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XION and Fireblocks Partner to Accelerate Mass Market Blockchain Adoption

In a major step toward mainstream blockchain adoption, XION, a consumer-centric Layer-1 blockchain, has announced a strategic integration with Fireblocks, a digital asset infrastructure provider trusted by over 2,000 institutions, including BNY Mellon (NYSE:BK), Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY) and Revolut.

While blockchain technology is designed to be transparent in terms of transaction records, the underlying technology and processes can seem obscure, complicated and hidden behind technical jargon.

XION is a Layer-1 blockchain built to eliminate these barriers. Unlike many blockchains that require users to manage complicated wallets, XION offers familiar structures like social logins and credit card payments instead of cryptic blockchain jargon, making it easier for people and companies to adopt the technology naturally.

For its part, Fireblocks provides secure custody and settlement infrastructure used by thousands of institutions worldwide. Its platform helps businesses meet compliance and security standards.

To Anzalone, this integration represents a practical step toward making blockchain more mainstream.

“For the past four years, I’ve been trying to say, let’s make crypto usable,” he explained, adding that XION found that most Web2 companies don’t expose users to traditional blockchain elements.

The Fireblocks collaboration creates an app-like onboarding experience by integrating Fireblocks’ custody platform with XION’s walletless, gasless blockchain. This eliminates complex setups, seed phrases and volatile fees, enabling companies to scale blockchain programs without being bogged down in technical complexity or regulatory risks.

“You shouldn’t have to know what a wallet is … For us, we’re trying to meet the mainstream people where they are, not confuse them with jargon, and not make them learn new words that they don’t need to (learn),’ Anzalone said.

He also emphasized the implications for the blockchain industry beyond the focus on decentralized finance, noting that XION and Fireblocks are targeting everyday consumers and enterprise uses such as payments, loyalty programs, gaming and tokenization. This integration positions both companies uniquely in the competitive landscape, offering a compliant solution that merges traditional financial security with next-generation blockchain capabilities.

Looking ahead, Anzalone expressed optimism about the future of blockchain adoption, pointing to innovations like walletless blockchains and zero-knowledge proof technologies as key accelerators.

“I think that speed is everything. People don’t want to wait even three seconds for anything to come online. And we’re trying to make that as fast as possible and trying to verify information as quickly as possible,” he said.

For Anzalone, achieving this level of performance is only the first step; the ultimate challenge moving forward lies in translating that technical efficiency into genuine, widespread utility.

“I think that actually providing use cases to crypto is going to be that thing that scales it. I think that the real, actual use case of crypto is yet to be found. And I think that catalyst of growth really comes from developing something different, but you need to abstract all crypto complexities away in order to actually find that,’ he said.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com
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Senate Republicans confirm more than 100 Trump nominees as government shutdown continues

Senate Republicans confirmed a staggering tranche of President Donald Trump’s nominees on Tuesday as the government shutdown continues.

Lawmakers voted along party lines to confirm the batch of 107 of Trump’s nominees, a move that whittled down the remaining pending nominees on the Senate’s calendar to double digits. It also came as the upper chamber was deadlocked in the midst of a government shutdown, during which floor votes have largely been dedicated to trying to reopen the government.

The slate of confirmed nominees included many of Trump’s top allies and former candidates that he hand-picked to run in previous elections.

Some of the most recognizable on the list were former Republican Senate candidate and ex-NFL star Herschel Walker, who was tapped as the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, a top advisor to Trump who he picked to be his U.S. Ambassador to India.

Other posts confirmed included a wave of senior administration officials, several prosecutors and the reappointment of Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins to a seat on the commission until 2031.

The vote also marked the second time that Senate Republicans have deployed the new rule change surrounding confirmations since going ‘nuclear’ on Senate rules last month.

Republicans opted to change confirmation rules to allow a simple majority of votes to advance large swathes of nominees in response to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus’ blockade of Trump’s picks that lasted nearly nine months into his presidency.

Typically, subcabinet-level nominees, particularly those with bipartisan support out of committee, are sped through the Senate either by unanimous consent or through a voice vote, two fast-track procedural moves in the upper chamber. But Senate Democrats refused to relent, and Republicans argued they forced their hand on a rules change that they believed would benefit both parties in the future.

The rule change allows for an unlimited number of nominees to be confirmed in a single batch, but includes several procedural hoops to jump through before a final confirmation vote.

Senate Republicans previously confirmed 48 of Trump’s picks last month. Among that batch were Kimberly Guilfoyle, who Trump tapped to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and Callista Gingrich, who was picked to be the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Senate stalls on shutdown vote amid warning furloughed workers may lose pay

An expected sixth vote to reopen the government didn’t come to fruition on Tuesday, but lawmakers face a new wrinkle: the possibility that furloughed employees won’t be paid. 

The government shutdown marched into its seventh day with both Senate Republicans and Democrats still at odds on a path forward, and no real clear end in sight. The Senate was expected to vote on the GOP’s plan again, but no agreement could be reached to bring the bill, along with the Democrats’ counter-proposal, to the floor. 

