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Silver Crown Confirms Receipt of Royalty Payments and Provides Update

Investing 7 Mins Read

(TheNewswire)

TORONTO, ON TheNewswire – March 21, 2025 Silver Crown Royalties Inc. ( Cboe: SCRI, OTCQX: SLCRF, BF: QS0 ) ( ‘Silver Crown’ ‘SCRi’ the ‘Corporation’ or the ‘Company’ ) is pleased to announce the receipt of payments on its producing royalties. PPX Mining Corp. (‘ PPX ‘) has paid the royalty due to SCRi for the period ending March 31, 2025 in full in the amount of US$40,672.70 several weeks before it was due. Additionally, Elk Gold Mining Corp. (‘ Elk Gold ‘), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Mountain Mining Corp. (‘ GMTN ‘), has paid the first C$29,811.99 of its royalty payment due for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Pursuant to a letter agreement dated February 5, 2025, SCRi agreed to delay Elk Gold’s payment of the residual $30,070.25 royalty payment due to SCRi for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 until March 31, 2025.  SCRi anticipates that Elk Gold will pay this residual amount owing on or before March 31, 2025.

On Monday, March 17, 2025, GMTN announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter ended January 31, 2025. Highlights from the three months ended January 31 st , 2025 include gold sales of 291 oz from 10,055 tonnes delivered grading at an average of 1.23 g/t. Low production results realized during the period were directly attributable to the planned winter work program, which substantially reduced operations throughout the quarter. As a result, production from the Elk Gold Project is consistent with the reduced activity level. The combination of lower stripping volumes and anticipated lower gold production in Q4 2025 resulted in reduced unit costs compared to Q4 2024.

Historically, the silver to gold ratio at the Elk Gold mine was 2:1, implying silver production of approximately 573 oz during the period. SCRi’s royalty agreement with Elk Gold provides for a minimum quarterly royalty payment equal to the cash equivalent of 1,500 ounces of silver, almost 300% of the current quarterly silver output at the mine. Although part of GMTN’s update noted that its current technical report on the Elk Gold Project should not be relied upon, the minimum delivery ounces will remain unchanged while the Elk Gold Project remains in operation.

Peter Bures, Silver Crown’s Chief Executive Officer commented, ‘We are thankful to PPX for their early royalty payment to SCRi, which showcases the successful ongoing operations at Igor 4. We are also encouraged by GMTN’s payment as mining at Elk resumes following the winter work program. We remain committed to supporting our partners and greatly value the collaborative endeavors that contribute to our collective achievements. Furthermore, we wish to underscore the efficacy of our minimum delivery provision, which has proven instrumental in mitigating additional downside risk associated with operating mines.’

ABOUT Silver Crown Royalties INC.

Founded by industry veterans, Silver Crown Royalties ( Cboe: SCRI | OTCQX: SLCRF | BF: QS0 ) is a publicly traded, silver royalty company. Silver Crown (SCRi) currently has four silver royalties of which three are revenue-generating. Its business model presents investors with precious metals exposure that allows for a natural hedge against currency devaluation while minimizing the negative impact of cost inflation associated with production. SCRi endeavors to minimize the economic impact on mining projects while maximizing returns for shareholders. For further information, please contact:

Silver Crown Royalties Inc.

Peter Bures, Chairman and CEO

Telephone: (416) 481-1744

Email: pbures@silvercrownroyalties.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains certain ‘forward looking statements’ and certain ‘forward-looking information’ as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘expect’, ‘intend’, ‘estimate’, ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘continue’, ‘plans’ or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, SCRi anticipates that Elk Gold will pay this residual amount owing on or before March 31, 2025. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions; the absence of control over mining operations from which SCRi will purchase gold and other metals or from which it will receive royalty payments and risks related to those mining operations, including risks related to international operations, government and environmental regulation, delays in mine construction and operations, actual results of mining and current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters, labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; SCRi’s ability to enter into definitive agreements and close proposed royalty transactions; the inherent uncertainties related to the valuations ascribed by SCRi to its royalty interests; problems inherent to the marketability of gold and other metals; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; industry conditions, including fluctuations in the price of the primary commodities mined at such operations, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and fluctuations in interest rates; government entities interpreting existing tax legislation or enacting new tax legislation in a way which adversely affects SCRi; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises on SCRi’s business, operations and financial condition, loss of key employees. SCRi has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. SCRi undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management’s best judgment based on information currently available.

