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Cuba WBC traveling party members have visas denied: What it means

Sport 2 Mins Read

The Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation is upset that eight members of its delegation have been denied visas to enter the United States for the World Baseball Classic, but despite threats, MLB officials fully expect Cuba to play in the WBC beginning next week.

All coaches and players for Cuba have received visas, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Cuba, which finished tied for third in the 2023 WBC, is scheduled to open tournament play March 6 against Panama in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Juan Reinaldo Perez Pardo, president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, and Carlos del Pino Munoz, the organization’s secretary general, are among the eight members of the traveling party whose visas were denied, according to Reuters.

The visa issues are tied to the tightening of U.S. immigration laws under the Trump administration, which require specialized licensing for Cuban team members and officials to enter the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Last summer, a Venezuelan baseball team of 15- and 16-year olds was scheduled to play in the Little League Senior World Series in South Carolina, but abandoned plans when it was denied visas to enter the United States.

Team Cuba is currently on a four-game tour of Nicaragua and is scheduled to travel to Phoenix to play exhibition games early next week against the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. It will then travel to Puerto Rico to begin play in the WBC.

Cuba has advanced out of pool play in each of the previous five WBC tournaments, and finished runner-up to Japan in the inaugural WBC in 2006.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This story has been updated with new information.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Lindsey Vonn reunites with dog Chance, opens up about injury recovery

Sport 2 Mins Read

Olympic medal-winning alpine skier Lindsey Vonn has received a monumental amount of support following the devastating injury she suffered at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

So, when she was able to get home and hold her other dog, Chance, she became emotional. Vonn shared the moment on social media.

‘Reunited with Chance,’ Vonn said in the caption of an Instagram post that featured a video of her and her furry friend. ‘Had a pretty hard day yesterday, everything just really hit me hard and I broke down. I know there will be a lot of days like this… the internal mental battle has just begun but moments like this help me so much. Just miss my boy Leo…’

Her injury is not something that Vonn will get over immediately. Instead, she said, she is taking things ‘one day at a time.’

Leo, who lost a battle to lung cancer after surviving lymphoma a year-and-a-half ago, was the second dog of Vonn’s to die since last spring. He was 13.

Lucy, another pet of Vonn’s, this one a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, died right after World Cup finals on March 30, 2025, due to kidney failure. Lucy was 9 years old.

Lindsey Vonn skiing history

Vonn, 41, was born and raised in Minnesota.

Her family moved to Colorado in the late 1990s when Vonn was a teenager.

She would go on to become recognized as one of best and most accomplished American alpine skiers. She won four World Cup championships (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012).

Vonn is a five-time Olympian and gold medalist having won the top honor in the downhill event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She placed third and was awarded bronze that year in the Super-G event. She won another bronze medal in the downhill event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Roki Sasaki’s shaky spring debut invokes concern for Dodgers

Sport 4 Mins Read

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The Los Angeles Dodgers kept raving about Roki Sasaki all spring, believing he was becoming the star pitcher they envisioned all along when they won the sweepstakes for his services a year ago.

Sasaki was hit hard, hit often and struggled with his control. He gave up three hits, including two doubles, and three runs to the first five Diamondbacks batters he faced. He threw only 17 of his 36 pitches for strikes, walking two batters with three strikeouts. He was scheduled to pitch two innings, but lasted just four outs.

“I thought he was overthrowing,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after their 10-7 victory, keeping them undefeated (5-0) this spring. “I haven’t seen that all spring.’’

Roberts, who was gushing over Sasaki’s bullpen sessions in his media session Wednesday morning, wasn’t panicking over his performance, saying he could have simply been overwhelmed by an adrenaline rush in his first outing. But Roberts also isn’t simply going to hand him a starting job until he proves he deserves it, either. Sasaki pitched only 36.2 innings for the Dodgers last season, spending four months in the minor leagues while overcoming a shoulder impingement injury.

“I think the first thing is,’’ Roberts said, “is that he’s just got to mix [pitches] better. He’s got to command the fastball. … Honestly, I thought today was the first day he came out of his mechanics. He just didn’t have the feel or control of that fastball.’’

Scouts in attendance also criticized Sasaki’s performance, saying he showed a lack of confidence with his body language, with one scouting saying, “He looked scared to death.’’

Sasaki’s fastball reached 98.6 mph, but there was no movement, with Sasaki giving up two of the hits with an exit velocity of 105 mph.

“In the bullpen, I felt pretty good about the forkball,’’ Sasaki said, “but once I got on the mound, it didn’t go well. And the four-seam, I felt pretty good in the bullpen, but once I got on the mound, it felt a little off.’’

Roberts has made it perfectly clear to Sasaki that he needs to command at least three pitches in his arsenal if he’s going to be a regular in the Dodgers’ ultra-talented starting rotation. Sasaki is trying to incorporate a slider to go along with the fastball and splitter, throwing his new pitch seven times in Wednesday’s game.

“I’m really impressed by Roki in the sense that he’s had a lot of success with the two pitches,’’ Roberts said, “but he has to be open and understand that if he wants to be a great as a starting pitcher in the big leagues, that third pitch is important …

“We’re expecting him to be good, he’s exepcting to be good, and to continue to get better.’’

Opening day is one month away, and Sasaki must still prove that he can be a bona fide starter after making only eight starts (1-1, 4.72 ERA) and finishing the season in the bullpen. He was a critical piece to the Dodgers’ bullpen in October, yielding just one earned run in 10.2 innings, while saving three postseason games.

Sasaki has made it clear that he wants to be a starter. The Dodgers want him to start. But he needs to prove he can do it.

Sasaki, who is staying in Dodgers camp and not pitching for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, conceded there was at least was one positive aspect of the day.

