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Green Technology Metals

Investor Insight

Green Technology Metals aims to build Ontario’s first integrated lithium business, developing two mining hubs and a downstream conversion facility to supply North America’s fast-growing EV and battery industry. The company’s approach is straightforward: bring Seymour into production, secure the downstream footprint at Thunder Bay with EcoPro, and then layer in Root as a long-life second feed. The plan is underpinned by offtake agreements, government funding and a management team with direct experience building lithium mines.

Overview

Green Technology Metals (ASX:GT1) is building Ontario, Canada’s first integrated lithium business, anchored by three upstream assets and a planned downstream conversion facility. The portfolio consists of the flagship Seymour project, the large-scale Root lithium project, and the Junior exploration project, which together provide a clear pipeline of feed into a proposed lithium hydroxide facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The company is actively leveraging Canadian policy support for critical minerals development and supporting a growing number of EV and battery manufacturers in Ontario. The province’s Building More Mines Act, alongside several federal programs, is creating a supportive funding environment for new projects. GT1 has already received conditional approval for C$5.5 million from the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund (CMIF) to support road and infrastructure upgrades at Seymour. In addition, the company has received a letter of intent for a C$100-million project financing support from Export Development Canada, and has pending applications with SIF/NRCan and CMIF Round 2, including a C$5-million submission tied to the Root project. These mechanisms substantially de-risk the financing path and provide tangible momentum toward development.

The strategy is being executed in three phases. First, Seymour will be brought into production with a concentrator based on a dense media separation flowsheet, taking advantage of coarse spodumene mineralogy and proven metallurgical performance. Second, GT1 will construct the Thunder Bay lithium conversion facility in partnership with EcoPro Innovation, replicating proven hydrometallurgical technology to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Finally, Root will be developed as the company’s second, larger mining hub, designed to provide long-life scale and additional feed into the Thunder Bay facility.

Pilot processing of 600 kg of Seymour concentrate produced exceptional overall recoveries averaging >94 percent.

Strategic partnerships reinforce this integrated model. LG Energy Solution has secured a binding offtake for a portion of Seymour’s concentrate production and has invested directly into GT1, providing early validation of the project’s place in the EV supply chain. EcoPro Innovation, as the company’s technical partner on the Thunder Bay facility, has already piloted Seymour concentrate into high-purity lithium hydroxide.

Company Highlights

  • Integrated strategy in Ontario: The Seymour and Root projects form the foundation for a vertically integrated lithium business, supported by a proposed lithium hydroxide plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with rail, port, power, gas and water access.
  • Marketing and offtake secured: LG Energy Solution has a binding offtake for 25 percent of Seymour concentrate and has invested directly into the company, demonstrating strong downstream demand.
  • Strategic process partner: EcoPro Innovation is co-developing the conversion facility. Pilot work has already produced battery-grade lithium hydroxide with high recoveries.
  • Government backing: GT1 has secured conditional approval for significant funding programs, including C$5.5 million for road upgrades, a C$100 million project financing support LOI from EDC, and additional CMIF and SIF applications.
  • Resource base: A combined inventory of over 30 Mt @ ~1.2 percent lithium oxide across Seymour and Root, providing both near-term production and long-life scale.
  • By-product upside: Seymour hosts a significant rubidium resource in mica streams that could be recovered alongside lithium, creating an additional revenue line.

Key Projects

Seymour Lithium Project

The Seymour lithium project, near Armstrong, Ontario, contains a total resource of 10.3 million tonnes (Mt) @ 1.03 percent lithium oxide, including 6.1 Mt indicated @ 1.25 percent lithium oxide. Mineralization is hosted in the North and South Aubry pegmatites, which remain open along strike and at depth. An optimized preliminary economic assessment (PEA) demonstrated strong project economics based on a DMS-only concentrator producing 130 ktpa. Key numbers include a C1 cash cost of US$680/t, an after-tax NPV of US$251 million, an IRR of 33 percent, and a three-and-a-half-year payback.

