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Harvest Gold Corporation (TSXV: HVG) (“Harvest Gold” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the results of its fall 2024 soil sampling program carried out at its Quebec Mosseau property. The Mosseau project covers 21 km of favourable strike in the Urban-Barry greenstone belt region (Figure 1).

The soil sampling program was carried out by IOS Services Geoscientifiques in October and November 2024 and included the collection of 605 soil samples covering favourable geology and a distinctive magnetic domain in the central part of the property (Figures 2 and 3).

Rick Mark, CEO of Harvest Gold states: “This soil geochemical survey, remarkably, the first of its kind on this property, has yielded a breakthrough in our understanding of the gold potential surrounding the Kiask River Mineralized Corridor. These soil geochemistry results, layered upon historic information and Harvest’s recent geophysical, prospecting and mapping results produce target opportunities previously unseen. The geo team is meeting this week to prioritize drill targets.”

Results from the soil geochemical program* highlight distinctive gold targets; the greater than 98th percentile Au Z-Score** values define eight zones in and parallel to the Kiask River Mineralized Corridor (KRMC) (Figure 4). Three of the gold trains are immediately to the south and down-ice of the KRMC, confirming known mineralization from previous drilling and prospecting results. Another five (5) gold trains are parallel to the KRMC, to the North and the South of the KRMC. These targets are also associated with magnetic highs and geologically by diorite and gabbro’s in the local stratigraphy (Figure 5, Figure 6).

The soil sampling program, in conjunction with the recently released results of the prospecting and geological mapping was carried in the central part of the Mosseau property The soil sampling program has confirmed existing drill targets along the Kiask River Mineralized Corridor, as well as identified new targets in the central part of the Mosseau property. Previously recognized mineralization in the central part of the property along the Kiask River Mineralization Corridor, identified by Vior in 2017, included 2.93 g/t Au over 5.0 m from drilling and grab samples up to 12.9 g/t Au. The mineralization was confirmed and extended along strike from results of the 2024 prospecting and mapping program (Press release May 15, 2025)

The soil sampling program included lines at a 200 m spacing, perpendicular to the known ice flow direction, and sample stations at every 25 m. The significance of the anomalies is not only determined by the gold grade and Z-score*, but also by the contiguity of the anomalous samples.

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

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

About Harvest Gold Corporation

Harvest Gold is focused on exploring for near surface gold deposits and copper-gold porphyry deposits in politically stable mining jurisdictions. Harvest Gold’s board of directors, management team and technical advisors have collective geological and financing experience exceeding 400 years.

Harvest Gold has three active gold projects focused in the Urban Barry area, totalling 377 claims covering 20,016.87 ha, located approximately 45-70 km west of Gold Fields – Windfall Deposit (Figure 1).

Harvest Gold acknowledges that the Mosseau Gold Project straddles the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay and Abitibi territories. Harvest Gold is committed to developing positive and mutually beneficial relationships based on respect and transparency with local Indigenous communities.

Harvest Gold’s three properties, Mosseau, Urban-Barry and LaBelle, together cover over 50 km of favorable strike along mineralized shear zones.

QA/QC Statement

All soil samples collected during the program were securely transported to Activation Laboratories (Actlabs) in Ancaster, Ontario, an independent and ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory. Sample analysis included aqua regia digestion on 30g aliquots followed by ICP-MS analysis for major and trace elements (method UT-1-30g). Digestion with aqua regia consists of a solution of 75% hydrochloric acid and 25% nitric acid, which is highly aggressive and oxidizing, allowing metals, sulphides and gold to be dissolved. The contents of silicate minerals only partially enter solution, however, which subtracts them from the results reported, since solubilization depends on the mineral species and metals present. Thus, most of the iron and magnesium present in these ferromagnesian minerals is solubilized, leaving a residue of insoluble silica and alumina. However, digestion with aqua regia does not bring refractory minerals into solution, including quartz, feldspars, zircon and several oxides. For 5 samples with aluminum results above the UT-1-30g limit, aluminum was analyzed by ICP-OES after lithium borate fusion. 68 certified reference materials (Oreas 46 and Oreas 47), internal reference material (MRIHB23-2 and Till09) and blanks pulverized at <90 microns were added to the samples by IOS before they were sent to Actlabs. The Company follows industry-standard QA/QC protocols, including the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates to ensure the accuracy and precision of the results.

