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Vince McMahon accused of sex trafficking

Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE’s headquarters, has filed a lawsuit accusing WWE boss Vince McMahon, the company itself, and a former executive of sex trafficking. Grant alleges that McMahon abused and sexually exploited her while he was CEO, using promises of career advancement as a lure.

Grant signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2022, receiving a $3 million payout from McMahon to refrain from discussing their relationship or disparaging him. However, the lawsuit claims that McMahon ceased payments after the initial $1 million installment, seeking to void the agreement and unspecified financial damages.

You can read more on the matter here.

What’s going on?

• UK PM Rishi Sunak Dismisses General’s Claim That Country Must Be Ready For War With Russia (theDeepDive)

• Biden freezes approvals to export U.S. gas, imperiling major projects (BNN)

• UK Ends Free Trade Talks With Canada Over Cheese (theDeepDive)

• Nikki Haley touts $1.2 million in donations after Trump vows to blacklist her donors (CNBC)

• Trudeau’s Ex-Justice Minister Resigns After Court Ruling on Use of Emergencies Act (theDeepDive)

• U.K. suspends trade negotiations with Canada, as each accuse the other of not budging (BNN)

• The Feds Say They’re Not Going After Pizza And Bagel Shops For Emissions (theDeepDive)

• Musk brain implant company violated US hazardous material transport rules (Yahoo)

• Floating Nuclear Reactor Project Set for 2030 Debut in Canada (theDeepDive)

• News outlets slash jobs as business suffers (Axios)

• NSA secretly buying Americans’ data without a warrant (WT)

What’s the latest?

• LNG Halt: The Biden administration has temporarily halted the approval of new licenses for U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to assess their impact on climate change, the economy, and national security. This pause could affect billions of dollars in projects and is part of a comprehensive study by the Energy Department, building on analyses dating back to 2018.

• US Inflation: The U.S. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge showed a cooling trend last month. Prices rose just 0.2% from November to December, aligning with pre-pandemic levels and barely above the Fed's 2% annual target. Year-over-year, prices increased by 2.6%. Core prices, excluding food and energy, also rose by 0.2% month-to-month and 2.9% year-over-year, the smallest increase since March 2021.

• Free Trade Halted: The UK has paused trade negotiations with Canada due to disagreements over certain trade measures post-Brexit. The UK's decision came after Canada did not extend two temporary trade arrangements: a special quota for low-tariff UK cheese imports and country-of-origin rules that impact UK goods like luxury cars.

• More Layoffs: H&M, a Swedish fashion retailer, is planning to close over a quarter of its stores in Spain, resulting in up to 588 job losses. This decision is part of a broader trend among major fashion retailers to shut down smaller outlets while expanding larger flagship stores that attract more foot traffic and serve as e-commerce logistics hubs. H&M currently operates 91 stores and employs nearly 4,000 people in Spain, with plans to close 28 stores.

• ICJ Ruling: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must take immediate action to prevent harm to Palestinians in Gaza and provide humanitarian assistance to victims of its military operations. This interim decision was announced in The Hague. The ICJ, the top court of the United Nations, has the authority to issue binding judgments but lacks enforcement capabilities.

The resurgence of interest in Uranium

The stock market and stuff

• Lawyer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Laundering $400 Million in OneCoin Fraud Scheme (theDeepDive)

• LVMH shares jump 12% as earnings point to luxury sector resilience (CNBC)

• HSBC Tells Clients It Won’t Blacklist Major Polluters (Bloomberg)

• Tesla recalls nearly 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. over rearview camera bug (CNBC)

In the juniors

• Filo Mining Intercepts 1,449 Metres Of 0.41% Copper (theDeepDive)

• Is Farmers Edge Being Sold Off At A Loss? (theDeepDive)

• Stelco CEO Starts $400 Million Fund to Target Industrial Assets (Bloomberg)

• Adventus Mining Closes On Acquisition Of Luminex Resources, Establishing Ecuador Focused Copper-Gold Developer (theDeepDive)

• First Phosphate Enters MOU For LFP Cathode Active Material Production In North America (theDeepDive)

• Coachella Sues Safety Shot For Claiming To Be A Sponsor And The ‘Highlight’ Of Their Opening Weekend (theDeepDive)

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