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As Georgia slides into authoritarianism, protesters vow to keep fighting Russian pivot

Two years ago, two days of protests were enough to force Georgia’s government into an embarrassing U-turn. It had tried to introduce a “foreign agents” bill – which critics likened to legislation passed by President Vladimir Putin to stifle dissent in Russia – but backed down after fierce demonstrations sparked by the bill’s first reading.

“We fought it off like hell, used every instrument at our disposal,” recalls Ana Tavazde, one of tens of thousands who demonstrated against the bill, which would have forced media and other organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or be fined.

But the protesters’ victory was short-lived. The government revived the bill last year – and this time would not back down. The parliament approved it in May, despite huge opposition on the streets.

After the ruling Georgian Dream party – which declared victory anew after a disputed election in October – delayed the country’s long-awaited European Union membership bid until 2028, Tavazde was one of thousands of Georgians to take to the streets once again. The government invested in water cannons, according to local media reports, and started making mass arrests.

Since then, Georgia’s government has shown little sign of shifting its course, which many in the former Soviet country feel is taking the country back into the Kremlin’s orbit. And with the protest movement now approaching its third month, it is not clear what can break the stalemate.

Multiple opposition politicians have been publicly beaten, some in broad daylight. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, of whom more than 300 allege suffering beatings, torture and other ill-treatment at the hands of law enforcement, according to Amnesty International. The police’s presence at rallies has been bolstered by masked men, who do not wear uniforms displaying their department and rank.

Extreme measures

“Today, almost a year later, you would say this has become a really nasty authoritarian regime.”

Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili, who described the elections as “rigged” and called on Georgians to protest in October, was replaced as president by far-right former soccer star Mikheil Kavelashvili in mid-December. The government imposed further restrictions on freedom of assembly at the end of the year.

At the start of February, it proposed more extreme measures that would increase detention periods and fines for certain offenses, such as disorderly conduct or disobeying law enforcement officers, and limit the areas in which protests can be held, local outlet OC Media reported.

On February 5, the party announced it would be introducing unspecified laws targeted at the media and civil society and expelled 49 opposition MPs from Parliament. Three Georgian Dream MPs resigned, supposedly to form a new “healthy opposition ” – with the approval of the ruling party’s parliamentary speaker. On the same day, the prime minister called for “a sort of Nuremburg trial” to investigate the rule of UNM, the opposition party which governed from 2003 to 2012. The Georgian government has been approached for comment, but did not respond.

Journalist Mzia Amaglobeli is facing up to seven years in prison if convicted of assaulting a police officer. The founder of two independent publications, Batumelebi and Netgazeti, she was detained after allegedly slapping a police officer at a protest last month. The European Parliament has claimed Amaglobeli was “unlawfully arrested” and that the charges against her are “politically motivated.”

Soon after her detention, Amaglobeli started a hunger strike, which she has now been on for 34 days, to demand her release. When asked on February 4 how Amaglobeli’s hunger strike could end, Georgian Dream’s chairman said: “Hunger usually leads to death.”

The International Federation of Journalists has urged the Georgian government to “release Amaglobeli immediately and to stop its crackdown on journalists and independent media.”

Staying on the winning side

For many in this ex-Soviet country, the idea of pivoting towards Russia – which invaded in 2008 and continues to occupy 20% of Georgia’s territory – is unthinkable. Over 80% support EU membership, according to polls, and every party’s campaign platform for the October election included the pursuit of EU membership. Campaign posters for Georgian Dream even merged its logo with the gold stars of the EU flag.

So why has the government turned away from such a popular policy?

“I think he just kind of assumes that Moscow is going to win this war,” Mitchell added, referring to Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder and honorary chairman.

“And he’s going to stay on the winning side.”

Bidzina Ivanishvili made his fortune in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union in Russia in the 1990s and is estimated by Bloomberg to be worth $7.7 billion – a quarter of Georgia’s GDP in 2023. Protesters, some of whom have donned masks of his face at protests, see him as pushing Moscow’s agenda in this ex-Soviet country despite no longer holding any elected position.

Chugoshvili was one of several Georgian Dream politicians who resigned in 2019 after the parliament did not pass an amendment which would have made the electoral system fully proportional. “It was obvious that (Georgian Dream) was becoming obsessed with control,” said Chugoshvili, who co-founded Egeria Solutions, an NGO which has worked on European integration projects, after leaving the party.

“Georgian Dream and Bidzina plan to stay in power for ever. And they cannot do this while integrating into the EU and NATO.”

“Some local outlets are totally funded by USAID or affiliated organisations,” said Ostiller.

“They have no back-up, no savings. They will close, and if funding returns, reopening them will be far more difficult.”

Culture war rhetoric

In a country where the conservative Georgian Orthodox Church exerts massive influence, Ivanishvili has also leaned into “culture war” politics, observers say.

The results of last year’s elections, in which Georgian Dream claimed to receive about 54% of the vote, have been widely disputed; however, the party undoubtedly still has some support.

“It’s probably got a solid 35 to 45%,” Mitchell estimated. “They’re popular enough that they still have a base.”

But for a younger generation, who have only known Georgia as committed to EU and NATO membership and Russia as a threat, the anti-Western rhetoric doesn’t seem to land, and the government’s moves towards authoritarianism don’t seem to inspire fear. Protests are continuing into their third month.

Since protests broke out on November 28, Keren Esebua has been on the streets almost every night in Zugdidi – a city located just 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Abkhazia, a breakaway Georgian region occupied by Russia since 2008.