Qualified Person Statement

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo., Technical Advisor to the Company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rick Mark
President and CEO
Harvest Gold Corporation

For more information please contact:

Rick Mark or Jan Urata
@ 604.737.2303 or info@harvestgoldcorp.com

Neither 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.

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward looking statements’. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Harvest Gold expects to occur, are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur.

Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Source

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(TheNewswire)

Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire – May 22, 2025 Element79 Gold Corp. (the ‘Company’ or ‘Element79’) (CSE: ELEM, OTC: ELMGF, FSE: 7YS0) wishes to comment on recent developments affecting the mining sector in Peru, where the Company’s flagship Lucero Project is located.

Highlights:

  • The Peruvian government has enacted Supreme Decree No. 009-2025-EM , transferring oversight of small-scale and artisanal mining from regional governments to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) .

  • The deadline for the mandated Formalization of REINFO (Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry) permit holders with mineral right holders has been extended until December 31, 2025 , giving operators more time to formalize.

  • MINEM’s Directorate General of Mining Formalization will now handle all administrative, monitoring, and enforcement processes related to mining formalization.

  • Reform is grounded in Law No. 32213 , published in December 2024.

  • A new national traceability platform (SIPMMA) is being launched to improve transparency and monitoring of registered small-scale mining operations.

  • The reform has raised concerns among regional governments over loss of local oversight and potential impacts on decentralized governance.

  • The Lucero Project remains a core focus , with continued efforts to formalize local artisanal miners and advance exploration toward production.

  • The Company reaffirms its commitment to social investment and long-term community relationships in Chachas and surrounding areas.

In May 2025, the Government of Peru enacted Supreme Decree No. 009-2025-EM, which extends the validity of the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (REINFO) until December 31, 2025, and shifts responsibility for supervising small-scale and artisanal mining from regional governments to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM).

Under this reform, the Directorate General of Mining Formalization within MINEM will assume exclusive responsibility for the administrative processing, monitoring, and enforcement of formalization-related matters. The changes are grounded in Law No. 32213, published in December 2024, and are designed to enable a more centralized, technical, and transparent regulatory process.

This centralization will be further supported by the implementation of a new national traceability platform, the Sistema Interoperable de la Pequeña Minería y Minería Artesanal (SIPMMA), which aims to improve oversight and data integration across registered mining activities.

While the reform has raised concerns among regional governments regarding reduced local oversight and the implications for decentralized governance, Element79 believes the changes may ultimately contribute to improved regulatory clarity and operational efficiencies across the sector.

‘We are closely monitoring this policy shift and its implementation,’ commented James Tworek, CEO and Director of Element79 Gold Corp. ‘Given Lucero’s location and strategic focus within the artisanal and small-scale mining segment, we view enhanced regulatory structure and centralized oversight as potentially beneficial, provided that community engagement and regional collaboration remain part of the process.’

The Company further notes that the extension of the REINFO deadline through December 2025 allows additional time for regional operators and stakeholders to advance their formalization efforts, which may support ongoing engagement strategies with artisanal miners operating within and around the Lucero Project.

Element79 Gold Corp believes in the long-term potential of the Lucero Project, continues to maintain the project’s mineral leases, and is proud of the community-based investments, social development efforts, and relationships it has built since acquiring Lucero at the end of June 2022. The Company will continue its efforts in forging contracts with the local community for both the formalization of local artisanal miners as well as the Company’s own exploration and development of Lucero into a producing mine.