The project benefits from existing road and rail access, low strip ratios, and simple metallurgy with coarse spodumene that responds well to dense medium separation (DMS). Mining leases were granted in August 2025, the environmental assessment submission has been lodged, and the closure plan is nearing completion.

An offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution secures sales for 25 percent of initial concentrate production. Seymour also includes a maiden rubidium resource (8.3 Mt @ 0.27 percent rubidium oxide, with a 3.4 Mt high-grade core at 0.40 percent), which can be recovered from mica streams already separated in the flow sheet, creating potential for a by-product circuit.

Thunder Bay Lithium Conversion Facility

GT1 and EcoPro Innovation are developing a lithium hydroxide monohydrate facility in Thunder Bay. The selected site is fully serviced with rail access, 44 kV power, municipal water and gas, and port facilities. The plant will replicate EcoPro’s operating hydromet trains, with two parallel ~13 ktpa back-end lines designed to scale with Seymour and Root concentrate supply.

Pilot-scale processing of 600 kg of Seymour concentrate at EcoPro’s Pohang facility achieved battery-grade lithium hydroxide, meeting downstream specifications with >94 percent overall recovery. This demonstration significantly de-risks the conversion step and supports ongoing financing discussions with Invest Ontario, SIF and EDC. The project is being advanced through PFS-level engineering, with permitting and JV structuring underway.

Root Lithium Project

Located in Northwestern Ontario, Root is GT1’s scale project, hosting 14.6 Mt @ 1.21 percent lithium oxide (10.0 Mt Indicated @ 1.32 percent). The April 2025 optimized PEA outlined a combined open-pit and underground mining scenario producing ~213 ktpa. The project carries a C1 cost of ~US$677/t, an after-tax NPV of US$668 million, an IRR of 53.5 percent, and a three-year payback.

Root enjoys outstanding infrastructure advantages: road and rail access, proximity to port, and most critically, grid hydro power delivered by the Watay transmission line, reducing both operating costs and upfront capex for power infrastructure. Drilling has confirmed stacked pegmatite bodies that remain open along strike and down dip, leaving scope for significant resource expansion. A bulk sample has been completed, with further testwork and pilot runs at EcoPro planned. Permitting is in its early stages, with a PFS targeted for 2026 and potential construction by late 2027.

Junior Lithium Project

The Junior project is located near Seymour and contains three drill-ready targets. Its proximity to the planned Seymour concentrator makes it a strategic satellite project, with the potential to extend Seymour’s mine life and provide incremental feed. Drilling is expected to test these targets in upcoming campaigns, potentially increasing the overall feed available for the Seymour hub.

Management Team

John Young – Non-executive Chairman

John Young co-founded Pilbara Minerals and played a key role in transforming it into a multi-billion-dollar lithium producer. His background as a geologist spans more than three decades, with significant contributions across discovery, development and financing of lithium and gold projects. At GT1, Young provides strategic oversight and proven operational expertise to scale a lithium developer into a fully integrated producer.

Cameron Henry – Managing Director

Cameron Henry was appointed managing director in June 2024, stepping up from his earlier role as executive director. A founder and substantial shareholder of GT1, Henry has over 20 years’ experience in minerals processing and project delivery. Prior to GT1, he built Primero Group into a respected global leader in lithium infrastructure EPC, successfully executing major projects in Australia and globally. His role is to drive Seymour into production and to lead the execution of the Thunder Bay downstream strategy.

Patrick Murphy – Non-executive Director

Patrick Murphy brings nearly two decades of experience in resource sector investment and deal-making. He has held senior positions at Macquarie and AMCI Group, with expertise in capital deployment, project financing and strategic partnerships. His presence on GT1’s board ensures strong connectivity to the financial community and a disciplined approach to structuring project funding.

