On Wednesday, the Biden administration canceled a pair of mineral leases that date back to the 1960s, concluding that the Trump administration skirted legal obligations when it renewed the leases in 2019.

Twin Metals Minnesota, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chilean mining firm Antofagasta, has, for years, been trying to mine at the doorstep of the 1.09 million-acre Boundary Waters — the most visited wilderness area in the country.

Ann Marie Bledsoe Downes, the Interior Department’s principal deputy solicitor, wrote that the Trump administration had “improperly” renewed the leases and violated department regulations by “customizing lease terms specifically for Twin Metals.”

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, a frequent critic of President Joe Biden, said on Tuesday that he is seeing "encouraging" signs from the administration about its approach to deterring further Russian aggression towards Ukraine.

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