Corporate Strategy Refocus

In addition to ongoing efforts and campaigns to work in Chachas, the Company’s management and board identifies that following notable successes in developing and monetizing assets in Nevada, it will be carrying out a renewed strategic focus in the region.  This strategic shift will include dealing and development of its current portfolio of Nevada projects, growth of the management team with regionally-specific exploration experience, as well as is reviewing additional M&A opportunities in the region.

For more information about the Company and its projects, please visit: www.element79.gold

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James C. Tworek

Chief Executive Officer, Director

Element79 Gold Corp.

E: jt@element79.gold

Investor Relations Contact:

E: investors@element79.gold

T: +1.403.850.8050

About Element79 Gold Corp.

Element79 Gold Corp. is a mining company focused on the exploration and development of high-grade gold and silver projects in the Americas. The Company’s flagship asset, the Lucero Project, is a past-producing high-grade gold-silver mine located in Arequipa, Peru. The Company is actively advancing Lucero toward renewed production and tailings reprocessing while supporting formalization initiatives with local operators.

The Company also holds several exploration projects along Nevada’s Battle Mountain trend, a region renowned for prolific gold production, and these assets are under contract for sale in the first half of 2025.  Additionally, Element79 has transferred its Dale Property in Ontario to its subsidiary, Synergy Metals Corp., as part of a Plan of Arrangement spin-out process.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press contains ‘forward‐looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable securities laws (collectively, ‘forward‐looking statements’). These statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance, business prospects or opportunities that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management made considering management’s experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the timing and completion of the arrangement and the timing and completion of the amalgamation. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Consequently, forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed. As such, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, assumptions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as ‘seek’, ‘anticipate’, ‘plan’, ‘continue’, ‘estimate’, ‘expect’, ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘project’, ‘predict’, ‘forecast’, ‘potential’, ‘target’, ‘intend’, ‘could’, ‘might’, ‘should’, ‘believe’ and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be ‘forward‐looking statements’.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

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Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO)said on Monday (May 19) that it has signed binding agreements with Corporación Nacional Del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to develop and operate a high-grade lithium project.

The asset is located in the Salar de Maricunga, a large lithium-containing resource base in Atacama, Chile. Its brine is said to have one of the highest average grades of lithium content in the world.

According to Rio Tinto, it will acquire a 49.99 percent interest in the company Salar de Maricunga, through which Codelco holds its licenses and mining concessions related to the resource base.

Codelco is a state-owned firm formed in 1976. Its full name translates to “National Copper Corporation of Chile.”

“We are honoured to be chosen as Codelco’s partner to deliver a world-class project using Direct Lithium Extraction technology in the Salar de Maricunga, leveraging our expertise as a leading producer of lithium for the global market,” said Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm. “Developing this significant lithium resource will deliver further value-adding growth in our portfolio of critical minerals essential for the energy transition.”

In 2023, Rio and Codelco entered a joint venture for the exploration of Nuevo Cobre, situated within the Potrerillos mining district, also in Atacama. Codelco owns about 43 percent of Nuevo Cobre, while Rio Tinto owns about 58 percent.

For the Salar de Maricunga partnership, Rio will invest AU$350 million in initial funding for additional studies and resource analysis that will assist in creating a final investment decision.

Once a decision is made, AU$500 million will be dedicated toward construction costs. Another AU$50 million will be allocated should the venture deliver its first lithium target by the end of 2030.

The new partnership with Codelco forms part of Rio Tinto’s long-term lithium plan, which includes a production goal of over 200,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent annually by 2028.

The company recently completed its acquisition of Arcadium Lithium, making it the world’s third top lithium producer.

Subject to regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of customary conditions, the Salar de Maricunga transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event Thursday that the Trump administration is making history with its approval of numerous waivers that will eliminate junk food from food stamp programs. 