“I lost my home in Sukhumi, in Abkhazia, in 1993. And I was here in Zugdidi, blocking the way for Russian troops in 2008 when I was 19.

“I’m not giving Russia any kind of opportunity to swallow up Georgia again.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com
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Russia is relishing a series of contradictory White House messages on Ukraine

The split screen is horrifying. On one side, a White House whose policy is in turns strident, revisionist, and then – it seems, sometimes – in urgent need of clarification. On the other, Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelensky is outside, looking in, on peace talks, while hundreds die daily on frontlines where Moscow is winning, and children are frequently pulled from the rubble of Russian airstrikes.

As Ukraine’s brutal war nears its third year, the two visions risk becoming irreconcilable.

The White House’s contradictory positions will be partly to blame here. We have seen a startling week in which the US Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth said Ukraine could not join NATO or get its pre-2014 borders back. He either broadcast a key plank of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s secret peace deal inadvertently or gave away a key part of Ukraine’s diplomatic negotiating hand to the shock of Europe.

Ukraine’s allies may have all known that, in reality, it would not join NATO soon, or get its borders back to when the east and Crimea were in its hands, but had kept that as a concession to make to Russia during, not before, negotiations.

It keeps coming.

US Vice President JD Vance told the Wall Street Journal, apparently, the US might send troops to Ukraine, in extremis – that it would use “tools of leverage” both military and economic. Did he really unveil the polar opposite of Hegseth’s comments in Brussels that no American soldiers would go to Ukraine? Why did he not mention Russia at all, when addressing European allies in Munich about largely fictional totalitarianism in western democracies? Also, did Trump misspeak when he said there would be “high-level people” from Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Munich for a key security conference – or did he mean Saudi Arabia?

Moscow and Kyiv didn’t seem to think anyone of that level is going to Munich for those kind of talks. Or are there secret talks happening that Trump cannot keep quiet?

During this short period of whiplash, by the worst battlefield estimates, up to 5,000 troops have been killed or injured on the frontlines in Ukraine. Romania and Moldova have complained of Russian drones interfering in their airspace. At least 13 civilians have died and 72 been injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine. A Russian drone has been fired at Chernobyl nuclear plant, Ukraine said Friday.

A war is happening – and Russia is winning it, at huge cost for Ukraine – while the White House seems to work out what it really thinks in public.

Behind these vacillating positions on NATO membership, Ukraine’s borders and and US troops in Ukraine, lies the darker truth that we simply do not know what Trump and Putin have spoken about, in what Trump has said was more than one call since he came to the White House.

Firstly, it is important to reflect on the precedent here: Trump has swept away three years of isolation of the Kremlin from the West without concessions. He got Marc Fogel released – in exchange, it seems, for Alexander Vinnik, accused of running a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency exchange, gifting Moscow a moment of staggeringly warm rehabilitation for an American television audience. But there have been no concessions so far, in public, from Russia to Ukraine.

Instead, we had the bizarre revisionism of Trump suggesting Russia invaded because Ukraine was about to join NATO.

To repeat, three exhausting years in, Russia invaded Ukraine unprovoked in 2022 out of some strategic sense of concern it needed to project strength along its borders, and mistakenly thinking the invasion would take a matter of weeks, and be welcomed with open arms.

Ukraine wanted warmer relations with the European Union and dreamed of perhaps joining NATO one day, but in the same way Zelensky probably dreamed one day as a young boy of joining the Beatles. Neither was going to happen any time soon.

The revisionist notion that Russia acted to stop Ukraine’s NATO membership is a Kremlin talking point. And it is clear now Trump has spent more time talking to Putin than Zelensky. He even suggested that Zelensky’s time in office might soon end, as he needs to eventually hold elections, and his poll numbers are “not particularly great, to put it mildly”.

It’s hard to understate the impact of the world’s most powerful man suggesting a wartime commander lacks a current mandate and might soon need to step aside. Perhaps this is part of the private plan – it is certainly what Putin wants, as elections would undoubtedly be a mess and produce a mandate that was questioned. It is, above all, potentially catastrophic to Ukrainian morale – soldiers must agree to continue to risk their lives for a president whose key financial backer considers a lame duck.

This is where the two split screens collide.

Trump’s world is one where off-the-cuff statements can be massaged, and his telegenic cabinet overturn the paradigms of global security hourly, without major consequence. Their echo chamber just reassuringly feeds back the corrected version of policy. On the other side of the screen, Ukrainians die, lose territory, see apartment blocks reduced to rubble, consider desertion, and watch the backbone of their western support dissolve.

This is all a symphony of chaos to the Kremlin. They know what their objectives are, which, simply put, amount to whatever they can get. And that is a lot when the key adversary they actually fear, the United States, is so publicly unsure what it wants, why it wants it, and what its red lines are.

Peace talks have started, but the sands are not just shifting for Ukraine, they risk becoming quicksand.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
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Crypto Market Recap: WLFI Unveils Strategic Token Reserve

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (February 12) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin is trading at US$96,208, recording a 1.9 percent decrease over 24 hours.

The day’s trading range has brought a high of US$98,231 and a low of US$94,864.

