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Canada to expedite nuclear projects

Canada has announced a strategy to speed up the approval process for new nuclear projects, aiming to support the country’s energy and climate objectives, according to an exclusive report from Reuters.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson noted that while the process for environmental review under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) will be made more efficient, projects will not be exempted from federal environmental scrutiny, as requested by Ontario.

This decision comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling highlighting the IAA’s encroachment on provincial jurisdiction, prompting the government to promise revisions to the Act this spring.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• Cytophage Sees Its Bacteriophages Used As Treatment In Canada Under Single Subject Clinical Trial (theDeepDive)

• Elon Musk sues OpenAI for abandoning original mission for profit (Reuters)

• The big problem with the Winnipeg lab affair was obvious from the start: too much secrecy (CBC)

• CMHC discontinues First-Time Home Buyer Incentive (BNN)

• Fake Amazon Automation Gurus Settle FTC Case For $21.7 Million (theDeepDive)

• Finland's new president says Finland must have real nuclear deterrent (Reuters)

• NYCB Flags Weaknesses in Loan Oversight and Names New CEO (Bloomberg)

• Why are groceries still so expensive? (FOX)

• Russia To Ban Oil Exports Beginning March 1 (theDeepDive)

• Oil prices rise more than 1% as signs indicate tightening market ahead of OPEC+ decision (CNBC)

• US Consumer Sentiment Posts Surprise Drop From Initial Reading (Bloomberg)

What’s the latest?

• Mulroney Dies: Brian Mulroney, Canada's 18th Prime Minister, has passed away at the age of 84. His daughter Caroline Mulroney announced his death, noting he died peacefully surrounded by family. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have both paid tribute to Mulroney's significant contributions and statesmanship.

• Musk vs OpenAI: Elon Musk has initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI, the company he co-founded, and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of straying from the startup's original mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity rather than for profit. Filed in San Francisco, the lawsuit alleges a breach of contract, claiming that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman shifted the company's focus towards profit-making, diverging from its intended non-profit, open-source origins.

• Alberta Taxes EVs: Alberta has introduced a $200 annual tax on electric vehicles, a move by Finance Minister Nate Horner seen as a measure of fairness, given these vehicles contribute to road wear without paying fuel taxes. This decision aligns with Alberta's stance against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's push for zero-emission vehicles by 2035, a target Alberta Premier Danielle Smith deems unattainable in the province.

• Pornhub Failures: The Canadian privacy commissioner has determined that Aylo, formerly known as MindGeek and the operator of Pornhub among other pornographic websites, violated federal privacy law. The investigation found that Aylo's privacy measures were insufficient, leading to severe repercussions for victims. The commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, emphasized the need for Aylo to ensure that intimate content is only shared with the explicit consent of those featured.

• Navalny Buried: Thousands gathered in Moscow to mourn the death of Alexei Navalny, President Putin's most vocal critic, who died at 47 in an Arctic penal colony on February 16, amid allegations of foul play which the Kremlin denies. The funeral, marked by emotional tributes and widespread chants against the regime, saw Navalny's family, friends, and supporters come together at a cemetery and the Soothe My Sorrows church to bid him farewell. Despite a heavy police presence, the crowd, undeterred, voiced chants for freedom and against Putin, with reports of some detentions.

Hertz: Upside for lithium and uranium

The stock market and stuff

• Meta Will No Longer Pay for News Content (theDeepDive)

• Carvana Tightens Lending Standards Even as It Staffs Up Ahead of Lower Interest Rates (Bloomberg)

• Boeing in Talks to Buy Troubled Supplier Spirit AeroSystems (WSJ)

• U.S. Brokerage Firm B. Riley Nosedives As It Explores Strategic Options, Including Sale (theDeepDive)

In the juniors

• Carlyle Commodities Sees Preliminary Metallurgical Testing Recover 80% Of Gold (theDeepDive)

• Sassy Gold Purchases 15 Uranium Properties In Utah And Colorado (theDeepDive)

• Golden Cariboo Raises $1.3 Million Under First Tranche Of Financing (theDeepDive)

• ATHA Energy To Uplist To TSX Venture March 4 (theDeepDive)

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