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Rubio announces visa revocations on Brazilian judge for ‘political witch hunt’ against ex-president Bolsonaro

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on a Brazilian judge after the country’s Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his unspecified allies on the court and his immediate family members will face visa revocations, according to Rubio, who criticized what he called a ‘political witch hunt’ against the former president.

‘President Trump made clear that his administration will hold accountable foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States,’ Rubio said in a statement. 

‘Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes’s political witch hunt against Jair Bolsonaro created a persecution and censorship complex so sweeping that it not only violates basic rights of Brazilians, but also extends beyond Brazil’s shores to target Americans,’ he continued.

As part of the court’s orders, Bolsonaro is prohibited from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies over allegations he sought the interference of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the decision issued by Moraes, who cited a ‘concrete possibility’ of him fleeing the country.

Federal police raided Bolsonaro’s home, and he had an ankle monitor placed on him.

Trump has already attempted to pressure Brazil’s officials to help Bolsonaro by announcing a 50% tariff on goods from the country from August 1 in a letter that began by criticizing Bolsonaro’s trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court on accusations of attempting to overturn the last election.

The U.S. president has pushed Brazil to end the case against Bolsonaro, arguing that the former Brazilian leader was the victim of a ‘witch hunt.’

Bolsonaro is on trial before Brazil’s Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.

Bolsonaro told Reuters that he believed the orders against him were issued in response to Trump’s criticism of his trial.

The former president described Moraes as a ‘dictator’ and called the latest court orders acts of ‘cowardice.’

‘I feel supreme humiliation,’ he said about wearing the ankle monitor. ‘I am 70-years-old, I was president of the republic for four years.’

Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country, but said he would meet with Trump if he could obtain access to his passport, which was seized last year. He also said he had contacted the top U.S. diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump’s tariff threat.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Friday, citing previous comments from Trump, that ‘Bolsonaro and his supporters are under attack from a weaponized court system.’

On Thursday, Trump shared a letter he sent to Bolsonaro.

‘I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This trial should end immediately!’ he wrote.

Moraes said in his decision that the restrictions against Bolsonaro were because of allegations that the former president was attempting to have the ‘head of state of a foreign nation’ interfere in Brazilian courts, which the judge called an attack on national sovereignty.

The judge added that Trump’s threats of higher tariffs sought to create a serious economic crisis in Brazil to interfere in the country’s judicial system.

Bolsonaro was also prohibited from contacting key allies, including his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian congressman who has been working in the U.S. to gather support for his father.

The former Brazilian president told Reuters he had been talking to his son almost daily and denied any concerted U.S. lobbying effort on his behalf. He said he expected his son to seek U.S. citizenship to avoid returning to Brazil.

A five-judge panel of Brazilian Supreme Court judges upheld Moraes’ decision.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Slovenia approves law to legalize assisted dying for terminally-ill adults

Slovenian lawmakers became the first Eastern European country to legalize a law on Friday to allow medically-assisted suicide for terminally-ill adults, in a shift in regional end-of-life policy. 

The country’s lawmakers passed the bill following a closely watched parliamentary vote with 50 votes in favor, 34 against and three abstaining. The vote also focused on a national referendum demanding expanded end-of-life rights. 

The legislation comes after a consultative referendum last year in which 55% of voters supported the right to end-of-life autonomy. While the move is being praised as historic, the law’s implementation will not be immediate as the procedures and oversight mechanisms are still being developed.

The law applies to terminally ill adults who are experiencing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement. In order for candidates to qualify, they must be mentally competent and have already exhausted their available treatment options. Individuals suffering solely from mental illness will be excluded from eligibility. The patient has to provide informed, voluntary, and repeated consent. It is believed that the process may require evaluation by multiple medical professionals.

Although it is being hailed as a landmark move, it will not be immediately implemented as the detailed procedures and oversight mechanisms are still being finalized. 

‘This is a victory for compassion and dignity,’ said one lawmaker in support of the bill. A civil rights group opposed to the law referendum to overturn the measure.

A civil rights group opposing the new law pledged on Friday to seek public backing for a potential attempt to force a referendum on the measure.

Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia and Colombia, have legalized the so-called death with dignity.

Last month, Britain’s parliament voted to legalize assisted dying, although the bill must still clear the upper chamber of parliament.

In the U.S., 11 states allow medical aid in dying: Delaware, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Lawmakers in some other states are considering similar legislation.

Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner dies at 83

Edwin J. Feulner, a prominent figure in the American conservative movement and co-founder and former president of the Heritage Foundation, died on Friday at the age of 83.

Feulner served as the organization’s president from 1977 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2018. He was well known for transforming the once-obscure think tank into one of the most influential policy powerhouses in Washington, D.C.

He was its longest-serving president after helping to create the Washington, D.C.-based think tank in 1973.

‘Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order,’ Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby said in a joint statement. ‘His unwavering love of country and his determination to safeguard the principles that made America the freest, most prosperous nation in human history shaped every fiber of the conservative movement—and still do.’

The group had organized Project 2025, a controversial initiative that offered right-wing policy recommendations for the second Trump administration. Feulner co-wrote the initiative’s afterward and he and Roberts met with President Donald Trump ahead of last year’s election. Feulner was also on Trump’s transition team ahead of his first term.

