Lobo Tiggre of IndependentSpeculator.com shares his thoughts on how gold, silver and oil could be impacted by the developing situation in the Middle East.
He cautioned investors not to chase these commodities if prices run.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
FIRST ON FOX – A leading conservative issue advocacy group aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson is shelling out big bucks to highlight the tax cuts in the so-called “Working Families Tax Cuts Act.”
The American Action Network (AAN) on Tuesday is launching what it says is a $10 million ad blitz that will run nationally through April 15, which is the tax filing deadline.
The campaign, which was shared first with Fox News Digital, spotlights the tax cuts in the massive domestic policy measure, which was passed nearly entirely along party lines by the GOP-controlled House and Senate and signed into law by President Donald Trump last summer.
The law is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay.
FIRST ON FOX: HOUSE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH MAGA MAJORITY PROGRAM IN MIDTERM BATTLE
With tax filing season in full swing, Republicans are spotlighting the cuts, which they insist will give them a political bounce with voters as they aim to hold their fragile congressional majorities in this autumn’s midterm elections.
“Republicans secured the largest tax cut in history and stood up for working families—a win that will be reflected in tax returns nationwide. American Action Network will continue to showcase the conservative policies that lower costs for the hardworking men and women across this country,” AAN President Chris Winkelman told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP BOOSTS HOUSE GOP’S WARCHEST AS MIDTERMS IN BATTLE FOR CHAMBER’S MAJORITY
And Winkelman added, “As Tax Day approaches, we are reminding Americans that every single Democrat voted to raise their taxes.”
Highlighting the tax cuts has become a major part of the congressional Republicans’ messaging as the midterms heat up.
“Hardworking families will see the LARGEST tax cuts in American history….putting more money in their pockets, thanks to Congressional Republicans and President Donald J. Trump Working Families Tax Cuts,” Johnson touted recently in a social media post.
And National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Richard Hudson told Fox News Digital a month ago that “as we move into tax season…folks who work overtime, folks who work for tips, they’re going to see a lot more money in their pocket thanks to no tax on tips, no tax on overtime.”
GOP lawmakers and the White House rebranded the measure, which was originally known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, to emphasize the tax cut provisions in the law.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPAND REPUBLICAN TARGET LIST IN MIDTERM SHOWDOWN
Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms. And they also face a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.
Democrats have repeatedly taken aim at the law, which they call the GOP’s “big ugly bill.”
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene told Fox News Digital that “the policies that Republicans have prioritized have been favoring the wealthy and the well-connected, tax breaks for the wealthy and the well-connected, but hurting working families across the country. People are feeling that, and we’re going to continue to call that out and stand up against it.”
And CJ Warnke, communications director for the House Majority PAC, argued that “House Republicans voted to give the elite a massive tax break — all while raising prices, cutting healthcare, and hiding the Epstein Files. Americans won’t forget their betrayal, and Democrats will take back the House in November.”
AAN says its national ad campaign includes broadcast, digital advertising and streaming across 37 congressional districts.
One of the spots will thank Republicans for passing the tax cuts.
It will run in the districts of GOP Reps. Nick Begich of Alaska, Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, David Valadao of California, Jeff Crank and Gabe Evans of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn of Iowa, Bill Huizenga and Tom Barrett of Michigan, Brad Finstad of Minnesota, Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey, Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler of New York, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Monica De La Cruz of Texas, Michael Baumgartner of Washington State, and Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.
A separate spot criticizes Democratic lawmakers for voting for what AAN calls “the largest tax hike in American history.”
It will run in the districts of Democratic Reps. Adam Gray of California, Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Dina Titus and Susie Lee of Nevada, Nellie Pou of New Jersey, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, and Josh Riley of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington State.
The operator of roughly 180 Eddie Bauer stores across the U.S. and Canada has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming declining sales and a litany of other industry headwinds.
The bankruptcy filing marks the third time in a little over two decades for the storied-but-now-tired brand that began as a Seattle fishing shop, later outfitted the first American to climb Mount Everest and made thousands of newfangled down jackets and sleeping bags for the military during World War II.
