Monthly Archives

January 2026

US may be involved in Venezuela for years, Trump says

by admin January 8, 2026

President Donald Trump predicted that U.S. involvement with Venezuela could be a years-long venture, rather than a short-term one.

In the early hours of Saturday, U.S. forces arrested dictator Nicolás Maduro in a daring overnight operation. Trump announced the move in a Truth Social post, saying that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been ‘captured and flown out of the country’ after the U.S. ‘carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela.’

Following the operation in Venezuela, Trump said the U.S. would ‘run’ the South American nation, without going into details about what that would entail.

‘We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,’ Trump said.

The president told The New York Times on Wednesday that he anticipated the U.S. would be running Venezuela and extracting oil from its reserves for years following the historic operation that ended with the arrest of Maduro. The deposition of Maduro sparked conversations about control over Venezuela’s oil. Venezuela holds more than 300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, nearly quadruple those of the U.S.

Trump announced on Tuesday that Venezuela would be turning over between 30 million and 50 million barrels of ‘high-quality,’ sanctioned oil to the U.S. He said the oil will be sold at market price, and he will control the proceeds to ensure it is ‘used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!’ The president also added that the oil would be transported directly to unloading docks in the U.S. via storage ships.

When asked by the Times about how long the U.S. would retain political oversight of Venezuela, Trump said it would be ‘much longer’ than six months or even a year, though he did not give a specific timeline. Additionally, Trump told the Times that the interim Venezuelan government — which is full of Maduro loyalists — was ‘giving us everything that we feel is necessary.’

When speaking with the Times, the president did not explain why the U.S. recognized Maduro’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s new leader instead of backing opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado. The Times reported that Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rodríguez speak ‘all the time.’

‘I will tell you that we are in constant communication with her and the administration,’ Trump told the Times.

Notably, Trump did not give a timeline for when Venezuela would hold elections.

The Times pointed out that from the late 1950s until Hugo Chavez took power in 1999, Venezuela had a history of democratic elections. After Chavez died in 2013, Maduro took his place and eventually won the subsequent election. He ruled Venezuela until he was deposed on Jan. 3, 2026.

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January 8, 2026

Politics

Senate Republicans push to deport, denaturalize fraudsters amid Minnesota scandal

by admin January 8, 2026

A cohort of Senate Republicans wants to ensure that both illegal immigrants and naturalized U.S. citizens who are convicted of fraud are booted from the country.

The lawmakers, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., are pushing new legislation that would modify an existing, decades-old law that underpins immigration policy in the country to either deport or revoke the citizenship of convicted fraudsters.

Their bill, the Fraud Accountability Act, comes on the heels of the ever unfolding Minnesota fraud scandal, where federal prosecutors estimate that up to $9 billion in taxpayer money was stolen through a network of fraudulent fronts posing as daycare centers, food programs and health clinics, among others.

‘Anyone who comes to the United States and steals from American taxpayers by committing fraud should be deported,’ Blackburn said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

‘The fraud schemes we have seen in Minnesota and across the country are a betrayal of hardworking American taxpayers, and individuals like the Somali scammers in Minnesota should be subject to both deportation and denaturalization for these crimes,’ she continued. ‘The Fraud Accountability Act would hold these criminals accountable for robbing American taxpayers.’

The situation in Minnesota has become a hot topic on Capitol Hill since lawmakers returned for the new year and the start of a new legislative session this week. In its wake, it torched the political career of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who lawmakers say oversaw the alleged multibillion-dollar scandal.

The legislation would modify the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a law enacted in the 1950s that governs the country’s immigration policies, including visas, green cards, and citizenship, among several other enforcement matters.

Tweaks to the INA would include making any fraud conviction a deportable offense for noncitizens, mandatory detention of noncitizens convicted of fraud while deportation proceedings are ongoing, and would require automatic denaturalization of naturalized U.S. citizens convicted of fraud.

Notably, the legislation would allow for deportation for fraud convictions at any dollar amount; current law dictates that removal only kicks in if the amount hits $10,000 or higher. It would also effectively allow any court to handle denaturalization proceedings.

There is also a retroactivity clause, which stretches the denaturalization process for fraud committed on or after Sept. 30, 1996.

Blackburn is joined by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in the Senate, while a House version of the bill will be introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga.

Cornyn introduced a similar bill geared toward deporting illegal immigrants, specifically for deadly drunken driving incidents, on Wednesday.

‘The rampant and unprecedented fraud uncovered in Minnesota involving Somali-run childcare centers and nonprofits is unconscionable, and Governor Walz’s complete deflection of any responsibility for this massive theft of U.S. taxpayer dollars under his watch is cowardly but unsurprising,’ Cornyn said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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January 8, 2026

Investing

Copper Price Hits All‑time High on Supply Constraints and Trade Fears

by admin January 8, 2026

The copper price climbed to a fresh record on Tuesday (January 6), with persistent supply disruptions and trade uncertainty pushing the metal to a nearly 30 percent rally since October.

