Author

admin

Browsing

Mining major BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) has named the early stage explorers selected for its 2026 Xplor program, expanding the intake to a record 10 companies.

According to a Monday (February 2) press release, the latest cohort is the largest since the initiative launched in 2023, surpassing the previous high of eight participants announced last year.

Making up the list are exploration companies FrontierX from Canada, Litchfield Minerals (ASX:LMS) from Australia, Orion Minerals (ASX:ORN) from South Africa, Otrera Resources from South America and PT GeoFix from Indonesia.

The majority of the exploration companies have a copper focus, underlining growing global demand for the metal.

The cohort also includes the Utah Geological Survey in the US, which is Utah’s primary source of geologic data to support the industry, the government and the community. Technology companies that made the cut are RadiXplore from Australia, Mineural from Canada, VectOres Science from the US and Discovery Genomics from Canada.

RadiXplore and Mineural are maximizing artificial intelligence applications in the mining sector, while VectOres is applying its water and isotope chemistry platform to test mining data.

Discovery Genomics, which is based in Vancouver, is developing DNA sequencing as a new tool for mineral exploration.

“The 2026 cohort reflects how broad and dynamic early-stage discovery has become,” said BHP Xplor Head Marley Palin, adding that the program creates a uniquely collaborative environment. “We’re seeing exciting ideas emerge across exploration, data, and technology, often at the same time and in the same places.”

All winning companies will be granted equity-free funding of US$500,000 and structured learning, mentoring and access to BHP specialists for their exploration, technology and commercial processes.

“Exploration is evolving quickly. New tools, better data, and different ways of working are changing how early-stage ideas are tested and refined,” said BHP Group Exploration Officer Tim O’ Connor. “This cohort reflects that shift, bringing together explorers and technology developers who are approaching discovery in thoughtful and practical ways.”

Exploration companies selected by BHP in previous Xplor editions include Cobre (ASX:CBE), Hamelin Gold (ASX:HMG) and Viridian Metals (CSE:VRDN,OTCGM:VIRMF).

Applications for Xplor 2026 opened in October 2025. The new round brings the total number of companies assisted by the BHP Xplor program from 21 to 31.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

President Donald Trump is trying to quell a growing rebellion against the funding deal he negotiated with Senate Democrats as a growing number of House conservatives threaten to sink the legislation if a key demand is not met.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is walking a tightrope with House Republicans demanding the inclusion of election integrity legislation to the Trump-backed deal, which he negotiated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week. 

The government is in its third day of a partial shutdown. Adding the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to the package would send the legislation back to the Senate, where Schumer has already vowed to block it. 

That would likely extend what was intended to be a temporary closure.

Trump took to Truth Social to lower the temperature among House Republicans, and noted that he was ‘working hard with Speaker Johnson to get the current funding deal, which passed in the Senate last week, through the House and to my desk, where I will sign it into Law, IMMEDIATELY!’

‘We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,’ Trump said. ‘There can be NO CHANGES at this time.’ 

‘We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly — One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats,’ he continued. ‘I hope everyone will vote, YES!’

A cohort of House Republicans, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wants to see the SAVE Act attached to the five-bill funding package plus short-term extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

It would require states to obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital on Monday that he was leaning against voting to advance the funding deal if the SAVE Act was not attached. Reps. William Timmons, R-S.C., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have foreshadowed similar threats.

It’s legislation that has long been shelved since advancing from the House last year. Its passage in the upper chamber is even more unlikely because of the 60-vote filibuster threshold and Senate Democrats’ reticence to even consider supporting it. 

Their demands come as the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper for most legislation to get a chamber-wide vote, is set to meet Monday evening to consider the funding deal. Johnson met with Rules Committee members on Monday afternoon ahead of their scheduled meeting.  

Tacking on the SAVE Act would likely kill any chance of the spending deal earning support from House Democrats, who are already resistant to the deal. 

And if it were to make it to the Senate, Democrats in the upper chamber are primed to block it.

Without it, however, the group of House conservatives could kill the spending deal during a procedural hurdle called a ‘rule vote.’ The House Rules Committee advancing the bill sets up a chamber-wide rule vote, which if successful would unlock debate and set up a final vote on passage. 

Rule votes generally fall along partisan lines. And with a one-vote majority after the swearing-in of a new House Democrat who won a special election in Texas over the weekend, Johnson can afford little dissent.

Schumer laid out an edict on Monday against the idea, where he accused Republicans of pushing legislation ‘reminiscent of Jim Crow-era laws,’ that he argued would act as a means to suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections. 

‘It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to,’ Schumer said in a statement. ‘If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown.’


This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Nearly half of state attorneys general will demand the House Judiciary Committee expand its probe into climate policy-related influence on federal judges to include a gold-standard guide judges use to examine subjects they are not typically versed in.