Meanwhile, Ethereum is priced at US$2,627.82, marking a decline of 2.7 percent over the same period. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of US$2,708.90 and a low of US$2,581.55.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$196.92, 2.9 percent lower over 24 hours, after hitting a daily high of US$203.17 and a low of US$193.64.
  • XRP is trading at US$2.42, reflecting a 2.8 percent decrease. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of US$2.50 and a low of US$2.38.
  • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$3.29, having experienced a 7.1 percent decline. It achieved a daily high of US$3.54 and a low of US$3.22.
  • Cardano (ADA) is down, priced at US$0.7897, reflecting a 1.3 percent decrease over 24 hours. Its highest price on Wednesday was US$0.8127 and its lowest was US$0.7556.

Crypto news to know

While meme coins continue to dominate headlines, recent analysis from Godex, an online crypto exchange platform, sheds light on specific blockchain platforms that are quietly driving real-world impact.

The firm’s research highlights five key networks that show crypto isn’t just about speculation — it’s also about solving major global challenges in finance, sustainability and supply chain security.

To do this, Godex analyzed 100 blockchain platforms, filtering out those built purely on speculation and emphasizing real-world applications. It found five standouts that are making waves through real-world use cases, major industry partnerships and solid market growth. These are the blockchain platforms it lists:

  • Ethereum — Powering decentralized finance, humanitarian aid and sustainable development. Ethereum’s smart contracts enable transparent charitable donations and verifiable digital identities for refugees.
    • Stellar — Revolutionizing financial inclusion by offering low-cost remittance services and digital wallets for unbanked populations.
    • VeChain — Enhancing supply chain traceability, from pharmaceutical safety to sustainable fashion verification.
    • Avalanche — Driving carbon credit markets, streamlining disaster relief funding and digitizing vehicle ownership records to prevent fraud.

    While speculative tokens grab headlines, Godex believes these blockchain platforms are demonstrating that real utility is what drives long-term industry growth. Institutional adoption is accelerating, and as businesses and policymakers recognize blockchain’s full potential, the focus is shifting from hype to real-world applications.

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

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com
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    Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Durango Surges 115% on Antimony Project

    The Trump administration announced on Monday (February 10) it would be expanding steel and aluminum tariffs to all countries. The tariffs, set to come into effect on March 12, will disproportionally impact Canadian exports as Canada is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States.

    This isn’t the first time the president has imposed sweeping tariffs on the global steel and aluminum industries. The effect from the first round in 2018 was mixed. While it allowed domestic producers to charge more for their products, that increased downstream costs for consumers and manufacturers, leading to tighter profit margins and layoffs.

    Even though the US produces enough steel to meet its own demand, incoming tariffs could still have negative implications for the North American auto industry. Coming into 2025, the sector anticipated growth but was also wary that some consumers were concerned about affordability. Increases in steel costs due to import fees and the potential for additional tariffs on cars and parts produced in Canada and Mexico could dampen vehicle sales.

    Rising consumer costs came into view when the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released January’s consumer price index (CPI) data on Wednesday (February 12). The figures showed inflation ticking up in January to 3 percent on a yearly basis, up from the 2.9 percent increase in December. On a monthly basis, there was a 0.5 percent increase, up from the 0.4 percent the previous month.

    Some analysts are expecting costs to rise even further as new tariffs take effect and producers begin raising prices accordingly. Higher CPI figures are also likely to impact the Federal Reserve’s next meeting in March, with most analysts predicting the central bank will maintain the current rate of 4.25 to 4.50 percent.

    Markets and commodities react

    US equity markets saw sharp selloffs following the release of CPI data on Wednesday, but rallied to finish the week in positive territory, with the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) gaining 1.13 percent to end at 6,114.62, and the Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) rising 2.05 percent to 22,114.69. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) was flat, gaining just 0.34 percent to 44,546.09.

    In Canada, the markets were more positive. The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) fell 0.96 percent on the week to close at 640.26 on Friday, the S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) posted a 0.31 percent loss to hit 25,483.23 and the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) dropped 0.65 percent to 135.03.

    After hitting new all time highs early in the week, the gold price was also affected by Wednesday’s CPI announcement. In the end, it managed to eke out a 0.78 percent increase to close the week at US$2,883.91 per ounce on Friday at 5:00 p.m. EST. Silver fared a little better, closing the week up 1.1 percent at US$32.13.

    In base metals, the copper price climbed as high as US$4.88 per pound on the COMEX during trading Friday before pulling back to close at US$4.68, up 1.3 percent for the week. Copper is up significantly from the end of January, when it was just US$4.28. The S&P GSCI (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) was also up this week, gaining 1.07 percent to close at 569.44.

    Top Canadian mining stocks this week

    So how did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

    We break down this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

    Data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EST on February 14, 2024, using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market capitalizations greater than C$10 million are included. Companies within the non-energy minerals and energy minerals sectors were considered.

    1. Durango Resources (TSXV:DGO)

    Weekly gain: 115.38 percent
    Market cap: C$15.54 million
    Share price: C$0.14

    Durango Resources is a polymetallic exploration company that is developing a portfolio of projects in Québec and British Columbia, Canada.

    Shares have seen significant gains in 2025 following several news releases. The first came on January 15 when the company announced it had acquired five critical mineral projects: an antimony site in Haida Gwaii, BC, and a rare earth project and three historical copper mines in Québec.

    The properties were acquired for C$5,000 cash and the issuing of 4 million common shares to arm’s length vendors.

    This was followed by news on January 30 that the company had completed an AI-powered study of its Babine West copper and gold project near Smithers, BC. The results suggested a large structure that coincides with a moderate magnetic anomaly.

