digit acceleration in business demand as uncertainty has declined.

Andrew Nocella, United’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, added that the business traffic growth is “across the board” and not restricted to any singular hub or vertical, which he said reflects lessening macroeconomic uncertainty.

Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are scheduled to report their quarterly results this week.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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In Politics

House panel directs chairman to subpoena Bill and Hillary Clinton in Epstein probe

3 Mins Read

A House panel Wednesday voted in favor of subpoenaing former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., offered a motion during a House Oversight Committee subcommittee hearing to call on Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to subpoena people with possible links to Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former associate of late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

‘I have a motion to subpoena the following individuals to expand the full committees investigation into Miss Maxwell – and the list reads as follows: William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, James Brian Comey, Loretta Elizabeth Lynch, Eric Hampton Holder, Jr., Merrick Brian Garland, Robert Swan Mueller III, William Pelham Barr, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the third, and Alberto Gonzales. That’s the full list, Mr. Chairman. And that’s the motion,’ Perry said.

The motion passed by voice vote, meaning there was not an individual roll call.

The subpoenas would actually need to be issued by Comer to be active.

A House Oversight Committee aide told Fox News Digital, ‘The subpoenas will be issued in the near future.’

It comes after Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., a member of the progressive ‘Squad,’ pushed for a vote on her own motion to subpoena any files related to Epstein.

That motion passed in an 8-to-2 vote, also directing Comer to issue that subpoena.

Republican lawmakers have dealt with a barrage of media scrutiny on Epstein’s case over the last two weeks. It’s a side effect of the fallout over a recent Department of Justice (DOJ) memo effectively declaring the matter closed.

Figures on the far-right have hammered Trump officials like Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing them of going back on earlier vows of transparency.

At Trump’s direction, the DOJ is moving to have grand jury files related to Epstein’s case unsealed. Bondi is looking into whether imprisoned former Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell will speak with federal authorities as well.

A House GOP-led motion directing Comer to subpoena Maxwell passed the House Oversight Committee unanimously on Tuesday, and Comer issued the subpoena the following day.

But Democrats have nonetheless seized on the Republican discord with newfound calls of their own for transparency in Epstein’s case. 

Wednesday’s hearing by the Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on federal law enforcement was unrelated to Epstein — but it’s part of a pattern of Democratic lawmakers in the House using any opportunity to force Republicans into an uncomfortable political position on the issue.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., another member of the subcommittee, successfully got Lee’s amendment altered to also call for the release of Biden administration communications related to Epstein.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Clinton Foundation for comment but did not immediately hear back.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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In Stocks

Europe markets open: stocks rise; autos jump 3.5% on trade optimism; Nokia down

4 Mins Read

European stock markets opened broadly higher on Wednesday, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index jumping as investors cheered the signing of a major trade deal between the United States and Japan.

This development has ignited optimism that a similar agreement could be reached with the European Union, temporarily overshadowing a mixed bag of corporate earnings reports.

About 10 minutes after the opening bell, the pan-European Stoxx 600 was last seen up by a strong 0.9%, with the tariff-sensitive autos sector leading the charge with a remarkable jump of 3.5%.

This follows a positive session in Asia-Pacific markets overnight, which had also reacted favorably to the US-Japan trade deal, where a baseline tariff of 15% was set on Japan’s exports to the United States.

The upbeat mood in Europe was further fueled by reports of comments made by US President Donald Trump at a dinner in Washington on Tuesday. He reportedly told guests that EU delegates were “coming in tomorrow, the next day,” suggesting that high-level negotiations are imminent and potentially productive.

This has provided a much-needed dose of optimism for markets that had declined again on Tuesday, as investors digested a slew of earnings and weighed the prospect of steep US trade tariffs kicking in on August 1 if a deal isn’t reached.

Futures data from IG had already signaled a positive open for European indexes, with London’s FTSE 100 seen opening 0.6% higher, France’s CAC 40 up 1.2%, Germany’s DAX up 1%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB also 1.2% higher.

A mixed bag of earnings: Thales up, Nokia down

Wednesday is a busy day for corporate financial updates, with several major companies reporting their latest results, presenting a mixed picture for investors.