“I was able to finish my outing,’’ he said, “without getting hurt.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on Bluesky and X @Bnightengale.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Investing

How to Invest in Gold Royalty and Streaming Stocks

Investing 15 Mins Read

Gold royalty companies offer investors exposure to gold and silver with the benefits of diversification, lower risk and a steady income stream.

Royalty companies operating in the resource sector will typically agree to provide funding for the exploration or development of a resource in exchange for a percentage of revenue from the deposit if it begins producing. Similarly, a company with a streaming model may work out an agreement with a resource company for a share of the metal produced from a deposit in exchange for an investment.

These kinds of arrangements benefit both parties. Streamers get access to the underlying commodity at a fixed price and are shielded from cost overruns and spikes in production. Further, if there is a price decrease the metals can be warehoused until the market conditions improve.

In both cases, mining companies receive considerable upfront investment during the expensive construction and expansion phases, and unlike loans these investments have longer-term payouts at a fixed amount.

Let’s take a deeper look at how royalties and streaming works, the benefits of the royalty business model, and the gold and silver royalty and streaming stocks you can invest in.

In this article

    How do gold and silver royalties work?

    Gold and silver royalty agreements involve royalty companies agreeing to provide funding for the exploration or development of a precious metals resource in exchange for a percentage of revenue from the deposit if it begins producing metals.

    The foundation for royalties dates back a few hundred years. Originally, they were payments made to the British monarchy in exchange for miners’ rights to operate gold and silver mining operations on lands held by the crown. Today, these arrangements still exist, with mining operators paying the government a share of the revenues generated from exploiting resources on public lands.

    The first royalty paid to a company in the gold sector was an agreement in 1986 in which Franco-Nevada (TSX:FNV,NYSE:FNV) made a US$2 million investment into Western States Minerals’ Goldstrike small heap-leach mine in Nevada, US, for a 4 percent share of revenues collected from the mine. Western States was sold the same year to Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX,NYSE:GOLD). Barrick discovered a far larger resource at the site, and the royalty has since earned Franco-Nevada more than US$1 billion and continues to pay out approximately US$20 million per year.

    This early example set a precedent for the industry. It saw Franco-Nevada, which was then a gold exploration company, lock itself into what became one of the largest gold mineral resources in the world at a relatively low overhead while avoiding future costs associated with the growth and maintenance of the mine.

    How do gold and silver streams work?

    Gold and silver streams work in a similar manner to the royalty model but returns are in the form of physical metals rather than funds. In return for investing in an asset, a gold streaming company may work out an agreement with a resource company for a share of the metal produced from a deposit, or for the ability to purchase the metal at a lower price than market value.

    This is also a popular model with base metal mining companies whose operations result in gold and/or silver by-products. In these cases, gold and silver streaming companies may work out a deal with a base metal mining operation to take delivery of a certain amount of precious metals at an agreed upon price.

    The Goldstrike royalty made Franco-Nevada what it is today, but its largest contributing asset in its portfolio is a deal with Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN,OTC Pink:LUNMF) for a stream of the gold and silver resources extracted from its Candelaria copper mine in Chile.

    Under the terms of the deal, which was part of Lundin’s 2014 acquisition of Freeport-McMoRan’s (NYSE:FCX) stake in Candelaria, Franco-Nevada provided a US$648 million deposit in exchange for a 68 percent stream of the asset’s silver and gold. This will decrease to 40 percent once 720,000 ounces of gold and 12 million ounces of silver have been delivered.

    While Franco-Nevada does have to pay for the metal, the agreed upon amount is far under the current market value. At the time, the deal was set at US$400 for each ounce of gold and US$4 per ounce of silver with a 1 percent inflationary adjustment, or market price if that was less.

    Are royalty and streaming companies a good investment?

    Royalty and streaming companies are largely seen as a lower-risk investment than mining companies. Lower operational costs and higher portfolio diversification means they are hedged against a mine shutdown, natural disaster, market forces or the politics that may affect the nature of an operation or project. However, that’s not to say royalty and streaming deals aren’t without their risks.

    In many ways, gold royalty companies are like venture capitalists in the tech industry, working to fund many projects in the hopes that some will see big payoffs that offset the loss from the ones that don’t make it. This means they need large access to funding in order to build their portfolios.

    To get funding, royalty and streaming companies have several options: using cash on hand, raising debt through loans or issuing more shares. Each of these options carries risk. Using cash to pay for investments could reduce the size of the safety net and eat into company liquidity, debt needs to be managed to ensure that payments don’t exceed income and the issuance of stock could lead to an overall devaluation of share price and impact investor sentiment.

    Once companies have developed strong cash flows and good liquidity, they are able to take advantage of their own reserves, without the need to worry about loans or stock dilution. The same cannot be said for the up-and-coming companies who need to rely on external funding to make deals, making them riskier.

    These companies provide a good entry point for investors with lower share price, and have more potential to return higher percentage gains in share price, they also bear more risk. With more reliance on raising external capital, there is a greater need for deals to be successful and a greater chance for a company to incur more debt load or stock dilution.

    Diverse portfolios can help reduce the risk associated with a royalty company, and companies like Franco-Nevada have the industry knowledge and financial capital to take some risks. As of February 2025, the company has 430 assets on their books; of those, 119 are producing, and 38 are in the advanced stages of development. It’s the 273 more that are in the exploration phase, many of which will never provide returns, that represent the greatest risk.

    Of course, unforeseen events can affect both mining and royalty companies alike, particularly when assets that take up a larger percentage or a portfolio are affected. Franco-Nevada had more than US$1 billion invested in First Quantum’s (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) Cobre Panama mine before it was shuttered by the Panamanian government following protests at the end of 2023. The mine brought in US$223.3 million for Franco-Nevada in 2022 and represented nearly a quarter of its precious metal income. While it fared better than First Quantum, the royalty company’s share price took a significant hit.