Eddie Bauer LLC said Monday it had entered into a restructuring pact with its secured lenders as it made the filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
Most Eddie Bauer retail and outlet stores in the U.S. and Canada will remain open as the company winds down certain locations. It noted that it will conduct a court-supervised sales process, and if a sale can’t be executed, it will begin a wind-down of its U.S. and Canadian operations.
“This is not an easy decision,” said Marc Rosen, CEO of Catalyst Brands, which maintains the license to operate Eddie Bauer stores in the U.S. and Canada. “However, this restructuring is the best way to optimize value for the retail company’s stakeholders and also ensure Catalyst Brands remains profitable and with strong liquidity and cash flow.”
Eddie Bauer’s stores outside of the U.S. and Canada are operated by other licensees, are not included in the Chapter 11 filings, and will stay open, according to the release.
Authentic Brands Group continues to own the intellectual property associated with the Eddie Bauer brand and may license the brand to other operators, the company said. The operations of other brands in the Catalyst Brands portfolio are not affected by this filing and will continue in the normal course, according to the company.
Eddie Bauer’s e-commerce and wholesale operations will also not be impacted by the wind down, as they are operated by a company called Outdoor 5, LLC. That was a transition it made in January and became effective Feb. 2.
Eddie Bauer joins a growing list of U.S. retailers this year that are closing stores, as companies reorganize under bankruptcy protection or pare down their operations to focus on the most profitable businesses.
The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue said last month that it was seeking bankruptcy protection, buffeted by rising competition and the massive debt it took on to buy its rival in the luxury sector, Neiman Marcus, just over a year ago. A few days later, the parent company said it was closing most of its Saks Off 5th stores.
Amazon said earlier this month that it was closing almost all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations within days as it narrows its focus on food delivery and its grocery chain, Whole Foods Market.
Eddie Bauer’s namesake founder — an avid outdoorsman — started the company in Seattle in 1920 as Bauer’s Sports Shop, according to the brand’s website. In 1945, after making more than 50,000 jackets for the military, it launched a mail-order catalog.
“Bauer’s Sports Shop was not just a place where people purchased clothing and gear, it was a community hub where folks gathered to share their wisdom, learn, and talk about their experiences in the outdoors,” the website says.
The company created an American goose-down insulated jacket, known as the “Skyliner,” in 1936, and it became the company’s first patented jacket. It also outfitted the first American to climb Mount Everest — James W. Whittaker — with an Eddie Bauer parka in 1963.
After Bauer retired in 1968 and sold the business to his partner, the outdoor brand shifted more toward casual apparel and was bought by General Mills Inc. in 1971 and then by Spiegel Inc. in 1988. After Spiegel filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and most of its assets were sold, the remainder of the company was reorganized in 2005 as Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc.
In June 2009, Eddie Bauer filed bankruptcy and was acquired by Golden State Capital, the following month. In 2021, it was acquired by Authentic Brands and SPARC Group LLC.
A year ago, Catalyst was formed by the merger of SPARC and JCPenney, which Simon Property Group and fellow mall landlord Brookfield bought out of bankruptcy.
Rosen noted that even prior to the inception of Catalyst Brands last year, Eddie Bauer was in a “challenged situation.”
“Over the past year, these challenges have been exacerbated by various headwinds, including increased costs of doing business due to inflation, ongoing tariff uncertainty, and other factors,” he said.
He noted that while Catalyst’s leadership was able to make improvements in product development and marketing, those changes could not be implemented fast enough to fully address the problems created over several years.
Eddie Bauer had nearly 600 stores at its peak in 2001, according to CoStar Group Inc., a commercial real estate data firm.
In a note published earlier this month, Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, wrote that while the Eddie Bauer name is “well known,” the brand hasn’t kept pace with rivals like Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven and Canadian label Arc’teryx. He also cited issues with quality deteriorating, which, for an outdoor brand measured by the performance of its products, is very problematic.
“And for many younger shoppers, the brand is seen as somewhat old-fashioned and a bit irrelevant,” he said.
Oreterra Metals is focused on the discovery of large-scale porphyry copper-gold systems in Canada and the US, led by a management team with a proven track record delivering multi-million dollar exits in the same world-class mining jurisdictions.