Rollins was in Nebraska on Monday to sign the first alongside Republican Gov. Jim Pillen. She has also signed a waiver for Indiana and Iowa, ‘with half-a-dozen more coming down the line,’ she said.   

‘We are on track to sign multiples of snap waivers to get junk food and sugary drinks out of our food stamp system,’ Rollins said at the Thursday afternoon event, centering around the release of a 69-page report from the Trump administration’s MAHA Commission on how to effect change around childhood chronic disease. 

‘That has never happened before under Republican or Democrat administrations,’ Rollins added. ‘We have never made that happen before. So I am so proud and so grateful.’

On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, according to the MAHA report released at Thursday’s event. It added that 1 in 5 American children under 17 receive SNAP benefits.

With Nebraska’s waiver, it became the first state in the nation to bar recipients of federal food stamp programs from using the money to buy junk food, soda and other high-sugar items. The exemption will begin as a two-year pilot program, local media reported.

Other GOP-led states, including Texas and West Virginia, have applied for this waiver.

‘SNAP was created to increase access to nutritious food; however, many SNAP purchases are for food with little to no nutritious value,’ Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to Rollins requesting a waiver last week. 

‘Under the Trump administration, for the first time since the program was authorized, states can take steps to eliminate the opportunity to buy junk food with SNAP benefits and assure that taxpayer dollars are used only to purchase healthy, nutritious food.’

West Virginia’s Governor Patrick Morrisey, one of the leaders requesting a waiver, has also been spearheading other MAHA efforts in his state. In March, Morrisey signed House Bill 2354 into law, which made it the first state in the nation to begin prohibiting certain synthetic dyes and additives used in food items sold in the state.

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: Republican senators John Cornyn and Chuck Grassley and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar are rolling out a bipartisan measure to protect sensitive genetic data in response to privacy concerns sparked by 23andMe’s bankruptcy, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Cornyn, R-Texas; Grassley, R-Iowa; and Klobuchar, D-Minn., are introducing the Don’t Sell My DNA Act, which would safeguard customers’ sensitive genetic information when an entity that maintains data files for bankruptcy. The bill would add genetic information to the definition of ‘personally identifiable information’ in the bankruptcy code. 

Under current law, the bankruptcy code provides protections for personally identifiable information in bankruptcy court proceedings to prevent the possibility of identity theft, harm or other unlawful injury. 

Senate aides told Fox News Digital the current definition of personally identifiable information includes an individual’s name, address, email, phone number, Social Security number, credit card numbers and other information that could be used for identification purposes. 

Those aides said the definition is ‘outdated’ and does not include a reference to genetic information, leaving the information vulnerable.

‘This legislation would solve this problem by updating the definition of ‘personally identifiable information’ in the bankruptcy code to include genetic information,’ a Senate aide said. 

The bill also addresses consumer privacy concerns by having consumers affirmatively consent to the sale or lease of their genetic information after a bankruptcy case commences and requiring companies to provide prior written notice of the use, sale or lease of their genetic information during bankruptcy. 

The bill also requires the trustee or debtor in possession to delete any genetic information not subject to a sale or lease. 

‘Advances in DNA testing have allowed Americans to have unprecedented access to important insights about their genetics, but these companies must have a plan to protect this data in the event of bankruptcy,’ Cornyn told Fox News Digital. 

‘By updating the bankruptcy code, this legislation would safeguard Americans’ sensitive genetic information to ensure it cannot be weaponized against them or made public without their knowledge and consent.’

And Klobuchar said companies ‘have profited off of Americans’ data while consumers have been left in the dark, which is especially concerning in light of reports that 23andMe plans to sell customer genetic data assets to a large pharmaceutical company.’ 

‘This bill will put new protections in place to safeguard Americans’ privacy while giving consumers greater control over how their sensitive health data is shared,’ Klobuchar said. 