Robin Longley – Non-executive Director

With more than 30 years of experience in exploration and project evaluation, Robin Longley is a seasoned geologist who has led successful exploration and development programs across lithium, gold and other critical minerals in Australia, Canada and Africa. His practical technical knowledge and management experience strengthen GT1’s ability to evaluate and expand its Ontario portfolio.

Han Seung Cho – Non-executive Director

Representing EcoPro Innovation, Han Seung Cho serves as a direct link between GT1 and its strategic partner on the Thunder Bay conversion facility. As general manager of EcoPro’s strategic business team, he brings decades of experience in lithium procurement, downstream offtake structuring, and project development for LHM plants. His position ensures that GT1’s downstream ambitions remain closely aligned with end-user requirements in the battery sector.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Laramide Identifies Targets for 15,000 Meter Drill Program at Kazakhstan Uranium Project

Laramide Resources (TSX:LAM,ASX:LAM,OTCQX:LMRXF) announced that it has identified multiple target areas for a 15,000 meter drill program at its Chu-Sarysu project in Kazakhstan.

Uranium remains the company’s primary focus, but the asset is also prospective for rare earths and copper.

“This inaugural exploration program for Laramide in Kazakhstan is targeting high-grade, large-scale uranium deposits, amenable to cost-efficient and environmentally responsible in-situ recovery mining, and within a district that already hosts infrastructure and producing operations, which provides clear cost advantages,” said President and CEO Marc Henderson in a press release shared on Monday (September 15).

Situated in the Suzak District of the South Kazakhstan Oblast, Chu-Sarysu is located in one of Kazakhstan’s main uranium-producing basins. The country accounted for almost 40 percent of global U3O8 production in 2024, with the Chu-Sarsyu and neighboring Syr Darya basins contributing over 75 percent of the nation’s output.

Chu-Sasryu is Laramide’s only asset outside the US and Australia, and forms part of Laramide’s three year option agreement to acquire shares of Kazakh company Aral Resources. The agreement closed in December 2024, and Laramide has the option to acquire all of Aral’s shares and gain full ownership of the project.

As part of its efforts, Laramide has compiled a large dataset from Kazakhstan’s state National Geological Services with assistance from local geological contractors over the past year.

“We have found the Kazakhstan Government to be supportive of mineral exploration with policies that encourage foreign investment and streamline permitting,” Henderson added. “This creates a favourable environment for advancing new discoveries that can ultimately contribute to the growing global demand for nuclear fuel.”

Laramide submitted the required exploration work plans to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction this year, and the remaining permits for drilling are currently being finalized.

Phase 1 of drilling is expected to begin toward the end of 2025.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Coinbase Expands USDC Rewards to Canada

Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) said on Tuesday (September 16) that it is rolling out rewards on USD Coin (USDC) balances for Canadian users, offering returns of up to 4.5 percent

This marks the first time Canadians can automatically earn interest-like payouts simply by holding USDC on the platform. Coinbase customers in Canada will receive 4.1 percent annualized rewards on their USDC, paid weekly.

Members of Coinbase One, the company’s subscription service, can boost the rate to 4.5 percent on up to US$30,000 in holdings, while any amount above that earns the base 4.1 percent.

There are no lockups or opt-ins required, and users retain full access to withdraw or spend their USDC at any time.

USDC is a stablecoin that is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and backed by reserves of cash and short-term US treasuries held with regulated institutions. Unlike volatile cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, stablecoins are designed to maintain price stability, making them more suitable for payments, savings and yield-generating products.

Angus Reid research conducted for Coinbase in August 2024 shows 83 percent of Canadians believe the global financial system needs an overhaul, while 91 percent think domestic banks prioritize profits over customers’ financial wellbeing.

Coinbase’s Canadian rollout builds on the company’s November 2024 introduction of USDC rewards through Coinbase Wallet, with a 4.7 percent annual yield offered to global users.