Both sides are still entrenched in their positions, too. Senate Democrats want a firm deal on the extension of expiring ObamaCare tax credits to earn their votes to reopen the government, while Senate Republicans have promised that negotiations on the credits can happen once the government is open again.

Lawmakers failed to hold a sixth vote to reopen the government Tuesday as a new White House memo warned that furloughed workers may not get paid.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has continued to ramp up his messaging that Americans broadly support their push, and blamed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Republicans for not being in session as a major roadblock to progress. 

‘Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed and thousands more are working without pay. And meanwhile, House Republicans are getting paid and not working,’ Schumer said. ‘So federal workers working and not getting paid. House Republicans paid and not working. Very bad. Very bad thing for them. Very bad picture for them.’

While lawmakers traded barbs and discussed an off-ramp on Capitol Hill, the latest memo from the White House, first reported by Axios, signaled that up to 750,000 nonessential furloughed federal workers may not be paid.

The memo adds fresh uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of federal employees caught in the political crossfire.

When asked if it was the White House’s position whether federal workers should be paid back pay, President Donald Trump said, ‘I would say it depends on who we’re talking about.’

‘I can tell you this,’ Trump said. ‘The Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy, but it really depends on who you’re talking about. But for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.’

Many lawmakers had just learned about the memo as of Tuesday afternoon. It suggested that a 2019 law signed by Trump that guaranteed back pay for furloughed workers in future shutdowns may not have to be followed.

‘I just heard that,’ Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., said. ‘My phones are lighting up.’

When asked if the memo hurt or helped talks, she said, ‘It could get more urgent, it also could tick a lot of people off.’

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that the memo was ‘probably not a good message to send right now to people who are not being paid.’

‘I’m not an attorney, but I think it’s bad strategy to even say that sort of stuff,’ Tillis said. ‘We got a lot of hard-working people there on the sidelines now because the Democrats have put them there.’

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that she believed that issue had been settled with the 2019 law, but as a ‘back up,’ Congress could pass a bill that any ‘obligations that were incurred during the shutdown are authorized to be paid.’

And Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, argued that regardless of the memo, the law said ‘shall.’

‘I left my law degree in the car, but ‘shall’ is relatively straightforward,’ he said. ‘I think it doesn’t matter at all, because we’re fighting for healthcare.’

The latest pressure tactic on Senate Democrats comes after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed in a previous memo that mass firings could be on the horizon beyond the typical furloughs during a shutdown.

It also comes after OMB Director Russ Vought announced nearly $30 billion in federal funding was set to be withheld from blue cities and states. 

Both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wanted to see federal workers get paid, but contended that the issue would go away if Schumer and Senate Democrats reopened the government.

‘My assumption is that furloughed workers will get back pay,’ Thune said. ‘But that being said, this is very simple. Open up the government and this is a non-issue. We don’t have to have this conversation. Everybody gets paid when the government is open.’

Meanwhile, the previous tactics did little to nudge Democrats from their position, and so far, have not killed talks between either side.

But Sen. Jean Shaheen, D-N.H., who has been a key communicator for Senate Democrats in bipartisan talks, said that Vought’s actions weren’t helping matters.

‘It would be a lot easier to resolve the situation if Russ Vought would stop talking,’ Shaheen said. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Blue Jay Gold

Investor Insight

Blue Jay Gold is an emerging Canadian gold exploration company that combines the brownfield advantage of proven mineralization and existing infrastructure with modern exploration methods aimed at unlocking significant growth and increasing shareholder value.

Overview

Blue Jay Gold is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on unlocking high-grade gold systems in brownfield districts across Canada, with its flagship Skukum project in the Yukon anchoring the portfolio.

Blue Jay’s mantra is to “be where the gold is,” prioritizing brownfield settings with historic production, existing infrastructure and proven mineralization. These conditions reduce exploration risk and cost while raising the potential probability of success. With year-round exploration potential (Yukon drilling in the summer, Ontario drilling in the winter), Blue Jay offers continuous news flow and diversified value creation.

The Skukum project delivers a strong foundation with high-grade vein systems approaching 1 million ounces (Moz) gold equivalent (AuEq), while the Pichette project in Ontario positions Blue Jay in one of Canada’s most prolific greenstone belts near the Greenstone Mine in Geraldton, Ontario, the province’s newest large-scale gold operation. The company aims to double its resource base within 18 to 24 months and complete a public listing in late 2025/early 2026, providing investors exposure to both resource growth and new discovery potential in a geographic and infrastructurally attractive locations in Canada.

Company Highlights

  • High-grade Resource Base: Skukum gold project in the Yukon hosts 0.42 Moz indicated at 8.2 g/t AuEq and 0.52 Moz inferred at 5.3 g/t AuEq, anchored by multiple high-grade gold and silver structurally controlled mineralized systems.
  • Brownfield Advantage: Historic production (~80,000 oz gold at 12 g/t from Mt. Skukum, 1986–1988) with a 50-person camp, road access and ~6 km drive development already in place.
  • District-scale Potential: 170 sq km land package traversed by more than 50 km of mineralized structures, including three primary corridors (Skukum Creek, Charleston, Goddell) and several secondary zones.
  • Ontario Growth Pipeline: The Pichette project in the Beardmore-Geraldton Greenstone Belt provides winter drilling opportunities adjacent to Equinox’s Greenstone Mine.
  • Strategic Growth Plan: Aim to test the immediate extensions to known mineralization and drill-test new target zones over the 18-24 months.
  • Experienced Leadership: Management team and board combine diverse experience in global exploration and asset maturation, and capital markets expertise, with proven track records in discovery and financing.