Grassley told Fox News Digital consumers should ‘feel confident that any personal nformation shared with a public company isn’t up for grabs when that company files for bankruptcy.’

Grassley told Fox News Digital the bill ‘would fill gaps in current law to help safeguard consumers’ genetic information and ensure Americans’ DNA isn’t treated like any other financial asset.’ 

On Monday, 23andMe announced Regeneron Pharmaceuticals would purchase 23andMe through a bankruptcy auction. 

Senate aides said Regeneron promises to ‘protect consumer information, but the data privacy concerns for future bankruptcies remain.’ 

The genetic testing company 23andMe, once a pioneer in consumer DNA testing, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March amid financial struggles, a leadership shakeup and growing concerns about the security of its customers’ genetic data.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced it will acquire ‘substantially all’ of genetic testing company 23andMe’s assets.

The pharmaceutical company said it won the court-supervised auction of the genetic testing company, with Regeneron agreeing to pay $256 million for the assets. The auction for 23andMe was part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection it filed in March to arrange a sale of its business.

In its bankruptcy petition, the company estimated a range of $100 million to $500 million for its assets. Estimated liabilities were the same. 

The pharmaceutical company is buying 23andMe’s personal genome service and its health and research services segments, according to 23andMe. 

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House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ on Thursday morning, working through overnight committee meetings, last-minute huddles in the speaker’s office and even a last-minute assist from the president. 

But while House GOP leadership preached party unity as they passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act by just one vote, two House Republican holdouts were unwavering in their concerns about the $36 trillion national debt crisis and ultimately voted ‘no.’ 

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, took their concerns to social media on Thursday, telling their constituents exactly why they bucked the Republican Party on Trump’s key legislative agenda. 

‘While I love many things in the bill, promising someone else will cut spending in the future does not cut spending. Deficits do matter and this bill grows them now. The only Congress we can control is the one we’re in. Consequently, I cannot support this big deficit plan. NO,’ Davidson said early this morning before the vote was final. 

Massie responded soon after, telling Davidson he agreed and ‘if we were serious, we’d be cutting spending now, instead of promising to cut spending years from now.’

‘I’d love to stand here and tell the American people, ‘We can cut your taxes and increase spending and everything is going to be just fine.’ But I can’t do that because I’m here to deliver a dose of reality. This bill dramatically increases deficits in the near-term, but promises our government will be fiscally responsible five years from now. Where have we heard that before?’ Massie said on the House floor. 

The Kentucky congressman, who regularly sports a national debt clock pin, presented a bleak reality for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ on Thursday as most Republican holdouts rallied behind the final manager’s amendment. ‘This bill is a debt bomb ticking,’ Massie said. 

When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about Massie and Davidson voting against the bill, she said the president believes they should be primaried. 

‘I don’t think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress. What’s the alternative? I would ask those members of Congress. Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt? That’s the alternative by them trying to vote ‘no.’ The president believes the Republican Party needs to be unified,’ Leavitt said. 

Massie, who has been campaigning on Trump calling him a grandstander, even fundraised on Leavitt’s comments, writing on X, ‘The big beautiful bill has issues. I chose to vote against it because it’s going to blow up our debt. For voting on principle, I now have the President AND his press Secretary campaigning against me from the White House podium. Can you help me by donating?’

Former Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who served as Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, has spoken out against the country’s debt crisis amid House negotiations, piled on the national debt criticism on Thursday, writing, ‘The Big Ugly Truth is that the Big Ugly Bill will push the Big Ugly Debt over $60 trillion.’

Good found himself out of the job when he lost the Republican primary to now-Rep. John McGuire of Virginia last year. 

He was one of just a handful of House Republicans who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries, and then Trump threw his political might behind McGuire.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a multi-trillion-dollar piece of legislation that advances Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. 

While the bill seeks to make a dent in the national debt crisis by cutting roughly $1.5 trillion in government spending, the United States still has over $36 trillion in debt and has spent $1.05 trillion more than it has collected in fiscal year 2025, according to the Treasury Department.