Benchmark three month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose as much as 3.1 percent in early trading to an all‑time high of US$13,387.50 per metric ton before settling slightly lower, but still above US$13,200.

The jump marks another milestone in a rally that first saw copper breach US$12,000 late in December last year.

Copper is widely used across the industrial economy, from construction and power infrastructure to electric vehicles and data centers that support artificial intelligence growth. Analysts attribute the gains to a combination of production setbacks at major mines and heightened concerns that prospective US trade tariffs could further disrupt flows.

Large copper-mining operations such as Freeport-McMoRan’s (NYSE:FCX) Grasberg complex in Indonesia have faced challenges since last year, while a strike at Capstone Copper’s (TSX:CS,ASX:CSC,OTC Pink:CSCCF) Mantoverde mine in Chile has reduced output prospects in one of the world’s top copper‑producing nations.

The threat of new tariffs under the Trump administration has also shaped expectations. Traders have moved to ship refined copper into the US ahead of any potential levies, tightening supply elsewhere. Furthermore, data show copper stocks in Comex warehouses have jumped to more than 450,000 metric tons, well above last year’s levels.

Copper outlook for 2026

Market watchers expect many of the forces that drove copper through 2025 to persist.

Supply constraints are expected to remain acute this year as aging mines and capacity shortfalls weigh on availability. New projects such as Arizona Sonoran Copper Company’s (TSX:ASCU,OTCQX:ASCUF) Cactus project and the long‑anticipated Resolution mine in the US are still years from significant output.

Copper demand is projected to grow as the global energy transition accelerates.

“A huge amount of this tightness has to do with US tariff concerns,” she said.

China, the world’s largest copper consumer, is also shaping the outlook. Despite weakness in its property sector, the country posted economic growth and is expected to prioritize copper‑intensive sectors under its new five year plan.

Longer‑term projections from industry groups suggest structural demand growth will outpace supply additions.

A UN report estimates that copper demand could rise 40 percent by 2040, requiring substantial investment and new mines just to keep pace. Likewise, Wood Mackenzie forecasts that copper demand will increase 24 percent by 2035, while the International Copper Study Group predicts a refined copper deficit of 150,000 metric tons in 2026 alone.

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

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January 8, 2026

Investing

Alain Corbani: Gold to Hit US$5,000 Near Term, What About Silver?

by admin January 8, 2026

Alain Corbani, head of mining at Montbleu Finance and manager of the Global Gold and Precious Fund, sees the gold price reaching US$5,000 per ounce in the near term.

He sees real interest rates and the US dollar as the key factors to watch, but noted that other elements are also adding tailwinds.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

January 8, 2026

Politics

JONATHAN TURLEY: Impeachment obsession returns as Democrats recycle lawfare to fire up their base

by admin January 7, 2026

‘Are You Not Entertained?’ With the country’s economy improving and other issues losing traction with the public, Democrats are increasingly turning to the one thing lacking in Washington: impeachment.

As they work to take back the House in the midterms, Democrats are again promising voters the equivalent of the Roman Games by restarting impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. For many liberal voters, impeachment has become the thrilling cage match of lawfare.

Facing a challenger on the left in New York, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., was the latest to dangle impeachment before his constituents. He insisted that Trump can be removed for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The same people who introduced what I called an abusive ‘snap impeachment’ against Trump are now suggesting that he can be impeached for an act that was previously upheld as lawful in the courts.

According to Goldman, the operation constitutes an undeclared war and is thus impeachable.

The professed shock over the operation is nothing short of comical from leaders who said nothing when Democratic presidents engaged in similar actions.

There were no widespread calls for impeachment when President Bill Clinton attacked Bosnia or President Barack Obama attacked Libya. In the latter case, I represented several members of Congress to challenge the undeclared war in Libya. Obama, like Trump, dismissed any need to get congressional approval before attacking the capital city of a foreign nation and military sites to force regime change. Figures like then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were lionized for their tough action in Libya.

Democratic members have combined a lack of memory with an equally startling lack of knowledge. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., declared on national television that ‘the Constitution does not give the president the right to initiate military action.’ It is, of course, entirely untrue.

Presidents cannot declare war under the Constitution, but they can certainly order the use of military forces without such a declaration. Kaine did not appear aggrieved when Democratic presidents repeatedly and routinely attacked foreign targets without prior congressional consultation, let alone approval. That includes President Barack Obama killing an American citizen who was not charged with any crime in a drone attack under his ‘kill list’ policy.

Moreover, some House and Senate Democrats have stated that they either support or do not object to the capture.

I have long opposed undeclared wars and such unilateral actions. However, as a legal analyst, I am asked whether a president has the legal authority under governing case law to carry out such operations. Trump has that authority. We lost the Libyan case, and other challenges to such unilateral action have also failed.

This includes the litigation surrounding the capture and prosecution of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. That also involved an attack on a foreign country. Indeed, it was a larger military operation that took days on the ground to capture Noriega, followed by regime change.

Noriega raised the same international and U.S. authorities being cited today by pundits and lost across the board. In appeals that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Noriega lost on his head-of-state immunity and other claims.

