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Trump orders Attorney General to investigate Biden’s autopen use amid cognitive decline concerns

Politics 4 Mins Read
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President Donald Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead an investigation into whether certain individuals working for former President Joe Biden conspired to deceive the public about his mental state while also exercising his presidential responsibilities by using an autopen.

In a memo on Wednesday, Trump said the president of the U.S. has a tremendous amount of power and responsibility through the signature. Not only can the signature turn words into laws of the land, but it also appoints individuals to some of the highest positions in government, creates or eliminates national policies and allows prisoners to go free.

‘In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,’ Trump wrote. ‘This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.’

He continued, saying Biden had suffered from ‘serious cognitive decline’ for years, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently concluded that Biden should not stand trial, despite clear evidence he broke the law, because of his mental state.

‘Biden’s cognitive issues and apparent mental decline during his presidency were even ‘worse’ in private, and those closest to him ‘tried to hide it’ from the public,’ Trump said. ‘To do so, Biden’s advisors during his years in office severely restricted his news conferences and media appearances, and they scripted his conversations with lawmakers, government officials, and donors, all to cover up his inability to discharge his duties.’

Still, during the Biden presidency, the White House issued over 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the federal bench and issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in U.S. history, Trump said.

The president wrote about Biden’s decision just two days before Christmas 2024, to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 most dangerous criminals on federal death row, including mass murderers and child killers.

‘Although the authority to take these executive actions, along with many others, is constitutionally committed to the President, there are serious doubts as to the decision-making process and even the degree of Biden’s awareness of these actions being taken in his name,’ Trump wrote. ‘The vast majority of Biden’s executive actions were signed using a mechanical signature pen, often called an autopen, as opposed to Biden’s own hand. This was especially true of actions taken during the second half of his Presidency, when his cognitive decline had apparently become even more clear to those working most closely with him.

‘Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority, if his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden’s name,’ he added.

The memo goes on to call for an investigation that addresses if certain individuals, who are not named in the document, conspired to deceive the American public about the former president’s mental state and ‘unconstitutionally’ exercised the president’s authority and responsibilities.

Specifically, Trump called on the attorney general’s investigation to look at any activity that purposefully shielded the public from information about Biden’s mental and physical health; any agreements between his aides to falsely deem recorded videos of Biden’s cognitive ability as fake; and any agreements between Biden’s aides to require false, public statements that elevated the president’s capabilities.

The investigation will also look at which policy documents the autopen was used for, including clemency grants, executive orders, and presidential memoranda, as well as who directed Biden’s signature to be affixed to those documents.

Trump said last week that he thinks Biden did not really agree with many of his administration’s lax border security policies, instead suggesting that those surrounding the former president took advantage of his declining faculties and utilized the autopen to pass radical directives pertaining to the border.

House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, launched an investigation earlier last month aimed at determining whether Biden, who was in declining health during the final months of his presidency, was mentally fit to authorize the use of the autopen. Comer said last week he was ‘open’ to dragging Biden before the House to answer questions about the matter if necessary. 

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Politics

Biden insists ‘I made the decisions’ as Republicans investigate White House autopen use

Politics 3 Mins Read
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former President Joe Biden doubled down on his use of an autopen on Wednesday, insisting that he was in control of the White House during his term in office.

President Donald Trump ordered an investigation into Biden’s administration, alleging that top officials used autopen signatures to cover up the former president’s cognitive decline.

‘I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,’ Biden said in a statement.

‘This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,’ he added.

Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to open investigations into top Biden officials on Wednesday, arguing they may have conspired to deceive the public about his mental state and exercised presidential authority through the autopen use.

Trump wrote in a Wednesday memo that the U.S. president has a tremendous amount of power and responsibility through his signature. Not only can the signature turn words into laws of the land, but it also appoints individuals to some of the highest positions in government, creates or eliminates national policies and allows prisoners to go free.

‘In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of Presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,’ Trump wrote. ‘This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.’

‘Given clear indications that President Biden lacked the capacity to exercise his Presidential authority, if his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden’s name,’ he added.

House Republicans, led by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, launched an investigation earlier last month aimed at determining whether Biden, who was in declining health during the final months of his presidency, was mentally fit to authorize the use of the autopen. Comer said last week he was ‘open’ to dragging Biden before the House to answer questions about the matter if necessary. 

Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Politics

‘He’s not a big factor’: Trump’s Senate allies dismiss Elon Musk’s calls to ‘kill the bill’

Politics 5 Mins Read
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Elon Musk’s diatribe against President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ continued Wednesday as Senate Republicans embarked on their own course to tweak and reshape the gargantuan legislative package.

The former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rehashed a similar talking point from his takedown of a previous House GOP government funding bill in December, which, after his input, was gutted and reworked.