Under his leadership, Heritage instituted a new model of conservative policy advocacy. This helped shape Reagan-era reforms and pushed market-based ideas into political mainstream. Feulner has remained active through Project 2025 and a transition plan for a second Trump term which is drawing praise and criticism for its hardline policy proposals.

An author of nine books and a former congressional aide, he was also involved in various other conservative organizations.

‘Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, ‘big-tent conservatism,” Roberts and Andel-Gaby wrote. ‘He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity. One of his favorite mantras was ‘You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.’ His legacy is not just the institution he built, but the movement he helped grow—a movement rooted in faith, family, freedom, and the founding. ‘

‘His ‘Feulnerisms’ still resonate in the halls of Heritage—where they will always be remembered. ‘People are policy,’ for instance— the heartbeat of his mission—to equip, encourage, and elevate a new generation of conservative leaders, not just in Washington, but across this great country,’ the statement continued. ‘And we still remember his adjuration to never be complacent or discouraged: ‘In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.”

Roberts and Andel-Gaby vowed to honor Feulner’s life by ‘carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination.’

‘Thank you for showing us what one faithful, fearless man can do when he refuses to cede ground in the fight for self-governance,’ the leaders said of Feulner.

Heritage did not disclose Feulner’s cause of death.

Feulner is survived by his wife Lina, as well as their children and grandchildren.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Trump has now been in office for six months, for the second time. Here are the highlights

President Trump has been in office for six months, delivering on campaign promises, securing his ‘big beautiful bill’ by his self-imposed deadline and taking decisive action on the world stage.

The president was sworn into office Jan. 20, and the Trump administration has operated at warp speed since Day One.

Key tenets of Trump’s first 100 days included imposing harsh tariffs on Chinese imports, starting and continuing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and cracking down on border security amid a mass deportation initiative. 

The next chapter of the second Trump administration began, with the House of Representatives, as promised, passing Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ before Memorial Day, sending it to the Senate for weeks of negotiations.

The Senate made its changes, approved the legislation and kicked it back to the House just in time for the lower chamber to pass the bill before Trump’s self-imposed Fourth of July deadline. 

The president welcomed House and Senate Republican leadership to the White House July 4 for a signing ceremony on his landmark legislation, which included key provisions that would permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporate new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. 

Trump’s second administration has also focused on the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was run by Elon Musk. DOGE proposed cuts to programs that the Trump administration chalked up to wasteful and excessive government spending.

Congressional lawmakers prepped a rescissions package — a bill to codify those DOGE cuts into law. Congress passed that package by its deadline. 

Trump signed the package Friday, which blocks $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of the fiscal year. The dollars had been allocated by Congress for the duration of fiscal year 2025.

As for Musk, his ‘special government employee’ window expired, and he returned to the private sector. Shortly after, Musk started a short-lived feud with the president, who chose not to prolong the tensions. Trump only hit his former ally briefly, and carried on with business as usual, leaving Musk to a lonely rant on social media.

Meanwhile, on the world stage, the president ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. 

Trump’s historic precision strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June hit their targets and ‘destroyed’ and ‘badly damaged’ the facilities’ critical infrastructure — an assessment agreed upon by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Israel and the United States. 

But Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently issued his latest threat against the U.S. and ‘its dog on a leash, the Zionist regime (Israel),’ saying that Iran’s attack on U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was just the beginning of what Tehran could throw at Washington. He warned that ‘an even bigger blow could be inflicted on the U.S. and others.’

Iran has until the end of August to agree to a nuclear deal with the United States and its allies, Fox News has learned. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom set the de facto deadline, according to three sources with knowledge of a call Wednesday among the officials. 

If Iran fails to agree to a deal, it would trigger the ‘snapback’ mechanism that automatically reimposes all sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations Security Council. 

The sanctions were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal. 

In his first six months as president, Trump also signed a sweeping order blocking travel to the U.S. from nearly 20 countries identified as high-risk for terrorism, visa abuse and failure to share security information.

The travel restrictions — announced under executive order 14161 — apply to nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, all deemed ‘very high risk’ due to terrorist activity, weak or hostile governments, and high visa overstay rates. 

Domestically, the president has focused efforts on securing the border, with border crossings at a record low.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported the lowest number of border crossings in recorded history in June. Nationwide, there were 25,228 CBP encounters, the lowest monthly number the agency has recorded, including a ‘historical low’ of 8,024 apprehensions. Encounters include legal ports of entry, whereas apprehensions are arrests of those coming into the United States illegally. 

As for tariffs, the Trump administration had leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods following the president’s reciprocal tariff plans in April, when China retaliated against the U.S. with tariffs of its own. China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement in May, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post at the end of May.  

An agreement was reached between the U.S. and China in June, which includes China supplying rare earth materials to the U.S., and that Trump will ‘work closely’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘to open up China to American Trade.’

‘Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China,’ Trump said in June. ‘Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!’ 

The president also celebrated the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday with a massive parade in Washington June 14 — kicking off a yearlong extravaganza leading up to America’s 250th birthday.

Outside the White House, Trump administration agencies have delivered on promises. 

The Department of Education unveiled plans to scale down its workforce, terminating nearly 1,400 Education Department employees. The Supreme Court upheld Trump’s move.

The Justice Department released the audio of former President Joe Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur. Hur was investigating Biden for alleged improper retention of classified records.

Congressional lawmakers had been demanding the audio of that interview be released since 2024, after the transcript of Biden’s interview was littered with mistakes and revealed significant memory lapses.