If there are grounds for such claims, Maduro is even less credible in making them. Roughly 50 countries refused to recognize him as the head of Venezuela after he lost the last election and seized control of the country. While he proclaimed in court this week that ‘I am still president of my country,’ he has about the same claim to that office as Rep. Goldman.

There are good-faith objections to such military attacks on foreign countries under international law. This is a claim that other nations, such as China or Russia, could use to justify their own actions. However, this is a matter that will be resolved under U.S. law. While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum declared that the action violated Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, it will be Article II of the U.S. Constitution that will dictate the outcome of this case.

Now, back to the impeachment games.

Goldman and others are suggesting that they will impeach President Trump for a capture that is virtually identical to the one involving Noriega and was declared lawful by the courts. Even putting aside the criminal prosecution, they would impeach him for attacks that are legally no different from those carried out by a long list of presidents, including Democratic presidents over the last two decades.

Neither history nor the Constitution matters in the impeachment games.

In the movie ‘Gladiator,’ Emperor Commodus noted to the game organizer that the recreation of the Battle of Carthage seemed to get the conclusion wrong when the barbarians won: ‘My history’s a little hazy, Cassius, but shouldn’t the barbarians lose the Battle of Carthage?’ He then said that it did not matter. After all, these are the games, and ‘I rather enjoy surprises.’

The impulsive use of impeachment is about good entertainment, not good government. For politicians fighting to stay in power like Goldman, a flash impeachment is the same call to the mob.

To paraphrase Senator Gracchus from the movie, ‘I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they’ll be distracted. … The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate, it’s the sand of the Colosseum. He’ll bring them [impeachments], and they will love him for it.’

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January 7, 2026

Politics

Rep LaMalfa’s death further shrinks Republican House majority

by admin January 7, 2026

The death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., has shrunk the Republican majority in the House of Representatives to the minimum of 218 seats, presenting fresh challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson as the party heads into an election year.

LaMalfa, 65, died suddenly on Tuesday during an emergency surgery. He was a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a reliable vote for Johnson’s priorities. His death means Johnson can only lose two Republican votes and still pass legislation along party lines.

Trump rallied behind Johnson during a retreat for House GOP lawmakers at the Trump-Kennedy Center on Tuesday.

‘A lot of times they’ll say, ‘I wish Mike were tougher,’’ Trump told assembled Republicans. ‘He’s tough. He’s tough as anybody in the room, actually. But can’t be tough when you have a majority of three, and now sadly, a little bit less than that.’

LaMalfa’s death landed on the same day that Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation went into effect. The now-former Georgia congresswoman’s seat won’t be filled until a March 10 special election. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is required by state law to hold an election for LaMalfa’s seat within the next two weeks.

Democrats are also poised to refill their ranks in the coming weeks, however. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died in March and an election to fill his seat is scheduled for the end of January. Likewise, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., was elected governor of her state in November. Her seat is set to be filled in a special election in April.

Trump dedicated his Tuesday address to LaMalfa, saying he had considered canceling the speech to Republican lawmakers.

‘I spoke to Doug, but I didn’t speak to him, you know? I mean, we never had a problem. I was really saddened by his passing and was thinking about not even doing the speech in his honor,’ Trump said. ‘But then I decided that I have to do it in his honor. I’ll do it in his honor because he would’ve wanted it that way.’

‘He would’ve said, ‘Do that speech! Are you kidding me? Do the speech,” he continued. ‘He was a fantastic person. Man, that was a quick one. I don’t know quite yet what happened, but boy is that a tough one. He was just with us. He was our friend. All of us, every one of us.’

LaMalfa was known as a champion of conservative causes as well as a kind man to both reporters and his fellow House lawmakers.

The congressman represented the 1st Congressional District in Northern California and was chair of the Congressional Western Caucus.

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January 7, 2026

Investing

Prismo Metals Announces Assay & IP Survey Results at Silver King

by admin January 7, 2026

(TheNewswire)

Crown Porphyry-Stockwork Drill Targets Confirmed

Vancouver, British Columbia, January 7th, 2026 TheNewswire Prismo Metals Inc. (‘Prismo’ or the ‘Company’) (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) (OTCQB: PMOMF) is pleased to announce it has received final assay results for samples taken at the Silver King Project from the Crown porphyry target area located on the east side of the property (Fig. 1).

Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Crown porphyry and stockwork and Black Diamond replacement exploration targets at the Silver King project. Claim boundaries are shown in yellow.

Overlimit silver assays have been received for the samples taken in late 2025, showing high grade silver mineralization associated with quartz-sulfide veins hosted by the Crown porphyry (Fig 2, Table 1). These assays provide evidence for a high-priority drill target, especially when taken in conjunction with the high gold assays reported previously for the stockwork intrusion (see the News Release of Dec. 3, 2025).