At the time, the company highlighted USDC’s utility in combining “the stability of the U.S. dollar with the power and speed of the internet,” enabling instant, borderless transactions.

“Along with earning rewards, you can send USDC on Base instantly and with zero fees,” Coinbase said when it launched the wallet-based program last year, noting that payouts would be deposited monthly into user accounts.

That feature was made available across most regions, including the US.

The wallet program also builds on another strategic advantage of stablecoins: cross-border efficiency. Transactions conducted on blockchain networks like Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 chain, are settled in real time, which means the fees and delays associated with traditional payment rails are sidestepped.

The Canadian launch arrives as stablecoins gain momentum in mainstream finance. Companies including Visa (NYSE:V), PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ:PYPL) and a growing number of fintech platforms have announced integrations in the past year, allowing users to pay, settle or transfer value using tokens like USDC and Tether’s USDT.

Coinbase is betting that frustration with legacy systems, combined with the appeal of higher yields and fast payments, will be enough to tip more users toward digital assets.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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NVIDIA Facing Weak Demand for New Chip as Chinese Firms Turn to Homegrown Silicon

NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ:NVDA) new RTX6000D chip, built to comply with US export curbs, is seeing little demand from major Chinese firms, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters this week.

Tests showed it lags the banned RTX5090, which remains widely available through gray market channels at less than half the RTX6000D’s price of roughly 50,000 yuan (around US$7,000).

NVIDIA currently faces a balancing dilemma in China, where the US has barred exports of its most advanced processors to limit Beijing’s artificial intelligence (AI) progress, forcing the company to design downgraded models.

While sell-side analysts had forecast robust demand, including projections of 1.5 million to 2 million RTX6000Ds produced in the second half of 2025, some of China’s biggest technology buyers appear unconvinced.

Instead, tech giants Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), Tencent Holdings (OTC Pink:TCEHY,HKEX:0770) and ByteDance are waiting for clarity on shipments of NVIDIA’s H20, the most powerful AI processor the US has permitted the firm to sell in China.

The US reinstated licenses for the H20 in July, but deliveries have not restarted. Companies are also watching closely to see whether NVIDIA’s B30A, a stronger model still under review in Washington, will win approval.

Chinese tech firms turn to local alternatives

At the same time, NVIDIA is facing a longer-term challenge: leading Chinese firms are beginning to lean more heavily on their own silicon. Alibaba and Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) have started using internally designed chips to train AI models, according to the Information, marking a shift away from exclusive reliance on NVIDIA hardware.

Alibaba has deployed its chips for smaller AI models since early this year, while Baidu is experimenting with training new versions of its Ernie AI model using its Kunlun P800 processor.

According to the report, three employees who have worked with Alibaba’s chip said that its performance is now competitive with NVIDIA’s H20, a sign of the rapid improvement in China’s homegrown designs.

Neither Alibaba nor Baidu responded to requests for comment from Reuters.

In response to the report, NVIDIA said: “The competition has undeniably arrived … We’ll continue to work to earn the trust and support of mainstream developers everywhere.”

Although most companies still rely on NVIDIA chips for their most advanced systems, Beijing has made clear that it wants its local firms to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers by adopting domestic alternatives where feasible.

Regulatory pressure from Beijing

Compounding NVIDIA’s difficulties, China’s market regulator has accused the US chipmaker of violating anti-monopoly laws. The watchdog did not specify what conduct was under investigation, but said it will continue its probe.

NVIDIA refuted the allegations, stating that it has complied with Chinese law “in all respects” and pledging to cooperate with “all relevant government agencies.”

The company has been under scrutiny in China since December, when regulators launched an initial inquiry seen as a countermeasure in the wider semiconductor standoff with Washington.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said late last month that discussions with the White House over licensing a less advanced version of its next-generation chip for China “will take time.”