The Department of Justice also has started an investigation into Biden’s pardons his final days in office to determine whether they are valid. Fox News Digital has learned the pardons, in his final weeks in office, were signed by autopen, with just one signed by hand — the pardon for his son Hunter. 

Trump has also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public any relevant grand jury testimony relating to the Jeffrey Epstein case. 

Over at the FBI, CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, intelligence officials and political appointees are in the process of declassifying all records related to the Trump–Russia investigation, also known as ‘Crossfire Hurricane.’

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan are under criminal investigation relating to their actions tied to the Trump–Russia probe.

Fox News’ Emma Colton, Diana Stancy, Elizabeth Elkind and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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‘Get a job’: Medicaid work requirements included in Trump’s megabill sparks partisan debate on Capitol Hill

Democrats have railed against potential Medicaid cuts since President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Now that his ‘big, beautiful bill’ has passed through Congress, they are making Medicaid a top talking point ahead of competitive midterm elections expected in 2026. 

Republicans, meanwhile, are doubling down on Medicaid reform included in Trump’s megabill, which also includes sweeping legislation on taxes, immigration and energy. 

‘My policy is if you’re an able-bodied worker, get a damn job,’ Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. ‘If you want government benefits, go to work and get a job.’

A provision in the megabill requires able-bodied, childless adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to work at least 80 hours a month to be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits. Individuals can also meet the requirement by ​​participating in community service, going to school or engaging in a work program.

Fox News Digital asked lawmakers on Capitol Hill if taxpayers should have to pay for Medicaid bills for able-bodied workers who are under 65 and unemployed. 

Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine, said in both Arkansas and Georgia, where work requirements have already been imposed, it ended up costing taxpayers more money to administer the work requirements. 

‘We’re talking about a very small population, and in the two cases where they tried it, it ended up, number one, disqualifying people who met all the requirements but gave up on the paperwork. These aren’t people that are used to filling out a lot of paperwork every month. And it also cost the state a lot to administer,’ King said. 

The New England Journal of Medicine found that Arkansas’ Medicaid work requirement from 2018 to 2019 ‘found no evidence of increased employment … and a significant loss of Medicaid coverage among low-income adults.’

Similarly, the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI) reported that 80% of the $58 million spent in the first year of Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program went toward administrative costs. 

But Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., emphasized that Republicans ‘want these programs to be around for the people who need them.’ She said Medicaid reform is about ‘strengthening and preserving these programs at the rate that they’re growing.’

‘These programs were intended to be safety nets, not hammocks that people stay in, and the success of these programs should be measured by how many people we get off of them,’ Britt said. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., agreed, telling Fox News Digital, ‘What you don’t want is for somebody to become dependent. I’d tell people: safety nets should bounce you to your feet. They shouldn’t be like flypaper in which you stick and can never get off.’

‘We’re not saying, ‘Hey, we’re not throwing you out.’ All right, but you gotta go get a job. You either get a job, or actually you can even volunteer, all right? And that will satisfy the requirements for work,’ Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., explained. 

But Democrats who spoke to Fox News Digital continued to push back against the work requirements included in the ‘big, beautiful bill.’ 

‘I think people [who] are able to work, trust me, they’d rather work than to get the piddling dollars that they get from Medicaid. It’s insulting to suggest that a person would rather sit at home rather than work and get this meager amount of money. All of this has just been totally expanded to fit a narrative that allows them to cut into those people who really deserve Medicaid,’ Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said. 

And Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., said, ‘We need to be able to have an infrastructure in this country that supports the elderly and the sick and the widows and the child. This bill, it violates all those basic principles.’

Fox News’ Peter Pinedo contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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Editor’s Picks: Silver Price Breaks US$39 Again, Rare Earths Stock Soars

The gold price saw both peaks and troughs this week, reacting to the release of June consumer and producer price index data out of the US, as well as renewed discussions about whether President Donald Trump may fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Silver was the real precious metals star, pushing past the US$39 per ounce level once again.

What’s happened is we broke through that US$37 to US$37.30 resistance level — after failing there, by the way — which is also a technical bullish sign. And then we rallied all the way to the US$39s, but we hit resistance between US$39 and US$40, which is not really unexpected, because it was a really quick move from US$37 to US$39.

I think US$40 is a big, round number that doesn’t have a lot of resistance on the long-term chart, but it’s still there in people’s minds.

It’s going to take a little bit to get through US$40. But once you’re by US$40, then it’s absolutely go time if you don’t think it is already.

Take a watch for more on silver, as well as the gold, platinum and copper markets.

Bullet briefing — MP shares rise, Barrick and Discovery talk Hemlo

MP Materials signs deal with Apple

MP Materials (NYSE:MP) was in the headlines after announcing a US$500 million partnership with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The companies said on Tuesday (July 15) that they have entered into a definitive long-term agreement through which MP will supply Apple with rare earth magnets.

The magnets will be made in the US, and will use 100 percent recycled materials.

The news follows last week’s new partnership between MP and the US Department of Defense. A key component is a 10 year deal that sets up a price floor commitment of US$110 per kilogram for MP’s neodymium-praeseodymium products, a move geared at creating supply chain stability.

The defense department will also become MP’s largest shareholder, buying US$400 million worth of preferred stock and receiving warrants to purchase additional common stock.

Shares of MP spiked on the news and have stayed high since then.