This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities of the Company in Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction. Any such offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein will be made only pursuant to subscription documentation between the Company and prospective purchasers. Any such offering will be made in reliance upon exemptions from the prospectus and registration requirements under applicable securities laws, pursuant to a subscription agreement to be entered into by the Company and prospective investors. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

CBOE CANADA DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Nolan Watson: Gold Cycle Reset Upward, Price High and Going Higher

Investing 1 Min Read

Nolan Watson, president and CEO of Sandstorm Gold (TSX:SSL,NYSE:SAND), discusses the outlook for his company, as well has his broader thoughts on gold.

Even as the yellow metal trades at or near all-time highs, he sees further gains ahead.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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NASA Astronauts Return to Earth on SpaceX Capsule After Nine Month Saga

Investing 7 Mins Read

A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, as well as NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbuno, landed off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (March 18).

This marked the end of a nine month saga for the two astronauts that began last June, when they departed to the International Space Station (ISS) for an eight day mission to test Boeing’s (NYSE:BA) Starliner for future crewed missions.

The astronauts’ prolonged stay and their eventual rescue by SpaceX has undeniably propelled discussions about the reliability and expanded role of commercial entities in space travel.

Boeing Starliner issues and SpaceX rescue mission

Wilmore and Williams’ mission was the Starliner’s first crewed flight, and they were supposed to return after eight days. After they landed on the ISS on June 6, 2024, NASA delayed their return due to technical issues with the Starliner.

NASA had detected a helium leak shortly before launching the Starliner, but proceeded with the mission. However, the spacecraft experienced additional helium leaks and thruster failures during docking. Due to uncertainty about thruster reliability during reentry, NASA opted for an uncrewed return to Earth.

NASA then turned to SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space exploration startup, and began preparations for the crew to return on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. At that time, NASA expected the astronauts to return to Earth in February 2025, but subsequent technical delays led to a revised launch date from earth on March 11.

Wilmore and Williams made the most of their prolonged stay on the ISS, conducting 150 experiments, the CBC reports. Williams also broke the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut.

NASA and SpaceX postponed the flight again until March 14 due to an issue with the ground equipment used to support the flight. In the end, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying its Dragon craft left Earth from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:03 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 14, arriving at the ISS roughly 29 hours later on Sunday, March 16. The Dragon undocked from the ISS to bring the mission home a few days later on Tuesday at 1:05 a.m., landing back on Earth later that day.

“On behalf of Crew-9, I’d like to say it was a privilege to call the station home, to live and work and to be a part of a mission and a team that spans the globe, working together in cooperation for the benefit of humanity,” Hague said as the capsule undocked. “Crew-9 going home.”

Private companies’ growing role in space travel

The successful return of Wilmore and Williams highlights the growing role of private companies in space travel. The aging ISS, slated for decommissioning due to escalating maintenance, helped provide the impetus for this new era.

In June 2023, the US Biden administration awarded SpaceX a contract valued at US$843 million to build a spacecraft that will guide the ISS out of orbit, allowing it to break up upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

While the mission is slated for 2030, Musk advocated in February for completion within two years. ‘It has served its purpose,’ he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘There is very little incremental utility. Let’s go to Mars.’

His push for speed comes as competition in the commercial space sector rises. Multiple delays and technical challenges faced by Boeing’s Starliner program have created opportunities for private companies like SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to expand their presence and capabilities in the commercial space sector. SpaceX is also developing its Starship reusable launch vehicle, intended for a range of purposes, including travel to the Moon and Mars.

2025 has seen numerous high-profile launches and tests, with each launch representing a strategic step in the broader space race. Blue Origin successfully completed the inaugural launch of its New Glenn rocket in January. SpaceX has also conducted two test flights of its Starship rocket so far this year, although both exploded after launch. Four of eight Starship tests have been successful since its first test in 2023, with the next slated for April.

US-China space race and Musk-Trump conflict of interest

Competition between the US and China for strategic dominance in space has intensified since China’s Chang’e-4 mission achieved the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon in January 2019.

This was a significant technological achievement that demonstrated the capabilities of China’s space program, which benefits from consistent investment by the government.

Conversely, while NASA remains a substantial recipient of government funding, the amount has fluctuated over the decades, leading to periods of constrained budgets. Recognizing the potential for innovation and efficiency, NASA has progressively incorporated commercial partnerships into its programs.

The Artemis program — NASA’s lunar exploration program that directly competes with China’s Chang’e — demonstrates this strategic shift through its collaboration with SpaceX for the Human Landing System. SpaceX has also taken a more active role in providing crew and cargo transportation to the ISS, as well as launch services for various NASA missions.

Musk’s financial support to US President Donald Trump’s campaign sparked concerns over the potential influence the billionaire would have over NASA-related decisions, including funding allocation. Trump’s actions since taking office in January fueled these concerns further — Trump chose Jared Isaacman, a close friend of Musk and a billionaire with no government experience, to head NASA. His appointment not been confirmed by the US Senate at this time.

