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With the Senate flipping to the GOP column, it’s unclear how many Republicans they’ll have. But they could have well over 50 votes. But they won’t have 60 yeas to crack a filibuster. 

That could mean a pressure campaign to eliminate the filibuster. 

Here’s the other dynamic: Democrats are holding the seats they need to potentially win the House. 

Democrats have already flipped one key NY seat in their favor. 

With a GOP Senate and the possibility of a Democratic House, we would be on the precipice of history. 



There has NEVER been a double flip in U.S. history where one body flips in one direction and the other flips in the other. 

With a Republican Senate, there will be a race now for Majority Leader between Thune, Cornyn, and Rick Scott. That leadership vote is scheduled for next Wednesday. 



And it’s possible that Trump could influence who he wants to lead the GOP in the Senate. 

Also, if Democrats are able to flip the House, the roots of this can be traced back to swapping out Biden for Harris.


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The Fox News Decision Desk projects former President Trump has defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in a stunning victory, delivering him a second term in the White House after a historic election cycle filled with unprecedented twists and turns and two attempts on his life. 

Trump defeated Vice President Harris, who entered this race just over 100 days ago.

Trump will be the first president to serve two nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892 — and only the second in history. 

Trump was first elected president in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and vowing to ‘Make America Great Again.’ He lost re-election to President Biden in 2020 during the global coronavirus pandemic but re-claimed the White House in 2024 after a nearly two-year campaign, vowing to ‘Make America Great Once Again.’ 

The President-elect was pushed over the 270 electoral vote threshold after a stunning win in the battleground states of North Carolina, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Trump’s comeback win was official after Fox News called Wisconsin in his favor, a state he narrowly lost in 2020.  

Pennsylvania was one of the most important states Trump to won, with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign having identified it as one of three Rust Belt states on its ‘clearest path to 270 electoral votes.’

The once and future president also took Georgia, no doubt a sweet victory for him after a bitter, narrow loss there in 2020.

Trump formally announced his presidential campaign on Nov. 15, 2022 – just days after the midterm elections. 

Trump campaigned for a second term on the record of his first and focused on the failures of the Biden-Harris administration. The former president was able to point to the reversal of some of his key policies as reasons why inflation rose and the U.S. border crisis worsened.

Trump faced a crowded GOP primary field, but emerged as the frontrunner yet again, easily defeating his opponents – all of whom eventually endorsed him to be the 47th President of the United States – and winning each primary contest.

Until July, Trump was running against Biden, who was seeking re-election for a second term. 

But the two debated for the first time in June, and weeks later, after a disastrous debate performance, Biden was pressured by Democrat insiders to suspend his presidential bid.  

Biden made the announcement in a social media post and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee in his place, moving his vice president to the top of the ticket. 

The decision for Biden to drop out of the race came just days after the Republican National Convention (RNC) finished, and after Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, formally accepted the GOP nomination. 

But Trump, just days before accepting the Republican nomination, survived an assassination attempt at a rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the event, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. 

But weeks later, in September, another would-be-assassin hid himself in the bushes at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, had an AK-47-style rifle pointing through the fence toward Trump as he was golfing. Trump was rushed off the golf course by U.S. Secret Service agents unharmed.

Just a day later, Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the ‘rhetoric’ of Biden, Harris and the Democrats was to blame. 

‘He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,’ Trump said of the gunman. ‘Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country – both from the inside and out.’ 

The general election showcased two very different visions for the future of the United States of America. 

The Trump campaign touted pro-growth, America first economic policies, securing the border, ending inflation, and restoring ‘peace through strength’ as part of the president’s plan.

The Trump campaign’s closing message was: ‘Harris broke it. Trump will fix it.’ 

In the final weeks of the campaign, Trump traveled to Pennsylvania to work at a McDonald’s drive-thru window as a fry cook in a jab at Harris, who previously claimed that she worked at the fast-food chain.

Meanwhile, Harris campaigned that Trump was a threat to democracy and warned supporters that he would sign a national abortion ban – something Trump repeatedly denied.

As for the rhetoric, it never quite fizzled. Trump held a massive, sold-out campaign rally just a week before Election Day at Madison Square Garden in traditionally blue New York City. Democrats, including Harris, later likened Trump to ‘Hitler.’ 

And less than a week before Election Day, Biden described Trump supporters as ‘garbage.’

Trump landed key endorsements from top Republicans during his bid for the White House but also created unlikely allies, like former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. 