Key Projects

Skukum Project

The flagship Skukum gold project is the cornerstone of Blue Jay’s growth strategy. Located just 55 kilometers south of Whitehorse in Yukon, the project spans 170 square kilometers and covers an extensive network of gold- and silver-rich vein systems across four main zones: Skukum Creek, Goddell, Mt. Skukum and Charleston. A 2022 NI 43-101 resource estimate outlined 1.59 million tonnes (Mt) grading 8.16 grams per ton (g/t) AuEq for 0.42 Moz indicated, and 3.02 Mt grading 5.33 g/t AuEq for 0.52 Moz inferred. The distribution of these resources demonstrates the scale and grade potential with Skukum Creek hosting most of the resources containing at 0.26 Moz AuEq indicated at 7.8 g/t and 0.31 Moz AuEq inferred at 5.7 g/t.

The project has a strong brownfield and geographic advantage. Historic production from Mt. Skukum between 1986 and 1988 yielded approximately 80,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 12 g/t. In addition, the site already benefits from significant infrastructure, including a 50-person camp, workshops and road access allowing year-round operations just an hours’ drive to the south of Whitehorse, an hours’ drive from railhead at Carcross, and 2 hours drive to the port of Skagway. More than 120 kilometers of historical drilling and around 6 kilometres kilometers of underground development provide a robust foundation for expansion.

Exploration upside at Skukum is substantial. The Skukum Creek corridor, extending more than seven kilometers, hosts open resources with high-grade drill intercepts such as 17.5 meters at 19.66 g/t AuEq and 19.0 meters at 6.14 g/t AuEq. The Charleston corridor, a five-kilometer gold-silver trend and a potential analogue to Skukum Creek, has seen only surface trenching but returned outstanding results including a 45 metre long zone grading 24.7 g/t gold and 215 g/t silver over an average width of 1.34 meters, and bonanza-grade trend intervals up to 16.3 g/t gold and 6,135 g/t silver. Goddell represents part of another mineralized zone hosting two parallel trends each more than 16 kilometres along with gold, silver and antimony mineralization, still underexplored. Exploration and drive development on adits testing for high-grade antimony was undertaken here in the 1960’s.

With multiple high-grade vein systems, untested targets and embedded infrastructure, Skukum represents a rare district-scale opportunity in a safe jurisdiction.

Pichette Project – Ontario

The Pichette project provides Blue Jay with a complementary growth pipeline in Ontario’s Beardmore-Geraldton Greenstone Belt (BGGB), one of Canada’s most prolific and active gold districts. Located approximately 55 kilometers east of Beardmore and near Equinox Gold’s Greenstone Mine, Pichette positions the Company alongside multi-million-ounce producers in a well-established mining camp.

The project covers a ~40 square kilometer land package with over 12 kilometers of banded iron formation (BIF) trends and widespread gold mineralization. Gold mineralization on the property was first drill in 1952, but exploration has been minimal since then. Historical drilling revealed strong near-surface results, including 16.7 g/t gold over 3.4 meters, 7.2 g/t gold over 1.5 meters, and 5.3 g/t gold over 2.6 meters, all within 40 meters of surface. Mineralization is hosted in altered BIF horizons, shear zones and quartz-carbonate vein systems, directly comparable to other gold-bearing structures across the BGGB. At the time of the discovery, exploration was guided by ounce-per-ton head grades, which overlooked zones that are now economically viable given modern processing thresholds.

Pichette enjoys excellent infrastructure advantages with direct access to the Trans-Canada Highway 11, proximity to grid power, and a skilled mining workforce in the surrounding region. The project is ideally suited to low-cost winter drilling, complementing Blue Jay’s Yukon exploration programs, and provides shareholders with year-round exposure to discovery catalysts in two of Canada’s top mining jurisdictions.

Management Team

Geordie Mark – CEO and Director

Geordie Mark holds a PhD in economic geology with more than 20 years of experience spanning exploration, academia and finance. Mark spent over 17 years as a mining analyst on both buy- and sell-sides in North America, building a reputation for expertise in exploration valuation and discovery cycles.

Robert Scott – CFO

A CPA, CA and CFA with over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, compliance and banking, Robert Scott has raised more than $200 million for TSX Venture-listed companies and has extensive experience guiding juniors through growth phases.

Freeman Smith – VP Exploration

With 18 years of exploration experience across the Americas, Freeman Smith has a track record in prospect generation and evaluation. His work with Oro Gold and Integra has given him a broad range of expertise across Latin America, Northern Canada and Ontario-Quebec.