The nation’s debt sits at over $36 trillion, according to FOX Business’ National Debt Tracker.

‘Call your Senator, Call your Congressman,’ Musk said among a flurry of posts on X. ‘Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.’

Though Musk’s continued tirade against the bill sent House Republicans into a tizzy, on the other side of the Capitol, senators were busy hashing out the finer points of the legislation.

This time around, Musk, who just ended his four-month tenure as a special government employee rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, may not have the same level of impact, given that senators want their chance to shape the bill.

‘I mean, if Elon was going to give me advice on how to get to the moon, I’d listen,’ said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. ‘You know, if he was going to give me advice on how to raise several billion dollars from other billionaires, I’d listen.’

‘But… he doesn’t govern, you know, and so, to be honest, Elon, he’s not that big a factor,’ he continued. ‘I know he’s a glamorous sort of celebrity, but he’s not a big factor.’

Cramer’s comments came after Senate Republicans heard from the chairs of the Senate Banking, Armed Services and Commerce committees on how they would approach their respective portions of the megabill in a closed-door meeting.

After that meeting, members of the Senate Finance Committee, which will handle the tax portion of the package, met with Trump later to shore up support for the tax package.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R.-Kan., said that the president’s main message during the meeting was to ‘pass the damn bill’ with as few changes as possible. When asked if Trump seemed concerned about Musk’s impact on the bill’s fate, the lawmaker said ‘absolutely not.’  

‘It was almost laugh— more of a laughing conversation for 30 seconds,’ he said. ‘It was very much in jest and laughing, and I think he said something positive about Elon, appreciating what he did for the country.’

Congressional Republicans intend to use the budget reconciliation process to skirt the Senate filibuster, meaning they do not need Senate Democrats to pass the package. However, they do need at least 51 Senate Republicans to get on board.

The Senate’s shot at tinkering with the reconciliation package comes after months of deliberations and negotiations in the House that culminated in a package that Trump has thrown his full support behind.

Some lawmakers want higher spending cuts to the tune of $2 trillion, others want a full rollback to pre-pandemic spending. Then there are pockets of resistance solidifying around cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax credit provisions baked into the House’s offering.

Among the green energy provisions on the chopping block are electric vehicle tax credits. Speculation has swirled that their proposed demise could be the driving force, in part, behind Musk’s anger toward the bill.

‘Any senator with a brain sees Elon’s comments for what they are, a CEO worried about losing business,’ a Senate Republican source told Fox News Digital. ‘The only reason he’s causing a fuss is because we’re getting rid of pork that benefits his electric car company.’

Musk had been pushing for deeper spending cuts until his new demand that the bill be nuked. Currently, the House GOP’s offering sets a goal of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade that, coupled with expected growth, would help offset the roughly $4 trillion price tag of making the president’s first-term tax cuts permanent.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, engaged with some of Musk’s posts on Tuesday and appeared to agree with the tech billionaire’s position that the bill had to go further to cut spending.

‘I think most of what he’s saying is he would like it to do more and be more aggressive to try to address the debt and deficit problem,’ Lee said.

However, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in its latest report that the bill would only cut $1.3 trillion, reduce revenues by roughly $3.7 trillion and add in the neighborhood of $2.4 trillion to the deficit.

Some lawmakers who had found common ground with Musk’s earlier anger with the ‘big, beautiful bill’ still found a common ally on the second day of his rant.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., reiterated to Fox News Digital that he shared Musk’s ‘skepticism’ of the bill. He would not say whether he agreed that congressional Republicans should start from scratch, but noted that his main objection to the bill was a plan to increase the nation’s debt limit by $5 trillion.

‘My main goal is to say, take the debt ceiling and make it a separate vote, and then vote on a separate bill, and then there’s still a need for less spending,’ he said. ‘But I would be very open to supporting the bill if we had more spending cuts and the debt ceiling was a separate vote.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Business

McDonald’s Snack Wrap is officially making a permanent return

Business 2 Mins Read

Snacktime is nigh at the Golden Arches.

On June 3, McDonald’s announced exactly when the Snack Wrap will return to partipating restaurants nationwide: July 10. And, thankfully, it’s not a limited-time offer, either — it’s here for good.

The Snack Wrap, which has been off menus for almost a decade, features one of the chain’s new McCrispy Strips — a chicken strip made with all-white meat — and is topped with shredded lettuce and shredded cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

This go-round, the Snack Wrap comes in two flavors: Spicy, which McDonald’s says “brings the heat with a habanero kick” reminiscent of its Spicy McCrispy sandwich; and Ranch, which “delivers a satisfying burst of cool ranch goodness,” according to the brand, along with hints of garlic and onion.