‘Prismo optioned Silver King with existing drill targets around the historically significant high-grade silver mine. Based on the geology and its location in a well mineralized region, we believed that additional mineralization was also likely present. Our work in the second half of 2025 indicates that we were correct, and we now have exceptional drill targets at the Crown porphyry and adjacent Black Diamond replacement areas,’ stated Craig Gibson, Chief Exploration Officer of the Company. He added, ‘With the high-grade gold assays reported in December and the copper assays at the Black Diamond replacement, we now have a very significant precious-metal and copper target at Silver King similar to other areas in this well mineralized district that includes the Magma mine and the Resolution copper deposit.’

‘These additional assay results along with the IP survey information continue to enhance and support our exploration thesis of the Silver King mine and surrounding areas,’ stated Gordon Aldcorn. ‘This modern-day review has yielded additional drill targets and prospective structures to our program in this already very strategically located project.’

Table 1. Assay results for selected samples from the Crown porphyry stockwork

Sample	Location	Easting	Northing	Width m	Au g/t	Ag g/t	Cu %	Pb %	Zn %
544559	Crown porphyry	492681	3687905	0.5 m	0.02	18.91	0.02	0.07	0.04
544561	Crown porphyry	492673	3687904	2 m	0.02	177	0.07	0.37	0.02
544563	Crown porphyry	492613	3687848	0.5m	0.03	176	–	0.09	0.01
544591*	Crown porphyry	492799	3687851	1.0	5.19	46.44	0.05	0.21	0.06
544592*	Crown porphyry	492793	3687823	1.0	4.06	13.97	0.02	0.10	0.07

*Assays previously released in News Release of December 3, 2025.

Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 2. Precious metal and copper assays from the Crown porphyry
and the Black Diamond replacement body at the Silver King Project.

IP Survey

The Company also completed a pole-dipole IP survey over a part of the Silver King project in December 2025. This survey was designed to provide some additional 3-dimensional data for areas identified during the initial gradient array survey (see News Release dated December 3, 2025). This new survey confirmed the presence of important chargeability and resistivity anomalies at the Silver King project. The Silver King silver mine appears to be associated with a large low resistivity anomaly located on the contact of the Silver King diorite porphyry (Fig 3). There is also low resistivity anomalies associated with the Crown porphyry and near the replacement mineralization at Black Diamond (Fig 3). The highest chargeability anomalies appear to be associated with the altered country rocks along intrusive contacts, but a chargeability high is also associated with the Crown porphyry stockwork intrusion. The anomaly associated with the Crown porphyry is particularly interesting and can be traced from shallow levels to about 300 meters in depth.

Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 3. IP resistivity map at a depth of 75 meters, overlain on geology and showing the Silver King glory hole (black line), Black Diamond replacement body in red, and the Crown porphyry-stockwork in magenta.

Click Image To View Full Size

Figure 4. IP chargeability at a depth of 75 meters, overlain on geology and showing the Silver King glory hole (black line), Black Diamond replacement body in red, and the Crown porphyry-stockwork in magenta.

Drilling Update

Alain Lambert, CEO of Prismo commented: ‘The results announced today confirm the vast exploration potential at Silver King. While we look forward to drilling these new targets in the future, our plans remain unchanged. Our immediate priority is to undertake our fully funded drill program, as previously announced. This drill campaign will primarily focus on the historic Silver King mine site and will be about 2,000 meters. The objective is to test the upper half of the steeply dipping pipelike Silver King mineralized body as well as potential mineralization adjacent to the dense stockwork that was the focus of historic mining.’

Mr. Lambert added: ‘We are pleased with the steady progress on the permitting front. The collaboration of Forest Service officials demonstrates a clear commitment to supporting mining activities in Arizona.’

Prismo recently announced that the Forest Service, the federal surface land management entity for Silver King, had determined that the Company’s proposed drill plan meets the regulatory requirements for processing, and that such plan is complete, as described in the regulations at 36 CFR 228.4(c).

The Forest Service is currently proceeding with the environmental analysis pursuant to 36 CFR 228(a)(5) in conformity with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This analysis is proceeding as a Categorical Exclusion, the lowest level of environment reviews applicable to projects that are not expected to have a significant effect on the environment, such as Silver King.

QA/QC

Samples were analyzed by SGS, an internationally recognized analytical lab, with preparation at the Tempe, Arizona facility and analyses at the Burnaby laboratory. Prismo inserts controls samples consisting of a standard pulps and a coarse blanks in the sample stream, and the lab also inserts control samples.

Qualified Person

Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and Chief Exploration Officer and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

About Prismo Metals Inc.

Prismo (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) is a mining exploration company focused on advancing its Silver King, Ripsey and Hot Breccia projects in Arizona and its Palos Verdes silver project in Mexico.

Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube

Prismo Metals Inc.