John-Mark Staude – Chairman

John-Mark Staude is the founder of Riverside Resources and holds a PhD in economic geology with more than 30 years of global exploration and corporate leadership.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com
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Sid Powell on Maple Finance’s Evolution and the Future of DeFi Lending

In the evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi), institutional lending has emerged as a crucial frontier bridging traditional finance and blockchain innovation.

Maple Finance, a DeFi lending platform managing over US$4 billion in assets, stands out as a leader. It takes a unique approach to digital asset oversight, combining on-chain transparency with institutional-grade risk controls.

For investors and industry watchers alike, Maple’s story offers valuable insight into the maturation of cryptocurrency finance and the future of institutional participation.

INN: How has Maple Finance evolved since its founding, and what key milestones has the company achieved?

Sid Powell: Joe (Flanagan), my co-founder, and I founded Maple in 2019 during the very early days of DeFi. Initially we aimed to create tokenized bonds, similar to what we knew from traditional finance.

However, there wasn’t really a market for that back then. So as Maple evolved, we pivoted to becoming a direct lender to institutions, which has now become our core business.

Over the intervening five years, we’ve transitioned from uncollateralized lending in 2021 and 2022 to becoming one of the top five global over-collateralized lenders. All our loans are still tokenized and visible on-chain, but are now significantly over-collateralized by large-cap crypto assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and XRP.

INN: What distinguishes Maple’s approach to institutional lending and DeFi compared to other platforms like Compound and Centrifuge?

SP: A lot of people are always asking us what differentiates Maple in what is becoming an increasingly competitive space. We’ve carved out a niche by focusing exclusively on institutions rather than retail customers.

One of the ways that we target and cater to institutions is that we accept native Bitcoin (collateral). Maple is actually integrated with all of the qualified custodians that these institutions already use today. This reduces counterparty risk because they retain control through a tri-party setup.

Another important distinction is that we avoid algorithmic liquidations. Instead, we maintain direct contact with borrowers, providing margin call warnings and working closely with them to manage risk.

This is critical for large institutional clients who cannot afford to have their collateral liquidated in one hit and be hit with a pretty expensive penalty. They choose to work with us because we have different risk triggers. We reach out and provide warnings and notifications to them, and they have somebody to interface with. We found that those have been critical steps for institutions, and it’s why once they take out one loan with us, the relationship will grow over time. The largest institutions that work with us today borrow over US$200 million through Maple.

INN: What was the strategic rationale behind Maple’s expansion to Arbitrum?

SP: We had been looking to go cross-chain for some time. After a successful syrupUSDC launch on Solana, we wanted to see if we could replicate that across other chains. Arbitrum was a logical next step for us due to our strong partnership with Morpho. We successfully launched on Solana with partnerships with Jupiter and Camino, which meant that syrupUSDC holders on those chains could use it in looping strategies and hostess collateral.

Morpho is well established on Arbitrum, so we felt very confident in launching syrupUSDC there.

We also prioritized launching on chains with significant stablecoin liquidity; Arbitrum had a substantial amount of USDC circulating, making it ideal. And that’s how we kind of prioritize the other launches that we’ll have coming for the rest of this year and into Q1 next year.

INN: What makes syrupUSDC different from other yield-bearing stablecoins?

SP: We’ve seen tremendous growth in stablecoins so far, to the point where there’s now over 270 billion outstanding. So syrupUSDC is still a relatively small portion of that, but how we’ve tried to stand out is with the sustainability of the yield. The interest income comes from high-quality borrowers; it’s not dependent on points farming, and there are no gimmicks at play.

Additionally, syrupUSDC is highly composable and well integrated with major protocols. Users can fix the interest on syrupUSDC using Pendle, exit the position using Uni Swap and post and borrow against syrupUSDC to run a looping strategy on Morpho or Euler. In the next few weeks, we hope to have it on Aave, which is, of course, the largest DeFi lending market.

INN: What role do you see institutional investors playing in DeFi’s next phase, and what are they asking from Maple?

SP: I think institutional investors will play a larger and larger role in DeFi. We already deal with a number of hedge funds that allocate either directly to syrupUSDC vaults or who borrow from us and post collateral.

I’ve already seen that one increase markedly since 2022. There’s now a lot more institutional participation. But I think if we want the space to grow, most of the growth in the pie from here on out is going to come from institutions entering and starting to use DeFi protocols like Maple and other prominent protocols out there.

The role that we see them playing as far as it pertains to working with us will be more on the borrower’s side, as well as allocating to the syrupUSDC vaults. We saw that already happen in a pretty big way two weeks ago when we launched on Plasma. A number of institutional hedge funds deployed capital to that vault, and we’re seeing more and more of these hedge funds raise capital from traditional investors.

INN: What motivated Maple’s expansion to the Plasma blockchain, and how does its architecture improve syrupUSDT’s utility?

SP: We’ve had a very good relationship with the Plasma team since we started speaking. Looking at a strategic level, we’ve been very interested in the idea of a stablecoin-focused chain.

Stablecoins are among the fastest-growing segments in DeFi and seem to be the Trojan horse bringing traditional finance investors and allocators like Stripe and PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ:PYPL) into crypto.