Separately, the company has reportedly struck a deal with US President Donald Trump to exchange 15 percent of its China sales revenue from H20 chips in return for export approvals.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Newmont Withdraws from Mount Coolon Joint Venture, GBM Regains Full Ownership

GBM Resources (ASX:GBZ) announced it has regained ownership of the Mount Coolon gold project in Queensland following Newmont’s (TSX:NEM,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) termination of a 2022 farm-in agreement.

GBM made the deal with Newcrest Mining before that company was acquired by Newmont in 2023.

Newmont’s withdrawal is part of its focus on divesting non-core assets to hone in on its more profitable and stable tier one operations. The company has made substantial adjustments to its portfolio this year.

GBM reacted positively to Monday’s (September 15) news, saying that regaining full ownership of the project aligns with its strategy to build a leading gold portfolio in the Drummond Basin.

“We are excited to regain 100 percent ownership, and our exploration team are enthusiastic about getting on the ground as we see significant upside on the Mt Coolon Tenure,” commented CEO Daniel Hastings.

Located within the Drummond Basin and near GBM’s Twin Hills and Yandan projects, Mount Coolon has a JORC resource of 6.65 million tonnes at 1.54 grams per tonne gold for 330,000 ounces of the metal.

Together, Twin Hills and Yandan hold a total resource of 1.84 million ounces of gold.

“With Twin Hills and Yandan nearby, we now control a substantial area of highly prospective ground within the Drummond Basin which provides GBM with the scale and flexibility to unlock significant value,’ Hastings added.

Newmont also announced the sale of its Coffee project in Yukon, Canada, to Fuerte Metals (TSXV:FMT,OTCQB:FUEMF) on Monday for potential total consideration of US$150 million. The company said that sale was also part of its efforts to streamline its portfolio and sharpen its focus on core operations.

On September 10, Newmont said it plans to voluntarily delist from the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin ETFs Log Biggest Inflows Since July

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (September 15) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$116,309, a 0.9 percent increase in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$114,866, and its highest was US$117,292.

Bitcoin price performance, September 17, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$4,494.71, a decrease of 2.6 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$4,476.73, and its highest was US$4,538.16.

Midweek Update

Institutional Bitcoin demand is now outpacing new issuance. Bitwise data shows US spot BTC ETF inflows far exceed new BTC supply over recent. Monday’s (Sept 15) BTC ETF inflow was about US$260 versus ETH’s US$360 million, followed by an uptick to US$292 million on Tuesday.

This 7-day inflow streak (US$2.9 B) is the largest in months, especially since July, pushing total BTC ETF assets to US$151.7 B or around 6.6 percent of BTC’s market cap. Data shows that 97 percent of this surge came from US spot funds, pushing their combined holdings to a record 1.32 million BTC.

Fear and Greed Index Update

CMC’s 30 day-Fear and Greed Index

Sentiment gauges have cooled from recent highs. CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index currently stands around 51 (Neutral) today, down from “Greed” levels last week.

The neutral reading, which is up only slightly from 49 last week, shows that while neither bullish nor bearish sentiments are dominant, investors are still cautiously optimistic buoyed by ETF inflows and Fed hopes of favorable interest rates.

Altcoin price update

Altcoins have continued to show strength midweek, with many outperforming Bitcoin.
  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$234.29, a decrease of 0.5 percent over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Wednesday was US$231.88, and its highest level was US$240.55.
  • XRP was trading for US$3.01, down by 0.6 percent in the past 24 hours, and at its lowest valuation of the day. Its highest value for Wednesday was US$3.06.
  • SUI (Sui) was valued at US$3.60, trading flat in the past 24 hours. Its lowest price point of the day was US$3.56, and its highest price was US$3.65.
  • Cardano (ADA) was priced at US$0.8713, up by 0.3 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Wednesday was US$0.8589, and its highest was US$0.885.

Today’s crypto news to know

Bitcoin ETF inflows surge to highest level since July

Bitcoin exchange-traded products drew their largest weekly inflows since late July, according to K33 Research, as institutional investors piled back into the market.