MP describes itself as the only fully integrated rare earths producer in the US, and the moves from Apple and the defense department reflect a growing push to diversify away from China.

Investors are taking note of the rare earths opportunity too. Here’s how Rick Rule of Rule Investment Media described the sector’s potential in a recent interview:

If you want a gamier suggestion, I really like the high-quality rare earths space. Nobody understands it, nobody cares. There are probably 50 pretenders in rare earths, but there are two or three speculations that, while you could easily lose 30 percent of your money, you could also easily enjoy 20 baggers.

Watch the interview for more, including Rule’s favorite ASX-listed mining stocks.

Barrick, Discovery Silver in Hemlo talks

Major miner Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) is reportedly looking to sell Hemlo, its last remaining Canadian gold mine, to Discovery Silver (TSX:DSV,OTCQX:DSVSF).

According to Bloomberg, the companies are in ‘advanced talks’ about a deal.

Located in Ontario, Hemlo’s 2025 output is forecast at 140,000 to 160,000 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of US$1,600 to US$1,700 per ounce.

The move to sell Hemlo comes as Barrick hones in on tier-one assets and broadens its focus. It changed its name from Barrick Gold to Barrick Mining earlier this year, with its latest divestment being the sale of its 50 percent stake in the Alaska-based Donlin gold project for US$1 billion in cash.

For its part, Discovery Silver has been on an expansion path, closing its acquisition of Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) Porcupine complex this past April.

In addition to Porcupine, Discovery holds the Cordero silver project in Mexico.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization Trade Resumption – PRIZ

 

 

Trading resumes in:

 

Company:  Prismo Metals Inc.  

 

CSE Symbol: PRIZ  

 

All Issues: Yes  

 

Resumption (ET):   8:00 AM   7/21/2025   

 

CIRO can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension (halt) of trading in a security of a publicly-listed company. Trading halts are implemented to ensure a fair and orderly market. CIRO is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada .

 

SOURCE Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) – Halts/Resumptions

 

 

 

  View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2025/18/c4294.html  

 

 

 

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

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What Was the Highest Price for Copper?

Strong demand in the face of looming supply shortages has pushed copper to new heights in recent years.

With a wide range of applications in nearly every sector, copper is by far the most industrious of the base metals. In fact, for decades, the copper price has been a key indicator of global economic health, earning the red metal the moniker “Dr. Copper.” Rising prices tend to signal a strong global economy, while a significant longer-term drop in the price of copper is often a symptom of economic instability.

After bottoming out at US$2.17 per pound, or US$5,203.58 per metric ton (MT), in mid-March 2020, copper has largely been on an upward trajectory.

Why is copper so expensive in 2025? Higher copper prices over the past few years have largely been attributed to a widening supply/demand gap. The already tenuous copper supply picture was made worse by COVID-19 lockdowns, and as the world’s largest economies seemingly began to emerge from the pandemic, demand for the metal picked up once again. Copper mining and refining activities simply haven’t kept up with the rebound in economic activity.

In this article

    What key factors drive the price of copper?

    Robust demand has long been one of the strongest factors driving copper prices. The ever-growing number of copper uses in everyday life — from building construction and electrical grids to electronic products and home appliances — make it the world’s third most-consumed metal.

    Copper’s anti-corrosive and highly conductive properties are why it’s the go-to metal for the construction industry, and it’s used in products such as copper pipes and copper wiring. In fact, construction is responsible for nearly half of global copper consumption. Rising demand for new homes and home renovations in both Asian and Western economies is expected to support copper prices in the long term.

    In recent decades, copper price spikes have been strongly tied to rising demand from China as the economic powerhouse injects government-backed funding into new housing and infrastructure. Industrial production and construction activity in the Asian nation have been like rocket fuel for copper prices.

    Additionally, copper’s conductive properties are increasingly being sought after for use in renewable energy applications, including thermal, hydro, wind and solar energy.

    However, the biggest driver of copper consumption in the renewable energy sector is rising global demand for electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging infrastructure and energy storage applications. As governments push forward with transportation network electrification and energy storage initiatives as a means to combat climate change, copper demand from this segment is expected to surge.

    New energy vehicles use significantly more copper than internal combustion engine vehicles, which only contain about 22 kilograms of copper. In comparison, hybrid EVs use an average of 40 kilograms, plug-in hybrid EVs use 55 kilograms, battery EVs use 80 kilograms and battery electric buses use 253 kilograms.

    In 2024, EV sales worldwide increased by 25 percent over 2023 to come in at about 17.1 million units, and analysts at Rho Motion expect that trend to continue in the coming years despite some headwinds in the near-term. Already in the first five months of 2025, EV sales were up 28 percent over the same period in the previous year.

    On the supply side of the copper market, the world’s largest copper mines are facing depleting high-grade copper resources, while over the last decade or more new copper discoveries have become few and far between.

    The pandemic made the situation worse as mining activities in several top copper-producing countries faced work stoppages and copper companies delayed investments in further exploration and development — a challenging problem considering it can take as many as 10 to 20 years to move a project from discovery to production. In addition, delayed investments amid the pandemic will also have long-term repercussions for copper supply.

    There have also been ongoing production issues at major copper mines, most notably the shutdown in late 2023 of First Quantum Minerals’ (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) Cobre Panama mine, which accounted for about 350,000 MT of the world’s annual copper production.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) is forecasting a 30 percent shortfall in the amount of copper needed to meet demand by 2035. “This will be a major challenge. It’s time to sound the alarm,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said.

