Sponsored by Big Gold

175 names linked to Epstein about to drop

A court ruling by US District Judge Loretta Preska is set to reveal the identities of at least 175 individuals associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as early as January 1, 2024. The order is in response to a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.

The ruling pertains to 187 previously anonymous figures referred to as “J. Doe” in case documents. Judge Preska’s order justifies unsealing for most individuals, citing “no interests that outweigh the presumption of access” and deeming materials as “not salacious.” Only 10 names, primarily unrelated to the case or alleged victims, will remain sealed.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• ‘Does It Come with Free BJs?’ — Tinder Launches $499/Month Subscription Tier (theDeepDive)

• Texas Sees Unprecedented Migrant Surge Causing Railroad Closures (theDeepDive)

• Trump Barred From Colorado Ballot in Unprecedented Ruling (Bloomberg)

• EU Targets X For Social Media Law Breach, Elon Musk Deflects: “Other Social Media?” (theDeepDive)

• US economist predicts 2024 will bring 'biggest crash of our lifetime' (FOX)

• IRS Zaps Nearly $1 Billion in Penalties for Taxpayers (WSJ)

• No One Wants to Watch the Saudi Pro League, Season Suffers Consistently Low Turnouts (theDeepDive)

• House Speaker Johnson among US politicians with ancestral ties to slavery (Reuters)

• Is Tucker Carlson Going to Be Trump’s Running Mate? (theDeepDive)

• Houthi leader threatens to attack US warships if Washington targets Yemen (Reuters)

• Trump’s 2024 Fate Rests With Supreme Court After Colorado Bars Him from Ballot (Bloomberg)

• Is Elon Musk So Petty That He’d Remove Disney+ from Tesla After Disney Stopped Ads on X? (theDeepDive)

What’s the latest?

• US Consumer Confidence: U.S. consumer confidence saw a significant rise in December, exceeding expectations with the Conference Board's consumer confidence index reaching 110.7, up from a revised 101.0 in November. This increase, which surpassed the Reuters forecast of 104.0, reflects growing optimism about the labor market, potentially bolstering the economy in the early part of the next year.

• Private Mortgage Troubles: Canadian homeowners struggling with high mortgage costs are facing increased pressure from lenders, including Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs), which often charge interest rates of 10% or more. MICs are taking an aggressive approach to managing delinquent loans. They often demand immediate action from borrowers who miss payments, such as selling their homes, to avoid greater financial losses. This situation is intensified by the lack of federal influence over MICs and the high interest rates typical of their loans, leading to a growing number of forced sales and power-of-sale proceedings in the housing market.

• EV Charger Shortfall: Canada is addressing its shortage in EV charging infrastructure through new federal regulations requiring automakers to earn credits by selling electric or hybrid vehicles or by installing more chargers. Canada has 10,425 charging stations, but estimates indicate a need for up to 469,000 ports by 2035. The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association emphasizes the significant gap between the current infrastructure and future needs, urging a major expansion of charging stations, primarily led by the federal government.

• Red Sea Problems: Shipping companies are facing uncertainty and disruptions due to increased attacks in the Red Sea, primarily by Yemen's Houthi militants. The U.S. has initiated a new international navy coalition to combat these attacks, but many details about this initiative remain unclear, including the number of warships involved, their rules of engagement, and the overall protection scheme. As a result, some shipping companies are choosing alternative routes, such as around Africa, significantly increasing journey times and costs.

• Rosneft Sale: Representatives from Rosneft, a Russian oil giant, are scheduled to meet with German government officials in Berlin to discuss the potential sale of Rosneft's German assets, among other options. This meeting comes in the context of Germany placing local units of Rosneft under trusteeship, which has effectively limited Rosneft's control over its assets in the country.

The unseen struggles of international students in Canada

The stock market and stuff

• Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Gets 4 Years for Deceiving Investors (theDeepDive)

• EU Markets Watchdog Sees Possible Crackdown of Carbon Credits (Bloomberg)

• Tesla blamed drivers for failures of parts it long knew were defective (Reuters)

• ByteDance’s Sales Break $110 Billion to Pass Tencent This Year (Bloomberg)

• Apple resolves outage affecting its payment features, including Apple Pay, Card, Cash and Wallet (CNBC)

In the juniors

• Athabasca Oil, Cenovus Energy Launch Joint Venture To Focus On Duvernay (theDeepDive)

• Big Gold Completes Sampling Program Focused On Historic Drill Core (theDeepDive)

• Else Nutrition Hints Plant-Based Kids Shakes To Be Sold At Walmart Online (theDeepDive)

• Filament Health Walks Away From SPAC Merger, US$14.4 Million Financing (theDeepDive)

FULL DISCLOSURE: Big Gold is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. Canacom Group is currently long the equity of Big Gold. The author has been compensated to cover Big Gold on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.