Net inflows totaled 20,685 BTC, pushing US spot ETFs’ combined holdings to a record 1.32 million BTC.

Analysts say the fresh demand is outpacing new supply nearly nine times over, creating strong upward pressure on prices. Bitwise noted that this reallocation is coming at the expense of Ethereum, with capital flowing back into Bitcoin after months of mixed positioning.

ETF inflows have become a critical driver of performance, with Bitwise data showing an unprecedented correlation between flows and price action.

With more than 22,000 BTC accumulated via funds in the last month, compared with just 14,000 newly mined, analysts see this as a bullish signal for the final quarter of the year.

Metaplanet expands to U.S. with new Bitcoin income unit

Tokyo-listed Metaplanet has established a Miami-based subsidiary to oversee its Bitcoin income generation business, following the close of a US$1.44 billion global equity sale earlier this month.

The new arm, Metaplanet Income, received an initial US$15 million capital injection and will focus on derivatives trading and related yield strategies separate from the company’s core treasury holdings.

Upsized from an original plan of 180 million shares to 385 million due to strong demand, the offering raised ¥212.9 billion in gross proceeds. Funds are earmarked for further Bitcoin purchases through October as well as expansion of income products that have generated steady revenue since late 2024.

Management says the new US subsidiary will not materially affect 2025 earnings but strengthens its long-term operational footprint.

Saudi Arabia doubles down on digital payments with Google and Ant

Saudi Arabia is accelerating its financial technology ambitions through new partnerships with Google Pay and Ant International, its central bank confirmed at the Money20/20 conference in Riyadh.

Google Pay will now integrate with the country’s mada network, allowing cardholders to manage payments through Google Wallet.

Meanwhile, a collaboration with Ant International aims to enable cross-border QR code payments linking mada with Alipay+ by 2026.

The push is expected to benefit small and mid-sized merchants, giving them access to a global payments ecosystem.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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LimeWire acquires Fyre Festival, asking ‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong?’

LimeWire, the filesharing service that set the internet ablaze in the 2000s before being shut down for copyright infringement, said Tuesday that is acquiring the rights to Fyre Festival.

And it appreciates the irony.

‘LimeWire Acquires Fyre Festival Brand — What Could Possibly Go Wrong?’ the company titled its news release.

LimeWire said it would “unveil a reimagined vision for Fyre — one that expands beyond the digital realm and taps into real-world experiences, community, and surprise.” The company offered no additional details about how the Fyre brand will be relaunched.

For years, LimeWire operated as a competitor to fellow file-sharing platform Napster before being effectively shut down by a court ruling in 2010 after a judge ruled it had facilitated large-scale copyright violations. In 2022, Austrian brothers Julian and Paul Zehetmayr bought LimeWire’s intellectual property and turned it into an NFT service.

Fyre Festival was a 2017 music festival that saw ticket buyers spend thousands of dollars for a weekend in the Bahamas only to be met with a logistics debacle that included portable bathrooms taking the place of regular toilets, and low-budget food options that betrayed promises of celebrity chef fare. Organizer Billy McFarland was later convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in prison.

“Fyre became a symbol of hype gone wrong, but it also made history,” LimeWire CEO Julian Zehetmayr said. “We’re not bringing the festival back — we’re bringing the brand and the meme back to life. This time with real experiences, and without the cheese sandwiches.”

LimeWire said its bid was backed by Maximum Effort, the creative agency co-founded by the actor and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds.

“Congrats to LimeWire for their winning bid for Fyre Fest,” Reynolds said in the release. “I look forward to attending their first event but will be bringing my own palette of water.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Appeals court blocks Trump from firing Fed’s Lisa Cook, setting stage for SCOTUS clash

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Monday blocked President Donald Trump from immediately firing Lisa Cook from her role on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the latest in a high-stakes court fight that is almost certain to be quickly appealed to the Supreme Court.