    The supply shortage has increased the need for end users to turn to the copper scrap market to make up for the supply shortage. Sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest copper mine,” recycled copper scrap contributes significantly to supplying and balancing the copper market.

    “We are seeing signs this could change. Much of the growth over the last five years has come from brownfield expansions rather than greenfield/new discoveries,’ she said. ‘Technology will likely help increase the chance of discovery, and broadly I would say that policymakers are now more supportive of mineral exploration as the push to secure critical raw materials supply has moved up the agenda.’

    Joannides offered some examples of greenfield projects in the pipeline: Capstone Copper’s (TSX:CS,OTC Pink:CSCCF) Santo Domingo in Chile, Southern Copper’s (NYSE:SCCO) Tia Maria in Peru and Teck Resources’ (TSX:TECK.A,TECK.B,NYSE:TECK) Zafranal in Peru.

    How has the copper price moved historically?

    Taking a look back at historical price action, the copper price has had a wild ride for more than two decades.

    Sitting at US$1.38 per pound in late January 2005, the copper price followed global economic growth up to a high of US$3.91 in April 2008. Of course, the global economic crisis of 2008 soon led to a copper crash that left the metal at only US$1.29 by the end of year.

    Once the global economy began to recover in 2011, copper prices posted a new record high of US$4.58 per pound at the start of the year. However, this high was short-lived as the copper price began a five year downward trend, bottoming out at around US$1.95 in early 2016.

    Copper prices stayed fairly flat over the next four years, moving in a range of US$2.50 to US$3 per pound.

    20 year copper price performance.

    Chart via Macrotrends.

    The pandemic’s impact on mine supply and refined copper in 2020 pushed prices higher despite the economic slowdown. The copper price climbed from a low of US$2.17 in March to close out the year at US$3.52.

    In 2021, signs of economic recovery and supercharged interest in EVs and renewable energy pushed the price of copper to rally higher and higher. Copper topped US$4.90 per pound for the first time ever on May 10, 2021, before falling back to close at US$4.76.

    Also affecting the copper price at that time was expectations for higher copper demand amid supply concerns out of two of the world’s major copper producers: Chile and Peru. In late April 2021, port workers in Chile called for a strike, while in Peru presidential candidate Pedro Castillo proposed nationalizing mining and redrafting the country’s constitution.

    In early May 2021, news broke that copper inventories were at their lowest point in 15 years. Expert market watchers such as Bank of America commodity strategist Michael Widmer warned that further inventory declines into 2022 could lead to a copper market deficit.

    After climbing to start 2022 at US$4.52, the copper price continued to spike on economic recovery expectations and supply shortages to reach US$5.02 per pound on March 6. Throughout the first quarter, fears of supply chain disruptions and historically low stockpiles amid rising copper demand drove prices higher.

    However, copper prices pulled back in mid-2022 on worries that further COVID-19 lockdowns in China, as well as a growing mortgage crisis, would slow down construction and infrastructure activity in the Asian nation. Rising inflation and interest hikes by the Fed also placed downward pressure on a wide basket of commodities, including copper. By late July 2022, copper prices were trading down at nearly a two year low of around US$3.30.

    In the early months of 2023 the copper price was trading over the US$4 per pound level after receiving a helpful boost from continuing concerns about low copper inventories, signs of rebounding demand from China, and news about the closure of Peru’s Las Bambas mine, which accounts for 2 percent of global copper production.

    However, that boost turned to a bust in the second half of 2023 as China continued to experience real estate sector issues, alongside the economic woes of the rest of the world. The price of copper dropped to a low for the year of US$3.56 per pound in mid October.

    Elevated supply levels kept copper trading in the US$3.50 to US$3.80 range for much of Q1 2024 before experiencing strong gains that pushed the price of the red metal to US$4.12 on March 18.

    Those gains were attributed to in part to tighter copper concentrate supply following the closure of First Quantum Minerals’ Cobre Panama mine, guidance cuts from Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) and declining production at Chile’s Chuquicamata mine. In addition, China’s top copper smelters announced production cuts after limited supply led to lower profits from treatment and refining charges.

    BHP’s (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) attempted takeover of Anglo American also stoked fears of even tighter global copper mine supply. These supply-side challenges continued to juice copper prices in Q2 2024, causing a jump of nearly 29 percent from US$4.04 per pound on April 1 to a then all-time high of US$5.20 by May 20, 2024.

    What was the highest price for copper ever?

    The price of copper reached its highest recorded price of US$5.72 per pound, or US$12,610 per metric ton, on July 8, 2025. The red metal’s price surged more than 13 percent from July 7 to its new all time high. Read on to found out how the copper price reached those heights.

    Why did the copper price hit an all-time high in 2025?

    After starting 2025 at US$3.99 per pound, copper prices were lifted in Q1 by increasing demand from China’s economic stimulus measures, renewable energy and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and stockpiling brought on by fear of US President Trump’s tariff threats.

    At the time, Trump had said the US was considering placing tariffs of up to 25 percent on all copper imports in a bid to spark increased domestic production of the base metal.

    In late February, he signed an executive order instructing the US Commerce Department to investigate whether imported copper poses a national security risk under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The price of copper reached a new high price of US$5.24 per pound on March 26 as tariff tensions escalated.