There was also a strategic alignment there; Plasma has a very close relationship with Tether, with which we have worked in the past, and there are obviously incredible network effects for USDT.

The Plasma team moves exceptionally fast, and we think they have a lot of institutional credibility that really aligns with Maple as an institutional lending platform.

INN: How does Maple approach competition with traditional asset managers like BlackRock?

SP: Maple has achieved some success in terms of managing US$4 billion, but in the context of the overall US$1.5 trillion private credit market, we’re still a relatively small drop in the ocean. That’s why I dwell a lot on the concept of niches.

We differentiate through speed, onboarding, bespoke facilities and integrating multiple custodians for client flexibility. Traditional banks face regulatory hurdles and may partner with platforms like Maple that already have distribution set up, rather than build competing tech. We position ourselves as partners, not competitors.

As Peter Thiel would say, competition is for losers.

INN: Is regulation a headwind or an opportunity for Maple?

SP: It varies by jurisdiction. Within the US, I would have said it was a headwind last year. This year, I see it more as an opportunity. We participated in the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s roundtable, and see a regulator intent on balancing innovation with consumer protection, whereas before, I would have said perhaps they erred too much on the side of consumer protection at the expense of innovation.

I see the GENIUS Act and the forthcoming Clarity Act as huge tailwinds for the space. If the US is able to set a tone of pro-innovation, that will then set the tone for the other prominent jurisdictions like Singapore, Hong Kong and Europe.

INN: Are there jurisdictions the US should emulate or avoid in crypto regulation?

SP: The US should look to Hong Kong and Singapore, known for innovation and asset manager engagement.

I think the US should be mindful of emulating Europe’s restrictive MiCA legislation too much. You’re already sort of seeing it perhaps smother the startups early on. I’d say the US would be better served by looking at Singapore, Hong Kong and probably a little bit less at what Europe is doing on the regulatory front, at least in terms of in terms of footsteps to follow, rather than footsteps to avoid.

INN: What is Maple’s approach to risk and credit assessment?

SP: Credit risk assessment is indeed the most important thing we do. Since all of our loans are over-collateralized, we focus on the quality and volatility of large-cap collateral like Bitcoin.

We monitor loan-to-value ratios, margin call thresholds and liquidation levels carefully. Maple’s operations team has proprietary alert systems and 24/7 monitoring. Borrowers receive automatic notifications if their collateral hits margin call levels and have 24 hours to top up collateral. If they fail to do so, Maple may liquidate the collateral to protect lender funds. Loan terms are conservatively set to ensure protection beyond 100 percent collateralization.

What’s next for Maple Finance?

Looking ahead, Maple Finance plans to expand its presence across multiple blockchain networks, while integrating syrupUSDC as collateral on lending platforms such as Aave.

“It’s always difficult in a startup,” Powell concluded. “You have a temptation to do too many different things. I look at what Steve Jobs said, which is that he was almost as proud of the things they didn’t do. And so in Maple’s case, that means focusing our business on institutional lending and being the dominant on-chain asset manager.”

The company aims to grow its AUM by 25 percent to US$5 billion by year end.

On a macro scale, Powell anticipates a substantial increase in global Bitcoin-backed lending, potentially growing from around US$20 billion to 25 billion today to as much as US$200 billion. The company aims to capture a sizable share.

As Powell put it, the focus remains on disciplined growth and narrowing priorities, a measured approach fitting for a maturing DeFi landscape.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com
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Paramount acquires Bari Weiss’ The Free Press, naming her the top editor of CBS News

The newly formed media corporation Paramount Skydance has acquired The Free Press, an online news and commentary outlet co-founded by Bari Weiss, who will join CBS News as editor-in-chief.

Weiss launched The Free Press in 2021 with her wife, Nellie Bowles, and her sister, Suzy Weiss. They have presented the publication as a heterodox alternative to the legacy news media and a bulwark against “ideological narratives,” particularly on the political left.

Bari Weiss in New York in 2024.
Bari Weiss in New York in 2024.Noam Galai / Getty Images for The Free Press file

The acquisition is one of Skydance chief David Ellison’s most significant early moves to reshape the news unit at Paramount, which he acquired in a blockbuster $8 billion deal earlier this year.

In seeking federal approval of the merger, Skydance vowed to embrace “diverse viewpoints” and represent “the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.” The company also pledged to install an ombudsman at the nearly 100-year-old CBS News operation.

“This partnership allows our ethos of fearless, independent journalism to reach an enormous, diverse, and influential audience,” Weiss said in a news release. “We honor the extraordinary legacy of CBS News by committing ourselves to a singular mission: building the most trusted news organization of the 21st Century.”

The Free Press has roughly 1.5 million subscribers on Substack, with more than 170,000 of them paid, according to Paramount Skydance. The Financial Times estimated that the publication generates more than $15 million in annual subscription revenue. NBC News has not independently verified that figure.

“Bari is a proven champion of independent, principled journalism, and I am confident her entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision will invigorate CBS News,” Ellison said in a statement. “This move is part of Paramount’s bigger vision to modernize content and the way it connects — directly and passionately — to audiences around the world.”