    Top 5 gold and silver royalty companies

    The biggest companies in the precious metals royalty and streaming space have long histories and have built positive reputations on the backs of strong investments. They offer a means for investors to de-risk an entry into the gold sector by maintaining an arms-length attachment to it.

    The five large-cap gold and silver royalty and streaming companies on this list had market caps above $1 billion in their respective currencies as of February 24, 2026.

    1. Wheaton Precious Metals (TSX:WPM,NYSE:WPM)

    Market cap: C$96.95 billion
    Share price: C$215.66

    Wheaton Precious Metals was established in 2004 as Silver Wheaton with a focus on silver streaming. Goldcorp held a majority interest, but began to reduce it in 2006 and by 2008 had completely divested itself. By that time, Silver Wheaton had begun to diversify into other precious metals. The following year, Silver Wheaton acquired rival silver streaming stock Silverstone Resources in a C$190 million deal.

    Silver Wheaton changed its name in 2017 to Wheaton Precious Metals and has since built itself into one of the largest players in the gold and silver royalty and streaming space, with investments in 23 operating mines and 25 development projects across five continents.

    Included in Wheaton’s assets are investments in Newmont’s (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) Peñasquito mine in Mexico, Sibanye Stillwater’s (NYSE:SBSW) Stillwater and East Boulder mines in Montana, United States, and Hudbay Minerals’ (TSX:HBM,NYSE:HBM) Copper World Complex project in Arizona, US.

    2. Franco-Nevada (TSX:FNV,NYSE:FNV)

    Market cap: C$71.55 billion
    Share price: C$374.47

    A trailblazer in the gold royalty business, Franco-Nevada has set a high bar. The current iteration of the company was spun out of Newmont in what became a C$1.1 billion initial public offering, one of the biggest IPOs of 2007.

    Franco-Nevada now has a portfolio of royalties and streams on 119 producing assets around the world including gold, silver, base metal and oil and gas operations, which generate more than US$1.2 billion for the company annually. Additionally, the company’s portfolio includes 38 advanced-stage assets and 273 exploration-stage assets.

    Among the producing assets for which Franco-Nevada has precious metals streams and royalties are Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) Antapaccay mine in Peru, Agnico Eagle’s (NYSE:AEM,TSX:AEM) Detour Lake mine in Ontario, Canada, and Gold Fields’ (NYSE:GFI) Salares Norte mine in Chile.

    See the sections above for more information on Franco-Nevada’s royalty and streaming deals.

    3. Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD)

    Market cap: US$24.43 billion
    Share price: US$288.04

    Royal Gold got its start in 1981 as oil and gas exploration and production company Royal Resources.

    Responding to shifts in the overall resource market, by 1987, Royal Gold was born with a focus on building a portfolio of minority positions in significant gold properties operated by major mining firms.

    Today, Royal Gold is a leading precious metals streaming and royalty company with interest in about 400 properties, of which 82 are producing assets, across 31 countries.

    About half of its portfolio came from its October 2025 acquisition of Sandstorm Gold and Horizon Copper, which combined for 230 royalty assets, including 40 producing assets.

    Among Royal Gold’s royalty assets are Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and Newmont’s Cortez mine in Nevada, US, Teck’s (TSX:TECK.A,TECK.B,NYSE:TECK) Andacollo mine in Chile and Centerra Gold’s (TSX:CG,NYSE:CGAU) Mount Milligan mine in British Columbia, Canada.

    4. Triple Flag Precious Metals (TSX:TFPM)

    Market cap: C$10.96 billion
    Share price: C$53.67

    Triple Flag Precious Metals was founded in 2016 by Shaun Usmar, a former Barrick executive and current CEO of Vale’s (NYSE:VALE) Vale Base Metals.

    Although the company is a relative newcomer to the royalty and streaming space, it has quickly established itself as a frontrunner through several significant deals. Among them was the acquisition of Maverix Metals in January 2023, which helped them become the fourth-largest precious metals royalty company.

    Today, Triple Flag has a global portfolio of gold and silver assets on nearly every continent, comprising 33 production assets and 206 in development or exploration.

    Highlights from its portfolio include streaming and royalty deals on Evolution Mining’s (ASX:EVN,OTC Pink:CAHPF) Northparkes mine in New South Wales, Australia, Nexa Resources’ (NYSE:NEXA) Cerro Lindo mine in Peru, and Westgold Resources’ (ASX:WGX,OTC Pink:WGXRF) Beta Hunt mine in Western Australia.

    5. OR Royalties (TSX:OR,NYSE:OR)

    Market cap: C$11.49 billion
    Share price: C$62.31

    Previously named Osisko Gold Royalties, OR Royalties was created in 2014 as a spinoff deal between Osisko Mining (TSX:OSK), Yamana Gold and Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM). The deal was made in an attempt to prevent a hostile takeover of Osisko Mining and its Canadian Malartic gold complex by Goldcorp, now part of Newmont.

    In the deal, OR Royalties carried with it a 5 percent net smelter return royalty from the Canadian Malartic mine. Now owned by Agnico Eagle, the complex in Québec remains a cornerstone of the royalty company’s business today.

    The gold and silver royalty and streaming company has gone on to amass royalties, streams and offtakes for 195 assets, 22 of which are producing, across six continents.

    The majority are located in North America, including one of the most well-known gold-producing mines in the world, Agnico Eagle’s Canadian Malartic complex in Québec, as well as SSR Mining’s (NASDAQ:SSRM,TSX:SSRM) Seabee mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, and Kinross Gold’s (TSX:K,NYSE:KGC) Bald Mountain mine in Nevada.