Subsequent decisions, such as the closure of two NASA offices and NASA laying off significant portions of its workforce to comply with the administration, have intensified concerns about the agency’s future direction and the extent to which private interests may be shaping its priorities. These actions have collectively stoked apprehension about a potential conflict of interest due to Musk’s involvement and the consequences for the agency’s independence and public trust.

Since the November US election results, Musk’s private companies have increased in value significantly. SpaceX’s value alone rose by 67 percent to US$350 billion after a secondary share sale in December 2024.

While purchasing shares of privately held SpaceX is not an option for many investors, those who qualify as accredited investors can invest in a SpaceX funding round. Additionally, accredited investors can access shares through secondary markets, which are platforms where existing shareholders of a private company can buy and sell their shares.

Caplight analysis shows the secondary market has increased the collective value of Musk’s private companies — including SpaceX, xAI, the Boring Company and Neuralink — by 45 percent since the US election.

Javier Avalos, CEO of the trading platform, told Bloomberg that investors are willing to pay more than the latest offer price to acquire shares of SpaceX. Caplight states in its reporting that special purpose vehicles (SPVs), which are legal entities often created to pool investments from multiple contributors, accounted for 43 percent of the total secondary transaction volume in Q4 2024. That’s compared to just 12 percent in 2023.

A March 8 Financial Times article states that three anonymous Chinese asset managers shared they had sold over US$30 million in shares of Musk’s private companies over the past two years to Chinese investors using SPVs.

The sources alleged that Chinese asset managers are promoting Musk’s relationship with Trump “as an enticement to raise capital,’ adding that the asset managers tell their clients that SPVs “are specifically designed to avoid disclosure.”

However, the sources said the investments are primarily profit-driven has little connection with technology transfer or influencing public policy. Rather, Chinese investors have utilized SPVs to mitigate public disclosure risks. “Risks do exist because we are not sure how bad US-China relations will become in the next few years,” one source told the outlet.

Investor takeaway

The successful return of the Crew-9 astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule highlights the increasing role of private companies in space travel. This event, coupled with the growing competition in the commercial space sector and strategic shifts in NASA’s approach, signifies a new era in space exploration.

Moreover, the high valuation and investor interest in companies like SpaceX, despite the challenges and competition, further underscores the dynamism and potential of this evolving industry.

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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How new professional sports leagues like SailGP are putting women at the fore

Business 7 Mins Read

As women’s sports surge in popularity, professional leagues are increasingly touting the value of female athletes. New professional leagues like SailGP are launching with the advantage of building from the ground up, with gender diversity as part of their DNA.

Noncontact and noncollision sports are leading the way. Formula 1′s F1 Academy has created a pipeline for women into motorsports, with a goal of increasing female participation and representation on and off the racetrack. At the same time, it’s drawing a more diverse fanbase. Roughly 41% of F1 fans now are female, with women aged 16 to 24 years old making up the fastest-growing fan group, according to Nielsen Sports.

Professional male and female athletes are already competing alongside and against each other in the United Pickleball Association’s unified league, the Global Mixed Gender Basketball league and in SailGP, the international sailing league co-founded by Oracle founder Larry Ellison and champion yachtsman Russell Coutts. 

Founded in 2018, the upstart sailing league involves 12 international teams racing on high-speed, 50-foot catamarans known as F50s. At speeds of more than 60 mph, SailGP is gaining a reputation as a sort of Formula 1 on the water.

“The whole goal is to train athletes to be capable of racing on an F50, which is one of the more complex boats in the world — maybe the most difficult boat to race in the world right now,” said Coutts, who is also SailGP’s chief executive officer. 

The league didn’t set out with gender equity goals in mind, Coutts said, but simply sought to create the most compelling competition.  

“We believe that male and female athletes can compete at the top of our sport against each other and with each other, so when we we saw that there was a difference in participation levels — and didn’t really see any logical reason for that — we took some steps to address that and we’ll take further steps in the future,” said Coutts. 

To bridge the experience gap most female sailors face, SailGP created programs to draw and train talent. In December, its Women’s Performance Camp in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, marked its largest on-the-water women’s athlete training camp to date. 

The league also requires each team to have at least one female athlete onboard during races and has set targets to have at least two female athletes per race crew in key positions within the next five years. Those key positions are the driver, who steers the boat; the strategist, who advises on tactics; the wing trimmer, who adjusts the 85- to 90-foot carbon-fiber wing sail; and the flight controller, who dictates how high or low the boat flies over the water.

The next SailGP races take place Saturday and Sunday in San Francisco, the second in back-to-back U.S. weekend races. 