    The team hypothesizes the magnetism could be from a widespread zone of early-stage alteration, which may be related to copper-gold porphyry systems at the neighboring American Eagle Gold’s (TSXV:AE,OTCQB:AMEGF) NAK project and AMARC Resources’ (TSXV:AHR,OTCQB:AXREF) Duke project.

    Durango’s Babine project consists of four claim blocks covering 4,635 hectares and is located within one of BC’s most prolific porphyry copper and gold belts. According to the project page, exploration at the site has returned broad areas of mineralization, including 1.09 percent copper equivalent over 302 meters.

    After slowly climbing through the week, Durango’s share price spiked to C$0.16 on Thursday. The company’s most recent news came on Tuesday, when it announced it had increased the project area for its recently acquired Victory antimony project in Haida Gwaii to 1,387 hectares. Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) originally discovered the site in 1988, and a chip sample at the time contained 1.24 percent antimony.

    2. Turmalina Metals (TSXV:TBX)

    Company Profile

    Weekly gain: 106.67 percent
    Market cap: C$12.77 million
    Share price: C$0.14

    Turmalina Metals is a gold, silver and copper explorer that is developing a portfolio of projects in South America.

    Its primary focus is the Colquemayo project in Moquegua, Peru. In July 2024, Turmalina entered into an option agreement with Compania de Minas Buenaventura to acquire a 100 percent ownership stake in the property.

    The 6,600-hectare site has seen more than 20,000 meters of historic core drilling and hosts multiple porphyry targets that have been identified but have gone untested. Highlighted drill samples from the property have demonstrated results of 2.4 percent copper and 10 grams per metric ton (g/t) silver over 237.3 meters, including intersections of 3.4 percent copper and 14 g/t silver over 161.2 meters and 14.8 percent copper and 47 g/t silver over 31.3 meters.

    In news released on Wednesday, the company said it was intensifying its focus on the project and would be relogging historic cores. Additionally, Turmalina hired INSIDEO, a Lima-based environmental consulting firm, to help advance baseline studies and a Declaración de Impacto Ambiental, which is needed for drilling permits. The release also indicated that the company is also in the process of rebranding which will include updating its name, ticker and website.

    As part of the restructuring of Turmalina, company CEO Roger James will be stepping down, but maintaining a seat on the board, he will be replaced by Jonathan Richards as interim CEO.

    3. Power Metals (TSXV:PWM)

    Company Profile

    Weekly gain: 70 percent
    Market cap: C$111.12 million
    Share price: C$0.85

    Power Metals is a lithium and cesium exploration company focused on its Case Lake project.

    Located in Northeastern Ontario, the site is 10 kilometers by 9.5 kilometers in size and comprises 585 cell claims. Exploration at the site between 2017 and 2024 led to the discovery of pegmatite dykes bearing lithium, cesium and tantalum (LCT). Case Lake now consists of six spodumene dykes that form a mineralization trend of about 10 kilometers.

    Recent assays from the site released on February 14 included a highlight of 8.07 meters grading 2.19 percent lithium oxide, 5.19 percent cesium oxide and 1,438 parts per million (ppm) tantalum. The results also included a 1 meter intersection bearing 1.85 percent lithium oxide, 11.7 percent cesium oxide and 208 ppm tantalum.

    In addition to its most recent exploration news, Power Metals announced on February 10 that it had brought on DRA Global to begin work on a maiden mineral resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment for the Case Lake project. It expects to have the former completed by the end of Q1 2025, with the latter to follow in Q2.

    Adding to Power Metals’ recent share gains was a release on February 5 in which the company reported that it had been awarded a new exploration permit for Case Lake. The new permit will remain valid for the next three years and will be used to target newly identified cesium targets uncovered in late 2024.

    4. Cascada Silver (CSE:CSS)

    Company Profile

    Weekly gain: 57.14 percent
    Market cap: C$10.16 million
    Share price: C$0.055

    Cascada Silver is an exploration company working to advance its copper and molybdenum projects in Chile. Since the start of 2025, the company’s main focus has been on its Angie copper-molybdenum project in North-central Chile.

    Cascada carried out its Phase 1 drill program at the 2,000 hectare site in 2024, with work focusing on an 800 by 1,500 meter target with molybdenum mineralization. The assays from the initial drill program, released on November 20, revealed results of 476 ppm molybdenum over 64 meters, including an intersection of 1,208 ppm molybdenum over 8 meters.

    On December 17, the company announced it was mobilizing for the second phase of drilling at Angie using data acquired through a drone-based magnetometer survey. The Phase 2 program will consist of up to 2,000 meters of diamond drilling, with the first hole planned for a depth of 500 meters. Cascada announced on January 9 that drilling at the site had commenced and was expected to be completed in February, with assays available four to six weeks later.

    Cascada’s most recent news came on February 3, when it announced that it would be listing on the OTCQB market under the symbol CSSCF. The company said this was a strategic step in enhancing its visibility and accessibility to US investors.

    5. THEMAC Resources (TSXV:MAC)

    Weekly gain: 55.56 percent
    Market cap: C$11.91 million
    Share price: C$0.14

    THEMAC Resources is a copper exploration and development company that is developing the Copper Flat mine in southwest New Mexico, United States.

    The brownfield site was mined until the early 1980s and hosts significant existing infrastructure, including a primary crusher structure, a coarse ore reclamation tunnel, and several building foundations. These will provide THEMAC with US$54 million in capital savings. An April 2020 feasibility study demonstrated a base case after-tax net present value of US$545.16 million with an internal rate of return of 20.8 percent over a payback period of 3.3 years.