Customers can get the Snack Wrap on its own or as a combo meal, which will come with two wraps, a medium fries and your drink of choice.

It’s been a long journey for Mickey D’s devotees: On Dec. 5, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, first revealed that the Snack Wrap was on its way back while discussing the new McValue menu.

“The Snack Wrap will be back in 2025,” Erlinger said at the time, declining to reveal the exact date. “It has a cult following, I get so many emails into my inbox about this product.”

Then, on April 15, the chain teased the official release date: “snack wraps 0x.14.2025,” it posted on X, without specifying the month.

Now, for the official rollout, McDonald’s is leaning into the fact that for years, fans have inundated the chain with pleas to reinstate the item after it was kicked off menus in 2016. A Change.org petition started in 2021 in its honor garnered over 17,000 signatures, and fans resorted to posting TikToks and making dedicated Instagram accounts devoted to bringing it back.

While the chicken-craving masses waited for the Snack Wrap’s return, other fast-food chains have dropped their own versions: In March 2023, Wendy’s introduced its Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap; in July 2023, Taco Bell reintroduced its Crispy Chicken Taco for a limited time; and in August 2023, Burger King launched BK Royal Crispy Wraps for a limited time, too.

Most recently, a single day before McDonald’s announcement, Popeyes dropped its own Chicken Wraps as a limited-time offer. Let the wrap battle commence.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Business

Nationwide coordinated retail crime crackdown results in hundreds of arrests, authorities say

Business 4 Mins Read

A nationwide coordinated crackdown on retail crime — what authorities are calling the first of its kind — led to hundreds of arrests in 28 states last week.

The blitz, led by Illinois’ Cook County regional organized crime task force, involved more than 100 jurisdictions and over 30 retailers including Home Depot, Macy’s, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, Kroger and Meijer.

“When you give specific focus to a crime, it reverberates,” Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told CNBC. “When they see it is being prosecuted and taken seriously, it deters conduct. They don’t want to get caught.”

Organized retail crime — a type of shoplifting where groups of thieves work together in targeted operations to turn stolen goods into cash — has grown in scale and scope in recent years. CNBC previously reported on the extensive law enforcement efforts to take down retail crime organizations.

While aggregate numbers for retail theft are difficult to quantify, retailers reported 93% more shoplifting incidents on average in 2023 compared with 2019, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation. Those surveyed also reported a 90% increase in the associated dollar losses over that same time period.

Some critics point to a lack of enforcement and felony thresholds for allowing criminals to continue committing theft. It’s something Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has been focused on since taking office in December.

On her first day in office, O’Neill Burke said prosecutors would pursue felony retail theft charges in accordance with state law, when the value of the goods exceeds $300 or when the suspect already has a felony shoplifting conviction.

Before her taking office, retail theft felonies were charged only if the value of the stolen goods was $1,000 or more or if the suspect had 10 or more prior convictions.

Since Dec. 1, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed charges in 1,450 felony retail theft cases, the office said.

The goals of the coordinated operation, O’Neill Burke told CNBC, is “to have one day where we focus and concentrate on [retail theft] and we share intelligence about it — about what we learned about the network, so that gives us more tools on how to take this network down.”

It was the coordination between law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys that got a number of the involved retailers to participate in the blitz.

“Collaboration is key to making a meaningful impact,” Ulta Beauty Senior Vice President of Loss Prevention Dan Petrousek told CNBC. “That’s why we were proud to participate in the National ORC Blitz alongside dedicated law enforcement and prosecutorial partners.”

Ulta Beauty had teams participating across nine states in last week’s operation, providing law enforcement with information on incidents of retail crime.

“Organized retail crime remains one of the most significant challenges in our industry,” said Marty Maloney, Walgreens director of media relations. “In this most recent operation we worked closely with law enforcement partners across nearly 20 cities and at over 40 locations to help curb this trend.”

A representative for Home Depot told CNBC that while overall theft is down, investigated incidents of organized retail crime are still up double digits year over year.

Now that the operation has concluded, the group is pulling together each jurisdictions’ observations and sharing data to continue to help crack down on retail theft.

Other participating retailers reached for comment by CNBC, including Macy’s, T.J. Maxx and Target, said they’re committed to partnering with law enforcement and pushing for stronger laws to combat retail crime.

California Highway Patrol arrests retail crime suspect in Long Beach, CA.Courtesy: California Highway Patrol.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Business

OpenAI tops 3 million paying business users, launches new features for workplace

Business 3 Mins Read

OpenAI on Wednesday announced that it now has 3 million paying business users, up from the 2 million it reported in February.

The San Francisco-based startup rocketed into the mainstream in late 2022 with its consumer-facing artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT, and began launching workplace-specific versions of the product the following year.