The acquisition talks between Ellison and Weiss were first reported in late June by Status, a media industry newsletter. Ellison is the son of billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison, the co-founder of the software firm Oracle.

Weiss co-founded The Free Press after quitting the opinion section of The New York Times. In a resignation letter that was published online, Weiss decried what she characterized as the “illiberal environment” at the newspaper.

The Free Press earned wide attention in April 2024 after it published an essay from Uri Berliner, a senior business editor at National Public Radio who accused his employer of organizing around a “progressive worldview.” Berliner then resigned from NPR and joined The Free Press.

The publication’s regular stable of columnists includes Tyler Cowen, an economist and podcaster; Matthew Continetti, the author of a book about the evolution of American conservatism; and Niall Ferguson, a British-American historian.

CBS News has repeatedly found itself in the national spotlight in recent months. President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit last year against Paramount accusing “60 Minutes” of deceptively editing an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

CBS denied the claim. Paramount settled Trump’s lawsuit for $16 million.

The Federal Communications Commission is still investigating whether CBS engaged in “news distortion.” The commission is chaired by Brendan Carr, who was appointed by Trump at the start of his second term.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Trump meets former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander on Oct. 7 anniversary

President Donald Trump met with Edan Alexander, who was freed in May from captivity with Hamas, on Tuesday — exactly two years after Hamas attacked Israel. 

This marks the second time Alexander, a 21-year-old American–Israeli who spent nearly 600 days as a hostage after Hamas abducted him after its initial attack on Israel, will visit the White House since his release from captivity. Alexander previously visited the White House in July. 

Alexander was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, and headed to Israel when he was 18-years-old to volunteer for the Israel Defense Forces. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv before he was taken hostage by Hamas. 

Alexander’s appearance at the White House also comes as the Trump administration has put forth a 20-point plan to end the conflict and return the 48 hostages still in captivity. The plan would require all hostages, both dead and alive, to be returned within 72 hours of Hamas signing off on the deal. It also calls for Israeli forces to withdraw its troops and for a complete disarmament of Hamas. 

Trump’s Justice Department has cracked down on Palestinian militant group Hamas, and established a new task force in March aimed at providing justice to the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the group, known as Joint Task Force October 7, would focus on identifying, charging and prosecuting those who conducted the 2023 attacks, which took the lives of roughly 1,200 people — including 47 U.S. citizens. Hamas also took more than 250 people hostage that day, including eight U.S. citizens.

The IDF is the national military for Israel. Hamas has served as the governing body of Gaza.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have warned that antisemitic attacks are becoming more common in the U.S., in the aftermath of the ongoing conflict. Antisemitic violence reached a new high in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which recorded 9,354 antisemitic instances of harassment, assault and vandalism in the U.S. in 2024. That is a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023 and a 344% increase in the past five years.

‘The October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack was not only a horrific assault on innocent civilians in Israel, including numerous American citizens, but it was also a wake-up call to the threats we face here at home,’ Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital.

‘In the two years following this tragedy, acts of terrorism and targeted antisemitic violence are increasingly common on U.S. soil, as both foreign and domestic terrorists work to inspire lone-wolf actors,’ Garbarino said. ‘Jewish Americans continue to face intimidation and attacks simply because of their faith. This is unacceptable, and anyone who defends these calls for violence is complicit.’ 

Trump also met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Tuesday amid ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Canada One Acquires 4,836 ha Copper-Gold Property Adjacent to Copper Mountain Mine

Canada One Mining Corp. (TSXV: CONE) (OTC Pink: COMCF) (FSE: AU31) (‘Canada One’ or the ‘Company’) announces it has agreed to acquire a 4,836-hectare copper-gold property contiguous to the northwest of Hudbay Minerals’ Copper Mountain Mine, to be known as ‘Copper Dome North’ (the ‘Property’).

Under the property purchase agreement, dated October 6, 2025, (the ‘Agreement’), the Company will acquire a 100% interest in the Property, from an arm’s-length vendor (the ‘Acquisition’). The Acquisition increases the Company’s flagship Copper Dome Project (‘Copper Dome’) size by ~60%, to 12,833 ha (from 7,997 ha) (see Figure 1: Copper Dome Project Map with Newly Acquired Copper Dome North).

Peter Berdusco, President and CEO, commented: ‘Though outside the formal Copper Dome footprint, the Property’s proximity to Copper Mountain and its continuity within the district’s geologic setting warrant the designation ‘Copper Dome North.’ In addition, the Property is adjacent to our 100%-owned Goldrop, an under-explored, historical small-scale producer of high-grade gold and silver. Together, these factors make the Acquisition compelling and well suited to a systematic exploration program.’

Copper Dome North Acquisition Terms

The Agreement provides for the 100% acquisition of the Property with no net smelter return royalty (NSR) in consideration for 250,000 common shares of the Company (the ‘Consideration Shares’), valuing the transaction at $12,500 based on a deemed price of $0.05 per share. The Consideration Shares will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the Acquisition.