    In addition to the economics, the study also included a measured and indicated resource estimate of 1.39 billion pounds of copper, 40.66 million pounds of molybdenum, 737,000 ounces of gold and 14.74 million ounces of silver.

    Shares in THEMAC climbed this week, although the company has not reported news so far in 2025.

    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 companies are listed on the TSXV?

    As of June 2024, there were 1,630 companies listed on the TSXV, 925 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,806 companies, with 188 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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    Judge extends order blocking Musk’s DOGE team from Treasury payment system

    A federal judge on Friday extended a temporary order that blocks Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing payment systems within the Treasury Department. 

    The extension comes after 19 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over DOGE’s access to the payment system, which has information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits, tax refund information, and much more. 

    The lawsuit claims the Musk-run agency illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. 

    The lawsuit was filed in New York by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office and includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. 

    U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan on Friday said that she wasn’t going to issue a ruling yet on the attorneys general request for a longer preliminary injunction, leaving the temporary order issued last Saturday in place.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told FOX Business last week that the concerns about DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department are not valid. 

    ‘DOGE is not going to fail,’ he said. ‘They are moving a lot of people’s cheese here in the capital, and when you hear this squawking, then some status quo interest is not happy.’

    He continued, ‘At the Treasury, our payment system is not being touched. We process 1.3 billion payments a year. There is a study being done — can we have more accountability, more accuracy, more traceability that the money is going where it is? But, in terms of payments being stopped, that is happening upstream at the department level.’

    The newly-created DOGE aims to cut government waste and has been given access to more than a dozen government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education and the Department of Labor.

    This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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    Skyharbour Partner Company Terra Clean Energy Begins Extensive Drill Program at the South Falcon East Uranium Project

    Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH ) (OTCQX: SYHBF ) (Frankfurt: SC1P ) ( ‘ Skyharbour ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘) is pleased to announce that partner company Terra Clean Energy Corp. (‘Terra’, previously Tisdale Clean Energy) has announced the mobilization of crew and equipment at the South Falcon East Uranium Project which hosts the Fraser Lakes B Uranium Deposit. The South Falcon Project lies 18km outside the edge of the Athabasca Basin, approximately 50 km East of the Key Lake uranium mill and former mine. Skyharbour optioned the Project to Terra and under the Option Agreement assuming the 75% interest is earned, Terra will fund exploration expenditures totaling CAD $10,500,000, as well as pay Skyharbour CAD $11,100,000 in cash of which $6,500,000 can be settled for shares in the capital of Terra (‘Shares’) over the five-year earn-in period.

    Map of South Falcon East Project Claims:  
    https://skyharbourltd.com/_resources/maps/Sky_SouthFalconEast_20250109.jpg?v=1

    Mobilization of crew and equipment has commenced for an extensive winter drill program consisting of up to 2,500 meters of drilling. The field program will be executed by Terralogic Exploration Inc. under the supervision of Brett Lavigne, Project Manager with TerraLogic Exploration and C. Trevor Perkins, VP of Exploration for Terra Clean Energy Corp.

    Terra’s inaugural drill program in early 2024 (news release dated April 1, 2024) at South Falcon East confirmed the presence of uranium mineralized pegmatites and graphitic pelitic paragneiss along the Way Lake Conductor. Graphitic pelitic paragneiss are a key lithology associated with uranium deposits within the eastern Athabasca Basin, and their presence at the Fraser Lakes B deposit is a good indication of the potential for high-grade basement-hosted unconformity related uranium mineralization, in addition to the known pegmatite/alaskite-hosted uranium mineralization at the deposit.

    The priority of the Winter 2025 program is to expand on the Winter 2024 program by extending the mineralized footprint associated with the Fraser Lakes B Uranium Deposit and test nearby targets with prospective alteration and structure identified in historical drilling. Modeling of the existing data indicates the presence of a north-northwest trending structure crosscutting the way Lake conductor through the Fraser Lakes B deposit. The presence of this structural intersection with the Way Lake conductor and structure bodes well for a scenario where remobilized uranium mineralization can be concentrated at this area resulting in a higher-grade zone within the overall deposit. Efforts will be made to locate and characterize this structural trap and test the model as this is the best scenario for a high-grade unconformity related basement hosted uranium deposit.

    2025 Drill Target Areas at the South Falcon East Uranium Project:  
    https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/2025-Drill-Target-areas-at-the-south-Falcon-East-Uranium-Project.png

    The infill and step out drilling planned at Fraser Lake B will confirm the presence and continuity of existing mineralization and expand the footprint of the deposit; currently the mineralization is open both down dip and along strike. The results of infill and step-out drilling will aid in preparation of an updated NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate and deposit model for Fraser Lakes B. The upgraded resource will also integrate other results not included in the historical resource estimate, including higher-grade mineralization encountered to date at Fraser Lakes B, intersected in drillhole FP-15-05. FP-15-05 returned 0.165% U 3 O 8 and 0.112% ThO 2 over 2.0 metres at 135.0 metres depth within a broader interval containing 0.103% U 3 0 8 and 0.062% ThO 2 over 6.0 metres at a depth of 134.5 m, and a second high grade intercept of 0.172% U 3 O 8 and 0.113% ThO 2 over 2.5 metres at 146.0 m depth. The mineralization at Fraser Lakes B is accompanied by anomalous pathfinder elements, including Bi, Mo, Pb, and Zn, that are also associated with ultra high-grade basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin.

