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Cizzle Brands Unveils its Team of Ambassadors to Accelerate North American Commercialization Initiatives

Through a curated team of the world’s most experienced and qualified dieticians, performance coaches, scientists, and medical professionals who are subject matter experts in their respective fields, Cizzle Brands is building a house of brands in the sports nutrition industry that serves the world’s most elite athletes and leverages that knowledge to make products for everyday people looking to live healthy, active lifestyles. Cizzle Brands’ ambassadors will not only assist in product development and formulation but they will also help to expand knowledge and adoption of Cizzle Brands’ products around the world.

Cizzle Brands Corporation (Cboe Canada: CZZL) ( the ‘Company or ‘Cizzle Brands’) , today unveiled the lineup of subject matter experts (‘SMEs’) who will underpin the Company’s product commercialization efforts for 2025 and drive awareness for its lineup of sports nutrition brands. The Company’s roster of SMEs includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected strength and performance coaches, dieticians, and medical professionals.

In its Market Introduction press release, Cizzle Brands detailed the performance of CWENCH Hydration™ following its launch in late May of 2024, following which more than one million ready-to-drink units of the beverage have been sold across North America. On January 14, 2025 , Cizzle Brands also announced the launch of Spoken Nutrition , a brand of athlete-grade supplements and nutraceuticals primarily sold through trainers and coaches.

As Cizzle Brands continues to commercialize these product offerings alongside upcoming additional brands to be launched, the Company expects its SMEs to play a key role in product innovation and generating broad-scale awareness in product categories that tend to have very nuanced and knowledge-driven exploration journeys prior to trial or purchase.

Cizzle Brands’ current roster of SMEs includes:

Carl Bergstrom: Carl is the Director of Performance for Stephen Curry and former Performance Coach of the Golden State Warriors, White Caps FC, and Canada Soccer.

Dr. Matt Frakes: Dr. Matt Frakes, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Nutrition at LSU, has prior experience at Notre Dame and the University of Louisville, and holds a PhD in Nutrition and Hospitality Management from the University of Mississippi, along with a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Food and Nutrition.

Todd Herman: Todd Herman, with over 28 years of experience coaching elite athletes, entrepreneurs, and business teams on inner game, strategy, and performance, is a leading expert on mental game and peak performance, authoring books, building programs, and creating tools to help ambitious individuals succeed across various fields. Todd is the renowned performance coach who helped Kobe Bryant create the Black Mamba.

Ben Prentiss: Ben Prentiss, a strength coach with over 20 years of experience, has worked with professional and Olympic hockey players, including Stanley Cup winners and NHL All-Stars, and currently serves as a Strength and Conditioning Consultant for the New York Rangers.

Carley Patterson: Carley Patterson is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a Bachelor of Applied Science, with an expertise in providing nutritional advice to families with young athletes living a competitive and active lifestyle.

Matt Price: Matt Price is the Director of Strength & Performance Science for the Los Angeles Kings and was formerly the lead strength and conditioning coach for Alpine Canada.

Brianne Brown: Brianne Brown, Head of Women’s Basketball Strength & Conditioning at the University of Miami, has over seven years of experience, including positions at the University of Pittsburgh and Racing Louisville FC, and holds a Master’s in Exercise Science and Human Performance from Utah State University.

David Lawrence: David Lawrence is a renowned strength coach who has trained NFL athletes, including six Super Bowl champions, to enhance their body composition, speed, and performance, with his work featured in Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and The Athletic.

Dr. Jordan Shallow: Dr. Jordan Shallow is a strength coach, powerlifter, chiropractor, and founder of Pre-Script.com, specializing in innovative strategies to improve human performance for elite athletes and corporations.

Mark Fitzgerald: Mark Fitzgerald has 15 years of experience working with athletes at all levels, including CWENCH’s very own Gavin McKenna. Mark founded Elite Training Systems in Ontario, served as Head of Performance for the Anaheim Ducks, and is the lead training advisor for Under Armour Canada, while consulting for various health and performance organizations.

Dan Noble: Dan Noble is the Director of Hockey at Upper Canada College, the Director of Performance for the Oshawa Generals, owns and runs Noble Sport & Performance, and is a Family Coach and Speaker.

Alan Bishop: Alan Bishop, Director of Sports Performance for the University of Houston Men’s Basketball program, is a highly regarded coach known for his pragmatic approach and leadership in strength and conditioning, driving impressive physical development in his teams year after year. Alan is considered a godfather in NCAA basketball, placing many of his disciples into programs across the country.

Doug Crashley: Doug Crashley trains world class athletes through Crash Conditioning, a premier training destination for elite hockey players that offers individualized training programs and intuitive coaching based on sports science research.

Dr. Sachin Patel: Dr. Sachin Patel, a functional medicine coach, international speaker, and author, founded The Living Proof Institute to transform healthcare through patient-centered practices and lifestyle changes, while mentoring practitioners globally to provide affordable, inspired care.