    Trump’s tariff talk sparked yet another copper price rally to set its new record high price in early July when he announced he plans to impose a 50 percent tariff on all imports of the red metal.

    Looking at the bigger picture, copper’s rally in recent years has encouraged bullish sentiment on prices looking ahead. In the longer term, the fundamentals for copper are expected to get tighter as demand increases from sectors such as EVs and energy storage. A May 2024 report from the International Energy Forum (IEF) projects that as many as 194 new copper mines may need to come online by 2050 to support massive demand from the global energy transition.

    Looking over to renewable energy, according to the Copper Development Association, solar installations require about 5.5 MT of copper for every megawatt, while onshore wind turbines require 3.52 MT of copper and offshore wind turbines require 9.56 MT of copper.

    The rise of AI technology is also bolstering the demand outlook for copper. Commodities trader Trafigura has said AI-driven data centers could add one million MT to copper demand by 2030, reports Reuters.

    Where can investors look for copper opportunities?

    Copper market fundamentals suggest a return to a bull market cycle for the red metal in the medium-term. The copper supply/demand imbalance also presents an investment opportunity for those interested in copper-mining stocks.

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    OPINION — Goldenomics 101: Follow the Money

    This opinion piece was submitted to the Investing News Network (INN) by Darren Brady Nelson, who is an external contributor. INN believes it may be of interest to readers and has copy edited the material to ensure adherence to the company’s style guide; however, INN does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported by external contributors. The opinions expressed by external contributors do not reflect the opinions of INN and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.

    By Darren Brady Nelson

    As an economist, I, perhaps somewhat sadly, have many economist friends. One of them recently alerted me to a post on X that was even a shock to me in the toxic 2020s. That being: “Almost all political donations by Fed employees go to one party. The Fed is already politicized.”

    The post had a link to the data supporting this assertion, which was published at OpenSecrets. They are a “501(c)3” devoted to: “tracking money in US politics and its effect on elections and public policy.” Their theme is appropriately “Follow the Money,” as it is for this story.

    Political money contributions, since 2016, from those at the Fed, range between 92 to 93 percent for Democrats and 8 to 9 percent for Republicans. As Public Choice economics teaches, it is crucial to “Follow the Money” in politics. Austrian and Chicago schools of economics teach the same for gold.

    Gold pricing 101

    Gold pricing is often characterized as being driven by “fear and uncertainty,” at least in the short run, including geopolitical fears like war and economic uncertainties such as recession. It is also typically recognized to be an “inflation hedge,” in the long run anyway.

    Gold is an asset with a price determined in a 24/7/365 global auction, most often quoted per troy ounce, in the world’s reserve currency of US dollars. New supply plays an unusually small role compared to almost all other commodities, goods or services. Thus, highest bid wins.

    Perhaps none of these things about gold, and its price, are new nor surprising. But what might be, despite the end of the gold standard in 1971 and legalization of gold investment in 1974, is that gold is still a shadow currency to fiat ones, especially US dollar, in the ‘always run.’

    The annual gold price from 1960 to 2024 is displayed below, as sourced from the World Bank. Rises include: late 1970s; late 2000s; and mid 2020s. Slides include: early 1980s; late 1990s; and early 2010s. Overall growth was: Sum 555 percent; Ave 8.7 percent; Max 98 percent; Min –24 percent; and CAGR 6.8 percent.

    Gold yearly growth ($).

    Source: World Bank.

    Money supply 101

    Gold is the inflation hedge, precisely because it is shadow currency. Money supply is the inflation source, precisely because it is fiat currency. As Chicago economist Milton Friedman wrote in Money Mischief (1994): “In the modern world, inflation is a printing-press phenomenon.”

    There are multiple money supply measures, such as M0, M1, M2 and M3. M1 includes paper and coin currency held by the general public as well as liquid bank deposits (e.g. checking accounts). M3 includes M1, plus less liquid bank deposits (e.g. savings accounts) as well as “repos.”

    Austrian economist Robert Murphy details in Understanding Money Mechanics (2021) just how the Fed’s printing, Treasury bonds and bank loans create US money supply, through open market operations. Since 2008 and 2020, the Fed has expanded to buying and selling just about anything.

    Speaking on behalf of the Fed, and all major central banks, the Bank of England wrote in Money Creation in the Modern Economy (2014): “(B)ank lending creates deposits. At that moment, new money is created. (This is) ‘fountain pen money,’ created at the stroke of bankers’ pens(.)”

    Annual M1 and M3 money supply from 1960 to 2024 are displayed below, as sourced from the OECD. M3 starts to take off from the mid 1990s. Both blast off in the early 2020s, M1 in part due to redefinition. Combined growth was: Sum 533 percent; Ave 8.3 percent; Max 126 percent; Min –6.4 percent; and CAGR 7.4 percent.

    Money yearly growth ($).

    Source: OECD.

    Gold inflation 101

    Christian economist Gary North points out in Honest Money (2011) that businesses have three choices in the face of money inflation: A) profit deflation; B) price inflation; C) quality shrinkflation. Investors have a fourth: D) gold inflation. A, B, and C are all bad options. D is good.

    The chart below shows cumulative annual growth of gold versus M1 and M3. Gold performs and protects against both M1 and M3 from 1974 to 2019, even in 2001, but not against M1 from 2020 to 2024. In 2019, gold had a 150 percent lead on M1 and 92 percent on M3. By 2022, it shrunk to –110 percent and 80 percent.