    While the Fraser Lakes B uranium deposit will remain a primary focus of early efforts on the property, Terra has ample additional drill-ready targets along the Way Lake conductor at South Falcon East. This includes the T-Bone Lake area, just north of Fraser Lakes B, where limited drilling encountered highly prospective clay alteration, anomalous radioactivity, and uranium mineralization (including up to 0.055% U 3 O 8 over 0.9 m at 39.5 metres depth in drillhole WYL-10-53) associated with a north-northwest trending fault cross-cutting the northeast-trending Way Lake conductor. The alteration encountered at T-Bone Lake is similar to that encompassing several high-grade basement-hosted uranium deposits in the eastern Athabasca Basin, including the former Eagle Point Mine and the Millennium uranium deposits. Regional drilling will focus on this area and other untested areas of structural complexity along the folded Way Lake conductor that are highly prospective for high-grade basement-hosted unconformity-related uranium mineralization and additional pegmatite-hosted uranium mineralization.

    ‘We are very happy to be getting back on the ground at South Falcon East and continue what we started in 2024’, commented Trevor Perkins, VP Exploration for Terra Clean Energy Corp. ‘We are eager to expand the existing deposit as well as characterize and explore the identified north-northwest structure and related complexity’ continued Mr. Perkins. ‘This is presenting the ideal structural scenario where uranium sourced from the mineralized pegmatites and surrounding rock can be concentrated and give us a high-grade basement deposit. This has been seen at other deposits, and we want to find it here.’

    ‘We have a unique and exceptional exploration opportunity that includes continuing to expand the Fraser Lakes B Uranium Deposit which is open in all directions and at depth as well as pursuing high-grade basement hosted uranium deposits.’ ‘The team is very excited about the prospects identified and eager to unlock the abundance of value for shareholders.’

    South Falcon East Project Summary:

    The South Falcon East Project is a uranium exploration project in the southeast Athabasca Basin and covers approximately 12,464 hectares. It lies 18 kilometres outside the Athabasca Basin, approximately 50 kilometres east of the Key Lake Mine. Historical exploration at the South Falcon East Project identified an area of U-Th-REE mineralization at the Fraser Lakes Zone B over an area comprising 1.5 km by 0.5 km along an antiformal fold nose cut by an east-west dextral ductile-brittle cross-structure adjacent to a 65 km long EM conductor.

    Qualified Person:

    The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Sedar Donmez, P.Geo., VP of Exploration for Skyharbour as well as a Qualified Person.

    About Terra Clean Energy Corp.:

    Terra Clean Energy (formerly Tisdale Clean Energy Corp) is a Canadian-based uranium exploration and development company. The Company is currently developing the South Falcon East uranium project, which holds a 6.96M pound inferred uranium resource within the Fraser Lakes B uranium/thorium deposit, located in the Athabasca Basin region, Saskatchewan, Canada.

    About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.:

    Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in Canada’s Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with interest in thirty-six projects covering over 614,000 hectares (over 1.5 million acres) of land. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project, which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison’s Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco’s McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced-stage uranium exploration property with high-grade uranium mineralization in several zones at the Maverick Corridor. Adjacent to the Moore Project is the Russell Lake Uranium Project, in which Skyharbour is operator with joint-venture partner RTEC. The project hosts widespread uranium mineralization in drill intercepts over a large property area with exploration upside potential. The Company is actively advancing these projects through exploration and drilling programs.

    Skyharbour also has joint ventures with industry leader Orano Canada Inc., Azincourt Energy, and Thunderbird Resources at the Preston, East Preston, and Hook Lake Projects, respectively. The Company also has several active earn-in option partners, including CSE-listed Basin Uranium Corp. at the Mann Lake Uranium Project; TSX-V listed North Shore Uranium at the Falcon Project; UraEx Resources at the South Dufferin and Bolt Projects; Hatchet Uranium at the Highway Project; CSE-listed Mustang Energy at the 914W Project; and TSX-V listed Terra Clean Energy at the South Falcon East Project. In aggregate, Skyharbour has now signed earn-in option agreements with partners that total to over $36 million in partner-funded exploration expenditures, over $20 million worth of shares being issued, and $14 million in cash payments coming into Skyharbour, assuming that these partner companies complete their entire earn-ins at the respective projects.

    Skyharbour’s goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions.

    Skyharbour’s Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin:  
    https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/images/SKY_SaskProject_Locator_2024-11-21_v1.jpg

    To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH) visit the Company’s website at www.skyharbourltd.com .

    Skyharbour Resources Ltd.

    ‘Jordan Trimble’
    __________________________________
    Jordan Trimble
    President and CEO

    For further information contact myself or:
    Nicholas Coltura
    Investor Relations Manager
    ‎Skyharbour Resources Ltd.
    ‎Telephone: 604-558-5847
    ‎Toll Free: 800-567-8181
    ‎Facsimile: 604-687-3119
    ‎Email: info@skyharbourltd.com

    NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

    The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act’) or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction.

    This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements, including the Private Placement. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, regulatory approvals, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information. 

    

    Primary Logo
    

    

    

    News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia
    


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						Business
					
					
    Retail sales slumped 0.9% in January, down much more than expected
    
						
					
    
			
    
	
				
						
				
	
    
		
	
    

	
    
		
		
    

    Consumers sharply curtailed their spending in January, indicating a potential weakening in economic growth ahead, according to a Commerce Department report Friday.
    