SailGP has embedded inclusivity and sustainability into the competition via an Impact League that runs parallel to the on-the-water championship. Teams earn points for taking action to make sailing more accessible and to protect the environment in order to reach the podium. Winning teams earn cash prize donations to their partners. The Canadian team is in the lead in the Impact League thanks to its work to offer training opportunities, sailing camps and demo days to introduce foiling to new Canadian athletes.

“That changes the mindframe of very competitive people to care, and to compete, in a world of impact and sustainability as well,” said SailGP Chief Marketing Officer Leah Davis. “When you challenge the world’s most competitive people to be good at something else, they will turn their eyes to that pretty quickly, and in a pretty impactful way.”

Off the water, 43% of SailGP’s C-suite is female, up from just 14% in 2021. For comparison, 29% of C-suite roles at Fortune 500 companies are held by women, according to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report. The league last year introduced Apex Group’s accelerator program, aimed at increasing female representation at senior levels of the company. 

It has also introduced initiatives to train more women on the operations, technology and boat-building side of the business. For example, SailGP Technologies based in Southampton, U.K., offers an apprenticeship training scheme — eight participants join the program each year, four male and four female. Today, 33% of directors at SailGP and 52% of heads of departments are female.

The overall business strategy is helping to grow the league’s appeal to a new set of fans. For the first time in its history, more than half of the ticket holders in attendance at last season’s New Zealand Championships in March were female, a trend that has held steady this season.

“This demographic has been underserved in sports,” said SailGP Chief Purpose Officer Fiona Morgan. “A huge part of our headroom in fans is young fans — and actually they’re female fans — who probably didn’t think about sailing, but they like extreme sports or sustainability, or they like sports that have gender equity at the heart.”

In June, Tommy Hilfiger was announced as the United States SailGP team’s official lifestyle apparel partner, joining brands such as Red Bull, Emirates, Mubadala, Rockwool and Deutsche Bank in sponsoring individual teams. In November, SailGP announced it had signed Rolex as its first title sponsor.

“I don’t think many brands nowadays will go into sponsorship that doesn’t have diversity or equity at some point in it,” said Morgan. “Their consumers and their investors will ensure they do that.” 

In September, the league achieved a major milestone, announcing its first female driver. Two-time Olympic sailing champion Martine Grael joined for the 2024-25 season to skipper the new Mubadala Brazil SailGP Team, making history and immediately climbing the leaderboard. 

After championships in Dubai, Auckland, New Zealand, Sydney and Los Angeles, teams from the UK, Australia and New Zealand are leading the league. Grael has steered her team ahead of the Germany SailGP team, and is proving competitive against the more experienced United States team.

“In the past — and still nowadays — you see a lot of people say, ‘Girls shouldn’t do that,’” Grael said. Her response is to call out that old way of thinking: “Shouldn’t do what?”

Grael credits much of her early success to familiarizing herself with the boats using SailGP’s simulator, developing muscle memory before even getting on the water. Unlike traditional boats built with male sailors in mind, SailGP’s modern foiling boats open opportunities for women in roles that do not require as much physical strength, she said. Knowing when to push a button and developing a good feel for the boat are equally important to the more physical functions, said Grael. 

“Some guys have failed to understand that a girl is very much capable of doing the same role they’re doing,” she said.

Grael is among a number of top female athletes competing in key positions in SailGP — including Emirates Great Britain Team’s strategist Hannah Mills and the U.S. team’s Anna Weis — and says though women are still in the minority, things are changing.

Together with women competing in marquee races — like Switzerland’s Justine Mettraux, who took eighth place in the Vendée Globe single-handed, nonstop, nonassisted round-the-world race this year — they are carving a path for a new cohort of women to gain opportunities and make their mark.

“We have been less limited — I grew up never being told I shouldn’t do something,” said Grael. “There’s a big generation of others looking at us, and they’re going to come out strong.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Art created autonomously by AI can’t be copyrighted, federal appeals court rules

Business 5 Mins Read

A federal appeals court ruled that art created autonomously by artificial intelligence cannot be copyrighted, saying that at least initial human authorship is required for a copyright.

The ruling Tuesday upheld a decision by the U.S. Copyright Office denying computer scientist Stephen Thaler a copyright for the painting “A Recent Entrance to Paradise.”

The picture was created by Thaler’s AI platform, the “Creativity Machine.”

The “Copyright Office’s longstanding rule requiring a human author … does not prohibit copyrighting work that was made by or with the assistance of artificial intelligence,” a three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in its unanimous ruling.

“The rule requires only that the author of that work be a human being — the person who created, operated, or use artificial intelligence — and not the machine itself,” the panel said.

The panel noted that the Copyright Office “has allowed the registration of works made by human authors who use artificial intelligence.”

