🚀 Meta Legal Trials

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Year To Date Performances:

1. This week marks a defining moment for Meta as it enters a "Big Tobacco" style gauntlet in two separate courtrooms. While the tech giant has faced regulatory hurdles before, this week is unique because it represents the first time these specific allegations( ranging from child sexual exploitation to algorithmic addiction) will be argued before juries in stand-alone trials. In Santa Fe, the state of New Mexico is taking aim at Meta's safety failures, while in Los Angeles, a bellwether personal injury case could set a multi-billion-dollar precedent for the entire social media industry. The stakes of these trials are underscored by the high-profile witness list scheduled for the coming weeks. Unlike typical corporate litigation that settles before the "stars" take the stand, this week prepares the ground for Instagram Head Adam Mosseri to testify this Wednesday, February 11. He will likely be followed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on February 16, who has already been deposed. The juries will be looking for answers to one central question: did the company prioritize "engagement and advertising revenue" over the documented risks to its youngest and most vulnerable users?

2. The release of more than three million pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act has sparked a political firestorm in Washington, placing U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at the center of a bipartisan push for his resignation. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) have sharply criticized Lutnick, alleging he misled the public and the Senate about the extent of his ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. While Lutnick previously maintained that he severed all contact after 2005, newly unredacted DOJ documents suggest a relationship that remained active for nearly a decade, involving multimillion-dollar business deals and family social visits to Epstein’s private island.

3. The Cuban government has officially announced that international airlines can no longer refuel at any of its nine international airports, effective Monday. This drastic measure is a direct response to a worsening shortage of aviation fuel (Jet A-1) caused by the Trump administration's aggressive "oil siege." Following an executive order issued on January 29, the U.S. has threatened sweeping tariffs on any nation that supplies oil to the island, effectively scaring off major tankers and leaving the country’s fuel reserves in a critical state. Authorities in Havana warned that this kerosene "blackout" will persist for at least a month, likely stretching until March 11, 2026. The refuelling ban has sent shockwaves through the Caribbean aviation network, impacting nearly 400 weekly flights. Airlines are currently scrambling to avoid stranding thousands of passengers during the peak winter travel season. For many carriers, the solution involves "tankering"—carrying enough extra fuel from their home base to make the return trip without stopping—though this added weight significantly increases costs and limits passenger capacity.

   Headlines

   1. Kroger has named former Walmart executive Greg Foran as its new CEO.

   2. Sam Altman said that ChatGPT is growing 10% monthly, even with strong competition and 800 million existing users.