The 3 million users include ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Team and ChatGPT Edu customers, OpenAI said.

“There’s this really tight interconnect between the growth of ChatGPT as a consumer tool and its adoption in the enterprise and in businesses,” OpenAI’s chief operating officer Brad Lightcap told CNBC in an interview. The company supported 400 million weekly active users as of February.

OpenAI expects revenue of $12.7 billion this year, a source confirmed to CNBC. In September of last year, the company expected to see an annual loss of $5 billion on $3.7 billion in revenue, according to a person close to the company who asked not to be named because the financials are confidential.

Lightcap said OpenAI is seeing its business tools adopted across industries, including highly regulated sectors like financial services and health care. Companies including Lowe’s, Morgan Stanley and Uber are users, OpenAI said.

The company also announced new updates to its business offerings on Wednesday.

ChatGPT Team and ChatGPT Enterprise users can now access “connectors,” which will allow workers to pull data from third-party tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint, Box and OneDrive without leaving ChatGPT. Additional deep research connectors are available in beta.

OpenAI launched another capability called “record mode” in ChatGPT, which allows users to record and transcribe their meetings. It’s initially available with audio only.

Record mode can assist with follow up after a meeting and integrates with internal information like documents and files, the company said. Users can also turn their recordings into documents through the company’s Canvas tool.

Lightcap said enterprise customers have been asking for updates like these, and that they will help make OpenAI’s workplace offerings more useful.

“It’s got to be able to do tasks for you, and to do that, it’s got to really have knowledge of everything going on around you and your work,” Lightcap said. “It can’t be the intern locked in a closet. It’s got to be able to see what you see.”

OpenAI said it has been signing up nine enterprises a week, and Lightcap said the company will try to sustain that pace over time.

“People are starting to really figure out that this is a part of the modern tool stack in the knowledge economy that we live in,” he said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Stock

How I Find Up-trending Stocks Every Week (Step-by-Step Scan Tutorial)

Stock 1 Min Read

In this video, Dave shares his weekly stock scan strategy used to identify bullish stock trends. He illustrates how to set up this powerful scan, reveals the tips and tricks he uses to identify the most constructive patterns, and explains the four winning chart setups that tend to come up week after week.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned trader, this guide will enhance your charting process and help you uncover winning trade setups using technical analysis.

This video originally premiered on June 3, 2025. Watch on StockCharts’ dedicated David Keller page!

Previously recorded videos from Dave are available at this link.

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Stock

S&P 500 Bullish Patterns: Are Higher Highs Ahead?

Stock 1 Min Read

In this market update, Frank breaks down recent developments across the S&P 500, crypto markets, commodities, and international ETFs. He analyzes bullish and bearish chart patterns, identifies key RSI signals, and demonstrates how “Go No Go Charts” can support your technical analysis. You’ll also hear updates on Ethereum, Bitcoin, the Spain ETF, silver miners, USO (oil), and sector ETFs like XLP and XLV.

This video originally premiered on June 3, 2025.

You can view previously recorded videos from Frank and other industry experts at this link.

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Investing

LaFleur Minerals Provides Swanson Gold Deposit and Beacon Mill Restart Update to Produce Gold and Announces Investor Call on June 5

Investing 17 Mins Read

LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) (‘LaFleur Minerals’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to provide the results of its recent exploration programs, including an update on its diamond drilling and bulk sampling plans at its district-scale Swanson Gold Project (‘Swanson’), positioned in the prolific Abitibi Gold Belt (Figure 1). The Company is also fast-tracking the restart of its 100%-owned, 750 tonne per day (‘tpd’) Beacon Gold Mill (‘Beacon’) in Val-d’Or, Québec, and has received significant interest from several groups for the purpose of financing the mill restart as well as to offtake material and support the ramp-up to full production with the goal to be generating cash flow by early 2026.

The interest received to date is a strong vote of confidence in the quality and potential of the Beacon Mill, as a foundational and keystone asset of the Company, its strategic positioning in one of the world’s richest and most well-endowed mineralized mining regions with numerous surrounding gold deposits suitable for bulk sampling, which would be ideal sources of mineralized material to complement this transformational next phase of development for LaFleur Minerals.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Immediate plans to complete at least 5,000 metres of diamond drilling at Swanson starting in June using existing flow-through (FT) funds, with over 50 promising drilling targets identified, among the other highly prospective Bartec, Jolin, and Marimac gold targets. A drilling contractor has been selected with drilling permits expected by early June.
  • Geological and engineering planning continues for a large bulk sampling program at the Swanson mining lease with an updated Scoping Study and mine plan to be submitted to Québec government for approval. The plan includes the extraction of an up to 100,000 tonne surface bulk sample at Swanson for processing at the Beacon Mill once it is in full production (anticipated by early 2026).
  • The Company is in advanced discussions with several institutional and private equity groups, as well as exploring non-dilutive funding options with several commodity trading and debt financing firms to fund Beacon Mill’s restart. The Company’s goal is to be fully-funded, complete upgrades, and become fully operational by early 2026.