Oreterra Metals (TSXV:OTMC) is a focused mineral exploration company dedicated to delivering for its shareholders large-scale discoveries and the capital gains opportunities that typically come with such discoveries. The company’s strategy centers on copper-gold porphyry systems in North America, chosen for their scale, relatively low finding and resource proving costs in relation to high grade vein systems, and their high attractiveness to major mining operators as potential long-life mines. Oreterra emerged early in February 2026 following the comprehensive restructuring and rebranding of its predecessor company, a restructuring warranted by the exceptional prospectivity of the Trek South prospect.
Oreterra’s flagship asset is the wholly owned Trek South porphyry copper-gold prospect, located on the 6,379-hectare Trek property situated in the heart of British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. Effectively new to modern geological science, the prospect has emerged due to rapid glacial ice retreat. First identified in 2019, all of the work required to reveal it as a highly prospective porphyry copper-gold prospect and to bring it to drill-ready status has occurred only in the period since 2021.
The company is led by a veteran management team with over 100 combined years of experience in mineral exploration, finance, and corporate governance. With a lean share structure and strong institutional support following its recent $9.7 million financing, Oreterra is fully funded and ideally positioned to test its high-conviction targets, starting with the first-ever drill of Trek South commencing in the approaching 2026 field season.
Potential for a Major Discovery in the First Few Drill Holes
A large-scale porphyry copper-gold prospect ready for its first-ever drilling, in 2026
The wholly owned Trek property spans 6,379 hectares in the heart of BC’s Golden Triangle, one of North America’s geologically most fertile copper‑gold-silver belts. Within the property, the Trek South target represents a very large, entirely new, porphyry system identified in the period since 2021 by mapping, sampling and geophysical programs.
Strategically positioned approximately 10 km from Teck–Newmont’s rich Galore Creek porphyry copper-gold project and just 3 km up slope from partially completed road access, Trek South is poised for its maiden drilling program in 2026. The project is supported by a National Instrument 43‑101 technical report delivered on January 20, 2026.
The property also hosts additional exploration targets that provide district‑scale upside under a single land package.
An Emerging Porphyry Copper-Gold Project on a Proven Nevada Mining Trend
Kinkaid comprises 131 claims covering 1,101 hectares in Mineral County, Nevada, an attractive mining jurisdiction with established infrastructure. The project is subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty. Exploration has identified two distinct mineralization styles: epithermal to mesothermal veins, and garnet skarns, with evidence for buried porphyry centres.
Oreterra is planning further exploration at Kinkaid, including both airborne and ground geophysical surveys. These programs are intended to refine drill targets ahead of planned diamond drilling on the most prospective areas of the property.
Emerging copper-gold in northwestern Ontario and an extensive drilling-defined mineral system
The 5,386‑hectare Lundmark property adjoins the Musselwhite gold mine in northwestern Ontario and is subject to a 3 percent NSR royalty. Drilling since 2019 has outlined a significant volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) system characterized by multiple mineralizing events.
These include individual high-grade gold-bearing quartz–pyrrhotite veins, broad zones of stockwork-style copper–gold vein mineralization, and three VMS-style gold–silver–enriched base metal zones. In total, the alteration and mineralization system identified to date now extends for approximately 11 kilometres along strike.
Scossa, a 541‑hectare property, encompasses the historic high‑grade Scossa gold mine, active in the 1930s and 1940s. The epithermal gold system features five known veins, with historical mining limited to the 400‑foot level. Exceptional grades from historical records and previous drilling by the company in the 2003 timeframe, indicates meaningful potential remains.
A geologist by training, Mr. Keough brings 45 years global exploration, corporate leadership, and capital markets experience, and has founded and led exploration companies that delivered major discoveries of the type Oreterra seeks, later sold for considerable profit.
With 25+ years in mining and resources, Mr. Burega specializes in corporate development, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement and played an instrumental role in Oreterra’s strategic repositioning.
A chartered professional accountant with deep public company finance and governance experience, Mr. Crawford has co‑founded several TSXV and CSE‑listed companies and continues to support growth‑stage exploration entities.
A professional geologist with over 45 years of field and discovery experience, Mr. Biczok has been involved in significant discoveries globally and brings robust technical leadership to Oreterra’s exploration programs.
Ashley Nadon, a Chartered Professional Accountant, supports governance and financial reporting with a depth of expertise in public company compliance.