    Small-cap gold and silver royalty companies

    There are also small-cap gold and silver royalty and streaming companies you can invest in and offer a lower-cost option for investors who are comfortable with a little more risk. Like their larger counterparts, small-cap gold royalty stocks offer a lower-risk investment than getting into a small-cap mining company but still provide access to the underlying precious metals market.

    The five small-cap gold and silver royalty companies on this list had market caps above $10 million in their respective currencies as of February 24, 2026.

    1. Gold Royalty (NYSEAMERICAN:GROY)

    Market cap: US$1.04 billion
    Share price: US$4.59

    Gold Royalty is building a diversified portfolio of more than 240 gold royalty and gold streaming interests based on net smelter return royalties on properties in the Americas.

    The company’s revenue generating investments include Agnico Eagle’s Canadian Malartic complex in Québec, DPM Metals’ (TSX:DPM) Vareš mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Discovery Silver’s (TSX:DSV,OTCQX:DSVSF) Borden mine in Ontario.

    2. Metalla Royalty & Streaming (TSXV:MTA,NYSE:MTA)

    Market cap: C$1.04 billion
    Share price: C$11.67

    Metalla Royalty & Streaming focuses on gold, silver and copper projects. The company’s royalty model involves acquiring royalties and streams by offering resource companies Metalla shares and cash.

    The mid-tier royalty and streaming company’s asset portfolio includes more than 100 projects across North America, South America and Australia. Its cornerstone assets include IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) and Sumitomo Metal Mining’s (OTC Pink:SSUMF,TSE:5713) Côté gold mine in Ontario, Canada, and First Quantum Minerals’ (TSX:FM) Taca Taca project in Argentina.

    3. Vox Royalty (TSX:VOXR,NASDAQ:VOXR)

    Market cap: C$518.16 million
    Share price: C$7.81

    Vox Royalty is a precious metals focused royalty company first established in 2014. The company has acquired an asset portfolio of 70 royalties, 32 of which were added since 2019, across Australia, the Americas and South Africa.

    Roughly 70 percent of its portfolio is dedicated to gold, silver and platinum group companies. The remainder of its portfolio is diversified across a wide range of resources, including copper, uranium, iron and diamonds.

    The majority of the eight producing assets in its portfolio are located in Australia, including a 1 percent net smelter return from Black Cat Syndicate’s Bulong gold mine, and a 2.5 percent net smelter return from Northern Star Resources’s (ASX:NST,OTCPL:NESRF) Otto Bore gold mine.

    As for development stage projects, its assets in Canada include a 1 percent net smelter return on NexGold Mining’s (TSXV:NEXG,OTCQX:NXGCF) Goldlund project and a 2 percent gross proceeds royalty on Alamos Gold’s (TSX:AGI,NYSE:AGI) Lynn Lake project in Canada.

    4. Sailfish Royalty (TSXV:FISH,OTCQX:SROYF)

    Market cap: C$324.08 million
    Share price: C$3.79

    Founded in 2014, Sailfish Royalty’s asset portfolio is much smaller than the other gold royalty stocks on this list. It consists of one producing mine as well as two development-stage and two exploration-stage properties in the Americas.

    In Nicaragua, Sailfish has a gold stream equivalent to a 3 percent net smelter return on Mako Mining’s (TSXV:MKO,OTCQX:MAKOF) San Albino gold mine and a 2 percent net smelter return on the area surrounding the mine. The company also holds a 13,500 ounce per quarter silver stream at the property, which was set to expire in May 2025. At the end of April 2025, Sailfish chose to exercise its option to purchase all silver for the life of the mine.

    5. Nations Royalty (TSXV:NRC,OTCQB:NRYCF)

    Market cap: C$160.68 million
    Share price: C$1.16

    Nations Royalty is a fledgling royalties company that first began trading in June 2024 and holds Indigenous-owned royalties. It was founded by the Nisga’a Nation of British Columbia, Canada, and by Wheaton Precious Metals co-founder Frank Giustra. It is the first publicly traded company in Canada to have a majority Indigenous ownership.

    The company has a portfolio of royalties covering one production and four development assets, all located in Northwestern British Columbia. The majority of these royalties are in the form of annual payments equal to a percentage of the mineral tax the assets’ operators pay.

    The producing mine in its portfolio is Newmont’s (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) Brucejack gold-silver operation. The four development assets consist of Ascot Resources’ (TSX:AOT,OTCID:AOTVF) Premier and Red Mountain projects, Seabridge Gold’s (TSX:SEA,NYSE:SA) KSM project and New Moly’s Kitsault molybdenum project.

    Gold and silver royalty ETFs

    Those who want more broad exposure to the precious metals markets may want to buy shares of an exchange-traded fund that includes gold and silver royalty and streaming stocks. Here are a few to get you started, including ASX gold ETFs and a US gold ETF.

    Betashares Global Royalties ETF (ASX:ROYL)
    The Betashares Global Royalties ETF is an Australian ETF that tracks the performance of an index of global companies that earn a significant amount of their revenue from royalty income, royalty-related income and intellectual property income. The fund’s top two holdings are Wheaton Precious Metals and Franco-Nevada, with Royal Gold and OR Royalties also among its significant holdings.

    Betashares Global Gold Miners ETF (ASX:MNRS)
    The Betashares Global Gold Miners ETF tracks the performance of an index of the world’s largest gold mining companies outside of Australia, hedged into Australian dollars. Wheaton Precious Metals, Franco-Nevada and Royal Gold are also among the fund’s top holdings.