Paul Ténière, CEO of LaFleur Minerals, commented, ‘We are very excited to commence our summer diamond drilling program to test the regional exploration targets identified from our recent exploration programs at Swanson. These drilling targets are based on careful and well executed geological, geochemical, and geophysical programs by our technical team. Swanson is a large regional exploration project with numerous gold showings and the upcoming diamond drilling program will focus on showings that have the potential to host significant large gold deposits.

‘In addition, we are forging ahead with the permitting process for the Swanson bulk sample and funding the restart of the Beacon Gold Mill to generate cash flow as quickly as possible, with the longer-term vision of funding additional project acquisitions and expanding LaFleur Minerals from a small to intermediate gold producer in the Val-d’Or region. With a restart cost that is so low, LaFleur Minerals has the ability to move towards commercial production and profitability near term, achieving an outstanding milestone in an exceptionally short period of time thanks to the methodical work of the Company’s technical and management team, largely supported by the increasingly attractive precious metals market.’

PETER ESPIG JOINS LaFleur Minerals AS STRATEGIC ADVISOR

The Company is also pleased to announce that Peter Espig has joined the Company as a Strategic Advisor and Consultant focused on the capital markets and assisting with the funding of the Swanson and Beacon Gold Mill projects. Mr. Espig also brings substantial experience in managing the funding, construction, ramp up, and operation of gold and silver milling and processing facilities in Canada.

Mr. Espig served as Vice-President at Goldman Sachs Japan in both the Principal Finance and Securitization Group and the Asia Special Situations Group, where his team participated in more than $10 billion in structured deals, capital raises, and cross-border transactions. Prior to Goldman Sachs, he was Vice-President at Olympus Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, where he focused on corporate restructurings, investment analysis, and international financing negotiations. He also played a pioneering role in some of the earliest SPAC transactions, totaling over US$1.2 billion, and brings deep experience in disciplined capital deployment and turnaround execution.

Since 2013, Mr. Espig has served as President and CEO of Nicola Mining Inc. and is a board member of ESGold Corp and First Lithium Minerals. Mr. Espig holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from Columbia Business School, where he was a Chazen International Scholar. He has served on various public boards and was recognized among Industry Era’s ‘Top 10 Admired Leaders’ in 2023.

GRANT OF STOCK OPTIONS

The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options (‘Options‘) to management and consultants of the Company to acquire an aggregate of 1,250,000 common shares at $0.20 per share, for a period of three years. These Options have been granted in accordance with the Company’s stock option plan.

SITE VISIT AND MANAGEMENT UPDATE CALL

The Company plans to coordinate a site visit of its Beacon Mill in June 2025 for any prospective investors, shareholders, and analysts. The Company will host a management update call for investors on Thursday June 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The call will be accessible via the Zoom platform, by video conference and by telephone, and participants should use the following information to join the call:

Please click the link below to join the LaFleur video call:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89960363165?pwd=0a0hXT9yEvAogURcX4EO0VRwuU3LaZ.1
Webinar ID: 899 6036 3165
Passcode: 888888

Or join via telephone:
United States: +1 646 931 3860
Canada: +1 647 374 4685
United Kingdom: +44 330 088 5830
Webinar ID: 864 5330 0862
More international numbers are available on the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/keDxuREffH

SUMMARY OF RECENT SWANSON EXPLORATION RESULTS

LaFleur Minerals recently received the final reports for its 2024 prospecting and reconnaissance mapping, soil sampling program, and IP survey. This exploration data has been incorporated into the Company’s geological and GIS database, along with the regional high-resolution magnetic and VLF-EM survey completed earlier in 2024, which has been used to develop priority drill targets to be tested this summer.