Derrell Levy: Derrell Levy trains world class athletes through In-Tech High Performance Training. With over 12 years of on-ice coaching experience, Derrell has developed strength and conditioning programs for elite basketball and hockey teams, as well as NBA, NHL, OHL, and AHL athletes.

Sam Davis: Sam Davis is a Fitness Business Consultant, Women’s Health Advisor, and the Founder of Powerfully Fit Training. Sam if a former NCAA athlete, and provides coaching for other well-known fitness influencers and helps them develop their own programs.

Ryan Vigneau: Ryan Vigneau is an Athlete Development Coach and runs RVX Performance, an elite training facility that works with NHL athletes in Edmonton.

Cizzle Brands’ Chief Performance Officer Andy O’Brien is also one of the Company’s SMEs. Andy was nicknamed ‘The Muscle Whisperer’ by Sportsnet in 2015, highlighting his work as a trainer to NHL superstar Sidney Crosby, MVP and CWENCH’s very own Nathan MacKinnon, Olympic medallist figure skater Patrick Chan, women’s hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, and Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Andy has also held coaching and consultancy roles for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

Additionally, Don Saladino will be an ambassador specifically for CWENCH Hydration™. Earlier this week, Cizzle Brands announced that it was engaging Mr. Saladino as an advisor, which will enable the Company to leverage his insights, expertise, and professional network as a well-known personal trainer to Hollywood’s A-List, professional athletes, and award-winning musicians. Mr. Saladino has a high-profile social media presence, with over 432,000 followers on his Instagram channel .

Cizzle Brands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John Celenza, commented, ‘In an era when product competition is fierce, we believe that the best way to stand out is by working with the world’s most experienced subject matter experts to develop products of unparalleled quality and performance, like we have with CWENCH Hydration™ and Spoken Nutrition. There are very few companies out there that have as much knowledge, reach, and fire power as the team of SMEs that are behind Cizzle Brands’ products. Not only are they helping us to develop our amazing lineup of products, they are also our loudest evangelists. Furthermore, anyone in the sports nutrition industry will understand that when Cizzle Brands’ SMEs speak, people who matter pay attention, which can drive accelerated growth for the Company.’

About Cizzle Brands Corporation

Cizzle Brands Corporation is elevating the game in health and wellness. Through extensive collaboration and testing with leading athletes and trainers across several elite sports, Cizzle Brands has launched two leading product lines in the sports nutrition category: (i) CWENCH Hydration, a better-for-you sports drink that is now carried in over 1,200 stores in Canada, the United States, and Europe; and (ii) Spoken Nutrition, a premium brand of athlete-grade nutraceuticals that carry the prestigious NSF Certified for Sport® qualification. All Cizzle Brands products are designed to help people achieve their best in both competitive sports and in living a healthy, vibrant, active lifestyle.

For more information about Cizzle Brands, please visit: https://www.cizzlebrands.com/

Notice Regarding Images and Links: This press release may contain images and/or links to outside web pages, which could play an important role in providing the full context of the news update being conveyed through this press release. Some news aggregation services may remove these images and/or links at their discretion. Therefore, readers are encouraged to access SEDAR+ or the News section of the Cizzle Brands Corporation website to view this press release containing all images and/or links as originally published.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

Cizzle Brands Corporation

‘John Celenza’

John Celenza, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains ‘forward-looking information’ which may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as, but not limited to: new products of the Company and potential sales and distribution opportunities. Such forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as ‘plans’, ‘expects’, ‘is expected’, ‘budget’, ‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’, ‘forecasts’, ‘intends’, ‘anticipates’, or ‘believes’ or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or ‘will’ be taken, occur or be achieved. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company.

Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risk factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks include risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, regulatory risks, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation, except as otherwise required by law, to update these forward-looking statements if management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors change.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250123730912/en/

For further information, please contact:

Setti Coscarella
Head of Corporate Development
investors@cizzlebrands.com
1-844-588-2088

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com
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Pro-lifers pounce on Fetterman for opposing ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act’: ‘Infanticide’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and all other Senate Democrats blocked the ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act’ from advancing in the chamber on Wednesday.

The measure would require health care practitioners to seek to save the life of a baby born during an attempted abortion, and ensure that the infant is hospitalized.

‘I’ve always stood on the side of Roe and a woman’s right to make her own health care choices. It’s absurd to mandate criminalization because of those choices. Any bill that does so, including the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act, is a NO from me,’ Fetterman declared in a post on X.

In a 52-47 party-line vote, 52 Republicans voted to proceed, while 45 Democrats and the two independent senators aligned with the Senate Democratic Caucus voted to block the bill from moving toward a vote.

The text of the measure stipulates that healthcare providers present when a baby is born alive amid an attempted abortion must ‘exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age’ and then ‘ensure that the child born alive is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.’

The measure explicitly precludes prosecution of the child’s mother.