    Retail sales slipped 0.9% for the month from an upwardly revised 0.7% gain in December, even worse than the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.2% decline. The sales totals are adjusted for seasonality but not inflation for a month, in which prices rose 0.5%.
    

    

    Excluding autos, prices fell 0.4%, also well off the consensus forecast for a 0.3% increase. A “control” measure that strips out several nonessential categories and figures directly into calculations for gross domestic product fell 0.8% after an upwardly revised increase of 0.8%.
    

    With consumer spending making up about two-thirds of all economic activity in the U.S., the sales numbers indicate a potential weakening in growth for the first quarter.
    

    Receipts at sporting goods, music and book stores tumbled 4.6% on the month, while online outlets reported a 1.9% decline and motor vehicles and parts spending dropped 2.8%. Gas stations along with food and drinking establishments both reported 0.9% increases.
    

    Stock market futures held in slightly negative territory following the release, while Treasury yields lost ground. Traders raised bets that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates again as soon as June.
    

    “The drop was dramatic, but several mitigating factors show there’s no cause for alarm. Some of it can be chalked up to bad weather, and some to auto sales tanking in January after an unusual surge in December due to fat dealer incentives,” said Robert Frick, corporate economist with Navy Federal Credit Union. “Especially considering December was revised up strongly, the rolling average of consumer spending remains solid,” Frick added.
    

    Inflation remains ahead of the Fed’s 2% goal. The consumer price index posted a 0.5% gain in January and showed a 3% annual inflation rate. However, the producer price index, a proxy for wholesale prices, showed some softening in key pipeline inputs.
    

    In other economic news Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that import prices accelerated 0.3% in January, in line with expectations for the largest one-month move since April 2024. On a year-over-year basis, import prices increased 1.9%.
    

    Fuel prices increased 3.2% on the month, also the biggest gain since April 2024. Food, feeds and beverage costs rose 0.2% following a 3% surge in December.
    

    Export prices also increased, rising 1.3%.
    


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						Politics
					
					
    Trump so far has freed 11 hostages in his first month as president; Biden released around 70 in four years
    
						
					
    
			
    
	
				
						
				
	
    
		
	
    

	
    
		
		
    

    President Donald Trump’s administration has secured the release of 11 U.S. hostages held by foreign governments since taking office less than one month ago, according to the White House. 
    

    The Trump administration has emphasized arranging the release of U.S. hostages under his second administration and welcomed U.S. Marc Fogel, a U.S. history teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, back to the U.S. Tuesday. 
    

    Other hostages released since Trump’s inauguration include six Americans detained in Venezuela, two Americans detained in Belarus and Israeli-American citizen Keith Siegel, who was held hostage by Palestinian militant group Hamas. There are at least two living American citizen hostages believed to be held in Gaza. 
    

    By comparison, former President Joe Biden said in 2024 his White House secured the release of more than 70 hostages during his four years in office, according to an August 2024 statement. Fox News Digital didn’t find any available data to compare numbers from Biden’s first month in office. 
    

    Trump claimed to have helped release 58 in his first term as president. 
    

    There were 46 American nationals known to be held captive in 16 different countries in 2024, according to the nonprofit Foley Foundation, which advocates for U.S. hostages and was named after James Foley, a U.S. journalist kidnapped while reporting in Syria in 2012 and killed by ISIS in 2014. That number is now likely closer to the low 30s after the recent releases of hostages in January and February.
    

    On Tuesday, Trump met with Fogel, who was arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport for possessing drugs and was slated to serve a 14-year sentence. Fogel’s family said the drugs he had on him were medically prescribed marijuana. 
    

    ‘I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all,’ Fogel said Tuesday after meeting Trump. ‘And President Trump is a hero.
    

    ‘These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes,’ Fogel said. ‘The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor — they got me home — they are heroes.’
    

    Following Foley’s return and after announcing the release of another, unnamed hostage held in Belarus Wednesday, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said Trump ‘has made bringing Americans home a top priority, and people respond to that.’
    

    The names of most of the hostages released in February have not been publicly shared. 
    

    ‘President Trump is committed to freeing Americans held hostage and returning them to their families,’ Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said in a Friday statement to Fox News Digital. ‘To date, President Trump has secured the release of 11 Americans who were detained by the Taliban, Hamas, Venezuela, Russia and Belarus.’
    

    Just before Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration coordinated to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which included provisions to release dozens of hostages on both sides. 
    

    Biden and Trump separately boasted about their individual efforts to secure the deal, and State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the Trump administration’s involvement as ‘critical’ to getting the deal over the finish line. 
    

    Trump also touted his administration’s involvement in a social media post Jan. 15, claiming it occurred ‘as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies.’
    

    Although Biden said the two teams had been ‘speaking as one team’ during the negotiations, he also mocked suggestions that Trump was responsible for securing the ceasefire deal. 
    

    ‘Who in the history books gets credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?’ Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asked Biden Jan. 15 after a White House news conference.
    

    ‘Is that a joke?’ Biden said. 
    

    When Heinrich said it was not, Biden replied, ‘Oh. Thank you.’ 
    

    The Associated Press and Fox News’ Emma Colton and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
    


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						Politics
					
					
    Blue state AGs accuse Vance of spreading ‘dangerous lie’ following VP’s online criticism of judges
    
						
					
    
			
    
	
				
						
				
	
    
		
	
    

	
    
		
		
    

    Blue state attorneys general accused Vice President JD Vance of attempting to spread a ‘dangerous lie’ after he criticized judges blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda. 
    