    VanEck Gold Miners ETF (ARCA:GDX)
    The VanEck Gold Miners ETF is a US gold ETF that aims to replicate the performance of the MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index by holding large-cap gold mining stocks and precious metals royalty companies. As with the other gold ETFs on this list, its top holdings include Franco-Nevada, Wheaton Precious Metals and Royal Gold.

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Investing

    Copper Quest Exploration

    Investing 9 Mins Read

    Investor Insight

    Copper Quest Exploration controls more than 40,000 hectares of copper porphyry projects across tier one jurisdictions in Canada and the United States, offering investors diversified exposure to drill ready targets and multiple near term discovery catalysts.

    Overview

    Copper Quest Exploration (CSE:CQX,OTCQB:IMIMF,FRA:3MX) is a North American mineral exploration company focused on discovering and advancing copper porphyry systems in established mining jurisdictions. Its portfolio spans more than 40,000 hectares across projects in British Columbia and Idaho, including several district scale land packages within proven copper belts.

    Copper Quest holds a diversified portfolio of exploration assets, including 100 percent interests in the Stars, Stellar, Thane, and Kitimat projects, and the option to earn up to 80 percent in the Rip project. The company has rapidly expanded its portfolio and identified multiple high-priority exploration targets through strategic acquisitions, targeted drilling, and geophysical surveys.

    In late 2025 and early 2026, Copper Quest significantly extended its presence with the acquisition of two key gold assets: the past-producing Alpine Gold Property in British Columbia’s West Kootenay region—a 4,611-hectare project with historical high-grade gold resources and existing underground workings—and an option to acquire the drill-permitted Auxer Gold Property in Bonner County, Idaho, a road-accessible, high-grade orogenic gold asset.

    Copper Quest is focused on advancing its assets through systematic exploration including induced polarization surveys, mapping, sampling and drilling. Its strategy is to build value through discovery while leveraging partnerships or joint ventures to accelerate development where appropriate.

    Company Highlights

    • Large Tier One Land Position: More than 40,000 hectares across British Columbia and Idaho, coveringmultiple porphyry belts.
    • Flagship Discovery atStars: Drill interceptsincluding 0.466 percent copper over 195.07 m confirm a fertile coppermolybdenum system.
    • District Scale Portfolio: Core projects Stars, Stellar, Rip and Thanecollectively span 19,853 hectares within the Bulkley porphyry district alone.
    • US Expansion Strategy: Acquisition of the Nekash copper gold project inLemhi County adds exposure to the Idaho Montana porphyry belt.
    • Strategic Acquisitionsin British Columbia: Agreements to acquirethe Kitimat Copper Gold Project and the Alpine Gold Property expand regionalfootprint.
    • Multiple UntestedTargets: Large geophysicalanomalies and historic showings across several properties remain undrilled.
    • Strong Technical Bench: Leadership and advisors include former seniorexecutives from major mining companies with global discovery and developmenttrack records.
    • Clear ExplorationPipeline: Planned drilling,geophysics and target testing across multiple projects with multiple plannedexploration catalysts.

    Key Projects

    Stars Project — British Columbia

    The Stars project is a 9,694 hectare road accessible copper molybdenum property in the Bulkley porphyry belt. The project hosts a 5 by 2.5-kilometre annular magnetic anomaly coincident with a mineralized monzonite intrusion. Historic and modern drilling has confirmed widespread mineralization, including 0.466 percent copper over 195.07 m from 23 m and 0.2 percent copper over 396.67 m from 28.37 m.

    Drilling indicates a productive porphyry environment characterized by strong alteration, multi phase veining and elevated copper values ranging from 10 times to 400 times background levels. Only one location along the intrusion contact has been drill tested, suggesting significant discovery potential across more than 30 km of untested contacts. Planned work includes step out drilling at the Tana Zone, IP surveys and testing of additional targets such as the Big Dipper anomaly.

    ​

    Rip Project — British Columbia

    The Rip project covers 4,770 hectares located about 60 km south of Houston. A 2024 airborne magnetic survey and 3D DCIP program identified two concentric chargeability anomalies surrounding separate magnetic highs, classic signatures of porphyry systems.

    Two diamond drill holes totaling 1,033 m completed in 2024 intersected multi phase porphyry intrusions with quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite veining and long intervals of anomalous copper above 0.1 percent. The southern anomaly remains untested and represents the highest priority target. Copper Quest can earn up to 80 percent ownership by spending $1 million by the end of 2025.

    Stellar Project — British Columbia

    The 5,389-hectare Stellar property lies immediately north of Stars and consolidates multiple historic showings into a single geological framework. The project hosts several priority targets including the Cassiopeia anomaly, a 2.5-kilometre-diameter magnetic bullseye with an 800 m magnetic low core consistent with porphyry models.

    The Jewelry Box area hosts eight documented showings across a 15 sq km zone with historical samples returning grades up to 36.7 percent copper, 31.2 percent copper, 22.6 percent copper with 4,860 g/t silver and gold values up to 42 g/t. Additional targets include the Galena Zone and Northwest showings. Planned work includes IP surveys, mapping, sampling and drill targeting across the property.

    Thane Project — British Columbia

    The 20,658 hectare Thane project is located in the Toodoggone District within the Quesnel Terrane. The property contains a 14 by 6 kilometre alteration footprint hosting at least ten mineralized centres including Cirque, Fairway, Bananas, Gail and Aten.

    Historic exploration totaling more than $5 million identified strong copper and gold mineralization, with rock samples returning copper values exceeding 9,000 ppm and gold values up to 12.8 g/t. Only 12 short drill holes have been completed, all in one area, leaving much of the system untested. New high resolution geophysics is expected to help vector future drilling. Copper Quest is evaluating potential joint venture opportunities to advance the project.

