The US economy grew at a 3.3% annualized rate during the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2023, vastly exceeding projections

High consumer spending, a boost in exports, higher government spending, and other factors drove the larger-than-expected growth

The US economy grew 2.5% last year, defying recession fears amid decades-high interest rates

A Spanish judge recommended that Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain’s soccer federation, stand trial for kissing female soccer player Jenni Hermoso

Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips after the women’s team won the Women’s World Cup last August. Rubiales said the kiss was consensual; Hermoso said it wasn’t

The judge said an investigation revealed the kiss “was a unilateral and surprising initiative of [Rubiales]” and recommended Rubiales face trial on sexual assault and coercion charges

A Russian court sentenced a woman to 27 years in jail for handing a pro-Russia war blogger a statuette containing a bomb

The blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, was killed by the blast last April. Dozens more were injured in the cafe where Tatarsky was set to speak

The woman, 26-year-old Darya Trepova, admitted to handing Tatarsky the statuette but said she believed it contained an audio recorder, not a bomb

“I feel great pain and shame that my gullibility and my naivety led to such catastrophic consequences. I didn't want to hurt anyone,” she told the court, adding a Ukrainian gave it to her

Arizona’s Republican Party chairman resigned a day after the publication of an audio recording suggesting he attempted to bribe a candidate to withdraw from a Senate race

Kari Lake, a major Trump ally, unsuccessfully ran for Arizona’s governor in 2022. She is currently running for the US Senate

In the recording, the chairman, Jeff DeWit, told Lake that there are “very powerful people that want to keep you out” of the race

He also appeared to relay a message from those "powerful people" to her, saying, “Is there any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll and give her – to keep her out?”

“Is there a number at which –” DeWit began asking before Lake cut him off, saying, “I can be bought?” She later rejected his alleged bribery attempts, saying, “I can’t be bought”

Despite resigning, DeWit said the tape had been “selectively edited” and denied offering a bribe

The Bank of England has begun designing “Britcoin,” a digital version of its currency, the pound

The government said Britcoin would provide a reliable, state-backed alternative to volatile cryptocurrencies, yet critics have expressed privacy and security concerns

The Bank of England said the digital currency would exist alongside cash, not replace it

A former WWE employee sued the company, CEO Vince McMahon, and another executive for sexual assault, sex trafficking, and more

She claims McMahon made her “career-making and life-changing promises” in exchange for a sexual relationship and trafficked her to other executives, one of whom sexually assaulted her

She eventually signed a $3M NDA, but McMahon stopped paying, prompting the new lawsuit

McMahon resigned as CEO in 2022 over allegations he paid $15M to four women over sexual misconduct allegations. He controls a majority share of WWE and has since become CEO again

Today’s deep-dive stories are:

Ohio bans transition-related procedures for minors

Alabama uses a new execution method

A gene therapy cures deafness

No “Trump bump” for cable TV networks?

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