    ‘The Vice President’s statement is as wrong as it is reckless. As chief law enforcement officers representing the people of 17 states, we unequivocally reject the Vice President’s attempt to spread this dangerous lie,’ the statement reads. 
    

    Seventeen state attorneys general, including those from California, Connecticut, Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington, signed the statement released Friday after Vance sent the internet into a frenzy, saying, ‘Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.’
    

    ‘Americans understand the principle of checks and balances,’ the AGs wrote. ‘The judiciary is a check on unlawful action by the executive and legislative branches of government. Generals, prosecutors, and all public officials are subject to checks and balances. No one is above the law.’ 
    

    Vance’s comments were made after a court blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal data. The Trump administration has become the target of more than 50 lawsuits since Trump began his second term in mid-January. Judges in various states across the country, including Washington, Rhode Island and New York, have continuously blocked the administration’s efforts to implement its agenda. 
    

    ‘If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal,’ Vance posted on X. ‘If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.’
    

    The statement from the AGs said that they would ‘carefully scrutinize each and every action taken by this administration.’ They also made clear that if the administration violated the Constitution or federal law, they would ‘not hesitate to act.’
    

    ‘Judges granted our motions and issued restraining orders to protect the American people, democracy, and the rule of law. That is and has always been their job,’ the AGs wrote. ‘That job is the very core of our legal system. And in this critical moment, we will stand our ground to defend it.’ 
    

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently pledged her support for Trump’s efforts, vowing to challenge ‘unelected’ judges obstructing his administration’s agenda.
    

    ‘We have so many un-elected judges who are trying to control government spending. And there is a clear separation of powers,’ Bondi said during an appearance on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ ‘What they’re doing to [DOGE leader Elon Musk], to our country, is outrageous. You know, people work their whole lives and pay taxes, yet they find out that they’ve been giving $2 million to Guatemala for sex changes. It’s outrageous. And it’s going to stop.’
    

    Since Inauguration Day, dozens of activist and legal groups, elected officials and local jurisdictions, as well as individuals, have launched a myriad of lawsuits in response to the president’s executive orders and directives. Notably, Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, his immigration policies, directives on federal funding, and the implementation of DOGE have all come under fire. 
    

    The Trump administration has proceeded to appeal many of these rulings to the appellate courts. In a recent development, the Trump administration appealed an order from a Rhode Island judge to unfreeze federal funds. The order claimed the administration did not adhere to a previous order to do so. 
    

    The Trump administration appealed the order to the First Circuit shortly thereafter, which was ultimately denied.  
    

    Upon Trump’s historic win in November, Democratic AGs, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, publicly said they would be ready to engage in any legal battles against the Trump administration for actions they view as illegal or negatively impacting residents. 
    

    Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report. 
    


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						Politics
					
					
    Federal judge delays unions’ request to block DOGE access to agency information
    
						
					
    
			
    
	
				
						
				
	
    
		
	
    

	
    
		
		
    

    A federal judge on Friday indefinitely delayed a final ruling on a request by labor unions to block Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing internal system data, telling both parties, ‘You will hear from me,’ while declining to promise an exact time or date. 
    

    The update from U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, comes just one week after he rejected an earlier request from unions representing Labor Department employees for a temporary restraining order to block DOGE access to internal system data. The judge said the plaintiffs lacked standing and failed to show they would be harmed as a result of the actions. 
    

    In response, the unions amended their complaint to broaden the scope of the lawsuit, adding the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 
    

    Arguments Friday stretched for more than three hours, with plaintiffs arguing that DOGE employees were accessing their information illegally since DOGE is not technically a U.S. government agency.
    

    ‘There has been reporting that DOGE is directing the cuts of agency staff and contracts, not simply advising the president,’ one lawyer for the plaintiffs told Judge Bates, ‘The situation is extremely fluid and changing.’
    

    The plaintiffs urged Judge Bates to grant a temporary request to block DOGE’s access to the information, which they said would ‘force the agency to implement a more thoughtful process.’
    

    Meanwhile, the Justice Department argued in response that the DOGE personnel in question are ‘detailed’ U.S. government employees who have access to the information under provisions of the Economy Act.
    

    Judge Bates declined to rule from the bench, telling both sides, ‘You will hear from me.’
    

    The update will likely do little in the near term to assuage concerns among employees at the Labor Department and other federal agencies over DOGE’s access to sensitive internal data. 
    

    Attorneys for unions representing Labor Department employees argued during last week’s hearing that, absent court intervention, DOGE could access protected agency information, including the financial and medical records of millions of Americans, as well as employee safety and workplace complaints.
    

    The plaintiffs noted that Labor Department systems contain sensitive information about investigations into Musk-owned companies Tesla and SpaceX, as well as information about trade secrets of competing companies, sparking concerns about Elon Musk’s possible access to the information.
    

    Attorney Mark Samburg argued that DOGE access to this information could have a ‘chilling effect’ on new employees coming forward, due to fear of unlawful disclosure or retaliation.  
    

    ‘The sensitive information of millions of people is currently at imminent risk of unlawful disclosure,’ Samburg said.
    

    Judge Bates suggested Friday that DOGE’s creation and its hierarchy were ‘odd,’ noting that it ‘was created in a way to get it out of OMB [Office of Management and Budget], and instead answering to the chief of staff of the president.’
    

    DOGE ‘took great effort to avoid being an agency, but in this case, you’re an agency,’ he said of DOGE. ‘It just seems to strain credulity.’ 
    


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