The 2-1 ruling from Judges Gregory Katsas, Michelle Childs, and Brad Garcia keeps in place a lower court order handed down last week by U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, which reinstated her to her role on the Fed’s Board of Governors.

Judge Cobb said in the preliminary injunction last week that Trump’s attempt to fire Cook likely violated the Federal Reserve Act and Cook’s due process protections. That decision prompted the Trump administration to appeal the case to the higher court for emergency relief.

‘When Governors by misconduct or gross neglect erode the foundations of such confidence, the President acts properly and lawfully by removing them,’ Justice Department attorneys said in appealing the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.

The 2-1 ruling from the appeals court is a near-term blow to the Trump administration. It comes after Trump announced on social media last month that he would be firing Cook from her position on the independent Fed board due to allegations of mortgage fraud.

Cook’s lawyers immediately sued Trump over his attempt to remove her far before the end of her 14-year tenure, arguing that he did not have sufficient cause to do so. Cook has denied any wrongdoing.

The landmark case is the first attempt by a sitting president to oust a Federal Reserve governor ‘for cause,’ and it is almost certain to be kicked to the Supreme Court for review. 

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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Ryan Routh’s SUV looked ‘lived in,’ filled with passports, phones and notes, FBI special agent testifies

An FBI evidence specialist testified Monday that Ryan Routh’s black Nissan Xterra was cluttered with clothing, tools and handwritten notes — and appeared as though someone had been living in it — when she searched it the day after his arrest.

FBI Special Agent Cindy Barrois, an Evidence Response Team leader in the Miami Field Office, said the Xterra’s back seats were folded down with what looked like a mattress.

‘It appeared the vehicle was lived in,’ she said. 

In court Monday, she displayed six cellphones collected from the SUV, Routh’s expired Hawaii driver’s license, a valid U.S. passport and handwritten notes — including a list with ‘pipe,’ ‘C-clamp,’ ‘blanket,’ ‘pillow,’ ‘tape,’ ‘paint,’ ‘green poncho’ and phone numbers. 

Another note listed flight options to Mexico and Colombia under the name ‘Bryan Wilson.’ A separate Bank of Hawaii paper read, ‘Make tourniquet.’

Routh is on trial representing himself for federal charges filed against him for allegedly attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump exactly one year ago on Sept. 15, 2024. 

Barrois testified in court Monday the vehicle was ‘not organized,’ and included food, tools, gloves, a disposable tablecloth and a .45-caliber cartridge casing in the glove box. Photos shown to jurors included the passport in the driver’s area, multiple phones and where they were found, and a close-up of the .45 casing. 

She also pointed to alleged stickers on the Xterra that appeared to have been blacked out with spray paint, showing drip marks. Items presented in court from the SUV included a red Harbor Freight flashlight, an Akaso camera battery, a black metal rod like those used in chain-link fences, multiple pairs of work gloves, a black mask, poncho and zip tie in a Ziploc and a large quantity of orange earplugs.

Prosecutors also walked jurors through receipts they say place Routh in Palm Beach County, Florida, for weeks: cash overnight-parking slips from a Marathon gas station in South Bay, Florida, dated Aug. 14 (eight nights), Aug. 21 (six nights), Aug. 29 (six nights), Sept. 5 (six nights) and Sept. 12 (four nights), plus local receipts from Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and McDonald’s. 

Jurors also saw two unopened cans of Vienna sausages and a 56-ounce SunnyD bottle allegedly found in the car, along with a SunnyD receipt. Barrois said North Carolina and Ohio license plates were recovered under the driver’s seat; a North Carolina registration in the glove box listed Routh’s daughter, Sara Ellen Routh.

Routh, representing himself, asked whether some items ‘could have been in there for years’ and why one photo showed the .45-caliber casing in the glove box and another did not. For the first time in the trial, the prosecution came up after Routh’s cross-examination to ‘re-direct’ the witness with further questioning.