Geological Reconnaissance Mapping and Prospecting

Geological reconnaissance mapping and prospecting was carried out in September 2024 by IOS Géosciences Inc. (‘IOS‘). The work, including the collection of 144 samples that were sent to the laboratory, focused on key deposits, showings, and mineralized outcrops, compiled from the literature (Figure 2). Out of the 25 mineral occurrences reported since 1926 at Swanson, 10 were selected to represent the focus of interest. The Swanson, Jolin, Barautte VII, and Jackson showings display characteristics that are indicative of orogenic-gold-type mineralization and magmatic-hydrothermal-type mineralization. The reported results included the discovery of new highly prospective lithologies, hydrothermal alterations, sulphide mineralization, and corresponding gold grades. Best gold grades from grab samples included:

  • 11.71 g/t Au located 425 m SW of the Jolin deposit
  • 4.59 g/t Au located 140 m south of the Barautte VII showing
  • 4.51 g/t Au and 3.78 g/t Au in the area of the Jackson showing
  • 2.98 g/t Au in the area of the Bartec showing

Please note: Grab samples are selective by nature and may not be representative of the overall mineralization on the Swanson Project. While they are useful for identifying areas of interest and guiding further exploration, they should not be relied upon as an indicator of the average grade or extent of mineralization.

Soil Survey

A soil survey was also carried out in September 2024 by IOS. The objective of the 2024 soil sampling program was to assess Swanson’s potential to contain unknown blind gold occurrences by using the dispersion of geochemical signals in surficial materials. The survey included 315 sampling sites distributed along 8 grids according to the local quaternary geology, aerial photos and LiDAR images (Figure 3). The survey was designed to test the efficiency of the method and targeted areas with known occurrences. Lines were oriented perpendicular to the geophysical anomaly and/or geological features.

The gold-enriched soil samples located to the SW of the Damascus showing were found to be associated with an untested IP anomaly. The soil samples near the Jackson showing and Bartec deposit, and samples approximately 750 m SSW of the Swanson deposit and on two lines located 300 to 550 m south of the Jolin deposit, all show gold-enrichment.

Please note: Soil sampling surveys are not definitive, and the results are still at an early stage of interpretation, with no guarantee of a mineral discovery.

Induced Polarization Geophysics Survey

An Induced Polarization (IP) survey was carried out at Swanson between January and April 2024 by TMC Geophysics. The survey consisted of 120.4 line-km of IP using the pole-dipole electrode array with a configuration of a=25 m, n=1 to 16 over two distinct grids, namely Jolin and Bartec (Figure 4).

A total of 64 IP axes indicative of the most obvious anomalies have been identified on both prospects. These include:

  • A first group of IP axes characterize some of the strongest and more continuous polarizable anomalies. The associated polarizable sources are typically correlated with slight to strong decreases in resistivity or included within the confines of thin conductive beds/horizons. According to the regional geology, this type of signature is, at least partially, of the lithological type and indicative of the known pyrite and graphite rich units/lithologies of both prospects. On the other hand, one cannot exclude to see these units themselves locally enriched in poly-metallic mineralization (+/- Au). Some other axes of this group may also directly emphasize polymetallic mineralization developed along broad shear zones, or altered geological contacts favored by the upwelling of hydrothermal fluids.
  • The second group of IP axes feature weaker and less continuous polarizable anomalies that are partially correlated with an increase in resistivity. They all have the potential to indicate the presence of gold-rich mineralization associated with disseminated sulphide remobilized along a fault or altered and silicified band of rocks (+/- quartz/carbonate veining).

As for the follow-up work, 7 IP axes have been selected to be drill tested on the Jolin grid, and 4 others on the Bartec grid.

2025 SWANSON DIAMOND DRILLING PROGRAM PLANS

Following the regional compilation and high-resolution magnetics and VLF-EM over the entire Swanson Gold Project, along with the recent encouraging results of the reconnaissance mapping and prospecting, soil sampling and IP survey discussed above, LaFleur Minerals will move forward with its regional drilling program.

Approximately 50 drill targets have currently been identified based on the compilation and recent field work. The targets are located regionally in the Swanson, Jolin, Bartec and Marimac regions (Figure 5). Phase I of the diamond drill program will include 20 exploration drill holes totalling at least 5,000 m of diamond drilling.

LaFleur Minerals is pleased to announce that it has signed a drilling contract with Forage Rouillier Drilling of Amos, Québec and is expecting to start drilling at Swanson in early- to mid-June 2025 once drilling permits have been received from the Québec government.

Figure 1: Swanson Gold Project (including the Swanson Deposit) located 50 km from the Beacon Gold Mill

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Figure 2: Geological Reconnaissance – Sample locations and anomalous results

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Figure 3: Soil Samples – Anomalous Results

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Figure 4: Lines Completed by IP Survey

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Figure 5: Swanson drilling target regions and proposed 2025 drill holes (in purple)

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SAMPLE PREPARATION, LABORATORY ANALYSIS, AND QA/QC SUMMARY

Rock (Grab) Samples

All rock (grab) samples collected by IOS during the program were securely transported to Activation Laboratories (Actlabs) in Ancaster, Ontario, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory. Grab sample sizes vary by rock collected but varies from 1 kg to 3 kg. Actlabs is independent of LaFleur Minerals. Sample preparation included crushing, splitting, and pulverizing to 95% passing 105 microns. Gold analysis was performed using fire assay with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (1A2-ICPMS) finish. A multi-element analysis (63 elements) was also done on the samples using an Aqua regia digestion / ICP-MS (Ultratrace-1). Borate fusion with XRF finishing was carried out for samples exceeding the limit for tungsten. The Company follows industry-standard QA/QC protocols, including the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates to ensure the accuracy and precision of the results.