  • Iberdrola: The Spanish electricity utilities giant posted a 14% year-on-year decline in its first-half net profit, which came in at 3.6 billion euros ($4.2 billion).

    The company also announced a 5-billion-euro increase in its share capital, stating that the move would cover its upcoming investment plan.

  • Equinor: The Norwegian energy group saw its adjusted earnings fall by 13% in the second quarter, a result that was in line with expectations. The decline was primarily attributed to lower oil prices.

    The company also booked a significant $955 million impairment on a key offshore wind project in the US, citing regulatory changes and the impact of tariffs.

  • Thales: French defense contractor Thales delivered a positive surprise, raising its full-year sales guidance after reporting stronger-than-expected profit.

    The company’s adjusted operating profit for the first half of the year came in at 1.25 billion euros ($1.47 billion), a 13% jump from the first six months of 2024 and ahead of the 1.23 billion euros anticipated by analysts, according to LSEG data.

    First-half sales grew 8.1% year-on-year to 10.3 billion euros, which Thales attributed largely to “a solid performance” in its aerospace and defense divisions.

    However, even in its upbeat report, Thales acknowledged the lingering trade risks, stating that it was still anticipating “a contained direct impact of tariffs” that could be imposed on EU goods by the Trump administration.

    The company’s guidance, it clarified, was based on the assumption of 10% reciprocal tariffs and excluded any potential retaliatory measures from European leaders.

  • Nokia: In a starkly negative development, shares of Finnish telecoms giant Nokia were down 7% in early trade on Wednesday after the company issued a profit warning.

    Nokia lowered its comparable operating profit guidance range to 1.6 billion euros to 2.1 billion euros ($1.9 billion to $2.5 billion), down from its previous expectation of a range between 1.9 billion euros and 2.4 billion euros.

The post Europe markets open: stocks rise; autos jump 3.5% on trade optimism; Nokia down appeared first on Invezz

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In World news

10 Biggest Cannabis Stocks in the US and Canada

8 Mins Read

The cannabis market has faced unexpected challenges in 2025, despite initial optimism for rescheduling in the US. 

While US federal regulatory uncertainty and banking remain persistent, companies are shifting focus to match changes in consumer behavior. The growing popularity of edibles and rising interest in cannabis-infused beverages reflect evolving demand in a persevering industry.

Cannabis companies in the sector continue to move forward and develop their offerings, and with potential catalysts ahead, some investors are interested in getting involved. Looking at the key players is often a good place to get started, so this list of US and Canadian cannabis stocks covers the companies with the largest presence in two major cannabis ETFs.

This list of the biggest publicly traded cannabis companies was put together based on the top-weighted cannabis stocks included in the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (ARCA:MSOS) and the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF (TSX:HMMJ) as of July 16, 2025. Share price information for the companies was accurate as of that time.

US cannabis market

Cannabis is federally illegal in the US, but state market openings have allowed some operators to thrive. Typically these firms set up vertically integrated businesses with a focus on branded products, retail networks and licenses.

While these companies have adapted to regulatory challenges, they have much to gain from country-level reform in the US, and are eager to see more welcoming federal laws that will allow their businesses to develop further.

Top cannabis stocks in the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF

The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF provides exposure to public companies exclusively operating within the US cannabis industry. By investing in companies that are working in states with clear guidelines, MSOS gives investors a way to be more selective about the types of cannabis companies they’re investing in.

1. Green Thumb Industries (CSE:GTII,OTCQX:GTBIF)

ETF weight: 32.06 percent
Market cap: US$1.36 billion
Share price: US$5.72

Green Thumb Industries is a multi-state operator (MSO) with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.

The company is involved in the entire process of the industry, from cultivating and producing cannabis products to selling them in its own retail stores, of which there are many across the United States. Green Thumb Industries owns a portfolio of well-known cannabis brands like Rythm, Beboe, Dogwalkers, Incredibles and Doctor Solomon’s.

2. Trulieve Cannabis (CSE:TRUL,OTCQX:TCNNF)

ETF weight: 22.59 percent
Market cap: US$781.51 million
Share price: US$4.09

Trulieve is another major player in the cannabis industry, with a strong focus on medical cannabis. The company offers a diverse selection of cannabis products, including flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, edibles, topicals and more.