Trump also drew support from top business leaders like Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick. Lutnick told Fox News Digital that many Wall Street leaders had privately committed their support to Trump. 

Trump’s victory comes after years of what his campaign called a ‘weaponization’ of the Justice Department. 

Trump’s post-presidential life and third campaign was reminiscent of his days in the Oval Office, marred by investigations, which the former president and his allies said were just part of an effort by his political opponents to prevent him from running for re-election in 2024. 

Trump, who was the first president in U.S. history to be impeached and acquitted twice, was also the first president to be indicted, not just once, but four times over. 

Just days after announcing his re-election bid in November 2022, Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped former DOJ official Jack Smith as special counsel. The appointment came several months after the FBI conducted an unprecedented raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, claiming he improperly retained classified records from his presidency. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from that probe. 

The case was eventually tossed completely by a federal judge in Florida, who ruled that Smith was improperly and unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith also took over an investigation into alleged 2020 election interference. Trump also pleaded not guilty, but his attorneys took the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court to argue on the basis of presidential immunity. 

The high court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for official presidential acts, forcing Smith to file a new indictment. Trump pleaded not guilty to those new charges as well. Trump attorneys are now seeking to have the election interference charges dropped in Washington, D.C., similarly alleging that Smith was appointed unlawfully. 

But that case wasn’t the first Trump-related Supreme Court ruling this election cycle. Colorado, attempting to use the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, sought to remove Trump from the 2024 primary ballot, but the Supreme Court sided unanimously with the former president, impacting efforts in several other states to do the same. 

In 2023, Trump was charged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with allegedly falsifying business records. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges but sat through an unprecedented six-week criminal trial in New York City this spring. The jury found him guilty. 

Trump appealed the ruling, and the judge presiding over the case set his sentencing date for after the election. 

Trump also sat inside a courtroom in the fall of 2023 for a civil fraud trial stemming from a lawsuit brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Judge Arthur Engoron demanded Trump pay more than $450 million. 

But a New York appeals court appeared open-minded and receptive in September to reversing or reducing that judgment. 

Trump has also appealed a ruling to pay E. Jean Carroll more than $80 million in a defamation suit. As president, Trump said Carroll was lying about allegations of sexual assault. This year, a New York jury ruled that he defamed Carroll’s character in denying the allegations and defending himself. 

And in Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump in her election interference case. He pleaded not guilty but was booked and had his mugshot taken – a photo his campaign used throughout the election cycle to illustrate the ‘lawfare’ used against him. 

A Georgia judge tossed a number of charges against Trump, and the case is on hold.

The future of the cases and charges hang in limbo, as the president-elect will have the power to pardon himself once sworn in.

But Trump, through all of the unprecedented legal challenges, took every opportunity to campaign. After hours in court this spring, Trump delivered pizzas to the New York City Fire Department. 

Trump told his supporters he thought the prosecutions would have ‘the reverse effect’ on his presidential bid – and he was apparently right.  


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Vice President Kamala Harris will not speak to supporters tonight from her alma mater in Washington, D.C., as previously planned.

Harris campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond briefly addressed those gathered at Howard University in the early morning hours Wednesday, informing them Harris would address voters at the university on Wednesday. It was not made clear when exactly that would occur.

Despite the bleak outlook for Democrats at that moment of the night, Richmond told those gathered at Howard there were ‘still votes to be counted.’

‘We still have states that have not been called yet,’ Richmond added. ‘We will continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted, that every voice has spoken.’

Before Richmond spoke and informed the crowd Harris would not be speaking as originally planned, videos began circulating online showing those gathered at Howard vacating the premises as the race’s momentum appeared to swing in favor of Republicans. 

Richmond’s indication that Harris would be calling it a night early came roughly an hour before the race was called for President-elect Donald Trump. Republicans also took back control of the Senate early in the night Tuesday, and it still remains possible the GOP wins a supermajority with enough victories in the House of Representatives.

Trump is still expected to speak to voters tonight from the Palm Beach County Convention Center as planned.


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Election Edge: Smart Investing Strategies for Volatile Times

How will the US election affect key markets from gold to crypto? Get exclusive insights and predictions from our experts.

✓ Trends ✓ Forecasts ✓ Top Stocks

Who We Are

At the same time, not a single word of the content we choose for you is paid for by any company or investment advisor: We choose our content based solely on its informational and educational value to you, the investor.