‘I think the most essential truth in American politics is that nobody actually really cares about the national debt or deficit. It’s too abstract to saturate public sentiment,’ Fox News Digital columnist David Marcus said after the bill passed. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

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Those responsible for the fatal attack against two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C., Wednesday will be prosecuted to the ‘fullest extent of the law,’ according to the White House. 

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were departing an event at the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday evening when a gunman opened fire and killed them. The two were slated to get engaged next week in Jerusalem, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House press briefing. 

A pro-Palestinian man authorities identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was arrested, according to officials. 

‘The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society,’ Leavitt told reporters Thursday. ‘I spoke to the attorney general this morning. The Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law. Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump. Everyone here at the White House is praying for the victims, friends and families during this unimaginable time.’

Yaron, born in Israel but who grew up in Germany, has a father who is Jewish. However, his mother is a Christian and the family is considered Christian. Milgrim was an American employee the Israeli embassy employed. 

Leavitt’s comments echo similar sentiments from President Donald Trump and other leaders in the administration, who have asserted that the attack amounts to an act of antisemitism. 

‘These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!’ he wrote in a Truth Social post. ‘Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!’

Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would encounter consequences. 

‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice,’ Rubio wrote on X on Thursday.

Additionally, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said he met Milgrim in May at his agency’s headquarters. 

‘I just met Sarah two weeks ago in my office at EPA HQ. She struck me as a young woman filled with life and positivity,’ Zeldin said in a post on X. ‘Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming ‘Free Palestine’. May Sarah and Yaron rest in peace.’

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A major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine is underway, a senior Ukrainian official said Friday.

The swap is not yet finished, the official told the Associated Press, despite President Donald Trump declaring Friday that Russia and Ukraine completed a ‘major prisoners swap.’ 

The announcements come after Russian and Ukrainian officials took part in direct talks in Turkey last Friday for the first time since the early days of the war, agreeing to release around 1,000 prisoners of war. 

‘A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???’ 

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that ‘I held a meeting on the preparation for an exchange’ and ‘The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Turkey.’ 

Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Following the conversation, Trump said ‘I believe it went very well.’ 

‘Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War. The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,’ Trump said. ‘The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.’ 

Putin, in a statement after the call, also noted that ‘a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible’ but noted that ‘Russia and Ukraine must find compromises that suit both sides.’ 

The Kremlin then said Thursday that both sides had no direct peace talks scheduled. 

‘There is no concrete agreement about the next meetings,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Associated Press. ‘They are yet to be agreed upon.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

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As Burger King enters the next phase of its turnaround efforts, the fast-food chain is trying to lure families back to its restaurants with colored Whopper buns and kid-friendly movie partnerships.

Starting Tuesday, the Restaurant Brands International chain will sell new menu items inspired by the “live action” remake of “How to Train Your Dragon.” The collaboration is more than just a one-time partnership — it’s part of Burger King’s broader strategy to lift U.S. sales.

“Where we’re really starting to lean in now that we’ve made some progress in both operations and in our restaurants is on a family-first marketing strategy,” Burger King U.S. and Canada President Tom Curtis told CNBC.

Burger King’s U.S. business has been in turnaround mode for more than 2½ years. After falling behind burger rivals McDonald’s and Wendy’s, the company announced plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a comeback strategy to renovate its restaurants, improve its operations and spend on advertising. The chain even bought its largest U.S. franchisee with the goal of accelerating its restaurant remodels.

“We’re finding that there will be chapters to this as we go through time, and right now is this family strategy chapter, where we’ve done enough work and transformed our restaurant operations to the extent that we’re proud of,” Curtis said. “We’re inviting families back in, and we’re finding that we’re getting better retention when they do come back in.”