Soil Samples

Soil samples were collected by IOS at a depth of 10 cm to 25 cm below the base of the Ah horizon with an average sample size approximately 1 kg. As such, the sample can be composed of either the Ae, B or C horizon, or be a composite of these horizons depending on the soil profile. Sampling was done using a shovel or an auger depending on the environment and depth necessary to sample the correct horizon.

Samples were securely transported back to IOS facilities in Saguenay, Québec by the field crew. The samples were prepared in the IOS laboratory for environmental parameter measurements (e.g. pH, Eh, etc.) and handheld XRF analysis. Upon reception of the samples by the IOS lab and prior to any preparation, a 20 gram aliquot was taken to perform measurements that need to be conducted on the raw material. The remaining material was dedicated to preparation for loss on ignition (LOI) and chemical analyses. Environmental parameters such as pH, δpH, Eh and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids, i.e., conductivity) were measured on saturated paste according to standard procedures.

Samples were then securely courier shipped to ALS Minerals in Val-d’Or for final preparation before the final shipping to ALS Minerals in Vancouver for Ionic LeachTM. ALS Minerals is independent of LaFleur Minerals. Sample material dedicated for chemical analysis were air dried and sieved at

The anomaly thresholds were determined by IOS using a probabilistic approach. In that the assays results are first transformed into logarithmic data. The Z-score is then calculated for each element of each sample. This significantly limits the range of values and enables the use of a normal distribution for the probability modelling. The anomaly threshold for an element is determined by the difference between the sample’s Z-score and the expected Z-score for a log-normal population with an average of 0 and a standard deviation of 1, which represents the regional background as confirmed by the analysis of IOS’s large database. Any sample deviated from that regional trend is likely related to an anomalous population.

SWANSON GOLD PROJECT SUMMARY

The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 16,600 hectares in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. The Swanson Gold Project covers major structural breaks that hosts the Swanson Gold Deposit, and Bartec, and Jolin gold targets and numerous other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project has had in excess of 36,000 metres of historical diamond drilling, is easily accessible by road with a rail line running through the property, allowing direct access to the Beacon Gold Mill, which further enhances its development potential.

The Swanson Gold Deposit hosts:

  • Indicated Mineral Resource Estimate:
    • 2,113,000 t with an average grade of 1.8 g/t gold, containing 123,400 oz of gold.
  • Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate:
    • 872,000 t with an average grade of 2.3 g/t gold, containing 64,500 oz of gold.

(MRE source: NI 43-101 technical report, effective September 17, 2024, filed on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile)

    (Source: GESTIM -1996, GM62629 – historical estimate not compliant with NI 43-101)

      (Source: GESTIM – DV 87-01 – historical estimate not compliant NI 43-101)

      QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT AND DATA VERIFICATION

      All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the Company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Martin has reviewed and verified the rock and soil sampling results and certified analytical data underlying the technical information disclosed. Mr. Martin noted no errors or omissions during the data verification process and the Company’s management have also verified the technical information disclosed. The Company and Mr. Martin do not recognize any factors of sampling or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data and exploration results disclosed in this news release.

      About LaFleur Minerals Inc.

      LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) is focused on the development of district-scale gold projects in the Abitibi Gold Belt near Val-d’Or, Québec. Our mission is to advance mining projects with a laser focus on our resource-stage Swanson Gold Project and the Beacon Gold Mill, which have significant potential to deliver long-term value. The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 16,600 hectares (166 km2) in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. LaFleur has recently consolidated a large land package along a major structural break that hosts the Swanson, Bartec, and Jolin gold deposits and several other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project is easily accessible by road with a rail line running through the property allowing direct access to several nearby gold mills, further enhancing its development potential. LaFleur Minerals’ fully-refurbished and permitted Beacon Gold Mill is capable of processing over 750 tonnes per day and is being considered for processing mineralized material at Swanson and for custom milling operations for other nearby gold projects.