Copyright grants intellectual property protection to original works, giving their owners exclusive rights to reproduce the works, sell the works, rent them and display them.

Tuesday’s ruling hinged on the fact that Thaler listed the “Creativity Machine” as the sole “author” of “A Recent Entrance to Paradise” when he submitted a registration application to the Copyright Office in 2018.

Thaler listed himself as the picture’s owner in the application.

Thaler told CNBC in an interview that the Creativity Machine created the painting “on its own” in 2012.

The machine “learned cumulatively, and I was the parent, and I was basically tutoring it,” Thaler said.

“It actually generated [the painting] on its own as it mediated,” said Thaler.

He said his AI machines are “sentients” and “self-determining.”

Thaler’s lawyer, Ryan Abbott, told CNBC in an interview said, “We do strongly disagree with the appeals court decision and plan to appeal it.”

Abbott said he would first ask the full judicial lineup of the Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear the case. If that appeal is unsuccessful, Abbott could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the issue.

The attorney said the case detailed “the first publicized rejection” by the Copyright Office “on the basis” of the claim that a work was created by AI.

That denial and the subsequent court rulings in the office’s favor, “creates a huge shadow on the creative community” he said, because “it’s not clear where the line is” delineating when a work created by or with the help of AI will be denied a copyright.

Despite the ruling, Abbott said he “was very pleased to see that the case has been successful in drawing public attention to these very important public policy issues.”

The Copyright Office first denied Thaler’s application in August 2019, saying, “We cannot register this work because it lacks the human authorship necessary to support a copyright claim.”

“According to your application this work was ’created autonomously by machine,” the office said at the time.

The office cited an 1884 ruling by the Supreme Court, which found that Congress had the right to extend copyright protection to a photograph, in that case one taken of the author Oscar Wilde.

The office later rejected two requests by Thaler for reconsideration of its decision.

After the second denial, in 2022, Thaler sued the office in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., seeking to reverse the decision.

District Court Judge Beryl Howell in August 2023 ruled in favor of the Copyright Office, writing, “Defendants are correct that human authorship is an essential part of a valid copyright claim.”

“Human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright,” Howell wrote.

Thaler then appealed Howell’s ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In its decision Tuesday, the appeals panel wrote, “This case presents a question made salient by recent advances in artificial intelligence: Can a non-human machine be an author under the Copyright Act of 1976?”

“The use of artificial intelligence to produce original work is rapidly increasing across industries and creative fields,” the decision noted.

“Who — or what — the ‘author’ of such work is a question that implicates important property rights undergirding growth and creative innovation.”

The ruling noted that Thaler had argued that the Copyright Office’s human authorship requirement “is unconstitutional and unsupported by either statute or case law.”

Thaler also “claimed that judicial opinions ‘from the Gilded Age’ could not settle the question of whether computer generated works are copyrightable today,” the ruling noted.

But the appeals panel said that “authors are at the center of the Copyright Act,” and that “traditional tools of statutory interpretation show that within the meaning of the Copyright Act, ‘author’ refers only to human beings.”

The panel said that the Copyright Office “formally adopted the human authorship requirement in 1973.”

That was six years after the office noted in its annual report to Congress that, “as computer technology develops and becomes more sophisticated, difficult questions of authorship are emerging.”

Abbott, the attorney who represented Thaler in the appeal, told CNBC that the Copyright Act “never says” that “you need a human author at all for a work … or a named author.”

Abbott noted that corporations are granted copyrights, as are authors who are anonymous or pseudonymous.

Protecting a ‘beautiful picture’

The Copyright Office, in a statement to CNBC, said it “believes the court reached the correct result, affirming the Office’s registration decision and confirming that human authorship is required for copyright.”

Thaler said that he will continue to pursue his bid for a copyright for the painting.

“My personal goal is not to preserve the feeling of machines,” Thaler said. “It’s more to preserve, how should I say, orphaned intellectual property.”

“A machine creates a beautiful picture? There should be some protection for it,” Thaler said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Darden Restaurants sales disappoint as Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse miss expectations

Business 2 Mins Read

Darden Restaurants on Thursday reported weaker-than-expected sales as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse underperformed analysts’ projections.

Shares of the company were up in premarket trading.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Darden reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $323.4 million, or $2.74 per share, up from $312.9 million, or $2.60 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding costs related to its acquisition of Chuy’s, Darden earned $2.80 per share.

Net sales rose 6.2% to $3.16 billion, fueled largely by the addition of Chuy’s restaurants to its portfolio.

Darden’s same-store sales rose 0.7%, less than the 1.7% increase expected by analysts, according to StreetAccount estimates.