So if you are looking for a way to diversify your portfolio amidst political and financial instability, this is the place to start. Right now.

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Red Mountain Mining Limited (“RMX” or the “Company”) is pleased to advise that it has received gold results for 91 rock grab samples collected during September from the Company’s 100%-owned Flicka Lake prospect in Ontario, Canada. The rock chip sampling was carried out in parallel with a soil sampling program. Approximately 400 locations were visited within the Flicka Lake claims and 91 rock grab samples and 283 soil samples were collected and submitted for multielement geochemical analysis, including gold by Flame Assay and a base metal suite by four acid digest with ICP-OES finish. Soil results assay results are expected before the end of November.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Gold results from 91 rock chip samples collected from Flicka Lake received
  • Bonanza grade values confirmed for the Flicka Zone:
    • Flicka Vein #2 returned values of 24.2ppm (24.2 g/t Au) and 19.4ppm (19.4 g/t Au)
    • Flicka Vein #3 returned a peak value of 9.35ppm (9.35 g/t Au)
  • Results supported by historical desktop study as announced last week
  • 0.514ppm (0.514 g/t Au) returned for a pyritic vein sample 800m WSW of Flicka Zone, along the strike of the main shear, highlighting the potential for strike extension of high grade mineralisation
  • Soil assay results are expected to be received before the end of November

As outlined in RMX’s ASX announcement of 30 October 2024, the rock and soil sampling program was designed to test ten target zones defined using available geological and geophysical data for the Flicka Lake tenement. Zones sampled included the Flicka Zone, previously identified and sampled by Troon Ventures in the early 2000s.

High gold grades for the Flicka Zone confirmed by rock chip sample results

The gold values returned for the 91 rock chip samples are shown on Figure 1 and Figure 2 and listed on Table 1. The best results were obtained from Vein #2 and Vein #3 of the Flicka Zone, with peak values of:

  • 24.2ppm (24.2 g/t Au) (Sample 1292085) and 19.4ppm (19.4 g/t Au) (Sample 1292094, shown in Figure 3) from Vein #2.
  • 9.35ppm (9.35 g/t Au) (Sample1292086) from Vein #3.

The RMX rock chip results are consistent with historical rock chip and channel sampling results reported by Troon Ventures for the Flicka Zone (Figure 2) that range up to 16.88ppm (16.88 g/t Au) for Vein #1, 12.96ppm (12.96 g/t Au) for Vein #2 and 20.067ppm (20.067 g/t Au) for Vein #3 (refer to RMX ASX Announcement 30 October 2024).

The gold results to date from the Flicka Zone veins are comparable to the recorded grade of the Golden Patricia Mine (refer to Figure 4), a steeply dipping narrow quartz vein system averaging only 40cm in width that is located approximately 25km NE of the Flicka Lake project area. Between 1987 and 1997, Golden Patricia produced 0.62Moz of gold from 1.22Mt of ore averaging 14.4ppm (14.4 g/t Au)1.

An additional pyritic vein sample, located ~800m WSW of the Flicka Zone along the strike of and striking approximately parallel to the main Flicka Zone shear (Figure 1) returned a value of 0.514ppm (0.514 g/t Au), which highlights the potential for the high-grade mineralisation sampled at the Flicka Zone to persist along the shear system.

Next steps

Following receipt of soil geochemistry and full base metal rock chip sample results, expected during November, RMX will evaluate the full dataset to prioritise targets within the Flicka Lake claims for further surface sampling, where justified and drill testing during the 2025 Canadian field season.

Click here for the full ASX Release

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House Speaker Mike Johnson was declared the winner Tuesday night in his effort to keep Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District solidly red, according to The Associated Press. 

The four-term congressman was first elected in 2016 but gained prominence as a leader in the GOP after he was elected by his fellow members of Congress last year to replace former GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California. Johnson was previously vice chair of the House GOP conference. 

Johnson’s victory Tuesday in his reliably red district came with little resistance. Democrats did not enter a candidate in the race. Joshua Morott, a Republican substitute teacher with little experience in politics, was Johnson’s only challenger. 

Johnson’s district sits in the northwest corner of the state and is home to Shreveport, Louisiana’s third most populous city. 

Despite lacking any true competition, Johnson still led his party’s fundraising efforts this election cycle. He brought in more than $19 million for his own campaign and $8 million for other GOP candidates, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.