Get access to more exclusive Gold Investing Stock profiles here
(TheNewswire)
Provides Drilling Update at Silver King
Vancouver, British Columbia, March 5th, 2025 TheNewswire – Prismo Metals Inc. (‘Prismo’ or the ‘Company’) (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) (OTCQB: PMOMF) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced transaction with Blade Resources Inc. (‘Blade’) pursuant to which Prismo has assigned all of its rights, interests and obligations in the Hot Breccia copper project, located in the heart of the Arizona copper belt (the ‘Transaction’), to Blade.
Alain Lambert, CEO of Prismo, commented: ‘In our opinion, Hot Breccia is one of the most compelling copper exploration opportunities in North America. We remain committed to advancing it toward drilling. The principals and financial backers of Blade have a long history and strong track record in raising significant capital for exploration programs of the scale required at Hot Breccia. We expect this will result in Hot Breccia being drilled this year.’
For additional commentary on the Transaction, please watch the interview Alain Lambert gave to Radius Research:
Drilling Update at Silver King
Dr. Craig Gibson, Chief Exploration Officer of Prismo provided an update on the current drill program at the Company’s Silver King project located in Arizona: ‘The first drill hole at Silver King, SK-26-01 was drilled vertically and was successful in traversing the mineralized body as projected from the historic workings and reached a total depth of 477 feet (145 meters). Two small voids that are likely underground workings were intersected near the elevation of the 114′ level and quartz veining extended from this level for about 100 feet down hole. Visible sulfide minerals are present in several intervals and the presence of silver minerals, including native silver, was confirmed through visual identification and with a handheld XRF analyzer. Freibergite (Ag bearing tetrahedrite), stromeyerite (AgCuS) and probably acanthite (AgS) are also present. The second hole, SK-26-02 is currently at a depth of 155 feet.’
Phase 1 Drill Program Highlights:
1,000 meters of diamond drilling to test the upper portion of the steeply plunging, pipe-like Silver King mineralized body
Fully funded program
Additional drilling to test lower down in the mineralized structure and mineralized areas adjacent to the historic mine may also be completed
Click Image To View Full Size
Fig. 1. Permitted drill sites planned for initial Phase I drilling at the Silver King mine shown by white dots. The orange line indicates the approximate location of the cross section in Fig. 2. View looking south-easterly.
Drilling is currently focused on testing the upper portion of the steeply west-dipping pipelike stockwork and breccia zone that historically produced high-grade silver and base metals (Fig. 2), as well as targets adjacent to and beneath historic workings. Initial drilling is estimated at 1,000 meters in nine holes. A second phase of drilling will be dedicated to testing at deeper levels and areas adjacent to the historic mine. The silver mineralization at Silver King is similar to that of portions of the nearby Magma Mine, and exploration for nearby copper mineralization is warranted.
The Magma Mine and Silver King Mine share a common regional geological framework in the Superior Mining District, characterized by a Precambrian to Paleozoic stratigraphic sequence including Pinal Schist basement, diabase sills, the Apache Group sediments, and Paleozoic limestones like the Martin Formation, all tilted eastward and intruded by Laramide-age igneous bodies such as quartz diorite stocks and andesite sills. While both exhibit fault-controlled mineralization—east-trending faults and veins with hydrothermal alteration like silicification and potassic zoning—Silver King features epithermal-mesothermal silver-dominant veins in porphyry with minerals like stromeyerite, tetrahedrite, and acanthite, contrasting Magma’s mesothermal copper-focused veins and limestone replacement ores (mantos) rich in chalcopyrite and bornite. This vertical zoning suggests Silver King’s shallower silver-enriched system may transition into deeper copper styles like Magma’s, with overlapping sulfides indicating potential for untapped polymetallic extensions, especially given Magma’s link to the underlying Resolution Copper porphyry deposit.
Fig. 2. Cross section through Silver King mine showing workings and first four planned drill holes.
Click Image To View Full Size
Chief Exploration Officer Dr. Craig Gibson supervising drilling at Silver King
Click Image To View Full Size
Core logging at Silver King, hole SK-26-01
Additional Information on the Transaction
In consideration for the Transaction, Prismo was issued 6,755,000 common shares of Blade and received a cash payment of $185,000. Following completion of the Transaction, Prismo owns approximately 24% of Blade’s issued and outstanding shares and is Blade’s largest single shareholder (see additional early warning disclosure below).