Curtis said focusing on families gives Burger King the opportunity to attract customers across age cohorts, from millennials to Generation Alpha, which is roughly defined as people born between 2010 and 2025. Plus, parents’ avid use of social media means that word spreads quickly, giving the approach a leg up compared with targeting a single demographic that isn’t as enthusiastic online.

The limited-time themed menu items include the Dragon Flame-Grilled Whopper, with a red and orange marbled bun; Fiery Dragon Mozzarella Fries, made with Calabrian chili pepper breading; Soaring Strawberry Lemonade; and the Viking’s Chocolate Sundae, with Hershey’s syrup and black and green cookie crumbles.

Movie collaborations aren’t anything new for fast food — or Burger King. It was one of the first fast-food chains to lean into movie tie-ins. In 1977, the chain sold “Star Wars” drinking glasses ahead of the film’s release.

McDonald’s wasn’t far behind, following with a Star Trek-themed Happy Meal two years later, kicking off decades of movie, TV and toy tie-ins aimed at kids. More recently, the Golden Arches’ collaboration with “A Minecraft Movie” across more than 100 markets sold out within two weeks in the U.S., about half the time earmarked for the promotion.

In Burger King’s more recent past, under Curtis’ leadership, the chain has had two major partnerships: one with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” two years ago and another with the Addams Family franchise, timed for Halloween last year.

Both of those menus featured Whoppers with thematic, colored buns, dyed using natural colorants, like beet juice or ube.

“Not having artificial dyes and colors is something that’s been important to us for a while,” Curtis said.

Burger King use of natural dyes comes as artificial food dyes have come under fire from health-concerned parents. Following a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Food and Drug Administration recently announced plans to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food and drinks.

The two previous collaborations also were Burger King’s top-selling Whopper innovations, based on the number sold, according to Curtis.

“What we found in the Addams Family promotion specifically was, as we dug into the property, traffic was fairly flat, but sales were up,” he said, attributing the sales growth to families, which have a higher average check than a solo diner or a couple.

The expected sales lift from the “How to Train Your Dragon” menu comes at a crucial time for Burger King.

In its most recent quarter, the company’s comeback stumbled. The chain’s U.S. same-store sales slid 1.1%, mirroring an industrywide slump as fears about the economy and bad weather kept diners at home.

But Curtis is confident that Burger King is on the right track, pointing to the chain’s relative outperformance compared with its two biggest competitors: McDonald’s and Wendy’s.

“I know that they’re scrambling, and sometimes, frankly, copying some of the things that we do, which, you know, plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery,” he said. “When we see them doing that, it gives us more conviction to stay on course.”

When the live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon” hits theaters on June 13, it’s expected to be one of the summer’s big blockbusters. After all, the animated trilogy has grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide.

Burger King has similar expectations for its menu tie-in.

The past success of the Spider-Verse and Addams Family menu items pushed Burger King to “dramatically” up its forecast for the “How to Train Your Dragon” menu, according to Curtis. And Burger King is also planning on changing its advertising strategy, which could drastically increase demand for the Dragon Flamed-Grilled Whoppers.

“In the past, we would just kind of associate ourselves with the movie property, but we wouldn’t necessarily advertise the association — you’d just see it and hear about it in social media,” Curtis said.

The promotion is supposed to run through early July, but in case Burger King burns through its supply in just three weeks, the chain is prepared to monitor what locations have run out of the menu items. That’s a lesson it learned during its Spider-Verse promotion, when it had to launch a tracker on its website to help customers find the coveted Whopper.

As it learns from every experience, Burger King is planning to dive deeper into franchise partnerships, betting that the extra effort will drive long-term loyalty for the brand.

“We’re doing a couple more of them than we have in the past,” Curtis said. “We’ve got one toward the end of the year that we’re very, very excited about … and we’re getting some lined up for next year as well. In every one of those, we’ll go all in.”

Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC and Universal Studios, the producer and distributor of “How to Train Your Dragon.”

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