‘The mother of a child born alive described under subsection (a) may not be prosecuted for a violation of this section, an attempt to violate this section, a conspiracy to violate this section, or an offense under section 3 or 4 of this title based on such a violation,’ the text of the legislation reads.

Sen. John Fetterman praised for condemning Democrats who call Trump, his supporters as

Pro-lifers decried Fetterman’s position.

‘You just voted against medical care for a crying infant, begging for help, struggling to survive after a failed abortion. You have believed the leftist lie that killing babies – in this case now a BORN baby struggling for his life – is ever acceptable. Pure evil,’ Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, declared in a tweet.

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins placed the handshake emoji in between the words ‘Fetterman’ and ‘Infanticide.’ 

Katie Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy counsel for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wrote in response to Fetterman’s post, ‘My dude, it’s literally called the Born-ALIVE Abortion SURVIVORS Protection Act. A baby is born, breathing and squirming, and you voted to deny her the life-sustaining healthcare that she would be owed if she was born under any other circumstance.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Politics

Top 5 moments from Trump’s ‘Hannity’ interview

President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday, his first since returning to the White House.

Trump has routinely answered questions from reporters during his first week in office, including from Hannity.

In front of a primetime audience, Trump reflected on his return to the White House four years after his loss to former President Joe Biden, threatened a reckoning with FEMA, shared his view on TikTok’s future and discussed Biden’s preemptive pardons for officials and family members.

Here are the standout moments.

1. Trump reflects on return to White House

Trump looked back on his historic return to the White House in his interview with Hannity, saying his political comeback proves the policies and philosophies of the ‘radical left’ throughout the past four years are ‘horrible’ and ‘don’t work.’

The 47th president lamented the Biden administration’s policies, once again targeting inflation, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the onset of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. 

‘With all that being said, I think it’s bigger. It’s bigger than if it were more traditional,’ he said on ‘Hannity,’ referring to his two nonconsecutive terms. ‘I think we got there just in the nick of time.’

2. Hannity reveals what he told Trump after 2020 election loss

Hannity revealed he told Trump after the 2020 election that a return to the White House four years after the Biden administration would be ‘bigger’ than a consecutive win, comparing it to Winston Churchill’s return as prime minister following World War II.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t disclose this, but I will, and it was after the 2020 election, and you asked me a question. And we’ve known each other for 30 years, so we have a friendship, and we have a professional relationship,’ Hannity said in his exclusive interview with Trump on Wednesday. 

‘And the question you asked me, ‘maybe in the end, it will be better that if I came back in four years.’ And we talked about history. After World War II, Winston Churchill was thrown out, but they brought him back. Grover Cleveland, the only other American president that did not serve consecutive terms,’ he continued. 

Churchill served as prime minister twice, from 1940-1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. Trump is the second U.S. president to serve two, non-consecutive terms behind President Grover Cleveland, the nation’s 22nd and 24th president. 

Hannity explained that he believed ‘it would be bigger if you came back.’ Trump agreed that it is already shaping up that way after three days in office. 

‘It’s turning out to be bigger. And I think one thing is happening is people are learning that they can’t govern and that their policies are terrible. I mean, they don’t want to see a woman get pummeled by a man in a boxing ring?’ he said. 

3. Trump warns FEMA faces a reckoning after Biden administration

FEMA hasn

Trump warned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to face a reckoning following four years under the Biden administration, arguing the emergency agency has ‘not done their job.’ 

‘FEMA has not done their job for the last four years. You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida. We had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of leadership, it’s really, it gets in the way. And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly, because I’d rather see the states take care of their own problems,’ Trump said.

FEMA came under the nation’s microscope last year when Hurricane Helene ripped through North Carolina, devastating residents as it wiped out homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. FEMA and the Biden administration faced fierce backlash for its handling of the emergency, while Trump accused the agency of obstructing relief efforts in Republican areas. 

‘The Democrats don’t care about North Carolina. What they’ve done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole ‘nother discussion, because all it does is complicate everything,’ he said. 

‘So I’m stopping on Friday. I’m stopping in North Carolina, first stop, because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I’m stopping there. We’re going to get that thing straightened out because they’re still suffering from a hurricane from months ago,’ Trump said. 

Trump will visit North Carolina on Friday, his first trip as president, where he is expected to tour and meet with residents who were left devastated by the hurricane in September. He will also visit California that same day, where wildfires have ripped through the Los Angeles area this month. 

4. Trump has a ‘very warm spot in my heart’ for TikTok

Trump credited his campaign’s decision to go on TikTok with his strong 2024 election performance with youth voters, though he told Hannity the short form video platform must be sold by its Chinese owners to continue to operate in the U.S.

‘I think TikTok ought to be sold,’ Trump said. ‘People want to buy it.’ 

On his first day in office Monday, Trump issued an executive order granting TikTok more time to operate and work toward compliance with a law forcing the platform’s Beijing-based owner, ByteDance, to either divest the app to an American buyer or shut the platform down in the U.S.