Both Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, which are typically the two standouts of Darden’s portfolio, reported underwhelming same-store sales growth. Olive Garden’s same-store sales rose 0.6%. Analysts were anticipating same-store sales growth of 1.5%. And LongHorn’s same-store sales increased 2.6%, missing analysts’ expectations of 5% growth.

Darden’s fine dining segment, which includes The Capital Grille and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, reported same-store sales declines of 0.8%.

The last segment of Darden’s business, which includes Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and Yard House, saw same-store sales shrink 0.4% in the quarter.

For the full year, Darden reiterated its forecast for revenue of $12.1 billion. It narrowed its outlook for adjusted earnings from continuing operations to a range of $9.45 to $9.52 per share. Its prior forecast was $9.40 to $9.60 per share.

Darden’s fiscal 2025 outlook includes Chuy’s results, but the Tex-Mex chain won’t be included in its same-store sales metrics until the fiscal fourth quarter in 2026.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Klarna lands buy now, pay later deal with DoorDash, notching another win ahead of IPO

Business 2 Mins Read

Klarna, the buy now, pay later lender that’s headed for an initial public offering, said on Thursday that it’s signed on DoorDash as a partner, another sign of momentum for public market investors.

It’s DoorDash’s first BNPL alliance and gives users of the restaurant delivery service a new way to pay for meals. Klarna said in a press release that DoorDash customers will be able to pay in full at checkout, split payments into four equal interest-free installments, or defer to dates that align conveniently with payday schedules.

Klarna, which is headquartered in Sweden, filed its prospectus last week to list on the New York Stock Exchange. Revenue last year increased 24% to $2.8 billion, and adjusted operating profit was $181 million, swinging from a loss of $49 million a year earlier. CNBC reported on Monday that Klarna will be the exclusive provider of buy now, pay later loans for Walmart, taking a coveted partnership away from rival Affirm.

“Our partnership with DoorDash marks an important milestone in Klarna’s expansion into everyday spending categories,” said David Sykes, Klarna’s chief commercial officer, in Thursday’s release.

Klarna, founded in 2005, said in its prospectus that it has 675,000 merchant partners in 26 countries. It’s among the most hotly anticipated IPOs of the year following an extended stretch of historically little activity for new offerings.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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New SPX Correction Signal! How Long Will It Last?

Stock 1 Min Read

In this exclusive StockCharts video, Joe breaks down a new SPX correction signal using the monthly Directional Lines (DI), showing why this pullback could take time to play out. He explains how DI lines influence the ADX slope and how this impacts shorter-term patterns. Joe also reveals a strong area in the commodity market defying the correction and highlights top stocks within that sector. Plus, he analyzes QQQ and IWM, covering their recent weakness and key resistance levels, before analyzing viewer symbol requests for the week, including ADMA, CSCO, and more.

This video was originally published on March 19, 2025. Click this link to watch on Joe’s dedicated page.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

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Forum Energy Metals and Global Uranium Announce the Commencement of Drilling and Ground Geophysical Surveys on the Northwest Athabasca Project, Saskatchewan

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Diamond drilling has commenced at the Zone 2A area, and SJ Geophysics has initiated ground EM and Resistivity surveys on the Spring Bay area on the Northwest Athabasca Project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Forum’) and Global Uranium Corp. (CSE: GURN) (OTCQB: GURFF) (FSE: Q3J) (‘Global’) are pleased to announce that it has commenced its diamond drilling program, as well as ground geophysical surveys on the Northwest Athabasca (NWA) Project, located along the northwest shore of Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan, Canada (Figure 1). Drilling will be focusing on the Zone 2A and Andy grid areas and SJ Geophysics will be conducting ground Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) and Direct Current Induced Polarization (DCIP) surveys over the Spring Bay grid (Figure 2).

Global has an option to earn 51% interest in Forum’s interest in the NWA Project by spending up to $9M over four years (see News Release dated May 30, 2024). Camp construction began in middle February and is now completed. Ongoing work with the local communities and First Nations will continue to be an important focus of the project as we move forward. Forum Energy Metals is the Operator of the Northwest Athabasca Project.

‘The integration of historical geophysical datasets and legacy drill results gives us an advantage in identifying areas of high potential,’ stated Ungad Chadda, CEO of Global Uranium. ‘We are pleased that the Forum exploration team’s knowledge and experience in Saskatchewan unconformity-style uranium deposits will shape the refined targeting strategy at the NWA Project, positioning us to unlock the site’s full value potential.’

Rick Mazur, CEO of Forum Energy Metals stated, ‘I am particularly proud of the Forum logistics team, the Athabasca Denesuline contractors and all contractors that have worked tirelessly for the last month to get a camp built and drill and supplies to site, since the ice road was constructed to Uranium City. Forum’s geological team can now test the exceptional potential of the project.’