Louisiana has been at the center of a redistricting battle, and earlier this year the state’s congressional map was redrawn to include two Black majority districts. The state is still facing legal challenges over whether the new maps unfairly discriminate against voters. 

Johnson’s future as GOP leader remains uncertain even if Republicans maintain control of the House after Tuesday’s election. Johnson has said he wants to continue in the leadership role if Republicans keep the House.

However, he has not indicated anything about his plans if they do not. People close to Johnson have said he would likely step down, according to NBC News.

Even if Republicans keep the House, a handful of them have signaled they either will not support Johnson to remain speaker or are unsure whether they would support him.

In addition to his duties as speaker, Johnson serves on the House Judiciary Committee and is chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.


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Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk said election night he plans to continue to be active in politics through the presidential election into the 2026 midterms. 

‘America PAC is going to keep going after this election — and preparing for the midterms and any intermediate elections, as well as looking at elections at the district attorney and sort of judicial levels,’ Musk said on X Spaces Tuesday. 

Musk has taken an active role on the campaign trail for the former president and has helped canvass for Trump in key battleground states like Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina

According to its website, America PAC aims to ‘promote free speech, free markets, and a merit-based society.’ 

Musk made waves on the Pennsylvania campaign trail in support of Trump’s campaign, including offering $1 million a day to swing-state voters who sign his political action committee’s petition backing the Constitution.

Musk was sued by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who called the contest an ‘illegal lottery’ aimed at influencing the results of a presidential election.

On Monday, a Pennsylvania judge ruled Musk could continue his efforts. 

Reuters reported Tuesday evening that Musk has also been sued in a proposed class action over the giveaway. 

Musk has given at least $118 million to America PAC, The Washington Post reported. He is expected to spend election night with the former president in Florida. 

The New York Times first reported the news, citing two people familiar with Musk’s schedule, that Musk will be among a small group of people watching the election results with Trump. 

Musk, after the first assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, wrote on X, ‘I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.’

Musk later appeared with Trump at a rally in Butler.

‘I want to say what an honor it is to be here, and, you know, the true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire, right?’ Musk said at the beginning of his remarks. ‘And we had one president who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist pumping after getting shot.’ 


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John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, discusses uranium supply, demand and price developments, honing in on recent deals geared at feeding power demand for artificial intelligence (AI).

‘We never would have guessed it would have been AI data centers that kicked it all off, but I think it’s a very exciting development, and it helps to really validate the thesis that we’ve been talking about for over three years at this point.’

Ciampaglia also spoke about the potential impact of the US election, saying that while Republicans have historically been more pro-nuclear than Democrats, the industry is now receiving bipartisan support.

‘Irrespective of who wins, we think nuclear is going to continue to receive support,’ he emphasized.

Watch the interview above for more of his thoughts on uranium supply, demand and prices.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Output from the top uranium-producing countries rose steadily for a decade, peaking at 63,207 metric tons (MT) in 2016. However, global uranium production has noticeably declined in the years since then.

Decreased numbers across the world are related to the persistently low spot prices the uranium market has experienced in the wake of the Fukushima disaster; COVID-19 and Russia’s war against Ukraine have also had an impact on output.

Now uranium prices have begun to rebound significantly, buoyed by increasingly positive sentiment about the role of nuclear power in the energy transition, and investment demand via new uranium-based funds.

Currently 10 percent of the world’s electricity is generated by nuclear energy, and that number is expected to grow. Looking forward, analysts are calling for a sustained bull market in uranium. In early 2024, prices surged to a 17 year high of more than US$100 per pound, and although they have slipped slightly since then, industry insiders remain optimistic.

Due to its significance in nuclear fuel production and energy generation, it’s important to know where uranium is mined and which nations are the largest uranium-producing countries. Kazakhstan is the leader by a long shot, and has been since 2009. In 2022 — the last year for which data is available — it was followed by Canada and Namibia in second and third place, respectively.

For investors interested in following the uranium space, having familiarity with uranium production by country is essential. Read on to get a closer look at the largest uranium-producing countries. Data and mine information on the top 10 uranium producing countries are from the World Nuclear Association’s most recent report on uranium mine production, and mining database MDO.

1. Kazakhstan

Mine production: 21,227 metric tons

Kazakhstan is the largest uranium producing country in the world, and its total output of 21,227 metric tons in 2022 accounted for an impressive 43 percent of global uranium supply.

When last recorded in 2021, Kazakhstan had 815,200 MT of known recoverable uranium resources, second only to Australia. Most of the uranium in the country is mined via an in-situ leaching process.