He has stated that the U.S. should own half of TikTok and suggested that billionaire Elon Musk or Oracle founder Larry Ellison should purchase the app. 

In the interview, Trump seemed dismissive of Hannity’s concerns that TikTok is a ‘spying app for the communist Chinese.’ 

‘But you can say that about everything made in China. Look, we have our telephones made in China for the most part. We have so many things made in China. So why don’t they mention that, you know?’ Trump said.

‘You’re dealing with a lot of young people,’ he added. ‘So they love it. Is it that important for China to be spying on young people and young kids watching crazy videos of things?’ 

Hannity replied that he does not want China spying on anybody.

‘No, but they make your telephones, and they make your computers, and they make a lot of other things,’ Trump said. ‘Isn’t that a bigger threat?’

5. Trump reacts to Biden not pardoning himself

Trump addresses the

During a discussion on Biden’s preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House Jan. 6 select committee, Trump suggested the ‘sad thing’ about it was that Biden did not pardon himself.

‘I was given the option,’ Trump said, recalling the end of his first term, when political pundits speculated that Trump may pardon himself to avoid prosecution for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. 

‘They said, ‘sir, would you like to pardon everybody, including yourself?’ I said, I’m not going to pardon anybody. We didn’t do anything wrong. And we had people that suffered,’ Trump said, noting that his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and former trade advisor Peter Navarro were jailed for contempt of Congress. 

‘[Biden] went around giving everybody pardons, and, you know, the funny thing — maybe the sad thing — is he didn’t give himself a pardon. And, if you look at it, it all had to do with him,’ Trump told Hannity. 

Biden was asked in 2020 about reports that then-President Trump was considering preemptive pardons for members of his family and even himself, describing the possibility as concerning. 

‘Well, it concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and justice,’ Biden told CNN anchor Jake Tapper. 

Four years later, he pardoned his sister, two brothers and their spouses. Biden said the array of pardons was in part because he feared ‘baseless’ and ‘politically motivated investigations’ into his family from the Trump administration. 

‘The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,’ Biden said in a statement released on Inauguration Day.

Trump declined to answer Hannity’s question about whether Congress should investigate the Biden family. 

‘Look, he didn’t give himself a pardon, and he didn’t give some other people a pardon that needed it,’ said Trump. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan, Emma Colton and Breck Dumas contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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‘Stealing American jobs’: Anti-CCP group unleashes ad demanding GOP lawmakers back Trump on saving US farms

A group focused on combating the influence of China in the United States has launched a major ad buy to push state Republicans to move on President Trump’s agenda related to the threat China poses to U.S. agriculture.

The Protecting America Initiative, which bills itself as a ‘coalition of concerned American citizens and public policy experts who are committed to stopping Chinese influence in the states,’ launched a five-figure ad buy for the one-minute ad set to run in key agricultural states warning of China’s push to ‘control the U.S. agriculture industry.’

‘The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is buying up farmland across our country,’ the ad says. ‘Stealing American jobs: Communist China is moving in to control the agricultural industry. This new war is happening right now without armies or any shots being fired. Who will dominate the world’s food supply? China is on the rise.’

‘We’re being ripped off at levels that nobody’s ever seen before,’ Trump says in a clip in the ad before the narrator says, ‘Republicans in the states need to step up and help President Trump combat the CCP.’

A farmer is featured in the ad with a clip from a Fox News interview in which he explains that ‘we all feel that we’ve been forgotten about here.’

‘We just want Trump to keep doing what he’s doing: Put America first,’ the farmer, Pennsylvania GOP state Rep. Eric Davanzo, continues. ‘Make sure that America’s food is safe right here and make sure that we have the land and the opportunity to produce and grow our food here.’

‘Tell Republicans to stand with Trump and protect America’s food supply,’ the closing line of the ad states. 

The ad will be placed on national cable channels, including Fox News, in the key agricultural states of Missouri, Iowa, Georgia and Idaho.

Last year, the Protecting America Initiative released polling it said demonstrated that the ‘overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned about the CCP’s threat to the United States’ national security, food security, infrastructure, and higher education, and influence over our elected officials.’

Fox News Digital reported last year that the USDA’s most recent data suggests that, as of 2021, foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land grew to approximately 40 million acres. Additionally, Chinese agricultural investment in the U.S. increased tenfold between 2009 and 2016 alone.

The increasing number of land purchases has sparked concern that foreign companies and investors, particularly those from China, may be establishing a stranglehold on key U.S. food and energy supplies.

‘The Chinese national government, or some people say the Chinese Communist Party, has been about acquiring all manner of assets, not just in the United States but around the world, to control all sorts of resources,’ GOP Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma told Fox News Digital in a 2023 interview. ‘I would argue that, in addition to the importance of national security – the guns and the bullets and the planes and the resources to defend ourselves – if we cannot feed ourselves, then we are lost.’

Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.

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With Gaza quiet, Israel is turning its focus on the West Bank. Here’s why

The Israeli military has intensified operations across the occupied West Bank, targeting Palestinian militant cells, imposing roadblocks and cutting communities off from the outside world.

The sudden expansion of Israeli security operations in the West Bank has killed at least 10 people and follows the start of the delicate ceasefire process in Gaza, by which Israeli hostages are released in stages and will also see the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The move also comes as the Israeli right, and many in the settler movement, feel emboldened by the words of some officials in the Trump administration who have suggested Israel has the right to annex much or all of the West Bank, home to more than three million Palestinians.

What’s happening in the West Bank

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has spoken of a new dynamic in the West Bank, saying the military will adopt tactics learned in the Gaza offensive in its efforts to eradicate militant groups and, in his words, “ensure that terrorism does not return.”

The Jenin refugee camp in the north of the West Bank, a sprawling area of narrow alleys that has long been a bastion of militant factions, is front and center of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) latest campaign.

Katz said Tuesday that Operation “Iron Wall” would “eliminate terrorists and terror infrastructure in the camp, ensuring that terrorism does not return to the camp after the operation is over – the first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza.”

The latest IDF operations have involved building more roadblocks across the West Bank. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said Thursday there are now nearly 900 military checkpoints, including more than 173 iron gates installed since October 2023.

Al-Roub said the IDF operation was “one of the biggest and most intense” yet launched: “We are talking over 20,000 people have been displaced. Many have been arrested.”

Palestinian television reported Thursday that the IDF had established roadblocks near Ramallah and sealed off one village in the area. Additionally, it said military checkpoints in the Nablus area had been reinforced, leaving thousands of people stranded amid lengthy waits.

People were also unable to leave Jericho, where military checkpoints had been closed. Palestinian journalists reported Thursday that tear gas had been used against people waiting at a Jericho checkpoint.

One woman had died of a heart attack at a checkpoint near Hebron after the IDF prevented her from being transferred to hospital, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported Wednesday.

“Most of the movement from the south and north of the West Bank is paralyzed while illegal Israeli settlers move freely and continue to attack Palestinian cars on the roads,” he said.

“We are seeing disturbing patterns of unlawful use of force in the West Bank that is unnecessary, indiscriminate and disproportionate. This echoes the tactics Israeli forces have employed in Gaza,” said Angelita Caredda, Middle East and North Africa regional director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

The IDF said Thursday that the checkpoints were “a tool we use in the fight against terror, enabling civilian movement while providing a layer of screening to prevent terrorists from escaping.”

How does the ceasefire affect the situation in the West Bank?

The operation began two days after the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire began and demonstrates a shift in the Israeli government’s focus.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday: “We have begun to change the security concept in Judea and Samaria [the Biblical term many Israelis use to describe the West Bank] and in the campaign to eradicate terrorism in the region.”

He also claimed the cabinet had decided that security in the West Bank had become an official war goal for Israel. The Prime Minister’s Office did not confirm the move.

The truce in Gaza has allowed Israeli security forces to concentrate on the West Bank, where groups aligned with Hamas have become more active. There is a risk, however, that intensive Israeli military action across the West Bank will put the Gaza ceasefire under strain.

Katz has frequently alleged that Iran is behind the surge in militant activity in the West Bank and is supplying weapons to the groups.

“We will not allow Judea and Samaria to become like Gaza or southern Lebanon… We will act to cut off Iran’s tentacles in the refugee camps in the West Bank and ensure the security of the communities and residents.”

Israeli officials have said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been unable to confront and subdue militant groups. An operation in December by the Palestinian security forces against militants in Jenin yielded little progress. The militant factions include the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Qassem Brigades, who together fight under the banner of the Jenin Battalion.

Israel’s Channel 11 quoted a senior military source Thursday as saying, “The PA did what they could. We recognized the need to act against the terrorists’ capabilities, we are no longer waiting for their intentions. Our goal is to neutralize the Jenin battalion.”

How the Trump administration affects dynamics

To some right-wing Israelis, the advent of the Trump administration – along with success in degrading Hamas and Hezbollah – provides a unique opportunity to extend Israeli superiority in the region.

During his first term, Trump abandoned the long-held US stance that settlements are illegal; Biden restored it. Several of Trump’s nominees have suggested Israel has the right to annex the West Bank.

More than 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which was captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 war. Jewish settlements there are considered illegal under international law.

Elise Stefanik, who is slated to become the new US ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday she agreed with the view that Israel has “a biblical right” to annex the West Bank. Mike Huckabee, who is expected to become US ambassador to Israel, has said in the past that there is “no such thing as a Palestinian.”