    Cumulative yearly growth (percent).

    Sources: OECD and World Bank.

    A 2020 regression study found: “When the Federal Reserve increases money supply by 1%, gold prices increase by 0.94%.” A 2023 academic paper: “Confirms a long-term relationship between gold price and US M2.” Note that M1’s 2021 redefinition has now made it nearly identical to M1.

    Period yearly change (percent).

    Sources: OECD and World Bank.

    However, the authors of Austrian School for Investors (2015) wrote: “Gold does not correlate with the rate of inflation as such, but with the rate of change of the inflation rate. In order to buttress this hypothesis, we calculated the regression depicted in (the chart below).”

    Source: Austrian School for Investors: Austrian Investing between Inflation and Deflation.

    In conclusion, as per my Wokenomics 101 (2023) ghost blog, money inflation by: “increasing demand puts upward pressure on price and quantity and downward pressure on quality.” That puts upward pressure on: nominal CPI and GDP statistics; as well as real gold investment and price.

    Inflation doesn’t harm all. It helps some. They are the “Bootleggers and Baptists,” as Public Choice economist Bruce Yandle dubbed them in 1983. Bootleggers are crony capitalists, politicians and bureaucrats whose inflated revenue outpaces costs. Baptists are the “useful idiots.”

    Thus, “Follow the Money” back to the “inflationistas” of: Big Business; Big Government; and Big Banks. All gain supernormal profits from easy money: one, making more money; two, collecting more money; and three, creating more money. Also, “Follow the Money” when it comes to gold.

    And, sadly, there is one policy that is always bipartisan; print more money. But, gladly, gold will always win.

    About Darren Brady Nelson

    Darren Brady Nelson is chief economist with Fisher Liberty Gold and policy advisor to The Heartland Institute. He previously was economic advisor to Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts. He authored the Ten Principles of Regulation and Reform, and the CPI-X approach to budget cuts.

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Altima is Energetic with 98 Percent Gain

    Statistics Canada released June’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday (July 15). The report showed that year-over-year inflation gained momentum during the month, rising to 1.9 percent from the 1.7 percent recorded in May.

    The increase was attributed in part to the 13.4 percent year-over-year decline in gas prices seen in June, as it was a smaller drop than May’s 15.5 percent decrease caused by the removal of the consumer carbon tax.

    Other factors contributing to the rise included a 2.7 percent increase in durable goods, with passenger vehicles posting the largest gains at 4.1 percent. Grocery prices also increased 2.8 percent, although they eased off from a 3.3 percent increase in May.

    While economists had predicted a larger 2 percent rise in CPI, the figures still make it unlikely that the Bank of Canada will cut its benchmark rate at its next meeting on July 30. Canada’s central bank has cut its interest rates seven times since June 2024, lowering it from 5 percent to 2.75 percent in March.

    South of the border, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics also released its June CPI data the same day, reporting year-over-year growth of 2.7 percent, sharply up from the 2.4 percent gain posted in May. On a monthly basis, CPI rose 0.3 percent, also higher than May’s 0.1 percent.

    Analysts have attributed the gain to an increase in prices resulting from US President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, as vendors restocked shelves with inventories purchased after tariffs were applied.

    Goods and services increased across the board, except for new and used vehicles, which declined by 0.3 percent and 0.7 percent on a monthly basis. Energy rose 0.9 percent, including a 1 percent increase in gasoline prices, a reversal from May’s energy and gas price decreases of 1 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.

    The data will likely play a role in what the US Federal Reserve decides during its next rate meeting on July 29 and 30. Economist consensus is that the central bank will continue to hold at the current 4.25 to 4.5 percent range.

    Markets and commodities react

    In Canada, equity markets were mostly positive this week. The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) gained 1 percent to close at 27,314.01 on Friday (July 18) and set a new all-time high during the week. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fared even better this week, gaining 2.53 percent to 797.75. However, the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) fell 2.6 percent to 126.84.

    As for US equity markets, the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gained 0.66 percent to close Friday at 6,296.78 and the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) climbed 1.35 percent to 23,065.47, with both also setting new record highs during the week. On the other hand, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) fell 0.1 percent to 44,342.20.

    In precious metals, the gold price rose 0.78 percent over the week to US$3,349.66 by Friday at 5 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the silver price continued to trade near 11-year highs, climbing 3.13 percent on the week to US$38.15 per ounce.

    In base metals, copper ended the week were it started out, but was still trading near all time highs at US$5.60 per pound. The S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) posted a 1.26 percent gain to finish the week at 551.61.

    Top Canadian mining stocks this week

    How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

    Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

    Stock data for this article was retrieved at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

    1. Altima Energy (TSXV:ARH)

    Weekly gain: 97.96 percent
    Market cap: C$43.99 million
    Share price: C$0.97

    Altima Energy is a light oil and natural gas exploration and development company with operations in Alberta, Canada.

    Its primary asset is the Richdale property in Central Alberta. The property consists of five producing light oil wells and sits on 5,920 acres of long-term reserves. The property hosts combined proved and probable reserves of just under 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with a pre-tax net present value of C$25.8 million.

    The company also owns two wells at its Twinning light oil site near Nisku, seven producing wells at its Red Earth property in Northern Alberta and two multi-zone wells at its Chambers Ferrier liquid gas production property.