Kazataprom (LSE:KAP,OTC Pink:NATKY), the country’s national uranium miner, is the world’s largest producer, with projects and partnerships in various jurisdictions. News that the top uranium producer may miss its production targets for 2024 and 2025 was a large contributor to uranium prices breaking through the US$100 level this year.

One of the company’s most significant uranium operations is the Inkai in-situ recovery (ISR) mine, a joint venture with Cameco( TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ) who holds a 40 percent interest. According to the mining database MDO, Inkai produced 8.3 million pounds of U3O8 in 2023.

2. Canada

Mine production: 7,351 metric tons

Canada’s uranium output in 2022 was 7,351 metric tons. The country’s production fell dramatically since hitting a peak of 14,039 MT in 2016 as the country’s mines closed due to low uranium prices in the late 2010s. However, uranium production in the country began to rebound in 2022.

Saskatchewan’s Cigar Lake and McArthur River are considered the world’s two top uranium mines. Both properties are operated by sector major Cameco. MDO highlights Cigar Lake and McArthur River as having uranium grades that are 100 times the world average. The company made the decision to shutter operations at the McArthur River mine in 2018, but returned to normal operations in November 2022.

In 2023, Cameco produced 17.6 million pounds of uranium — equivalent to 7,983 metric tons — which was still below its originally planned production of 20.3 million pounds for the year. The company has set its guidance at 22.4 million pounds for 2024.

Uranium exploration is also prevalent in Canada, with the majority occurring in the uranium-rich Athabasca Basin. That area of Saskatchewan is world renowned for its high-quality uranium deposits and friendly mining attitude. The province’s long history with the uranium industry has helped to assert it as an international leader in the sector.

3. Namibia

Mine production: 5,613 metric tons

Namibia’s uranium production has been steadily increasing after falling to 2,993 MT in 2015.

In fact, the African nation overtook longtime frontrunner Canada to become the third largest uranium-producing country in 2020, and went on to surpass Australia for the second top spot in 2021. Although Namibia slipped back below Canada in 2022, its output for the year was only down by 140 MT from 2021.

The country is home to three key uranium mines: Langer Heinrich, Rossing and Husab. Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN,OTCQX:PALAF) owns the Langer Heinrich mine. In 2017, Paladin took Langer Heinrich offline due to weak uranium prices; however, improved uranium prices over the past few years prompted the uranium miner to ramp up restart efforts. At the close of 2024’s first quarter, Langer Heinrich achieved commercial production once again.

Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO,ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO) sold its majority share of the Rossing mine to China National Uranium in 2019. Rossing is the world’s longest-running open-pit uranium mine, and recent expansion efforts have extended its mine life to 2036, according to MDO.

The Husab mine, majority owned by China General Nuclear, is one of the world’s largest uranium mines by output. As part of its effort to increase output, MDO reports that a pilot heap leach project is underway to assess the economic feasibility of processing lower-grade ore. The results of the pilot project are expected by 2025.

4. Australia

Mine production: 4,087 metric tons

Australia’s uranium production totaled 4,087 metric tons in 2022, down significantly from the 6,203 MT produced two years prior. The island nation holds 28 percent of the world’s known recoverable uranium resources.

Uranium mining is a contentious and often political issue in Australia. While the country permits some uranium-mining activity, it is opposed to using nuclear energy — at least for now. ‘Australia uses no nuclear power, but with high reliance on coal any likely carbon constraints on electricity generation will make it a strong possibility,” according to the World Nuclear Association. “Australia has a significant infrastructure to support any future nuclear power program.”

Australia is home to three operating uranium mines, including the largest-known deposit of uranium in the world, BHP’s (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) Olympic Dam. Although uranium is only produced as a by-product at Olympic Dam, its high output of the metal makes it the fourth largest uranium-producing mine in the world. The mining database MDO reports that In BHP’s 2024 fiscal year, uranium output from the Olympic Dam operation totaled 3,603 metric tons of uranium oxide concentrate.

5. Uzbekistan

Mine production: 3,300 metric tons

In 2022, Uzbekistan was the fifth largest uranium producing country, with output of 3,300 metric tons. It entered the top five in 2020, with an estimated 3,500 MT of output. Domestic uranium production had been gradually increasing in the Central Asian nation since 2016 via Japanese and Chinese joint ventures.