On Monday, the day he took office, Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Anti-Palestinian violence by extremist settlers has become a near-daily occurrence in the West Bank. In 2024, the UN documented 1,420 incidents of settler violence resulting in casualties and/or property damage in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Some of those responsible were arrested, but the Israeli Defense Ministry last week decided to release Jewish settlers held under what’s known as administrative detention “in light of the expected release of terrorists to the territories of Judea and Samaria,” under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Katz said the decision to release the settlers would “send a clear message of strengthening and encouraging settlement, which stands at the forefront of the struggle against Palestinian terror and growing security challenges.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct Mike Huckabee’s previous comments about Palestinians.

This post appeared first on cnn.com
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Ireland finally appoints new prime minister after chaos in parliament

Micheál Martin became Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) for the second time in his political career on Thursday, a day later than planned.

The Irish parliament descended into uproar on Wednesday, its first day back in session after weeks of political horse-trading and coalition-building, following the country’s general election in November.

Wednesday’s order of business was scheduled to start with the vote to elect a new taoiseach but this formality was delayed repeatedly. It was then ultimately abandoned for the day, as opposition parties took to their feet in loud protest over the granting of extended speaking rights to independent parliamentarians who support the incoming government.

Attempts to resolve the dispute continued into Thursday morning when the government acknowledged that there was “ambiguity” in speaking rights and an agreement was reached that government-supporting independents cannot for now retain extended speaking rights from the opposition benches.

The 64-year-old Martin, leader of the Fianna Fáil party, was finally elected taoiseach before 2 p.m. in Dublin, saying it was “a profound honor to be nominated to serve as head of the government in a free, democratic and diverse republic.”

Martin stressed the importance of Ireland’s relationships with Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom, noting that his nation’s “kinship” with the US went back to before the formation of the Irish state and endures “because we have continued to renew bonds of respect and cooperation.”

“The Ireland-America relationship is one that benefits us both and will emerge strongly no matter what,” Martin told the packed chamber of parliament.

Although Ireland’s November election bucked the 2024 trend that saw so many countries reject incumbent governments, no political party had a resounding win.

The country’s center-right Fianna Fáil party won the most seats on November 29 but did not secure enough for a parliamentary majority. It returned to its most recent coalition partnership with the country’s other centrist party, Fine Gael, and spent recent weeks in pursuit of further political backing.

Last week it was announced that the two parties had secured the support of a group of regional independent lawmakers and was ready to form a government.

Martin becomes Irish taoiseach for the second time.

He first assumed the office when Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil entered their coalition government in 2020, joining forces against a surge in support for Sinn Féin, Ireland’s nationalist party.

That groundbreaking partnership between Ireland’s long-time vying parties saw party leaders Leo Varadkar and Martin swap the roles of prime minister and deputy every two years until Varadkar unexpectedly stepped down last year. He was replaced by Simon Harris, who became Ireland’s youngest ever leader.

Harris, the outgoing taoiseach, assumed the role of deputy prime minister Thursday, and will expect to step back into the role of Ireland’s leader again in 2027.

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Investing

Stardust Power Breaks Ground on One of The Largest U.S. Battery-Grade Lithium Refineries

Stardust Power 1

Lieutenant Governor, Matt Pinnell and Roshan Pujari, Founder and CEO, Stardust Power break ground at the Stardust Power ceremony, January 22nd, 2025

Stardust Power Inc. (the ‘Company’ or ‘Stardust Power’) (NASDAQ: SDST), an American developer of battery-grade lithium products, officially broke ground on January 22, 2025, on its lithium refinery at the Southside Industrial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Senior officials from Stardust Power, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, and the Mayor of Muskogee, Patrick Cale, were present at the ceremony, along with other state and local officials.

In December 2024, Stardust Power completed and announced the acquisition of its 66-acre site in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Centrally located, the site benefits from proximity to the country’s largest inland waterway system, robust road and rail networks, and a skilled workforce rooted in the oil and gas sector. The site has excellent access to power and water with the project having received tremendous support from the community.

Stardust Power Founder and CEO, Roshan Pujari, emphasized, ‘Our lithium refinery will be crucial for addressing U.S. national security and supply chain risks. By onshoring critical mineral manufacturing, we are helping to sustain America’s energy leadership. With the land acquired and necessary construction permits secured in 2024, we are excited to break ground and begin construction. With continued support from the State of Oklahoma, especially Governor Kevin Stitt, we are moving forward to becoming one of the country’s leading suppliers of battery-grade lithium. At a time when foreign entities of concern are attempting to consolidate critical minerals, Stardust Power is proud to play a key role in safeguarding American interests and supporting Oklahoma’s local economy.’

Oklahoma’s leadership in sustainable energy aligns with Stardust Power’s commitment to help secure America’s energy future by onshoring critical mineral supply chains and supporting American jobs. The shovel-ready site near the Port of Muskogee offers key construction and operational advantages. After thorough due diligence, including environmental, technical, cultural, and logistical reviews, the site was confirmed as ideal. It offers a location with an adjacent 40-acre parcel of land which the Company has a right of first refusal for future expansion.