1100 – 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6 Phone: (416) 361-0737

Contact:

Alain Lambert, Chief Executive Officer alain.lambert@prismometals.com

Gordon Aldcorn, President gordon.aldcorn@prismometals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘intends’ or ‘anticipates’, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘would’ or ‘occur’. This information and these statements, referred to herein as ‘forward-looking statements’, are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management’s expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the timing, costs and results of drilling at Silver King; and the intended use of any proceeds raised under recent financings.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the potential inability of the Company to utilize the anticipated proceeds of the Private Placement as anticipated; and those risks set out in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.com) under the Company’s issuer profile.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will use the proceeds of the Second Tranche as currently anticipated and on the timeline currently expected.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward- looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward- looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

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January 7, 2026

Investing

LAURION Intersects High-Grade Gold, Silver and Zinc at Ishkoday A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone, Confirming Structural Continuity Along Mineralized Corridor

by admin January 7, 2026

(TheNewswire)

Anchors to:

Drill hole LBX25-095

3.50 m@ 1.40 g/t Au and 2.30% Zn (162.50 m to 166.00 m)

including:

0.70 m @ 5.97 g/t Au,18.4 g/t Ag and 10.8% Zn.

4.50 m@ 2.00 g/t Au, 5.75 g/t Ag and 1.22% Zn(188.00 m to 192.50 m),

including:

0.50 m @ 3.30 g/t Au,17.8 g/t Ag and 6.84% Zn (188.00 m to 188.50 m),
2.40 m @ 3.00 g/t Au and 0.78% Zn (190.10 m to 192.50 m), and
0.55 m @ 12.15 g/t Au, 16.1 g/t Ag and 2.66% Zn (191.10 m to 192.50 m).

Drill hole LBX25-096

3.85 m @ 1.92 g/t Au and 0.13% Zn (38.70 m to 42.55 m),
including:

0.60 m @ 2.78 g/t Au, 6.30 g/t Ag and 0.62% Zn (40.60 m to 41.20 m), and
55 m @ 9.59 g/t Au, 5.50 g/t Ag and 0.11% Zn (42.00 m to 42.55 m).

TORONTO, ONTARIO (January 7, 2026) – TheNewswire – LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTC: LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) (‘LAURION’ or the ‘Corporation’) is very pleased to report assay results of the first two drill holes from recent diamond drilling at the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone at the Ishkōday Project, located in the Beardmore–Geraldton Greenstone Belt of north-western Ontario, approximately 220 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

The current drill program focuses on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone, a structurally controlled gold-base metal corridor where historic drilling, surface work, and more recent LAURION drilling demonstrate repeated gold, silver, zinc, and copper mineralization along strike and at depth.

‘These results reinforce what we have been methodically building at Ishkōday — a structurally controlled gold-zinc system with repeated mineralization along a coherent corridor,‘ stated Cynthia Le Sueur Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. ‘The combination of higher-grade intervals within broader mineralized zones, supported by both historic and recent drilling, gives us confidence that our targeting approach is working as intended. As we continue drilling, our focus remains on understanding continuity, structure, and scale.’

Drill hole LBX25-095 was designed to test a segment of the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone structural corridor supported by proximal historic drill holes 90-41 and 90-49, as well as modern LAURION drill holes LBX20-021 and LBX20-017. Historic drill hole 90-41 intersected multiple gold-bearing intervals at various depths, including 0.55 m grading 3.69 g/t Au and 1.70% Zn, 0.55 m grading 11.88 g/t Au, 8.0 g/t Ag and 8.6% Zn, and deeper intersections including 0.91 m grading 1.63 g/t Au,16.0 g/t Ag, 0.16% Cu and 6.7% Zn, 0.66 m grading 2.12 g/t Au, 14.0 g/t Ag and 10.3% Zn, and 5.36 m grading 0.44 g/t Au, 6.16 g/t Ag and 4.28% Zn (Orient Resources Inc., Sturgeon River Property Diamond Drill Program Report, Claude Larouche, 1990). Nearby historic drill hole 90-49 returned 0.31 m grading 3.87 g/t Au and 1.73 m grading 3.46 g/t Au, 20.36 g/t Ag and 3.72% Zn (Orient Resources Inc., Claude Larouche, 1990). More recent drilling confirmed continuity of mineralization within the same corridor, including 14.08 m grading 0.89 g/t Au in drill hole LBX20-021 and additional gold-silver intervals in LBX20-017 (LAURION press release dated July 28, 2020).

Drill hole LBX25-095 intersected multiple gold-and-zinc-bearing intervals hosted within sheared and altered volcanic rocks consistent with the main A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone geological framework.

Reported assay results include 2.60 m grading 1.84 g/t Au from 27.40 to 30.00 m, including 0.60 m grading 7.25 g/t Au, 1.00 m grading 1.02 g/t Au from 45.30 to 46.30 m, and several broader intervals of lower-grade gold with elevated zinc.

A mid-depth mineralized zone returned 3.50 m grading 1.40 g/t Au and 2.30% Zn from 162.50 to 166.00 m, including a higher-grade interval of 0.70 m grading 5.97 g/t Au, 18.4 g/t Ag, 0.22% Cu and 10.8% Zn from 163.05 to 163.75 m.

Deeper in the hole, drilling intersected 4.50 m grading 2.00 g/t Au, 5.75 g/t Ag and 1.22% Zn from 188.00 to 192.50 m, including 0.50 m grading 3.30 g/t Au,17.8 g/t Ag and 6.84% Zn, 2.40 m grading 3.00 g/t Au, and 0.55 m grading 12.15 g/t Au,16.1 g/t Ag and 2.66% Zn.