Strategic Rationale of the Transaction
The Transaction provides several strategic benefits:
Value Creation: Prismo is leveraging its investments in Hot Breccia into a significant stake in a company dedicated to advancing the Hot Breccia project.
Access to Capital with Limited Dilution: The structure provides enhanced access to capital for the Hot Breccia drill program through Blade, without direct dilution to Prismo shareholders.
Strategic Focus: Prismo will focus on advancing its remaining Arizona projects — Silver King and Ripsey Gold — while Blade dedicates its efforts to advancing Hot Breccia.
Enhanced Attractiveness to Strategic Partners: With the potential for 100% ownership of Hot Breccia, Blade will be in a better position to possibly attract majors or strategic buyers.
Additional Prismo Rights under the Transaction
Under the terms of the Transaction:
Prismo has the right to nominate one representative to Blade’s board of directors. The Company has not yet determined its initial nominee.
Blade has granted Prismo participation rights in future equity offerings, allowing Prismo to subscribe for shares on substantially the same terms as other investors in order to maintain its undiluted ownership percentage in Blade.
Early Warning Disclosure
This news release is issued in accordance with National Instrument 62-103 – The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues. Prior to the Transaction, Prismo did not own any common shares of Blade. The common shares of Blade were acquired by Prismo for a total consideration of $2,364,250 and were acquired for investment purposes with a view to Blade’s potential listing on a Canadian stock exchange.
Except as described in this news release, Prismo has no present plans or intentions that relate to or would result in any of the matters enumerated in paragraphs (a) through (k) of Item 5 of Form 62-103F1.
Prismo will file an early warning report in accordance with applicable securities laws, which will be available under Blade’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . A copy of the early warning report may be obtained by contacting Gordon Aldcorn at the contact details below.
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, OTCQB: 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.
About Blade Resources Inc.
Blade Resources is a private mining exploration company focused on development of North American copper and precious metals projects.
Please follow @PrismoMetals on , , , Instagram, and
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
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 information relates 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 anticipated closing and closing date of the Transaction; the strategic rationale and potential upside of the transaction with Blade, the future development of the Hot Breccia project and Blade’s ability of Blade to successfully implement its strategic and business objectives, including potentially attracting majors or strategic buyers; and the ability of Prismo to fund its exploration activities on its other projects.
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: that the Transaction may not close as anticipated, or at all; delays incurred by Blade in obtaining or failure to obtain appropriate funding to finance the exploration program at Hot Breccia; the inability of Blade to successfully acquire a 100% interest on the Hot Breccia project; delays incurred by the Company in obtaining or failure to obtain appropriate funding to finance exploration programs for its other projects; the risk that mineralization will not be as anticipated at the Hot Breccia project or at the Company’s other projects; metal prices; market uncertainty; and other risks and uncertainties application to exploration activities and the Company’s business as set forth in the Company’s disclosure documents available for viewing under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.
In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that: the ability to raise capital to fund exploration programs at Hot Breccia or on the Company’s other projects, and the timing of such exploration programs; the ability of Blade to complete the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Hot Breccia project and to successfully carry out its business and strategic objectives following completion of the transaction; and that the Hot Breccia project and the Company’s other projects will have the anticipated mineralization and other qualities.
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 out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.
Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.
News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia
LOS ANGELES — The world’s biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, begin this week.
Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube will face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit, settled for undisclosed sums.
“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project.
At the core of the case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
It’s the first time the companies will argue their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.
KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies’ First Amendment shield and Section 230, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.
“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.
Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.
“Plaintiffs are not merely the collateral damage of Defendants’ products,” the lawsuit says. “They are the direct victims of the intentional product design choices made by each Defendant. They are the intended targets of the harmful features that pushed them into self-destructive feedback loops.”
The tech companies dispute the claims that their products deliberately harm children, citing a bevy of safeguards they have added over the years and arguing that they are not liable for content posted on their sites by third parties.
