Tesla shareholders are raising concerns about Elon Musk's involvement in the newly acquired Twitter, its output in stages at its Shanghai electric car factory from the end of the month with some disruptions lasting into early January. #ElonMusk #Tesla #Twitter #AnimalWelfare

"Less than a week after tech billionaire Elon Musk said that he expects a wireless brain chip developed by one of his companies, Neuralink, to begin human clinical trials in six months and be able to implant a device into a human brain, it has been revealed that the device company is under federal investigation. The government probe is investigating potential animal-welfare violations amid internal staff complaints that its animal testing is being rushed, causing needless suffering and deaths, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and sources familiar with the investigation and company operations. 

Neuralink Corp. is developing a brain implant it hopes will help paralyzed people walk again and cure other neurological ailments. The federal probe, which has not been previously reported, was opened in recent months by the United States Department of Agriculture's Inspector General at the request of a federal prosecutor, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and two sources with knowledge of the investigation. The probe, one of the sources said, focuses on violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which governs how researchers treat and test some animals. 

The investigation has come at a time of growing employee dissent about Neuralink’s animal testing, including complaints that pressure from CEO Musk to accelerate development has resulted in botched experiments, according to a Reuters review of dozens of Neuralink documents and interviews with more than 20 current and former employees. Such failed tests have had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals being tested and killed, the employees say. The company documents include previously unreported messages, audio recordings, emails, presentations and reports. 

Musk and other Neuralink executives did not respond to requests for comment. 

Reuters could not determine the full scope of the federal investigation or whether it involved the same alleged problems with animal testing identified by employees in Reuters interviews. A spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector general declined to comment. U.S. regulations don't specify how many animals companies can use for research, and they give significant leeway to scientists to determine when and how to use animals in experiments. Neuralink has passed all USDA inspections of its facilities, regulatory filings show." 

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