Drill hole LBX25-096, located approximately 52 metres east of LBX25-095, was designed to test the eastern continuation of the same structurally controlled mineralized corridor. Targeting for LBX25-096 was informed by proximal drill holes LBX12-006, LBX20-020, and LBX22-089, which intersected gold-bearing mineralization within the same stratigraphic and structural package. Notably, drill hole LBX20-020 returned broad gold-bearing intervals including 6.86 m grading 0.47 g/t Au and 10.84 m grading 0.48 g/t Au, demonstrating mineralized width and continuity and supporting step-out drilling to the east (LAURION press release dated July 28, 2020). Drill hole LBX25-096 subsequently intersected multiple gold-bearing intervals within this corridor, including 3.85 m from 38.70 m to 42.55 m grading 1.92 g/t Au, including a higher-grade interval of 0.55 m from 42.00 m to 42.55 m grading 9.59 g/t Au, and a shallow interval of 1.15 m from 8.35 m to 9.50 m grading 2.14 g/t Au, including 0.50 m from 9.00 m to 9.50 m grading 4.76 g/t Au.

Gold mineralization at Ishkōday occurs within an orogenic gold framework and is commonly accompanied by silver, consistent with orogenic systems globally. In addition, localized enrichment in silver and base metals reflects polymetallic mineralizing events that are overprinted and locally modified by the orogenic gold event. These observations align with structural and geochemical interpretations supporting a multi-phase mineralizing history, as outlined in the Keaton Strongman Report 2024 on the Ishkōday: Ancestral structural controls between Archean epithermal and orogenic gold mineralization.

TABLE Of ASSAYS FOR DRILL HOLES LBX25-095 AND LBX25-096

Hole ID	From (m)	To (m)	Core Length (m)	Au (g/t)	Ag (g/t)	Zn (%)
LBX25-095	27.40	30.00	2.60	1.84	0.45	0.02
including	27.90	28.50	0.60	7.25	1.10	–
LBX25-095	45.30	46.30	1.00	1.02	0.25	0.15
LBX25-095	91.25	95.25	4.00	0.11	0.25	0.01
LBX25-095	132.10	132.60	0.50	0.27	1.40	1.27
LBX25-095	135.20	135.70	0.50	0.53	6.10	0.24
LBX25-095	141.00	141.60	0.50	0.13	1.00	0.13
LBX25-095	143.80	147.80	4.00	0.12	1.71	0.17
LBX25-095	145.00	147.80	2.80	0.14	2.16	0.21
LBX25-095	162.50	166.00	3.50	1.40	4.27	2.30
Including	163.05	163.75	0.70	5.97	18.40	10.80
LBX25-095	167.20	169.35	2.15	0.21	1.36	0.18
LBX25-095	188.00	192.50	4.50	2.00	5.75	1.22
Including	188.00	188.50	0.50	3.30	17.80	6.84
Including	190.10	192.50	2.40	3.00	4.80	0.78
Including	191.1	192.50	0.55	12.15	16.10	2.66
LBX25-096	8.35	9.50	1.15	2.14	5.18	0.61
Including	9.00	9.50	0.50	4.76	8.40	1.35
LBX25-096	10.90	11.40	0.50	0.52	0.70	0.02
LBX25-096	35.75	36.25	0.50	0.31	1.70	0.02
LBX25-096	38.70	42.55	3.85	1.92	2.41	0.13
Including	40.60	41.20	0.60	2.78	6.30	0.62
Including	42.00	42.55	0.55	9.59	5.50	0.11
LBX25-096	98.20	98.70	0.50	0.47	1.80	0.03
LBX25-096	106.80	108.50	1.70	1.19	1.49	0.07
Including	106.80	107.30	0.50	3.14	2.20	0.07
LBX25-096	118.70	121.60	2.90	0.28	3.65	1.41
Including	118.70	119.20	0.50	0.90	14.90	8.18
LBX25-096	129.60	130.10	0.50	2.22	10.10	3.05

Name	Elevation	Azimuth	Dip	Easting	Northing	Depth (m)
LBX25-095	332.5	124	-47	446115.3	5512416	201
LBX25-096	331.4	125	-45	446168	5512429	168
TOTAL						369

Mineralization on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone is interpreted to be controlled by the interaction of north–south-trending quartz-gold extensional veins and northeast–southwest-trending sulphide-rich shear veins. Reactivation of earlier sulphide zones during later deformation, locally associated with magnetite-rich assemblages, provides a structural framework that explains repeated gold enrichment, localized grade enhancement within wider base metal envelopes, and strong strike continuity beneath cover.

The current drilling on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone has focused on refining LAURION’s understanding of the geometry, continuity, and structural controls of the mineralized system. Ongoing work by the LAURION’s technical team and independent consultants is centred on consolidating historical and modern drilling, validating geological interpretations, and strengthening the 3D structural framework. This work is intended to ensure that any future technical milestones are based on a robust, well-constrained geological model, while preserving strategic flexibility as the Ishkōday Project continues to evolve.