Camp Construction, Ground Geophysics and Diamond Drilling

Camp construction is completed and is ready to support the upcoming exploration program. Supplies were brought into site largely by fixed wing aircraft using skis. A temporary ice road from Uranium City has been completed and additional fuel as well as the diamond drill and supplies were hauled to site. The drill program began on March 19 with Team Drilling as Forum’s drill contractor. The objective of the diamond drilling program is to test the Andy and Zone 2A trends and if time and weather allows testing additional high-priority targets at Gomer and Spring Bay (Figure 2). SJ Geophysics began the ground geophysical program at the Spring Bay Grid on March 2 and the survey is projected to take approximately 3-4 weeks.

The Northwest Athabasca Project

The Northwest Athabasca Project is located along the northwest shore of Lake Athabasca on the margin of the Athabasca Basin 1,000 km north-northwest of Saskatoon. The western margin of the property is situated along the Alberta – Saskatchewan provincial border and the closest community is Uranium City, which is 75 km west of the project. The project consists of 11 contiguous mineral claims covering 13,876 ha.

Qualified Person

Rebecca Hunter, Ph.D., P.Geo., Forum’s Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

For a discussion of the QA/QC and data verification processes and procedures at the NWA Project, please see its technical report entitled ‘NI 43-101 on the Northwest Athabasca Project Northern Saskatchewan Centered at: Latitude 59°24’00’ N, Longitude 109°54’00’ W’, with an effective date of June 27, 2024, which is available under the Global Uranium’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Global Uranium Corp.

Global Uranium Corp. focuses on exploring and developing uranium assets primarily in North America. The Company currently holds key uranium projects: the Wing Lake Property in the Mudjatik Domain of northern Saskatchewan, Canada; the Northwest Athabasca Joint Venture with Forum Energy Metals Corp./NexGen Energy Ltd./Cameco Corporation/Orano Canada Inc. in the Northwest Athabasca region of Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Great Divide Basin District Projects, the Gas Hills District Projects, and the Copper Mountain District Projects in Wyoming, USA.

About Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is focused on the discovery of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and the Thelon Basin, Nunavut. For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com.

Figure 1 Location of the Northwest Athabasca Project along Lake Athabasca in northwestern Saskatchewan. The closest communities are Uranium City, Fond du Lac and Fort Chipewyan. The western margin of the property is located along the Alberta – Saskatchewan Border.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/245274_1a76f135846719f6_003full.jpg

Figure 2 The main uranium showings and drill target areas on the Northwest Athabasca Project. The residual gravity and EM conductors are shown as the background.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/245274_1a76f135846719f6_004full.jpg

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.
President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO
mazur@forumenergymetals.com
Tel: 604-630-1585

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/245274

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First Helium Announces Shallow Heavy Oil Discovery

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First Helium Inc. (‘First Helium’ or the ‘Company’) (TSXV: HELI) (OTCQB: FHELF) (FRA: 2MC) today announced two discoveries at its Worsley Project:

Shallow Heavy Oil Discovery

  • In the recently completed 7-30 well, approximately 50 barrels of 15-degree API oil was recovered in the two calendar days following an acid stimulation, demonstrating vertical well, cold flow heavy oil capability.
  • The 7-15 well, without stimulation, also produced small quantities of heavy oil from the same formation and was shut-in for further evaluation following spring breakup.
  • This discovery confirms the Company’s ongoing evaluation of this zone (‘Heavy Oil Zone’), which occurs repeatedly over the Company’s 53,000-acre (~83 square miles) Worsley land base as a potential shallow heavy oil development play. The Company is now proceeding to prepare a plan to develop this potentially large, repeatable play.

Helium Enriched Natural Gas Play

  • Successfully tested the Blue Ridge Formation in its 7-15 well, which flowed natural gas with helium content of 1.0%.
  • Results confirm the eastern extension of the Blue Ridge helium enriched natural gas regional play concept established on the Company’s West Worsley lands.

‘Our recent drilling program has validated what we’ve long understood about the multi-zone potential of our Worsley property,’ said Ed Bereznicki, President & CEO of First Helium. ‘While our primary oil target in the Leduc formation did not test as commercially viable, our secondary target for heavy oil has exceeded our expectations for inflow of cold flow heavy oil from a vertical well bore. We are very excited to proceed with the development of this potentially large, shallow heavy oil play utilizing contemporary horizontal drilling methods. Our initial economic analyses indicate attractive rate of return estimates for a large, lower risk development play,’ added Mr. Bereznicki.