‘Stardust Power’s decision to break ground on its lithium refinery in Muskogee is a significant step forward for Oklahoma’s role in reinforcing our critical mineral supply chains and bolstering national security,’ said Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell. ‘This project not only strengthens our state’s position as a leader in sustainable energy, but it also creates hundreds of good-paying jobs and drives economic growth for our communities. By attracting innovative companies like Stardust Power, Oklahoma is ensuring that we remain at the forefront of America’s energy future.’

‘Stardust Power’s investment places Muskogee at the forefront of the energy revolution,’ said Mayor Cale. ‘Sustainable energy is key to the future, and this refinery strengthens America’s supply chain, creates hundreds of jobs, and highlights our community’s dedication to innovation and progress.’ Stardust Power’s lithium refinery is expected to create hundreds of jobs across engineering, manufacturing and operations, and with the addition of construction and services roles, could potentially add hundreds more, which will significantly contribute to local economic growth.

The project will be developed in two phases, with the first phase focused on constructing a production line capable of producing up to 25,000 metric tons per annum. The second phase will add a second production line, bringing the total capacity to 50,000 metric tons per annum. Sustainability is a core principle at Stardust Power, and this refinery reflects the commitment to responsible corporate practices, climate action, and the energy transition.

About Stardust Power Inc.

Stardust Power is a developer of battery-grade lithium products designed to bolster America’s energy leadership by building resilient supply chains. Stardust Power is developing a strategically central lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma with the anticipated capacity of producing up to 50,000 metric tons per annum of battery-grade lithium. The Company is committed to sustainability at each point in the process. Stardust Power trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ‘SDST.’

For more information, visit www.stardust-power.com

Stardust Power Contacts

For Investors:
Johanna Gonzalez
investor.relations@stardust-power.com

For Media:
Michael Thompson
media@stardust-power.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute ‘forward-looking statements.’ Such forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as ‘believe,’ ‘may,’ ‘will,’ ‘estimate,’ ‘continue,’ ‘anticipate,’ ‘intend,’ ‘expect,’ ‘should,’ ‘would,’ ‘plan,’ ‘predict,’ ‘forecasted,’ ‘projected,’ ‘potential,’ ‘seem,’ ‘future,’ ‘outlook,’ and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or otherwise indicate statements that are not of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements and factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the ability of Stardust Power to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain key relationships and retain its management and key employees; obtaining the necessary permits and governmental approvals to develop the site; risks related to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to Stardust Power; risks related to the price of Stardust Power’s securities, including volatility resulting from changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Stardust Power plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Stardust Power’s business and changes in the combined capital structure; and risks related to the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations and identify and realize additional opportunities. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

Stockholders and prospective investors should carefully consider the foregoing factors, and the other risks and uncertainties described in documents filed by Stardust Power from time to time with the SEC.

Stockholders and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date made, are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks, assumptions and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Stardust Power. Stardust Power expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the expectations of Stardust Power with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbd25af0-7bce-4e7e-9dd6-f58ae5246a77

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/67c852e4-c058-4271-a151-aa8c045f2ee2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d18d5314-b1ca-4ecf-99ad-c514964d859b

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News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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Key Senate chairman criticizes ‘anonymous sources with ulterior motives,’ stands by Hegseth nomination

A key senator on the Armed Services Committee says he is standing by President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, pushing back on those he called ‘anonymous sources with ulterior motives’ who are casting doubt on his character.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in a statement Wednesday criticized recent reports on a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Hegseth as ‘starkly and factually inaccurate.’

‘It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,’ Wicker said, adding that he’s received three separate, detailed briefings on the FBI’s background investigation.

Wicker was responding to a CNN report that cited two sources familiar with the matter who claimed that Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, ‘He drinks more often than he doesn’t.’

A source familiar with the FBI investigation confirmed the recent briefing and its contents to Fox News, saying ‘yes, Samantha provided a prepared statement to the FBI in which she said Pete Hegseth has had and continues to have a problem with alcohol abuse. That statement was communicated by the FBI to Senators Wicker and Reed.’

Meanwhile, Wicker says that he continues to stand by Hegseth.

‘After this thorough review, I am ironclad in my assessment that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is prepared to be the next Secretary of Defense, and that the allegations unfairly impugning his character do not pass scrutiny,’ the senator said.

Wicker said that Hegseth has the confidence of Trump and the backing of Senate Republicans, and called on the Senate to confirm the nominee ‘as fast as possible’ during this ‘precarious national security moment.’

A vote on the Defense Secretary nominee is expected to come this weekend if the Republicans and Democrats in the Senate do not come to a time agreement to expedite the process. 

Hegseth has faced controversy throughout his confirmation process.

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. She is not the sister of Samantha, Pete Hegseth’s second wife.

Pete Hegseth came out of Senate confirmation hearing in a ‘great position,’ says GOP senator

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, from Pete against Samantha. 

