10 things you need to know before the opening bell

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Here is what you need to know.

Ex-Tesla employee Martin Tripp posted dozens of photos that he alleges came from inside of Tesla. They include images he says are of battery scrap, trailers containing battery waste, and documentation of punctured battery parts in Model 3 vehicles.

A former Tesla engineer says the company silenced her entire team after they brought up safety and quality issues. Martin Tripp, a former Tesla employee being sued by the company, has filed counterclaims including allegations that Tesla tried to intimidate him after he spoke out about waste, quality, and safety issues.

The legendary investor who predicted the last 2 bubbles breaks down how the 9-year bull market will end. Jeremy Grantham, the cofounder and chief investment strategist at $71 billion Grantham, Mayo, & van Otterloo, had his latest bubble thesis thwarted by Trump's trade war - but that doesn't mean he's sounding the all-clear for stocks.

Trump is rolling back restraints on US cyber warfare, and it could make an attack on other countries more likely. Removing these Obama-era rules will make it easier for the US to go on the offensive, and could deter attacks on the US, such as election meddling.

The pound is on its longest losing streak against the dollar since the depths of the financial crisis. After a strong start to 2018, the pound has slumped in recent months and is traded below $1.27 for the first time in 14 months on Wednesday.

Turkey's lira is rallying after a $15 billion loan from Qatar. The dollar is down 2.5% against the lira to 5.8052 on Thursday morning. It follows a surge over the last week and a half that saw the dollar climb to over 7 lira at its worst.

'Tech trendiness' has spiked to the highest level in 15 years. Jim Paulsen, the chief investment strategist at The Leuthold Group, explains why that's signaling widespread market pain.

Stock markets around the world trade mixed. The Shanghai composite (-0.7%) declined in Asia, and Germany's DAX (+0.4%) led losses across Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open up 0.4% near 2,834.

Earnings reporting continues. Walmart, Nvidia, Nordstrom, are among the companies reporting on Thursday.

US economic data keeps coming out. Initial jobless claims and the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook is out at 8:30 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down 4 basis points at 2.85%.