    Nekash Project — Idaho

    The Nekash project consists of 70 unpatented federal lode claims covering about 585 hectares in Lemhi County along the Idaho Montana porphyry belt. Historic sampling confirmed high grade surface mineralization including up to 3.8 percent copper, 0.9 g/t gold and 25 g/t silver over 6.4 m, as well as porphyry style veins grading up to 6.6 percent copper.

    The property is fully road accessible and was acquired for 4.25 million shares with no cash payment or royalties. The project adds US exposure and early stage discovery potential supported by geophysical, geochemical and drilling programs.

    Kitimat Copper-Gold Project — British Columbia

    Copper Quest has acquired a 100 percent interest in the Kitimat copper-gold project, located approximately 10 km northwest of the deep-water port of Kitimat. Covering nearly 2,954 hectares, the project offers year-round road access, proximity to rail, hydroelectric infrastructure, and is situated within a prolific copper-gold belt, strengthening the company’s strategic presence in western Canada.

    Alpine Gold Property — British Columbia

    The Alpine Gold Property is a road-accessible, 4,611.49-hectare project featuring a 2018 historical inferred resource of 142,000 ounces of gold (Au) from 268,000 tonnes at an average grade of 16.52 g/t Au, estimated using a 5.0 g/t gold cut-off grade. The current resource is based on only about 300 meters of the roughly two-kilometer-long vein system, indicating substantial potential to expand the resource along strike and to depth.

    The property includes 1,650 meters of clean underground workings and a mineralized stockpile estimated at 24,000 tonnes on the surface, which could offer near-term cash flow. Additionally, the property hosts at least four other relatively unexplored vein systems—Black Prince, Cold Blow, Gold Crown, and past-producing King Solomon—all with historic high-grade gold values, suggesting multiple avenues for future exploration and resource growth.

    Auxer Gold Project — Idaho

    The Auxer Gold Property is a road-accessible, high-grade orogenic gold opportunity located in Bonner County, Idaho. Under an option agreement signed in 2026, Copper Quest has the right to earn up to 75 percent interest in the project by funding exploration, advancing a drill-ready gold target within a favorable mining jurisdiction. The property is strategically situated near existing infrastructure and historic gold workings, enhancing access and permitting potential.

    Gold mineralization at Auxer has been identified through surface sampling and historic data, with notable results including significant gold in soils and rock samples, supporting multiple structural targets. The addition of Auxer diversifies Copper Quest’s portfolio beyond copper porphyries into a precious metals domain, providing near term exploration catalysts that complement its existing projects. Planned work includes systematic mapping, sampling and drill permitting to define high-priority targets for follow up drilling.

    Management Team

    Brian Thurston — President, CEO and Director

    Brian Thurston is a professional geologist with over 32 years of experience specializing in porphyry deposits in British Columbia, the Yukon and Peru. Thurston has more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience and has founded several public companies, serving as director, officer and committee member across multiple resource ventures.

    Dong Shim — Chief Financial Officer

    Dong Shim is a chartered professional accountant with extensive experience in public company auditing and financial reporting in both the United States and Canada. Shim has helped numerous startups achieve listings on the TSX Venture Exchange, CSE and OTC Markets and is a CPA registered in Illinois and a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia.

    Dr. Mark Cruise — Director

    Dr. Mark Cruise has more than 25 years of experience in mine discovery, development and operations across Europe, South America, Canada and Africa. Cruise is the founder of Trevali Mining, which he built into a top ten global zinc producer, and previously worked as a senior geologist at Anglo American.

    Jason Nickel — Director

    Jason Nickel is a mining engineer with over 25 years of experience in operations, feasibility and development projects. Nickel has served as mine manager for major copper and gold producers and has led underground and open pit operations across British Columbia, Alaska and the Arctic.

    Cameron MacDonald — Director

    Cameron MacDonald has more than 18 years of capital markets experience as founder and CEO of the Macam Group of Companies. MacDonald has helped raise over $300 million in equity and more than $650 million in debt financings and has invested in startup companies since 2002.

    Joshua White – Technical Advisor

    Joshua White is an exploration geologist with more than 13 years of experience and is principal of Aqua Terra Geoscientists LLC. White previously worked for Kinross Gold as a project generation geologist supporting exploration programs across four continents.

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Watch Trump greet USA men’s hockey team in Oval Office

    Sport 2 Mins Read

    President Donald Trump welcomed the United States men’s hockey team to the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to celebrate the Americans’ gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

    Trump greeted players in the Oval Office in video shared by the White House, making small talk and jokes with a number of the gold-medal winners.

    Another video showed the team touring the White House, walking along the wall of plaques of past presidents that Trump installed since his second term began.

    The players heading to Washington, D.C., were flown aboard an Air Force C-32, ‘at the request of the President,’ the Air Force said in a statement to USA TODAY.

    Celebrate Olympic hockey gold medals with our new book

    Looking back at how U.S. men’s hockey won gold

    Team USA duked out a chippy match with Canada, as both teams fought, figuratively and literally, for the top honors in Olympic competition.

    The Americans drew first blood at the six-minute mark of the first period on a shot by Matt Boldy, who made a fool of Cale Makar and Devon Toews, Canada’s top defensive pair.

    Canada dominated the second period and finally responded late to tie the game, courtesy of a Makar goal.

    The game would not be decided in regulation. The guys needed an extra period to crown a winner.

    Jack Hughes, a 24-year-old center for the New Jersey Devils, provided late-game heroics in overtime to clinch the United States’ men’s hockey team first gold medal since the ‘Miracle on Ice’ in 1980. Their 2026 run has been dubbed ‘Miracle on Ice II.’