Vertically integrated, Trulieve Cannabis has a dominant market share in its home state of Florida, as well as in Arizona and Pennsylvania. In June 2024, the company opened its 200th dispensary in the United States.

3. Curaleaf Holdings (TSX:CURA,OTCQX:CURLF)

ETF weight: 15.37 percent
Market cap: US$764.16 million
Share price: US$1.00

Curaleaf Holdings has a significant presence in the US cannabis market, with around 150 dispensaries and several cultivation centers across 17 states. The company is also continuing its expansion into the European cannabis sector, where it already has a strong presence. Curaleaf has a wide range of brands covering a variety of cannabis product types, including flower, vapes, edibles and hemp-derived THC beverages.

4. Glass House Brands (CBOE:GLAS.A.U,OTC Pink:GHBWF)

ETF weight: 7.32 percent
Market cap: US$269.57 million
Share price: US$5.40

Glass House Brands is a vertically integrated cannabis company with a focus on the California market. The company is has placed an emphasis on sustainable practices at its large-scale cultivation facility in Camarillo, California. Glass House Brands is also a major producer and wholesaler of cannabis biomass and cannabis oil to other manufacturers and extractors in the industry.

Glass House offers a diverse range of cannabis products through its various brands and retail operations, including edibles and wellness products under its Mama Sue Wellness brand.

5. Cresco Labs (CSE:CL,OTCQX:CRLBF)

ETF weight: 5.53 percent
Market cap: US$235.9 million
Share price: US$0.53

Cresco Labs is a vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator in the United States. A leading US cannabis company, it is known for its strong brands like Cresco, High Supply and Good News.

Cresco Labs controls its supply chain from cultivation to retail, offering a wide range of products. While it has its own stores, it focuses heavily on wholesale, getting its products into dispensaries across the country.

Canadian cannabis market

In 2018, Canada became the first G7 nation to legalize adult-use cannabis and create its own streamlined program regulated by both federal and provincial powers. Since then, companies working in the country have faced ups and downs in dealing with tight marketing rules, high tax rates and ongoing competition with the unregulated market.

Top cannabis stocks in the Global X Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF

The Global X Marijuana Life Sciences Index ETF was the first cannabis ETF available in Canada, and it holds a variety of publicly traded companies involved in cannabis, along with several non-flower companies.

While HMMJ does not invest in US-based multi-state operators, it does have exposure to the US market through Canadian companies that have interests in the US cannabis industry. Overall, HMMJ is designed to give investors broad exposure to the cannabis industry, with a particular focus on North American companies.

1. Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ)

ETF weight: 16.47 percent
Market cap: US$7.02 billion
Share price: US$116.08

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing medicines for people with serious diseases, often with limited or no other options. They have a diverse portfolio of products in areas like sleep disorders, cancer and epilepsy.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ cannabis business stems from their 2021 acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals and its epilepsy medicine Epidiolex for a whopping US$7.2 billion. This made big waves as it was one of the largest moves by a traditional pharmaceutical company into the cannabis space.

2. Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON,TSX:CRON)

ETF weight: 13.14 percent
Market cap: US$774.69 million
Share price: US$2.01

Cronos Group is the Canada-based company behind the Spinach, Peace Naturals and Lord Jones cannabis brands. In Canada, Cronos’ Spinach brand is in the top three for retail sales in the flower and edible categories.

The company also has a presence in Israel and Germany with its brand Peace Naturals. In late 2023, the company re-entered the German medical cannabis market through its partnership with a German medical cannabis company called Cansativa Group. Cronos serves the Israeli market through its subsidiary Cronos Israel.

3. Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE:IIPR)

ETF weight: 11.28 percent
Market cap: US$1.51 billion
Share price: US$53.99

Innovative Industrial Properties is a real estate investment trust that provides specialized real estate opportunities for cannabis companies in 19 states. Its properties mostly consist of processing plants, greenhouses and warehouses, with retail spaces making up a small percentage of its portfolio.