The development comes after a Fox News Digital report highlighted criticisms of the latest edition of the Federal Judicial Center’s (FJC) 1,600-page ‘Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence.’ Critics said the traditionally apolitical reference guide is now rife with climate change–related ideological bias, citing extensive footnotes drawn from left-leaning and climate-alarmist sources.

The Federal Judicial Center itself is the research and education agency of the federal judiciary, and its governing board is chaired by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is leading the effort, writing to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, urging them to expand their improper-influence probe to include what they call an ‘inappropriate attempt to rig case outcomes in favor of one side.’

The latest edition was published December 31 and includes a foreword by Justice Elena Kagan before delving into subject matter footnoted to environmental law expert Jessica Wentz, climatologist Michael Mann, and a slew of others involved in climate change research and advocacy.

‘Those same improper influence concerns apply to the Federal Judicial Center and its new ‘Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence’,’ the attorney generals wrote in part.

They noted that Kagan’s foreword said previous editions of the manual helped ‘bring about better and fairer legal decisions,’ but argued her words would not echo the same in the latest edition.

‘Like [the] Climate Judiciary Project that the Committee is investigating, the new chapter presents a highly biased, agenda-driven view favoring radical interests pursuing lawsuits against producers and users of traditional forms of fossil fuel energy,’ the attorneys general argued, citing the inclusion of findings from Jessica Wentz, a climate change advocate at Columbia University, among other names.

They cited a court brief crafted by Wentz in opposition to the Willow drilling project in Alaska, where she was quoted as saying ‘the world needs to phase out fossil fuels as rapidly as possible in order to avert potentially catastrophic levels of global warming and climate change.’

The prosecutors also pointed to the inclusion of work from an attorney who represented the city of Honolulu in cases against traditional energy firms.

‘Not surprisingly, given the strong biases of its authors, reviewers, and sources, the climate change chapter presents as settled the very methodologies that plaintiffs rely on to impose liability on fossil-fuel defendants,’ the letter reads.

‘The chapter presents this science as authoritative without acknowledging contrary views or disclosing the many conflicts of the authors, reviewers, and sources. Ethics experts have noted that these issues raise serious ethics concerns.’

In comments to Fox News Digital, Hilgers said the FJC’s new science manual should present complex evidence impartially, but instead ‘appears to embed the views of climate activists and diversity, equity, and inclusion ideologues into what is presented as neutral guidance.’

‘When the same advocates and experts who are actively litigating climate cases help write and review a chapter that will be used by federal judges behind the scenes, it raises obvious and serious concerns about the impartiality of the judicial system,’ Hilgers said.

‘Nebraskans, and all Americans, deserve courts that are neutral and fair.’

The letter was also signed by Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and their fellow state prosecutors in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming.

Chicago mayor criticizes Clarence Thomas while defending city’s reparations task force

‘We’ve seen ridiculous legal warfare grow across the country — politically motivated groups, using our courts and liberal justices to push their climate agenda. That’s bad enough,’ McCuskey told Fox News Digital, saying it is time to prevent the influence of ‘junk science.”

‘We… must protect our judicial system and its impartiality,’ he said.

McCuskey also fired off a missive to the FJC itself, co-signed by Marshall, Uthmeier, Cox and others.

He told the center’s director — Obama-appointed federal judge Robin Rosenberg of Florida — that the manual’s ubiquity must remain trusted.

‘At least up to this point, [FJC] has been careful to stress that the Manual merely ‘describes basic principles of major scientific fields… Instead, the Fourth Edition places the judiciary firmly on one side of some of the most hotly disputed questions in current litigation: climate-related science and ‘attribution’.’

‘Such work undermines the judiciary’s impartiality and places a thumb on one side of the scale,’ McCuskey said.

Trump calls out SCOTUS judges for

American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac added that the FJC wrongly used taxpayer funds to publish a reference manual that ’embeds disputed, plaintiff-driven climate alarmist theories into materials judges consult.’

‘That is not education, it is outcome-shaping, and it directly undermines judicial impartiality,’ Isaac said.

O.H. Skinner of Alliance for Consumers called the development ‘the woke lawfare playbook in action’ and said climate change activists see the courtroom as their best chance to bring permanence to their ideology.

When reached for comment on the matter of her footnotes coming under scrutiny, Wentz replied, ‘no comment.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Jordan and Grassley for comment, as well as the FJC.


This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Justice Department (DOJ) has removed its pardon attorney from an internal ‘Weaponization Working Group,’ even as officials say the politically sensitive panel is now meeting more frequently, Fox News has learned.

Ed Martin currently serves as the DOJ’s pardon attorney, a role appointed by President Donald Trump that involves reviewing clemency applications and advising the White House on pardons and commutations. He had also participated in the department’s internal Weaponization Working Group.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News on Monday that Martin had been removed from the working group, though it was not immediately clear why.

‘President Trump appointed Ed Martin as Pardon Attorney and Ed continues to do a great job in that role,’ a DOJ spokesperson said.