Navoi Mining & Metallurgy Combinat is part of state holding company Kyzylkumredmetzoloto, and handles all the mining and processing of domestic uranium supply. The nation’s uranium largess continues to attract foreign investment; strategic partnerships with French uranium miner Orano and state-run China Nuclear Uranium were announced in November 2023 and March 2024, respectively.

6. Russia

Mine production: 2,508 metric tons

Russia was in sixth place in terms of uranium production in 2022 with production of 2,508 metric tons. Output has been relatively steady in the country since 2011, usually coming in around the 2,800 to 3,000 MT range.

Experts had been expecting the country to increase its production in the coming years to meet its energy needs, as well as growing uranium demand around the world. But in 2021, uranium production in the country dropped by 211 MT year-over-year to 2,635 MT; it fell by another 127 MT in 2022.

In terms of domestic production, Rosatom, a subsidiary of ARMZ Uranium Holding, owns the country’s Priargunsky mine and is working on developing the Vershinnoye deposit in Southern Siberia through a subsidiary.

In 2023, Russia surpassed its uranium production target, producing 90 MT more than expected. Rosatom is developing new mines, including Mine No. 6, which is slated to begin uranium production in 2028.

Russian uranium has been an area of controversy in recent years, with the US initiating a Section 232 investigation around the security of uranium imports from the country in 2018. More recently, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has prompted countries around the world to look more closely at their nuclear supply chains.

7. Niger

Mine production: 2,020 metric tons

Niger’s uranium production has declined year-on-year over the past decade, with output totaling 2,020 metric tons in 2022. The African nation is home to the producing SOMAIR uranium mine and the past producing COMINAK mine, which account for 5 percent of the world’s uranium production. Both are run by subsidiaries of Orano, a private uranium miner, through majority owned joint ventures.

Global Atomic (TSX:GLO,OTCQX:GLATF) is developing its Dasa project in the country, and expects to commission its processing plant by early 2026. Niger is also home to the Madaouela uranium asset, which was the flagship project of explorer GoviEx Uranium (TSXV:GXU,OTCQB:GVXXF).

A recent military coup in the African nation has sparked uranium supply concerns, as Niger accounts for 15 percent of France’s uranium needs and one-fifth of EU imports. In January 2024, the government of Niger, now under a military junta, announced it intends to overhaul the nation’s mining industry. It has temporarily halted the granting of new mining licenses and is working to make changes to existing mining licenses in order to increase state profits.

This past summer, Niger’s government revoked GoviEx Uranium’s Madaouela mining license along with Orano’s operating permit for its Imouraren uranium project.

8. China

Mine production: 1,700 metric tons

China’s uranium production grew to hit 1,700 metric tons in 2022, up by 100 MT over 2021. The country’s uranium production climbed during the 2010s from 885 MT in 2011 to 1,885 MT in 2018, and held steady at that level until falling to 1,600 MT in 2021.

China General Nuclear Power, the country’s sole domestic uranium supplier, is looking to expand nuclear fuel supply deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and additional foreign uranium companies.

China’s goal is to supply one-third of its nuclear fuel cycle with uranium from domestic producers, obtain one-third through foreign equity in mines and joint ventures overseas and purchase one-third on the open uranium market. China is also a leader in nuclear energy; Mainland China has 56 nuclear reactors with 31 in construction.

9. India

Mine production: 600 metric tons

India produced 600 metric tons of uranium in 2022, on par with output in 2021.

India currently has 23 operating nuclear reactors with another seven under construction. “The Indian government is committed to growing its nuclear power capacity as part of its massive infrastructure development programme,” as per the World Nuclear Association. “The government has set ambitious targets to grow nuclear capacity.”

10. South Africa

Mine production: 200 metric tons

South Africa produced 200 metric tons of uranium in 2022. It is another uranium-producing country that has seen its output decline over the past decade — the nation’s uranium output peaked at 573 MT in 2014. Nonetheless, South Africa surpassed Ukraine’s production (curbed by Russia’s invasion) in 2022 to become the 10th top uranium producer globally.

South Africa holds 5 percent of the world’s known uranium resources, taking the sixth spot on that list.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

There’s been a great deal of speculation surrounding a potential Starlink initial public offering (IPO), and the idea of an impending Starlink stock release date has investors excited.

Elon Musk’s satellite internet business been referred to by many as the future of global connectivity, offering low latency and high speed in even the most remote locations. The company controls roughly 6,300 satellites and recently surpassed over 4 million subscribers.