    This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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    5 pressing questions as NHL season resumes

    Sport 4 Mins Read

    The 2026 Winter Olympics are over, the United States won its first gold medal since 1980 and now Olympians are rejoining their NHL teams for the stretch run.

    The league is starting up again on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and NHL games will be played for the first time since Feb. 5. The Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Seattle Kraken, Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks sit in a playoff position after missing the postseason in 2024-25.

    The trade deadline is around the corner and the rush to a playoff berth is on before the regular season ends on April 16.

    Here’s a look at key questions as the NHL regular season resumes:

    Will the trade deadline be busy?

    The date is March 6 this year, so teams don’t have a lot of time to work something out.

    There was a major trade right before the Olympic freeze when the Rangers moved Artemi Panarin to the Kings. Once the freeze lifted, the Avalanche traded defenseman Samuel Girard to the Penguins for Brett Kulak on Feb. 24.

    There’s an opportunity for more trades because there’s a gap between the haves and the have-nots, and top teams have needs. The last-place Canucks, who already moved Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, have Evander Kane and Teddy Blueger as pending free agents. The Rangers could move Vincent Trocheck, Flames center Nazem Kadri would be coveted and the Blues could be sellers.

    Will the Panthers keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive?

    They won the last two Stanley Cup titles, went to the Final the year before that and were Presidents’ Trophy winners in 2021-22. But that string of success suffered a serious blow when captain and Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov needed ACL surgery after being injured on his first day of practice in September.

    They’re also missing defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and Seth Jones and sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with 61 points, eight points out of a playoff spot. The good news is Matthew Tkachuk returned before the break and that Jones is skating with a non-contact jersey. Bill Zito is a creative general manager and Paul Maurice a top-notch coach. They have 25 games to make up those points, which is possible if they come out strong after the break. And as they showed the last three years, if they make it into the postseason, they can go far.

    Can the Sabres end their playoff drought?

    Their 14 years out of the playoffs is an NHL record. It looked like it might reach 15 when they started slowly. But things turned around when they fired general manager Kevyn Adams and promoted Jarmo Kekalainen. They pushed a winning streak to 10 games and now sit in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. But they lost three out of four heading into the break and will need to remedy that, especially when they will be facing the Lightning and Golden Knights two times each in the next 11 games.

    Can the Red Wings end their playoff drought?

    They haven’t made the playoffs in nine years and are sitting in third place in the tough Atlantic Division. Other teams have a game or more in hand. But their goaltending is better than in the past because of John Gibson, and they have plenty of cap space to make a move at the deadline.

    Can Kings overcome the loss of Kevin Fiala?

    Fiala broke his leg while playing for Switzerland at the Olympics, had surgery and will miss the rest of the regular season. The Kings have Panarin now, but his acquisition was designed to boost an offense that had Fiala in the lineup. Fiala leads the Kings with 17 power-play points. Los Angeles is three points out of a playoff spot, so it might need to make another trade.

    This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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    NFL draft sleepers: These players could turn heads at combine

    Sport 6 Mins Read

    It might be more difficult than ever to identify a true NFL draft sleeper prospect.

    There aren’t any true unknowns among the 319 prospects invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week. Meanwhile, many players who might have been small-school darlings in years past have gravitated toward higher payouts and brighter spotlights in the NIL era.

    Between the proliferation of pre-draft information and changing college enrollment dynamics, that’s left the notion of a sleeper somewhat hard to define in 2026. A player who might seem to satisfy the criteria for one person might seem like an established entity to another.

    With all that said, here are eight less-heralded players who could stand out at the combine:

    RB Robert Henry Jr., Texas-San Antonio

    In a fairly lackluster running back class – at least beyond Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love – teams might be best served to pursue players with a distinct calling card rather than trying to find a true lead ball carrier. Henry has a few strengths in his elastic running style and rapid acceleration, which he utilized to average 6.9 yards per carry last season. He should be a Day 3 draw for teams looking to add a bit of juice to their backfield without investing significant resources. Though he still has to exhibit more patience as a runner, the key to aiding his stock while he’s in Indianapolis might be demonstrating more capabilities as a potential third-down weapon, as he logged just 18 carries for 114 yards last season.

    WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State

    The word might already be out on Hurst, a 1,000-yard receiver for the Panthers who also built a considerable buzz at the Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds with plenty of build-up speed, he’s exactly the kind of deep threat teams seek to diversify their passing attacks and stress defenses. It will still bear watching just how he sizes up against a deep class of receivers, with many of them having faced a higher level of competition. Hurst still has work to do to fully leverage his advantages on downfield contested catches, but it seems likely that his pre-draft ascent will only continue at the combine.

    WR Eric McAlister, TCU

    The Horned Frogs have had a stellar run of speedy receivers in recent years, and McAlister has kept that lineage alive and well. The 6-3, 193-pound Boise State transfer is entirely at home working vertically and racing past cornerbacks to haul in big gains. Most other components of his game are still a work in progress, which leaves him a good bit behind some of the other speedy threats in this year’s group of pass catchers. Yet after this week, several NFL coaching staffs might be eager to be the ones tasked with helping polish his approach.

    WR Malik Benson, Oregon

    Noticing a theme here? Game-breaking speed is a major selling point for receivers outside of the first-round mix, and few have a higher ceiling in that area than Benson. The former junior college standout has had a somewhat nomadic and unfulfilled college career that included stops at Alabama and Florida State, but he showed off his potential with the Ducks by averaging 16.7 yards per catch and reeling off a handful of long scores. Like many former track standouts, the 5-11, 185-pound target poses some weighty questions on whether he can become a more complete receiver or whether he’ll need to have touches schemed for him to compensate for shortcomings in his route-running. But he’s a legitimate threat to challenge other speed merchants in Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson and LSU’s Barion Brown and Chris Hilton Jr. for the combine’s fastest 40-yard dash time.