Completion of the Acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. The Acquisition does not involve any Non-Arm’s Length Parties (as defined in Exchange policies). The Company will not devote the majority of its working capital or resources to the development of Copper Dome North. The primary focus of the Company remains the exploration and future drilling at Copper Dome. As a result, the Acquisition does not constitute a ‘fundamental acquisition’ for the Company within the policies of the Exchange. No finders’ fees or commissions are payable in connection with the Acquisition.

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Figure 1: Copper Dome Project Map with Newly Acquired Copper Dome North

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About Copper Dome

Copper Dome is located in the lower Quesnel Trough porphyry belt, one of British Columbia’s most prolific mining districts. It directly adjoins Hudbay Minerals Inc.’s (TSX: HBM) producing Copper Mountain Mine to the north which hosts Proven and Probable Reserves of 702 million tonnes grading 0.24% Cu, 0.09 g/t Au, and 0.72 g/t Ag (hudbayminerals.com). Multiple mineralized zones have been identified across the Property, with historical drilling confirming high-grade copper associated with northeast-trending structures similar to those hosting mineralization at Copper Mountain.

The Project benefits from excellent infrastructure, enabling year-round access, cost-efficient exploration, and a stable, low-risk jurisdiction.

Historical Work Completed

  • Geophysics: 51 km of induced polarization (IP); airborne magnetic and electromagnetic (EM) coverage over ~50% of the Property
  • Sampling: 2,253 soils and 378 rocks collected
  • Drilling: 8,900+ m of diamond drilling
  • Trenching: Over 1 km excavated

With a five-year drill permit in place, the Company is focused on advancing the Project toward drill-ready target definition.

About Canada One

Canada One Mining Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on copper-the critical metal powering the global energy transition. The Company advances projects from discovery through resource definition with disciplined, data-driven exploration and responsible practices. Its flagship Copper Dome Project, located in the well-established Quesnel Trough Porphyry Belt, targets multiple porphyry copper-gold systems. Canada One aims to deliver sustainable growth and long-term value for shareholders and local communities.

Acknowledgement

Canada One acknowledges that Copper Dome is located within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Smelqmix People. We recognize and respect their cultural heritage and relationship to the land, honoring their past, present and future.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by David Mark, P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

Contact Us

For further information, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Company’s website at www.canadaonemining.com, or contact the Company by email at info@canadaonemining.com, or by phone at 1.877.844.4661.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Canada One Mining Corp.

Peter Berdusco
President
Chief Executive Officer
Interim Chief Financial Officer

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively ‘forward-looking statements’) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘possible’, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘could’, or ‘should’ occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: statements relating to the anticipated timing thereof and the intended use of proceeds. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the timing, completion and delivery of the referenced assessments and analysis. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

TSX Venture Exchange Disclaimer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Troy Minerals Achieves Key Milestone Toward Operational Mining License for Its Tsagaan Zalaa Silica Project, Mongolia

Troy Minerals Inc. (‘Troy’ or the ‘Company’) (CSE:TROY)(OTCQB:TROYF)(FSE:VJ3) is pleased to report that its subsidiary Grand Samsara Consulting LLC (‘Grand Samsara’) has successfully completed a key regulatory milestone in Mongolia – the official registration of its Tsagaan Zalaa Silica Project (‘Tsagaan Zalaa’ or the ‘Project’) in Dornogovi Province with the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of the Ministry of Industry and Natural Resources of Mongolia. This registration represents the most critical step in the multi-stage process leading to the issuance of an operational mining license.

The Tsagaan Zalaa project is located in Saikhandulaan soum, Dornogovi Province, in southeastern Mongolia (Figure 1). It is connected with a road to Sainshand, capital of the Dornogovi Province in the Eastern Gobi steppe, approximately 95 km to the east, located along the Trans-Mongolian Highway and Railway connecting Mongolia’s capital city of Ulaanbaatar with China. Sainshand is 200 kilometres from the Chinese border and serves as the local depot for silica and other mineral exports to China. Tsagaan Zalaa (Figure 2) is also situated only 18 km from the local community of Saikhandulaan soum(Figure 3) and covers an area of 1,670.28 hectares. The Project is strategically positioned to serve the growing regional demand for high-purity quartz silica (‘HPQ’). Massive high-purity quartz veins up to 5 metres in width (Figures 4 and 5) hosted by Upper-Middle Devonian sediments are exposed on surface across the Project. In February 2025, the Company announced the submission of the Mining License application, with today’s achievement marking the decisive regulatory confirmation needed to advance the Project toward the final operating approval.

‘To receive a Mine Operating License is a complex process, not only in Mongolia but all over the world, but the official approval of a Mining License application by the Mongolian ministerial authorities is the most important step in this. It represents a key milestone which underscores the Company’s commitment to advancing Tsagaan Zalaa towards production and transforming Troy into a cash-flowing entity,’ commented Yannis Tsitos, President of Troy Minerals. ‘We expect to complete the subsequent administrative steps, as outlined below, in the coming weeks and we target a full Mine Operating License by the end of Q4 2025 to Q1 2026.’