“Recently, a number of lawsuits have attempted to place the blame for teen mental health struggles squarely on social media companies,” Meta said in a recent blog post. “But this oversimplifies a serious issue. Clinicians and researchers find that mental health is a deeply complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teens’ well-being aren’t clear-cut or universal. Narrowing the challenges faced by teens to a single factor ignores the scientific research and the many stressors impacting young people today, like academic pressure, school safety, socio-economic challenges and substance abuse.”
A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it’s “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are “simply not true.” In a statement, he said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”
The case will be the first in a slew of cases beginning this year that seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children’s mental well-being.
In New Mexico, opening statements begin Monday for trial on allegations that Meta and its social media platforms have failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.
Prosecutors have said that New Mexico is not seeking to hold Meta accountable for its content but rather its role in pushing out that content through complex algorithms that proliferate material that can be harmful, saying they uncovered internal documents in which Meta employees estimate that about 100,000 children every day are subjected to sexual harassment on the company’s platforms.
Meta denies the civil charges while accusing Torrez of cherry-picking select documents and making “sensationalist” arguments. The company says it has consulted with parents and law enforcement to introduce built-in protections to social media accounts, along with settings and tools for parents.
A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.
In addition, more than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.
TikTok also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.
Kyrsten Sinema could be forced to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in damages for an affair she had with her former bodyguard after his estranged wife sued the former senator under a 19th century law that allows jilted spouses in a handful of U.S. states to sue for a broken heart.
The so-called “alienation of affection” lawsuits are currently recognized in just six U.S. states — including North Carolina, where Sinema’s former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, had lived with his now-estranged wife, Heather Ammel, for roughly a decade.
The complaint against Sinema accused her of engaging in “intentional and malicious interference” in Ammel’s marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of the allegedly “willful and wanton” conduct.
KYRSTEN SINEMA RIPS SENATE DEMOCRATS FOR APPARENT FLIP-FLOP ON FILIBUSTER NOW THAT THEY NEED IT
In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs must satisfy a difficult burden of proof. First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the “love and affection” were destroyed, or significantly diminished; and third, that the defendant in question directly “caused the destruction of that marital love and affection.”
Perhaps for this reason, the complaint spares no detail: it ticks through an extemporaneous timeline of Ammel’s relationship with Sinema, as a member of her security detail, a member of her staff, and later, as her romantic partner.
According to the complaint, Sinema sent suggestive messages to Matthew Ammel repeatedly over Signal, the encrypted messaging app, months before he and his wife officially split.
“I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,” Sinema told Ammel via Signal in June 2024, according to the complaint — around the same time Ammel allegedly stopped wearing his wedding ring.
On another occasion, Sinema offered to “work on” Ammel’s back with a Theragun, and allegedly suggested that he bring MDMA on a work trip and offered to “guide him through a psychedelic experience,” though Sinema said she has “no recollection” of those messages.
KYRSTEN SINEMA’S SWITCH TO INDEPENDENT DESCRIBED AS ‘GUT PUNCH’ TO DEMOCRATS: ‘NO WIGGLE ROOM’
At times, Heather was herself a party to the relationship, before and after the affair allegedly began. In 2023, she traveled to Las Vegas to attend a U2 concert with her husband and Sinema where they drank Dom Pérignon wine in Cindy McCain’s suite, according to the lawsuit.
The two also traveled to Miami for a Taylor Swift concert in October 2024 — which the three attended out of “concern” for Ammel’s children, according to copies of the affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital.
It was the same month that Heather Ammel allegedly confronted Sinema directly by responding to one of her Signal messages.
“Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family,” she wrote, according to the complaint. Sinema has since acknowledged having received the message.
The lawsuit accuses Sinema of acting with “deliberate” interference in the marriage of her bodyguard and his now-estranged wife, who argued that the former lawmaker seduced him and thus “wrongfully and maliciously” deprived her of the “warmth, companionship” and love of their marriage.
The relationship between the two is not in dispute: Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, has since acknowledged her relationship with her former bodyguard, though she argued the case should be dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction, since the affair in question took place “exclusively outside” the boundaries of the Tar Heel state, according to her lawyers.
While these lawsuits have become increasingly rare in the 21st century, they are not unheard of — and plaintiffs in the state have at times won eye-popping payouts for such claims.