    TE John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming

    He’s got a name of an ’80s action movie star, as well the athleticism of one. The 6-5, 251-pounder has all the requisite traits to be a serious seam threat at the next level. It’s up to him to make good on them, however, as he never put together the kind of breakout season one would have hoped to see coming of a player who faced a lower level of competition, with just 24 catches for 217 yards and one touchdown as a senior. He’ll need to serve up a reminder of his upside at the combine or risk getting lost in a fairly muddled picture at tight end.

    DT Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana

    In terms of pure disruptiveness from the interior, Proctor gets at it with the best of them. He notched nine sacks last season, an output that doesn’t capture just how problematic he was for opposing offenses. And at the East-West Shrine Bowl, he hardly looked out of place against more highly touted foes. The 6-1, 275-pounder will only be a fit for teams are willing to sacrifice a bit of strength for playmaking ability. In the right scheme, however, he could continue continue to regularly make himself at home in opponents’ backfields, even if only in a part-time role to begin.

    DE/OLB Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan

    Any pass rusher who ties with Texas Tech’s David Bailey, a potential top-five pick, for the Football Bowl Subdivision lead in sacks (14½) is clearly doing something right. Tucker isn’t a household name, but he combines plenty of burst and knowhow to consistently get in the face of quarterbacks. Measuring in under 6-2 and 246 pounds at the Senior Bowl, he might be reduced to a designated pass rusher in the early going, serving in a Josh Uche-lite role to shield him from being engulfed by bigger blockers in the run game. As a late-round flier, though, he’s an intriguing option for any defensive staff willing to get a little creative with his usage.

    OLB Jaishawn Barham, Michigan

    After a stellar start to his career at Maryland, Barham still seems to be defined by the notion of some unrealized potential. He’ll work out at the combine with the edge rushers, and it’s easy to see why teams might be drawn toward utilizing the 6-3, 243-pounder in that role. Not only is he explosive and fluid when pursuing the quarterback, he also matches those traits with his forcefulness at the point of attack. Don’t be surprised if he ends up with one of the more impressive testing profiles of the defensive prospects.

    This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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    College football has created players with no fear of consequence

    Sport 4 Mins Read

    First, the particulars, because three years later, it still makes no sense. 

    A Georgia football player died in January 2023 while a car he was riding in was racing other Georgia football players. More than 20 Georgia players have since been cited or arrested for speeding and/or reckless driving — including two last week.

    But before we jump on Georgia coach Kirby Smart about discipline and direction and leading young men, maybe it’s time we go to the source: players. 

    Maybe it’s time we take a detailed look at what we’re doing in the NIL world, and how young men flush with cash now feel bulletproof.

    Wasn’t that long ago when the cycle of pandering and prostitution of athletes included cutting corners, skipping classes and answers to tests. All before they even reached high school.

    From there it was academic fraud — including ACT and SAT college entrance exam fraud — and shady middlemen who brokered financial deals with colleges under the table.   

    A car here, a bag of cash there. A house for Mom, and a job for Dad. All part of the game. 

    Until much of the seen and unseen of this dirty dalliance no one wanted to admit was revealed with the advent of the NIL era. At least, the machinations of it all. 

    Because one thing still stands clear: There were no rules in the shadows then, there are no rules in the sunlight now.   

    We’ve gone from pushing players through school despite them not knowing the work — in some cases, not being able to read — to throwing millions of dollars at them before they step on a college campus.

    Just to be clear: The enabling sins of the past haven’t ended. They’ve been — if you can believe this utter nonsense — reinforced with foundational money and free player movement that has soiled the entire college experience. 

    Higher education is as much about academics as it is proving you can live on your own with individual responsibilities (and vices), and figuring a way to grow and prosper as a human — much less an athlete.

    Now throw millions of dollars into that equation. Then add the built-in excuses and reset of free player movement.

    No wonder players feel bulletproof. No wonder the greatest concern for NFL scouts now isn’t playing ability, but life skills and maturity.

    How else can you explain Georgia players — after Devin Willock’s tragic death while riding in a car racing other teammates at speeds in excess of 100 mph — doing the same thing? Over and over and over. 

    How else do you explain Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, one of the SEC’s top young players with a bright professional future, last week racing teammate Darren Ikinnagbon and driving 105 mph in a 65 mph zone on Outer Loop 10 in Athens, Ga.? 

    Or about 2-3 miles from where Willock lost his life.

    Smart can suspend players (he’s done that), he can kick them off the team (he’s done that, too). He can talk to players about the inherent danger, or have law enforcement explain the odds of significant injury and bodily harm when racing (yep, check). 

    But at the end of the day, this is an individual making a poor decision.

    An individual who, in many cases, has been given whatever he wants, whenever he wants, because he’s elite at the sport he plays. 

    Make no mistake, players deserve their fair share of the billions in media rights universities earn every year. We’re well down that road, and there’s no going back.

    The problem: We’ve taken consequences completely out of the equation.

    If it doesn’t work at this school, it’ll work at that one. If this coach doesn’t like me, that coach will give me another chance. 

    If I underperformed my NIL deal at this school, that school will still give me cash. 

    There’s no pause in the process like there once was, no opportunity of reflection or a life reorg while sitting out a transfer season. It’s one deal to the next until you reach the NFL. 

    Or you don’t, and then what have we accomplished ― other than temporary wealth? 

    If Smart dismisses Cole or Ikinnagbon, there will be a line of schools waiting to take them, give them cash and further exacerbate the problem.

    Three years later, it still makes no sense.  

    This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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