The firm has provided long-term absolute net lease agreements to some of the cannabis industry’s biggest names, including Green Thumb, TILT Holdings (NEO:TILT,OTCQB:TLLTF), Ascend Wellness (CSE:AAWH.U,OTCQX:AAWH) and Curaleaf. The company’s sale-leaseback program has helped cannabis companies access a source of capital, a much-needed workaround in the US where there are fewer traditional financing options.

4. Scotts Miracle-Gro Co (NYSE:SMG)

ETF weight: 10.74 percent
Market cap: US$3.92 billion
Share price: US$67.92

Scotts Miracle-Gro is a leader in lawn and garden products, but its involvement in the cannabis industry comes through its Hawthorne Gardening Company subsidiary. Hawthorne is an ancillary provider, supplying essential hydroponic and indoor growing equipment, nutrients, lighting and environmental control systems for large-scale cannabis production.

5. SNDL (NASDAQ:SNDL)

ETF weight: 7.8 percent
Market cap: US$383.4 million
Share price: US$1.49

SNDL, formerly known as Sundial Growers, is the largest private-sector liquor and cannabis retailer on the Canadian market. They cultivate and sell cannabis products under various brands, including Top Leaf, Sundial Cannabis, Palmetto and more. They focus on premium indoor cultivation and have a strong presence in the Canadian market.

SNDL has faced financial challenges in the past, but in Q1 2025 the company’s cannabis business revenue grew year-over-year for the 13th consecutive quarter. The company has continued to make strategic investments in 2025.

FAQs for investing in cannabis

Are cannabis stocks worth investing in?

Each investor will have to think and act for themselves to manage their own risk exposure, but it’s no secret that cannabis stocks have taken a beating for some time now. While financial experts point to the long-term upside of US operators as more state markets expand, the stock market has not been kind to these names lately.

Are cannabis stocks considered a high- or low-risk investment?

Cannabis investments are extremely young in the grand scheme of the investment universe. There is an exciting and refreshing element to these stocks, but the market has always been characterized by volatility and unpredictability.

While wild, spontaneous swings in the open market have become less common, cannabis stocks are often moved — both positively and negatively — by big pieces of market news or legalization updates.

Why do people buy cannabis stocks?

Investors may choose to get exposure to the cannabis market as a way to participate in the development of a new drug market with consumer packaged goods capabilities. Some participants are bullish on the industry’s long-term outlook and expect more welcoming laws in the US and across the world to provide upward momentum.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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In Business

Musk’s brain implant company filed as a ‘disadvantaged business’

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Elon Musk’s health tech company Neuralink labeled itself a “small disadvantaged business” in a federal filing with the U.S. Small Business Administration, shortly before a financing round valued the company at $9 billion.

Neuralink is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) system, with an initial aim to help people with severe paralysis regain some independence. BCI technology broadly can translate a person’s brain signals into commands that allow them to manipulate external technologies just by thinking.

Neuralink’s filing, dated April 24, would have reached the SBA at a time when Musk was leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. At DOGE, Musk worked to slash the size of federal agencies.

MuskWatch first reported on the details of Neuralink’s April filing.

According to the SBA’s website, a designation of SDB means a company is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more “disadvantaged” persons who must be “socially disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged.” An SDB designation can also help a business “gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities,” the SBA website says.

The Department of Justice has previously fined companies for making false claims about their SDB status.

Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, in addition to his other businesses like artificial intelligence startup xAI and tunneling venture The Boring Company. In 2022, Musk led the $44 billion purchase of Twitter, which he later named X before merging it with xAI.

Jared Birchall, a Neuralink executive, was listed as the contact person on the filing from April. Birchall, who also manages Musk’s money as head of his family office, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Neuralink, which incorporated in Nevada, closed a $650 million funding round in early June at a $9 billion valuation. ARK Invest, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital and Thrive Capital were among the investors. Neuralink said the fresh capital would help the company bring its technology to more patients and develop new devices that “deepen the connection between biological and artificial intelligence.”

Under Musk’s leadership at DOGE, the initiative took aim at government agencies that emphasized diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In February, for example, DOGE and Musk boasted of nixing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of funding for the Department of Education that would have gone towards DEI-related training grants.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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In Politics

Huckabee hits back at Western countries that ‘side’ with terror group Hamas

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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee lashed out at almost 30 Western countries who on Monday called for Israel to end the war in Gaza, saying in a post on X that ‘when Hamas thinks you do good work, you are doing evil.’