      ON BEHALF OF LaFleur Minerals INC.
      Paul Ténière, M.Sc., P.Geo.
      Chief Executive Officer
      E: info@lafleurminerals.com
      LaFleur Minerals Inc.
      1500-1055 West Georgia Street
      Vancouver, BC V6E 4N7

      Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

      Cautionary Statement Regarding ‘Forward-Looking’ Information

      This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements related to the use of proceeds from the Offering. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

      To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/254409

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      Radiopharm Theranostics Doses First Patient in Phase 1 ‘HEAT’ Trial of 177Lu-RAD202 for Treatment of Advanced HER2-Positive Solid Tumors

      Investing 4 Mins Read

      Phase 1 1 First-In-Human study designed to assess safety   ,   tolerability   , right dose for Phase 2 and early signs of efficacy   of 177Lu-RAD20   2   in individuals with   advanced HER2-positive solid   tumors

      Previous clinical proof-of concept data 2 for targeting HER-2 demonstrated the safety and biodistribution of 99mTc-RAD202 in humans

      Radiopharm Theranostics (ASX:RAD, ‘Radiopharm’ or the ‘Company’), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative oncology radiopharmaceuticals for areas of high unmet medical need, today announced the dosing of the first patient in its Phase 1 ‘HEAT’ clinical trial of RAD202, a proprietary nanobody that targets Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-positive expression in a wide array of advanced solid tumors.

      The open-label Phase 1 ‘HEAT’ clinical trial is a dose escalation trial of 177Lu-RAD202 that is designed to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose and to evaluate the safety and preliminary clinical activity of this novel radiotherapeutic in individuals with HER2-expressing advanced cancers. The study is currently being conducted at clinical centers across Australia.

      ‘Dosing patients in the HEAT clinical trial marks an important milestone in our transition to a clinical-stage company,’ said Riccardo Canevari, CEO and Managing Director of Radiopharm Theranostics. ‘Despite progressive improvements in the management of metastatic HER2-positive disease, the majority of patients experience disease progression on current standard of care and require further therapeutic options. The dosing of the first patient in the ‘HEAT’ trial represents a significant step toward achieving RAD202’s potential to address an unmet need for HER2-positive metastatic patients who are progressing or unable to tolerate current treatment options. With RAD202, we hope to provide an option that can meaningfully improve clinical outcomes for HER2-positive patients, while preserving their quality of life.’

      HER2 is overexpressed in breast cancer as well as several other solid tumors and represents a validated target in oncology. RAD202 is a proprietary single domain antibody that targets HER2. Ten HER2-positive breast cancer patients previously dosed in a Phase 1 diagnostic study of RAD202 demonstrated clinical proof-of concept as well as the safety and biodistribution of RAD202, validating its potential for the treatment of advanced HER2-expressing cancers 2 . Preclinical findings 3 examining the therapeutic effect in HER2-positive xenografts were also recently reported with 177Lu-RAD202. Collectively, these data further justify first in humans dose finding studies.

      ‘It is a privilege to be the first centre to administer 177Lu-RAD202, targeting HER2-positive tumors in this Phase 1 clinical trial (HEAT).’ said Dr Aviral Singh, Clinical Head of Theranostics and Nuclear Medicine at St John of God Murdoch Hospital. ‘This opens the possibility of novel therapeutic avenues for patients with aggressive tumor types, including breast, ovarian, gastric, pancreatic, bladder, and several other cancers. With the trust put in us by Radiopharm, we look forward to a successful trial with beneficial outcomes for our patients.’

      About Radiopharm Theranostics

      Radiopharm Theranostics is a clinical stage radiotherapeutics company developing a world-class platform of innovative radiopharmaceutical products for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in areas of high unmet medical need. Radiopharm is listed on ASX (RAD) and on NASDAQ (RADX). The company has a pipeline of distinct and highly differentiated platform technologies spanning peptides, small molecules and monoclonal antibodies for use in cancer. The clinical program includes one Phase 2 and three Phase 1 trials in a variety of solid tumor cancers including lung, breast, and brain metastases. Learn more at radiopharmtheranostics.com .

      Authorised on behalf of the Radiopharm Theranostics board of directors by Chairman Paul Hopper.

      For more information:
      Riccardo Canevari
      CEO & Managing Director
      P: +1 862 309 0293
      E: rc@radiopharmtheranostics.com

      Anne Marie Fields
      Precision AQ (Formerly Stern IR)
      E: annemarie.fields@precisionaq.com

      Paul Hopper
      Executive Chairman
      P: +61 406 671 515
      E: paulhopper@lifescienceportfolio.com

      Media
      Matt Wright
      NWR Communications
      P: +61 451 896 420
      E: matt@nwrcommunications.com.au

      ________________________________

      1 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06824155
      2 Zhao et al, Molecular Pharmaceutics 2021 18 (9), 3616-3622
      3 Altunay B. et al, EP-0136, Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging (2024) 51 (Suppl 1): S1–S1026. DOI: 10.1007/s00259-024-06838-z

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