‘In addition to the heavy oil play, we are pleased to confirm the extension of our Blue Ridge helium enriched natural gas play to the eastern block of First Helium’s land base. This has the potential to significantly increase the size of this regional play at Worsley, making it attractive to potential partners for large scale development’, concluded Mr. Bereznicki.

The Company provides additional details on these two development opportunities:

Shallow Heavy Oil Opportunity

The Heavy Oil Zone has been recognized by the Company in numerous existing wellbores across the Worsley land base, representing the potential for a large, attractive, lower-risk oil development opportunity utilizing contemporary horizontal drilling technology. Based on the Company’s evaluation, including results of the 7-15 and 7-30 wells, potential project highlights would include:

  • Large volumes of oil in place, with management’s initial estimate of approximately 5 million barrels of original oil in place per square mile.
  • Application of contemporary, proven horizontal drilling techniques to maximize oil recovery.
  • Management analyses indicate attractive rate of return estimates and payback periods for a lower risk, cold flow heavy oil development play.
  • Company owned oil battery and water disposal facilities nearby to reduce operating costs.
  • Evaluation work has begun to prepare a plan for an area development project across Worsley.
  • Next steps include bringing the 7-30 heavy oil zone into production and preparing to drill a horizontal test well into the shallow formation to kickstart the development plan – both activities are being planned for early Q3.

Blue Ridge Opportunity

The Company has confirmed the extension of the Blue Ridge Formation from West Worsley to the eastern portion of its property through recent drilling. Highlights include:

  • Blue Ridge first identified at West Worsley, where two historical vertical wells produced natural gas with ~0.8% helium content.
  • 7-15 well gas sample analysis returned an average helium content of 1.0%, which is notably higher than the 0.8% results at West Worsley – confirming the observed trend of increasing helium content from west to east across the Company’s Worsley land base.
  • Based on results from drilling the 7-30 and 7-15 wells, the Company confirmed that the Blue Ridge play extends to East Worsley.
  • Company-owned pipeline network provides an infrastructure advantage for development across Worsley.
  • Next steps include completing and testing the 5-27 horizontal well and preparing an area development plan in collaboration with potential project partners.

Leduc Formation Targets Update

The Company’s recent drilling program also continues to advance its Leduc Formation targets:

  • Higher risk play for light oil, natural gas and helium.
  • Individual vertical exploration wells target discrete structures, complementing the lower-risk, more expansive, overlying horizontal development plays represented by the Heavy Oil Zone and the Blue Ridge Formation.
  • While the Leduc Formation structure target was reached as planned in each of 7-30 and 7-15, neither opportunity demonstrated commercial potential during testing, though valuable geological data was obtained to refine future targeting. The Company will incorporate the data into a fresh evaluation of the Leduc play, incorporating the prior successes at the15-25, 1-30, and 4-29 wells.
  • Interpretation of the Company’s proprietary 3D Seismic, incorporating the recent wells 7-15 and 7-30, validates the Company’s technical approach, reducing risk on future locations.

‘Our multi-formation approach at Worsley represents a balanced portfolio of opportunities,’ noted Mr. Bereznicki. ‘The combination of higher-impact Leduc targets along with more systematic development opportunities in the Heavy Oil Zone and Blue Ridge Formation provides both near-term potential and longer-term, scalable growth across our extensive land base.’

The Company will be providing more detail regarding its development plans for each opportunity over the course of the next quarter.

ABOUT First Helium

Led by a core Senior Executive Team with diverse and extensive backgrounds in Oil & Gas Exploration and Operations, Mining, Finance, and Capital Markets, First Helium seeks to be one of the leading independent providers of helium gas in North America.

First Helium holds over 53,000 acres along the highly prospective Worsley Trend in Northern Alberta which has been the core of its exploration and development drilling activities to date.

Building on its successful 15-25 helium discovery well, and 1-30 and 4-29 oil wells at the Worsley project, the Company has identified numerous follow-up drill locations and acquired an expansive infrastructure system to facilitate future exploration and development across its Worsley land base. Cash flow from its successful oil wells at Worsley has helped support First Helium’s ongoing exploration and development growth strategy. Further potential oil drilling locations have also been identified on the Company’s Worsley land base.

For more information about the Company, please visit www.firsthelium.com .

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edward J. Bereznicki
President, CEO and Director

CONTACT INFORMATION

First Helium Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: ir@firsthelium.com
Phone: 1-833-HELIUM1 (1-833-435-4861)

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words ‘anticipate’, ‘plan’, ‘continue’, ‘expect’, ‘estimate’, ‘objective’, ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘should’, ‘predict’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward looking statements concerning the completion of future planned activities. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with the state of the equity financing markets and regulatory approval.

Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company’s future operations. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

SOURCE: First Helium Inc.

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