Sampling and QA/QC Protocols

All drill core is transported and stored inside the core facility located at the Ishkōday Project in Greenstone, Ontario. LAURION employs an industry standard system of external standards, blanks and duplicates for all of its sampling, in addition to the QA/QC protocol employed by the laboratory. After logging, core samples were identified and then cut in half along core axis in the same building and then zip tied individually in plastic sample bags with a bar code. Approximately five or six of these individual bags were then stacked into a ‘rice’ white material bag and stored on a skid for final shipment to the laboratory.

All core samples were shipped to the ALS facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario, which were then prepared by ALS Global Geochemistry in Thunder Bay and analyzed by ALS Global Analytical Lab in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Samples are processed by 4-acid digestion and analyzed by fire assay on 50 g pulps and ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy). Over limit analyses are reprocessed with gravimetric finish.

A total of 5% blanks and 5% standard are inserted randomly within all samples. 5% of the best assay result pulps were sent for re-assays. All QA/QC were verified, and no contamination or bias have been observed. The remaining half of the core, as well as the unsampled core, is stored in temporary core racks at the core logging facility in Beardmore and moved to the core storage facility at the Ishkōday Project.

Note: QA/QC review of standards and duplicates indicates analytical results are reliable. One zinc standard adjacent to a high-grade zinc interval returned elevated values consistent with expected analytical behaviour following high-grade samples.

Qualified Person

The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Jean-Philippe Paiement, P.Geo, MSc, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

The Corporation is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSXV under the symbol LME and on the OTCPINK under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 278,716,413 outstanding shares, of which approximately 73.6% are owned and controlled by insiders who are eligible investors under the ‘Friends and Family’ categories.

LAURION’s emphasis is on the exploration and development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 57 km2 Ishkōday Project, and its gold-rich polymetallic mineralization.

LAURION’s chief priority remains maximizing shareholder value. A large portion of the Corporation’s focus in this regard falls within the scope of its mineral exploration activities and more specifically, advancing the Ishkōday Project. A consequence of LAURION’s success and advancement over the past several years is that the Corporation has become positioned as an acquisition target for appropriate potential acquirors. Accordingly, the Corporation’s Board of Directors is aware that possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities may arise and/or could be procured in the short or medium terms. The Corporation will promptly issue a press release if any material change occurs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO

Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256

Douglas Vass – Investor Relations Consultant

Email: info@laurion.ca

Website: http://www.LAURION.ca

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation’s current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Corporation’s ability to advance the Ishkōday Project, the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Corporation’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 2026 and beyond, including the Corporation’s diamond drill program described in this press release and the Corporation’s other planned activities for the Ishkōday Project for the remainder of 2026, and the statements regarding the Corporation’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced herein on the Corporation or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Corporation to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. All sample values are from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in this press release.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

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January 7, 2026

Politics

Trump rallies House GOP at Kennedy Center days after Maduro capture

by admin January 6, 2026

President Donald Trump is set to huddle with House Republicans on Tuesday morning, days after the U.S. government executed strikes in Venezuela and captured the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro.

Trump will address GOP lawmakers at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, multiple sources told Fox News Digital.

A White House schedule released late on Monday said Trump will speak around 10 a.m., and that his remarks will be streamed live.

House Republicans will be at the Trump Kennedy Center for an all-day policy forum Tuesday aimed at discussing their agenda for 2026, according to an email obtained by Fox News Digital.

It comes the day House lawmakers return from a two-week recess for the end-of-year holiday period.

Part of the day’s agenda was meant to include remarks by Trump to rally Republicans around their legislative priorities, but three sources told Fox News Digital they anticipate Venezuela will be a focus of the day as well.

‘My guess is he does 30 minutes on Venezuela and five on policy,’ one House GOP source told Fox News Digital.

Another source told Fox News Digital, ‘I would expect him to give a pretty typical rally-type speech … but who knows.’

That source expressed frustration that Republicans were waiting ‘until we get back to work to strategize.’

Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., also said he expected Trump’s remarks to focus heavily on Venezuela.

‘I think the president is going to walk through not only the justification he had for it, which is the court of law in the United States, but also the fact that, how legitimate is a country if the… Canadians, the [European Union], and the United States, no one recognizes this guy? The only people who recognize him are our enemies,’ the Florida Republican said.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, for his Senate seat, said he anticipated Trump to discuss November’s elections as well.

Asked what he thought he’d hear from the president, Hunt told Fox News Digital he could see Trump discussing ‘the successes of the administration, how important it’s been, what happened in Caracas a couple of days ago…codifying his agenda, and winning the midterms.’

‘I think we’re going to hear a lot of that,’ Hunt said.

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January 6, 2026

Politics

Toppling Maduro was easy — governing Venezuela could trap US for years

by admin January 6, 2026

President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will temporarily ‘run’ Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro may prove to be a defining moment for the Western Hemisphere — either a disciplined effort to restore regional stability or the opening chapter of an avoidable, open-ended entanglement.