‘How embarrassing for a nation to side w/ a terror group like Hamas & blame a nation whose civilians were massacred for fighting to get hostages released,’ wrote Huckabee after Hamas – whose Oct. 7, 2023, mass terror attack on Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza – said it welcomed ‘the contents of the joint statement issued by the United Kingdom Government along with 25 other countries, calling for an immediate end to the war on the Gaza Strip.’

The U.S. and EU-designated terror group also reiterated its claims that Israel was carrying out a ‘policy of starvation’ on the coastal enclave amid unverified reports that people have died due to hunger-related reasons. Fox News Digital has not been able to independently verify such reports.

‘The statement’s condemnation of the killing of over 800 Palestinian civilians at the gates of U.S.-Israeli-controlled aid checkpoints underscores the brutality of this mechanism,’ Hamas wrote following a statement issued by the U.K. Foreign Office and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

‘The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,’ read Lammy’s statement, which was also signed by the foreign ministers of 28 countries.

‘If Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place,’ Israel’s Foreign Minister Gidon Saar responded on X. ‘Hamas’s praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made – part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel.’ 

Since launching a new model for food aid distribution in the war-torn strip in early May, Israel and the U.S. have come under fire from the international community over near-daily reports of people dying while attempting to receive aid or not receiving any aid at all.

Israel has refuted claims that there is hunger in Gaza or that it is using starvation as a tactic of the now 22-month-old war. Rather, officials have said they are working to prevent Hamas from stealing aid being distributed by veteran, mostly U.N.-run, humanitarian agencies and sold for exorbitant prices in a bid to continue funding terror operations. 

Israel, which is tasked with securing routes to four aid centers run by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, has also denied that its soldiers intentionally kill Palestinian civilians but is rather issuing warning shots as a measure of crowd control. The GHF has so far delivered some 85 million meals since it started its aid operation in May.

U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ‘deplored the growing reports of both children and adults suffering from malnutrition and strongly condemned the ongoing violence, including the shooting, killing and injuring of people attempting to get food.’

‘As someone who has spent over 40 years in Israel’s Security Establishment – both as IDF Chief of Staff & Minister of Defense, I can say this unequivocally: Not only has Israel never starved or targeted civilians, but it goes above and beyond to protect civilians in the most complex of war zones like Gaza,’ Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz wrote on X.

‘We must be clear – culpability for harm inflicted to civilians rests on terrorist Hamas and Hamas only,’ he added. 

On Tuesday, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, said in a statement that ‘twenty-one children have died due to malnutrition and starvation in various areas across the Gaza Strip.’ 

‘Every moment, new cases of malnutrition and starvation are arriving at Gaza’s hospitals,’ he said.  

Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv who has been monitoring the situation in Gaza closely, told Fox News Digital that he was ‘not aware of a single official report that people died because of starvation or hunger.’ 

‘I’m not familiar with any such report, but I am familiar with many warnings that were published by international organizations about the catastrophe that exists in Gaza and how in two months or so, 40 or 50,000 people will die because of hunger, but nobody has died because of hunger, because there is no hunger,’ he said, adding, ‘if there are some local problems of supply, it is because of Hamas – not because of the IDF.’

Michael, who is also a fellow at the Misgav Institute in Jerusalem, pointed out that Hamas ‘loots, robs and steals the humanitarian aid, partially for themselves, to feed themselves and the rest is sold in very high prices to the local population in order to make money.’

Israel’s goal of weakening Hamas’s grip on the Strip – and on aid agencies – appeared to be working on Monday, with The Washington Post reporting that the terror group ‘is facing its worst financial and administrative crisis in its four-decade history’ and is struggling to find the resource it needs to continue fighting Israel or rule Gaza. 

Quoting a former high-level Israeli intelligence officer, and current Israel Defense Forces officers, the report said that Hamas could no longer pay its fighters or rebuild its underground terror tunnels, where it is believed to be holding some 50 hostages, both alive and dead, who kidnapped during its Oct. 7 attack. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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