Figure 1. Location of the Tsagaan Zalaa Silica Project in Southern Mongolia

Figure 2. Tsagaan Zalaa Silica Project with Regional Geology on Satellite Photo

With its application referenced above, Grand Samsara provided to the authorities all historical and current technical, environmental, hydrogeological, community and archaeological data, studies and reports. Based on Mongolian authorities’ appointed independent experts opinion regarding the geological resources and the opinions of the established 15 council members, the meeting of the Mineral Resources Professional Council of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority decided to grant to Grand Samsara a Mining License in regard to HPQ mining activities.

Figure 3. The Community of Saikhandulaan soum, 18 km from the Project.

Next Steps

Grand Samsara is currently working in Mongolia on subsequent steps to conclude several administrative tasks and receive a Mine Operating License. Several steps already been completed, others to be concluded before December 2025. They include detailed technical and economic studies for the utilization and export of the mineral resources, a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment study, a local Government Agreement that includes an appropriate Corporate Social Responsibility (‘CSR’) plan, a Blasting Permit application, and land Quality Assurance plans. At the same time, Troy has commenced HPQ product offtake discussions that include metallurgical sampling by independent Chinese clients at their own laboratories. Following discussions with the relevant authorities, Troy is targeting a complete Mine Operating License before the end of 2025 or by early 2026 at the latest. *

Figure 4. Photo of a drill hole collar overlooking an outcropping massive quartz vein.

Figure 5. One of numerous outcropping massive quartz veins at Tsagaan Zalaa.

* Any production decision in advance of obtaining a NI 43-101 compliant feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability of the project is associated with increased uncertainty and risk of failure.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Case Lewis, P.Geo., a ‘Qualified Person’ as defined under NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a director of the Table Mountain Project vendor.

About Troy Minerals

Troy Minerals is a Canadian based publicly listed mining company focused on building shareholder value through acquisition, exploration, and development of strategically located ‘critical’ mineral assets. Troy is aggressively advancing its projects within the silica (silicon), scandium, vanadium, and rare earths industries within regions that exhibit high and growing demand for such commodities, in both North America (through the Table Mountain, the Lake Owen and the St. Jaques projects) and Central-East Asia (through the Tsagaan Zalaa project). The Company’s primary objective is the near-term prospect of production with a vision of becoming a cash-flowing mining company to deliver tangible monetary value to shareholders, state, and local communities.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Rana Vig | President and Director
Telephone: 604-218-4766
Email: rana@ranavig.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Troy Resources Inc. (the ‘Company’) expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include results of exploration activities may not show quality and quantity necessary for further exploration or future exploitation of minerals deposits, volatility of commodity prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, permitting and other approvals, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

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Barrick Sells Côte d’Ivoire Gold Mine to Atlantic Group

Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) has agreed to sell its stake in the Tongon gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire to Atlantic Group for as much as US$305 million, marking another strategic divestment as gold prices barrel toward record highs.

In a statement released Monday (October 6), Barrick said the deal includes an upfront cash payment of US$192 million, which incorporates repayment of a US$23 million shareholder loan within six months of closing. The remainder of US$113 million will be paid in contingent installments tied to gold prices over 2.5 years and resource conversions over the next five.

Barrick said proceeds from the sale would “further strengthen [its] balance sheet and support [its] commitment to continue to deliver returns to shareholders.” The company did not disclose how it would specifically allocate the funds but has previously emphasized its focus on debt reduction and high-return projects.

Atlantic Group, the buyer, is a privately held conglomerate founded 48 years ago by an Ivorian entrepreneur. The company operates across 15 African countries with investments spanning agriculture, industry, and financial services.

Through the acquisition, it will take over Barrick’s interests in two Ivorian subsidiaries that own Tongon and nearby exploration permits.

Barrick described the deal as a transition to “local stewardship” that preserves Tongon’s record of community investment and operational excellence.

Located in northern Côte d’Ivoire, the Tongon gold mine began production in 2010 and has contributed more than US$2 billion to the national economy. Originally slated for closure in 2020, its life was extended after successful exploration campaigns.

The announcement comes at a time of extraordinary strength in gold markets. On the same day of the announcement, spot gold traded at around US$3,960 per troy ounce, up nearly 2 percent on the day and setting fresh all-time highs.

Prices have risen more than 50 percent since the start of the year, fueled by investor demand for safe havens amid persistent global uncertainty and growing expectations of additional US interest rate cuts.

According to futures data cited by market sources, traders now assign over a 90 percent probability that the Federal Reserve will cut rates again in its next meeting—a development that has historically supported gold by weakening the dollar and lowering bond yields.

Analysts also point to mounting concerns about sovereign debt sustainability worldwide as adding a “premium” to precious metals.

Gold’s rally has been swift. Less than seven months ago, prices crossed US$3,000 for the first time in history. Now, with US$4,000 in sight, some analysts suggest the momentum reflects both a weakening macroeconomic backdrop and a broader reallocation toward hard assets.

For Barrick, the timing of the Tongon sale may prove opportune. The company has spent recent years streamlining its portfolio, shedding non-core assets and focusing on larger, longer-life mines in its global pipeline.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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