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement given to NBC News.

‘There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you. I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,’ she reportedly said. 

Fox News’ Kelly Phares and Daniel Scully contributed to this report.

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World

International Criminal Court seeks warrants for Taliban leaders for gender-based crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking arrest warrants for Taliban leaders for alleged gender-based crimes, as the group continues to crack down on women’s rights in Afghanistan.

The news of the ICC action against two top Taliban officials was immediately welcomed by Afghan women and human rights campaigners.

In a Thursday statement the ICC chief prosecutor said that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Supreme Leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Chief Justice of the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, bear criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.”

“My Office has concluded that these two Afghan nationals are criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women, as well as persons whom the Taliban perceived as not conforming with their ideological expectations of gender identity or expression, and persons whom the Taliban perceived as allies of girls and women,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said.

Opposition to the Taliban is “brutally repressed through the commission of crimes including murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts,” Khan said in the statement.

The applications for arrest warrants sought by the ICC prosecutor still need to be approved by a judge. If warrants are authorized, the Netherlands-based court does not have its own enforcement mechanism and has relied on the support of signatory countries to make arrests.

The prosecutor added that his office will soon seek further warrants for other senior members of the Taliban.

‘Grave abuses’ against women

Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan again in August 2021, women and girls have been essentially erased from public life.

The Taliban government initially presented itself as more moderate than the version of the group that ruled in the 90s, even saying it would allow women to continue their education.

Instead, the hardline Islamist group has done an about-face and banned women from going to university, closed secondary schools and beauty salons, and stopped women from working at NGOs, including at the United Nations.

One of the latest decrees from the Taliban government says new buildings must not be constructed with windows through which women can be seen. Existing buildings with windows must be walled up or covered. “Seeing women working in kitchens, in courtyards or collecting water from wells can lead to obscene acts,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the government.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) welcomed the applications for arrest warrants on Thursday, calling them “a reminder that justice can prevail.”

“We are also hoping to see the ICC expand its investigation for other grave abuses, including those committed by international military forces and the Islamic State in Afghanistan,” she added.

“Without tangible outcomes, including the guaranteed right to education for Afghan girls, international legal action will offer little solace to those living inside Afghanistan,” Nasimi said.

No country formally recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, but some nations, such as Russia, China and Pakistan, have established diplomatic ties with the group.

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French woman blamed for divorce because she no longer had sex with husband wins appeal at top European court

A woman, who was blamed by French courts for her divorce because she no longer had sex with her husband, has won an appeal in Europe’s top human rights court, the court said on Thursday, reigniting a debate in France over women’s rights.

The French woman – identified as Ms H.W, born in 1955 – brought her case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2021 after exhausting legal avenues in France almost a decade following the divorce.

The ECHR ruled that the French courts had violated the woman’s right to respect for private and family life.

“In the present case, the Court could not identify any reason capable of justifying this interference by the public authorities in the area of sexuality,” it said in a statement.

The ECHR ruling comes amid a period of soul-searching in France after the high-profile case of Gisele Pelicot, whose husband was found guilty of drugging his wife and inviting dozens of men over to their home to rape her. The case shocked the world, rekindled thorny debates about women’s rights in France and turned Gisele Pelicot into a feminist icon.

In a statement released by her lawyer, Lilia Mhissen, H.W celebrated her legal victory.

“I hope this decision will mark a turning point in the fight for women’s rights in France,” she said. “It is now imperative that France, like other European countries, such as Portugal or Spain, take concrete measures to eradicate this rape culture and promote a true culture of consent and mutual respect.”

Health problems

Mhissen said the ECHR ruling has no impact on H.W.’s divorce, which is definitive. However, she said it will have a major impact on French law, preventing French judges from making similar divorce rulings in the future.

“This decision marks the abolition of the marital duty and the archaic, canonical vision of the family,” she said in a statement. “Courts will finally stop interpreting French law through the lens of canon law and imposing on women the obligation to have sexual relations within marriage.”

France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which represented the French government in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The woman, who married her husband in 1984 and had four children with him, wanted the divorce, but contested being blamed for the breakdown, arguing it was an unjust intrusion into her private life and a violation of her physical integrity.

She cited health problems and threats of violence from her husband as reasons for why she had not had intimate relations from 2004 onwards.

The fact that one of the couple’s children was mentally and physically handicapped put added stress on the marriage.

H.W., who is from Le Chesnay near Paris, said she had been deeply traumatized by the ruling, which “legitimized a family environment where the privacy and dignity of women are ignored and flouted.”

H.W.’s case was supported by two French women’s activism groups.

Emmanuelle Piet, the head of one of them, the Feminist Collective Against Rape, said she was delighted.

“Ms. W spent 15 years fighting this battle, and it ended in victory, bravo,” she said. “When you are forced to have sexual relations in marriage, it is rape.”

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