In 2010, a jury in North Carolina awarded plaintiff Cynthia Shackelford a total of $9 million in compensatory and punitive damages for an “alienation of affection” lawsuit brought against her husband’s alleged mistress. More recently, 2018, a Durham County judge ordered some $8.8 million in damages be paid out to BMX show owner Keith King from the man he said stole his wife — and ruined his company.
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Sinema, for her part, says the relationship between the two became “romantic and intimate” beginning in May 2024, during a trip to Sonoma, California, and said they were subsequently “physically intimate” in the months that followed, including in Phoenix, Arizona; Aspen, Colorado; and New York City.
They were not, her lawyers stressed, intimate within the physical bounds of North Carolina prior to the dissolution of Ammel’s marriage.
The judge presiding over the case ordered the plaintiff, Ammel, to file a response to Sinema’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit by mid-April.
Matthew Ammel filed for divorce from his wife earlier this year.
The global platinum market is expected to remain in deficit for a fourth consecutive year in 2026, even as supply begins to stabilize and demand moderates following a sharp rally in the metal’s price.
New projections from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) show a deficit of about 240,000 ounces for 2026 following a significantly larger shortfall of 1.082 million ounces in 2025.
That’s the deepest deficit recorded in the group’s Platinum Quarterly data series since it began in 2014. According to data, the cumulative deficit since 2023 will approach 3 million ounces by the end of 2026.
As a result, aboveground platinum stocks are expected to remain historically low, falling to about 2.613 million ounces, which is equivalent to just over four months of global demand for the precious metal.
WPIC CEO Trevor Raymond said the factors that fueled platinum’s strong performance last year are expected to remain.
“The key drivers of platinum’s price rally in 2025, namely strong supply/demand fundamentals, a depletion of above ground stocks, and macropolitical uncertainty-driven precious metals demand, are expected to persist in 2026,” he said.
“Consequently, market tightness is likely to continue, maintaining investor interest in platinum, and further supporting bar and coin and ETF demand throughout the year.”
The forecast marks a shift from earlier expectations that the platinum market would return to balance in 2026.
Instead, strong investment sentiment and resilient exchange-traded fund holdings have pushed the market back into deficit territory. Even so, total demand for platinum is expected to decline moderately this year.
The WPIC projects overall demand will fall about 8 percent year-on-year to roughly 7.619 million ounces.
Much of that drop reflects a normalization in investment demand after a surge in 2025, when inflows into platinum exchange-traded funds and physical investment products climbed sharply.
However, demand for physical platinum bars and coins is expected to continue growing.
The WPIC forecasts that bar and coin investment will jump 35 percent in 2026 to 725,000 ounces, reaching the highest level recorded in the Platinum Quarterly dataset.
Investment purchases of platinum are increasing as the metal gains attention as a lower-priced alternative to gold, and as retail investment products become more widely available.
While demand patterns shift across sectors, platinum supply growth remains limited.
Total platinum supply is expected to rise just 2 percent in 2026 to about 7.379 million ounces.
Mine output is forecast to remain essentially flat at roughly 5.553 million ounces, with production gains in South Africa and Zimbabwe offset by declines in North America and Russia.
The modest increase in supply will largely come from recycling. Higher platinum prices have encouraged the recovery of spent autocatalysts and recycled jewelry, pushing recycling supply up about 10 percent in 2025. That trend is expected to continue this year, with recycled metal rising another 10 percent to approximately 1.827 million ounces.
Still, the additional recycled material is unlikely to fully offset the underlying market tightness. As Raymond noted, another factor that could further deepen the deficit has yet to be fully reflected in current forecasts.
“One item not yet captured in the supply/demand balance is any exchange stocks warehoused with the Guangzhou Futures Exchange, which could potentially deepen the deficit versus current projections once these are made publicly available,” he said. For platinum investors, the persistence of deficits suggests that the market’s underlying fundamentals remain supportive even as demand moderates from last year’s highs.
“The price rally we’ve seen this year has not solved the deficit,” he said.
“Normally, in a deficit market, you would expect the price to increase. Clearly, the elevated prices we’ve experienced is still insufficient to attract more supply into the market or drag more metal out of aboveground stocks.”