One reason for this interest is Musk’s reputation in the investment space. Despite recent pitfalls at X, previously known as Twitter, the man has been involved in multiple highly successful and high-profile tech companies. Starlink itself is an offshoot of one of his other companies, SpaceX.

Even without Musk’s involvement, Starlink has immense market potential. A lack of connectivity is one of the most significant bugbears facing the proliferation of technology like autonomous vehicles and the internet of things. By removing this restriction, Starlink could cultivate a flood of invention and innovation and allow edge computing to thrive.

The company’s satellites have been deployed in countries around the world in recent years. In June 2023, parent company SpaceX was awarded a contract by the Pentagon in the US to provide internet terminals for use in Ukraine. A few months later, following the launch of its war on Hamas, Israel entered into talks with SpaceX to secure the use of Starlink satellites as a backup communications system.

Additionally, the company launched a US$90 million deal with Mexico in November 2023 to provide free internet to remote regions, and Telstra Group (ASX:TLS,OTC Pink:TTRAF) became one of the first service providers to offer Starlink connectivity to rural Australians in July of that year.

Will Starlink go public? Although a Starlink IPO has yet to be officially announced, there has been a great deal of speculation, and some experts have suggested that the occasion may be closer than many realize. With that in mind, those considering a Starlink investment must ensure they understand the company and its technology as soon as possible.

In this article

    What is satellite internet?

    A satellite internet connection transmits and receives data via a network of near-Earth satellites. Though this technology isn’t new, it has evolved considerably over the past several years. At the time of its inception, it was generally only used by subscribers in remote areas who had few other options for connectivity.

    The history of satellite internet traces back to 1962, with the world’s first commercial communication satellite. Known as Telstar 1, the satellite was launched by NASA in response to Russia’s successful launch of the satellite Sputnik 1. It had a short life, however; Telstar launched one day after high-altitude nuclear weapons testing, and radiation from the tests damaged electronics on the satellite. It was only operational for seven months before it was rendered inoperable.

    Interestingly, the idea of transmitting information via satellite wasn’t new at the time of Telstar’s launch. Decades earlier, astronautics theorist Herman Potočnik first proposed the concept of geostationary orbital satellites in his 1929 book ‘Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums – der Raketen-Motor,’ which translates to ‘The Problem with Space Travel: the Rocket Motor.’ Renowned futurist Arthur C. Clarke would later cite Potočnik’s work in a 1945 paper envisioning satellite communication.

    The first real use of satellite internet would not occur until the late 20th century via the Teledisc project, funded by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). First proposed in 1994, Teledisc planned to establish a network of low-orbit broadband satellites. Unfortunately, the project was rendered defunct in 2002 shortly after the failure of two similar ventures, Iridium and Globalstar.

    One year later, in 2003, French satellite operator Eutelsat became the first company in the world to launch a successful satellite internet project. Since then, multiple service providers and telecommunications companies have dabbled in satellite connectivity. However, it has largely lagged behind its technological peers, primarily only seeing use in particularly isolated regions.

    To explain why, we need to first explain the different types of internet. The two most common are land-based connections and cellular or mobile connections.

    Landline internet uses telephone lines, coaxial cables or dedicated fiber-optic cables to send and receive data from a modem or router. This device then serves as an access point, allowing everything from computers to smart home appliances to connect to the internet. Mobile internet, meanwhile, leverages nearby cell phone towers to beam data directly to and from connected devices.

    Traditional satellite internet is something of a fusion between mobile and landline, albeit over a vastly larger distance. It leverages a satellite dish connected to two modems. One modem is used for sending data and the other for receiving.

    Historically, speed and capacity represent the two most significant drawbacks to satellite internet. Most satellite internet service providers only support speeds between 25 and 300 megabits per second (mbps). By contrast, landline fiber internet is capable of speeds up to 5 gigabits per second (gbps). Satellite internet also tends to be far costlier than a comparable landline connection, with higher latency and lower caps on data usage. It may also suffer from issues with reliability. Lastly, satellite internet may suffer from interference due to factors such as terrain or canopy coverage.

    That brings us around to what makes Starlink exciting. Although not yet competitive with landline internet in terms of cost, the company offers considerably higher data caps and speeds than any other provider on the market — up to 500 mbps with a 1 terabyte cap. Starlink’s low-orbit satellites are also less vulnerable to geographic interference while offering more consistent and reliable coverage.