At his Mar-a-Lago press conference on Saturday, the president stated plainly, ‘We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.’ He added that members of his national security team standing behind him would oversee the effort and did not rule out ‘boots on the ground.’ Hours later, speaking aboard Air Force One, he sharpened the message further: ‘We’re going to run it, fix it.’

The strategic logic is easy to understand. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves and has become a hub for narcotics trafficking, corruption and malign outside influence. The administration’s December 2025 National Security Strategy explicitly embraces what it calls a ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine — pledging to deny non-hemispheric competitors such as China, Russia and Iran control over strategically vital assets in the Americas. In that framework, Venezuela is not merely a humanitarian tragedy; it is a test case.

But this is precisely where experience should sober ambition.

The first problem: Who is actually in charge?

A central contradiction now confronts Washington. How does the United States ‘run’ Venezuela when its constitutionally designated vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has already been sworn in domestically as interim president following Maduro’s removal?

Rodríguez’s claim to authority — backed by Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice and regime-loyal institutions — is rejected by Washington as illegitimate. Yet in practical terms, ministries, security forces and regional authorities inside Venezuela remain staffed by officials loyal to the old system. That means the United States is not governing Venezuela in name, law or day-to-day administration — even as presidential rhetoric suggests otherwise.

This disconnect between declared authority and actual control is where post-conflict operations often fail.

Lessons written in blood: Iraq and the cost of improvisation

I learned that lesson firsthand. In 2002 and 2003, I served as a member of then–Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Military Analyst Group. We were given extensive access — briefings, travel and candid discussions with officials planning both the Iraq invasion and what would follow.

In early 2003, several of us met with retired officers outlining postwar governance plans. We asked basic but essential questions: Who would secure ministries? How would local governance function? How would electricity, water and fuel distribution be restored? The answers were often vague, more aspirational than operational.

After the invasion, I visited Baghdad and met with Coalition Provisional Authority officials under Ambassador Paul Bremer. Again, the gaps were obvious. We had removed a regime but had not built the machinery needed to prevent the vacuum that follows.

One decision still echoes: the CPA’s order dissolving Iraq’s security institutions, including the Ministry of Defense. RAND’s official history records that the order was issued with little objection at senior levels, even as misunderstandings were masked by apparent consensus. The result was predictable — security collapsed, insurgency surged and the U.S. presence expanded far beyond its original scope.

Venezuela now risks a similar mistake. Capturing Maduro may prove to be the easy part. Governing what comes next is the hard part — and the part America has too often improvised.

Panama is the wrong analogy

Some have compared Venezuela today to Panama in 1989, when U.S. forces captured Manuel Noriega and quickly installed Guillermo Endara as president. The comparison is tempting — and deeply misleading.

Panama was small, U.S. forces were already present, and a recognized successor government was ready to assume power. Venezuela, by contrast, has 30 million people, no broadly accepted transitional authority and entrenched military-criminal networks embedded throughout the state. What worked in Panama cannot simply be scaled up to Caracas.

‘Not day-to-day governance’— what that really means

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since clarified that the United States does not intend to govern Venezuela ‘day-to-day.’ That clarification matters — but it raises its own questions. If Washington is not running ministries, courts, budgets or police forces, what does that leadership look like?

In real terms, it appears the administration is signaling a model of indirect control rather than occupation. The primary lever is economic, especially oil.

Venezuela’s political and military elites survive on access to oil revenues. Whoever controls export permissions, sanctions relief, insurance access and dollar-denominated transactions controls the real center of gravity. Conditioning access to those revenues — while freezing assets abroad and coordinating sanctions enforcement with allies — offers Washington leverage over the top of the system without governing the country outright.

That approach amounts to influence without occupation: pressure without American administrators running Caracas.

A narco-state is not a one-man show

There is also a dangerous illusion at work — that removing Maduro dismantles the regime.

Maduro sat at the apex of a narco-state and was indicted in U.S. courts on charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. But he did not act alone. His power rested on a network of generals, intelligence chiefs, judges, energy officials and cartel intermediaries who enriched themselves under the existing system. Many of those figures remain in place today.

They are unlikely to surrender quietly. Some will seek accommodation; others will resist through bureaucratic sabotage, violence or the manipulation of public fear. Without a credible transitional framework anchored in Venezuelan civil society and supported by international legitimacy, the system Maduro built may survive him.

The questions that must be answered — now

If the administration wants to avoid repeating Iraq, it must answer several questions publicly and soon.

What is the legal basis — and limit — of U.S. authority? Who provides immediate security, and under what rules? Which Venezuelan partners will be empowered to lead? What economic plan serves Venezuelans first, not just foreign interests? And how does this mission end?

Once the United States assumes responsibility for ‘running’ another country, it inherits responsibility not only for success but for failure.

The Trump administration can still make Venezuela a model rather than a warning. But doing so will require discipline: clearly defined objectives, credible Venezuelan partners, continuity in security forces, transparent reconstruction tied to humanitarian relief and an exit strategy that is real — not rhetorical.

Venezuela is not Iraq. But history has a way of repeating itself when preparation yields to improvisation.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

January 6, 2026