    Shares in Altima started to gain after it released news on July 8 that it had completed a private placement for proceeds of up to C$5.5 million. Under the terms of the deal, the company will issue 20 million units at C$0.275 per unit, which each include one common share and one warrant allowing the holder to purchase a common share for C$0.40.

    The company said that part of the proceeds would be used to complete field upgrades at its Red Earth and Richdale properties.

    2. Kirkland Lake Discoveries (TSXV:KLDC)

    Weekly gain: 81.82 percent
    Market cap: C$11.26 million
    Share price: C$0.10

    Kirkland Lake Discoveries is a gold and copper exploration company focused on projects in its district-scale land package located in the Kirkland Lake area of Ontario, Canada.

    Its holdings span an area of approximately 38,000 hectares in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt that has been host to past-producing gold and copper mines. It is broadly divided into KL West and KL East, which contain the Goodfish-Kirana and Lucky Strike gold projects, respectively, among others.

    On April 29, the company announced it entered into a mining option agreement with Val-d’Or Mining (TSXV:VZZ) to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Winnie Lake and Amikougami properties, as well as mining claim purchase agreements with two vendors to acquire further claims around the Winnie Lake Pluton. The properties expand KL West’s southern portion.

    Following the agreement, the company conducted grab samples at the Winnie Lake property and reported the results on July 9. One grab sample collected near the historic Winnie Shaft zone yielded grades of 1.6 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, 28.2 g/t silver, 5.7 percent copper, 5.3 percent zinc and 1.65 g/t tellurium.

    The company also discovered a quartz-veined intrusive outcrop 150 meters west of the shaft during field prospecting, with samples displaying characteristics of magmatic-hydrothermal copper-gold systems, including visible malachite and strong potassic alteration.

    Additionally, Kirkland Lake reported it has received full drill permits for Winnie Lake and plans to initiate activities at the site this summer, focusing on the newly defined zones.

    3. Happy Creek Minerals (TSXV:HPY)

    Weekly gain: 70 percent
    Market cap: C$10.33 million
    Share price: C$0.085

    Happy Creek Minerals is an exploration company focused on advancing a portfolio of assets in British Columbia, Canada.

    Its primary focus has been on its Fox tungsten property located in the South Caribou region of the province. It comprises 135.9 square kilometers of mineral tenure and hosts deposits containing tungsten, molybdenum, zinc, indium, gold and silver. In total, 21,125 meters of exploration drilling have been carried out at the site, primarily in shallow holes, for resource definition.

    Happy Creek’s share price began climbing Tuesday after the company announced a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to C$3.25 million in flow-through units at C$0.07 per share and non-flow-through units at C$0.05 per share.

    The following day, Happy Creek upsized the offering to C$3.75 million.

    The company plans to use the gross proceeds for drilling, exploration and development at Fox, as well as other exploration work in the Caribou.

    4. Camino Minerals (TSXV:COR)

    Weekly gain: 56.52 percent
    Market cap: C$13.5 million
    Share price: C$0.36

    Camino Minerals is a copper exploration and development company with a portfolio of projects in Chile and Peru.

    Earlier in 2025, the company shifted its focus to its newly acquired, construction-ready Puquois copper project in Chile.

    In October 2024, Camino entered a definitive agreement to create a 50/50 joint venture with Nittetsu Mining (TSE:1515) that would acquire Cuprum Resources, which owns the Puquios project. The partners completed the acquisition April 17 and said they would turn their attention to project financing.

    On March 17, Camino filed a prefeasibility study for the project. The study results demonstrate a post-tax net present value of US$118 million, with an internal rate of return of 23.4 percent and a payback period of 3.1 years at a fixed copper price of US$4.28. It also outlines all-in sustaining costs of US$2.00 per pound over a 14.2 year mine life.

    In addition to the economic details, the included mineral resource estimate shows a measured and indicated resource of 149,000 metric tons of copper from 32.16 million metric tons of ore grading 0.46 percent copper.

    Camino also owns the Los Chapitos project, which has been a long-time focus of the company. The project covers approximately 22,000 hectares near the coastal town of Chala, Peru, and hosts near-surface mineralization.

    Camino has been conducting exploration efforts at Los Chapitos throughout the first half of 2025. On Wednesday, it reported trench results from the newly identified Mirador zone, including 1.07 percent copper over 90 meters, with a four-meter section containing 3.05 percent copper.

    5. Solstice Gold (TSXV:SGC)

    Weekly gain: 56.25 percent
    Market cap: C$29.38 million
    Share price: C$0.125

    Solstice Gold is an exploration company focused on its flagship Strathy gold project in Ontario, which it acquired in June 2024.

    The project consists of 45 claims covering an area of 45 square kilometers in the Temagami Greenstone belt. Historical documents report six gold showings in the central portion of the project areas, with documented mineralization at the Leckie prospect.

    In its latest project update on July 2, Solstice announced it had wrapped up its spring drill program, which focused on four target areas. In total, the company completed 3,125 meters of drilling across 14 holes, and results are expected in July.

    The company also reported that it had entered into an agreement to acquire 17 additional claims, which would increase the project area by 50 percent. It added that targets identified from its IP program may extend along strike into these claims.

    FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

    What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

    The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

    How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

    As of February 2025, there were 1,572 companies listed on the TSXV, 905 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,859 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

    Together the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

    How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

    There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

    The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

    These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

    How do you trade on the TSXV?

    Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

    Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

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

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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