    Does Starlink have an IPO date?

    At the time of this writing, Starlink is not publicly traded, and there is no concrete date for a Starlink IPO. Hints of a possible Starlink IPO originally came from several tweets made by Musk in 2021.

    ‘Once we can predict cash flow reasonably well, Starlink will IPO,’ he explained at the time. ‘(It will be) at least a few years before Starlink revenue is reasonably predictable. Going public sooner than that would be very painful.’

    Musk added later that year that Starlink’s parent company SpaceX ‘needs to pass through a deep chasm of negative cashflow over the next year or so to make Starlink financially viable.’

    At the time, Musk said a Starlink IPO wasn’t likely until at least 2025 or later.

    It’s no surprise then that market watchers’ eyebrows rose when listening to SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell speak at the February 2023 Commercial Space Transportation Conference. While discussing a planned testing milestone for SpaceX’s rockets, Shotwell claimed that 2023 was the year Starlink would make money.

    She added that the company had a cashflow-positive quarter in 2022. There was also SpaceX’s reported revenue for 2022 — just over US$3.3 billion, US$1 billion of which originated from Starlink.

    In early November 2023, Musk reported that Starlink had once again “achieved breakeven cashflow.’

    Shortly after, an anonymous source told Bloomberg that a Starlink IPO could be on the table for 2024. But Musk quickly fired back in a post on X that the report was “false.”

    It seems fairly clear based on Musk’s comments that we shouldn’t expect a Starlink IPO anytime soon. So why is there so much speculation that one is just around the corner?

    Well, for one thing Starlink sales dominated SpaceX’s 2023 revenues, meaning the company made more money as an internet provider than as a space rocket company. Starlink revenues topped a massive US$4.2 billion last year, compared to US$3.5 billion for the firm’s core rocket launch business.

    Of course, these figures should be taken with a very large grain of salt. As is too often the case in technology investing, there is no shortage of hype surrounding Starlink, much of it drummed up by Musk himself. An April 2024 BNN Bloomberg article points out that even with all that revenue, Starlink “is still burning through more cash than it brings in.” Based on anonymous inside sources, Starlink accounting is “more of an art than a science.’

    Even if those numbers are inflated, the company does show promise, and analysts are still optimistic that a Starlink IPO is on the horizon. Justus Parmar, founder and CEO of venture capital firm Fortuna Investments, told Reuters he’s eyeing 2025 or 2026. “(Musk’s) waiting for a level of stability or predictability in revenue,” he said. Once the IPO is official, Parmar believes it will “be an extremely strong catalyst for everything space related.”

    How can you get exposure before the Starlink IPO date?

    While it’s impossible to invest directly in Starlink, you may be able to get a head start by investing in Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), as Musk stated he’ll ‘do his best’ to give preference to long-term Tesla shareholders. Additionally, there are platforms such as Hiive that enable accredited investors to purchase shares of pre-IPO companies, including SpaceX.

    Fortunately, you have several options if you simply want to invest in satellite internet and aren’t particularly attached to the idea of Starlink. In spite of their failed efforts in the early 2000s, both Iridium Communications (NASDAQ:IRDM) and Globalstar (NYSEAMERICAN:GSAT) are currently going strong. Globalstar’s performance is especially promising, as the company had increased in value by almost 350 percent over the past five years as of early November 2024.

    EchoStar (NASDAQ:SATS) is another satellite provider that’s performing strongly in 2024. Other potential satellite internet investments include ViaSat (NASDAQ:VSAT) and Gilat Satellite Networks (NASDAQ:GILT).

    As with any investment, it’s important to do your research and speak to an accredited brokerage or investment advisor before you commit any capital.

    Investor takeaway

    From an investment perspective, Starlink displays incredible promise. The company’s ties to Musk, a man with an established track record of successful technology startups, has generated considerable interest out of the gate. Yet even ignoring the connection to Musk, Starlink has a massive potential addressable market thanks to ongoing demand for better connectivity and a relative dearth of viable options for edge computing.

    Trends such as distributed work and the proliferation of internet of things devices will only further drive this demand.

    With that said, it’s best to exercise a degree of restraint where Starlink is concerned. Although the company will very likely be a sound investment once it or SpaceX goes public, there is currently a great deal of exaggerated hype and speculation surrounding it. Anyone who chooses to add Starlink shares to their portfolio if the company does go public should first ensure they understand what to expect — something they cannot do by listening to hype alone.

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com