With supply growth limited and inventories shrinking, the platinum market is likely to remain structurally tight, sustaining investor interest through 2026.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
For at least two decades, former Amazon executive Dave Clark ended his work week the same way: a standing Friday date night with his wife, Leigh Anne.
Over dinner, the Clarks would talk through the “peak and pit” of their weeks. The ritual often revolved around Amazon, where Clark played a central role in building the logistics infrastructure that helped launch the e-commerce era.
During those years, Leigh Anne was a sounding board for her husband. In the process, she had a front-row seat to Amazon’s growth from what she called “a baby to a behemoth.”
By the time Clark left Amazon in 2022, he was CEO of the Worldwide Consumer division and one of billionaire founder Jeff Bezos’ top lieutenants.
But these days, Fridays for the Clarks look very different.
Their dinner date has morphed into afternoon cocktails — a bourbon with Diet Coke for her and a Manhattan for him. And the conversation isn’t focused on Amazon anymore. It’s about Auger, the supply-chain startup they run together.
In their first joint interview from Auger’s Seattle office, the Clarks described how their marriage and complementary skill sets are shaping the company.
“We’ve been together for so long that we kind of just read each other’s minds,” Leigh Anne said. Working together, she said, “felt like a natural fit.”
Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk has been the focus of legislative efforts by Republican lawmakers across multiple states seeking to memorialize the slain activist.
More than six months after Kirk was assassinated during a campus event at Utah Valley University, many of those proposals remain in limbo, with some facing roadblocks.
As the TPUSA founder participated in a debate event as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” he was shot in the neck and later pronounced dead at the age of 31. Tyler Robinson was later arrested and now faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
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Oklahoma State Sen. Shane Jett introduced two pieces of legislation honoring Kirk on Sept. 17, 2025, just one week after the assassination. The first bill, SB 1187, would require public colleges and universities in the state to establish “a dedicated square or plaza” honoring Kirk. The Republican’s legislation states that the designated square or plaza shall include a statue of Kirk, adding that the design and size would be approved by the legislature. The bill describes two options for statues: either Kirk sitting at a table with an empty seat across from him or one of Kirk and his wife, Erika, holding their children.
The second piece of legislation, SB 1188, would memorialize Kirk by designating his birthday, Oct. 14, as “Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day.” Since the introduction of the bill, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt declared Oct. 14, 2025, to be “Charlie Kirk Day.” If SB 1188 passes and Stitt signs, the designated day would become an annual tradition in the Sooner State. However, both SB 1187 and SB 1188 remain in committee.
In Minnesota, Republican state Sen. Nathan Wesenberg introduced a bill appropriating funds for a statue commemorating Kirk’s life. The bill allocates $25,000 in Fiscal Year 2027 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota. According to the legislation, the statue will be placed on the university’s Twin Cities campus.
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“I introduced this bill to honor Charlie Kirk’s work to foster respectful debate and free speech on college campuses,” Wesenberg said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “The point of the statue is to remember that political violence will not silence free speech.”
“While I originally drafted the bill for the U of M to have the statue as the largest campus to reach the most students, I am considering turning it into a competitive process so that any college campus could apply for this funding,” he added.
Wesenberg’s bill, which was introduced in late February, has been referred to the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee.
University of Minnesota Regent Robyn Gulley expressed concern about the legislation earlier this month. Gulley expressed her sympathies to Kirk’s family in a statement to The Minnesota Daily, but said that erecting a statue to Kirk on the University of Minnesota’s campus could be seen as “disrespectful,” citing the TPUSA founder’s disdain for higher education.
In Tennessee, a bill aimed at requiring public universities to build memorial plazas honoring Kirk was stalled earlier this month. The legislation would have mandated the establishment of courtyards at public higher education institutions. Each of the memorial areas would be known as the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyard for Civil Debate,” according to the bill, which also included required measurements.
The proposal would have cost taxpayers more than $18 million and resulted in the construction of 47 courtyards statewide, The Tennessean reported. The bill was moved to summer study after facing pushback in the state’s House Education Subcommittee over the price tag, according to The Tennessean.
Following Kirk’s assassination, President Donald Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday. He also declared Oct. 14, 2025, to be the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. Later, Trump honored Kirk at the State of the Union, which the slain activist’s wife attended.
Fox News Digital reached out to Jett for comment.