Routh also said there were dress clothes in the SUV and referenced a note that read, ‘If you need this car moved text,’ listing numbers for ‘Sarah’ and ‘Oran.’

Later, FBI Evidence Analysis Request Coordinator Erin Farais testified about items removed from the SKS rifle. She said a fingerprint was found on tape from the gun but did not identify whose it was.  

When Routh asked whether removing tape affected scope accuracy testing, Judge Aileen Cannon told jurors, ‘This case isn’t about how accurate the gun shoots.’

Court staff told media that trial exhibits will be made public only after the proceedings conclude. 

Routh also told the judge he hadn’t decided whether to call his son, Oran, to the witness stand. Judge Cannon noted ‘a lot of work’ had gone into arranging his transport. 

Prosecutors said additional FBI forensic witnesses — including a firearms/toolmark examiner — were slated to follow.

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Manchin says he wanted GOP to win Senate to stop Democrats’ quest for ‘raw political power’

Former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., wanted Republicans to win the Senate last year in order to prevent Democrats’ pursuit of ‘raw political power.’

In his new book, ‘Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense,’ set to be released on Tuesday and obtained by Fox News Digital, the former West Virginia Democrat-turned-Independent ripped into his ex-political party, tore into former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., while lauding the relationship that he had with President Donald Trump.

Manchin made waves when he and former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who also left the Democratic Party to become an Independent, bucked Schumer and voted against the move to nuke the Senate filibuster in 2022.

He recalled that vote in his book and the pressure he felt from Schumer and Senate Democrats to fall in line on that and other key votes during Biden’s presidency.

Manchin accused Schumer of wanting a vote he ‘could broadcast to the radical left to prove his loyalty’ and said the then-Senate majority leader didn’t actually believe that getting rid of the filibuster was the right thing to do, but rather to fulfill his ‘only priority’ of maintaining control of the Senate.

‘Because of what I knew — and what I had seen firsthand — I wanted Republicans to win the Senate majority in 2024,’ Manchin wrote. ‘I believed it was the only hope for preserving the Senate as an institution. I truly believed that, if in power, Republicans would uphold the filibuster, the last guardrail preventing total partisan rule.’

‘Schumer and the Democrats had already shown their hand — eliminating the filibuster would have been their first order of business,’ he continued. ‘They had no interest in protecting the Senate’s role as the deliberative body. They only cared about raw political power.’

The quest to end the filibuster is also why Manchin wouldn’t endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris in her run against Trump.

‘She knew this was the Holy Grail and the only hope we have to preserve any bipartisanship and maintain our democracy,’ Manchin said.

He also outlined an early fight he had with Biden where, when Democrats were trying to ram through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in the early months of his presidency in an evenly-divided Senate, Manchin rejected it.

Biden ripped into Manchin for standing in the way of an early victory.

‘As the drama began, I got a call from the president, and was he hot,’ Manchin wrote. ”If you kill this f— bill, I will never speak to you again,’ he promised. Anyone who knows Joe Biden —­ and I have known him for a very long time —­knows he’s got a very bad temper. He calls it his ‘Irish.’ I call it unfortunate. But if he was going there, so was I.’

”Your actions are reckless,’ I spat back. ‘You’re sending a f—­ check to everyone. And if you missed anyone, it was only by mistake.’’

The legislation ultimately passed after a compromise was reached, but Manchin noted that he later regretted ‘capitulating on the American Rescue Plan.’

He also described having a far better relationship with Trump, who he considered a fellow ‘outsider,’ than Obama, and noted that Obama reached out to him twice during his entire presidency: once after he won re-election to the Senate in 2012 and again in 2015 to persuade him from voting against his nuclear deal with Iran.

‘From the start, President Trump had an open line of communication with me. I spoke to him more in the first two years of his presidency than I did to President Obama during all eight years of his time in office,’ Manchin said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Schumer, Obama and Biden for comment but did not immediately hear back. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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