Trump nominated Martin, a former defense attorney who represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia in February of last year.

But after concerns from lawmakers stalled Martin’s confirmation, Trump withdrew the nomination.

Trump instead nominated Jeanine Pirro for the role, and she was ultimately confirmed.

Martin was appointed to serve as U.S. pardon attorney on May 14, 2025, and was named by Trump at the time to serve as director of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, a role he held until his removal was announced Monday.

The working group was formed in early 2025 and is now meeting more frequently, with the goal of eventually meeting daily. It is an internal review body created to examine claims that federal law enforcement and prosecutorial powers were misused for political or partisan purposes.

Martin has previously drawn scrutiny over his actions involving New York Attorney General Letitia James. In August, a lawyer representing James criticized Martin for visiting her Brooklyn residence and publicly suggesting she resign, calling the visit a ‘made-for-media stunt.’

Martin later said he visited the property to ‘lay eyes on it’ and shared images of the visit on social media.

He was subsequently granted special prosecutorial authority to pursue mortgage fraud investigations involving James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., both of whom have denied wrongdoing and described the probes as politically motivated.

Martin also urged James to step down in a letter he described as ‘confidential’ but later shared publicly on X.


This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Costa Ricans have elected conservative populist Laura Fernández as their next president, according to preliminary results, making her the latest right-leaning leader to win office in Latin America.

With results from 96.8% of polling places counted, Fernández of the Sovereign People’s Party won 48.3% of the vote, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal reported.

Her closest challenger, economist Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party, trailed with 33.4%, the Associated Press reported. 

Ramos conceded the race on election night, with Fernández, 39, to begin her four-year term in May.

A former government minister, Fernández is the chosen successor of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking re-election.

She campaigned on continuing Chaves’ populist agenda, which reshaped Costa Rican politics by arguing against traditional parties and promising tougher action on crime.

Fernández served as minister of national planning and later as minister of the presidency, giving her a central role in Chaves’ administration.

Crime had dominated the campaign in Costa Rica amid sharp rises in homicides, gang activity and drug trafficking by cartels.

The murder rate had increased by 50% over the last six years, according to reports.

Fernández pledged a hard-line security strategy, including increased cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and tougher measures against organized crime.

She has also floated controversial proposals inspired by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.

This included construction of a special prison for gang leaders, the Associated Press reported.

‘My hand won’t shake when it comes to making the decisions we need to restore peace in Costa Rican homes,’ Fernández said during the campaign.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández in a statement Monday.

‘Under her leadership, we are confident Costa Rica will continue to advance shared priorities to include combating narco-trafficking, ending illegal immigration to the United States, promoting cybersecurity and secure telecommunications, and strengthening economic ties,’ Rubio said.

‘I hope that we can immediately lower the flags of whichever political party and start working only in favor of the Costa Rican flag,’ Fernández said after the result. 

‘I believe the Costa Rican people expect nothing less of us,’ she added.


This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Nine Mile Metals (CSE:NINE,OTCQB:VMSXF,FSE:KQ9) is a Canadian critical minerals explorer focused on discovering and advancing copper-dominant sulphide systems in New Brunswick’s Bathurst Mining Camp. Copper is a cornerstone metal for electrification, renewable energy systems, and global industrial supply chains, and the Bathurst camp ranks among the world’s most productive districts for copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits.

The Bathurst Mining Camp is widely regarded as the third-largest mining camp in the world and has supported several world-class base-metal mines, most notably the Brunswick No. 12 operation, which stands as a benchmark for scale, grade, and mine life within VMS-hosted critical mineral systems.

Nine Mile MetalsVisible massive copper mineralization

Nine Mile Metals is developing a diversified asset portfolio that includes the historic copper-producing Wedge Mine, a high-grade copper discovery at Nine Mile Brook with bulk sampling approval secured, and two district-scale exploration properties—California Lake and Canoe Landing Lake—located along highly prospective geological corridors. Although the mineralization is VMS-hosted, the company’s strategy is firmly centered on advancing high-grade copper and associated critical minerals within a stable and proven Canadian mining jurisdiction.

Company Highlights

  • Focused on advancing critical minerals projects, with a primary emphasis on copper, across four high-priority assets in New Brunswick’s world-renowned Bathurst Mining Camp: the Wedge, Nine Mile Brook, California Lake, and Canoe Landing Lake. The company’s projects are hosted within copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) systems, a globally proven source of critical metals.
  • Controls a large, contiguous 136.34 square kilometre land package across 624 claims in one of the world’s most prolific base- and critical-minerals districts, offering district-scale exploration and development optionality within a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction.
  • Nine Mile Brook represents a standout high-grade copper discovery, hosting the highest-grade certified copper drill results reported in the Bathurst Mining Camp to date, supported by multiple polymetallic lenses containing copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold—metals increasingly relevant to modern industrial and energy-transition supply chains.
  • The Wedge Project is a historic copper-producing mine, previously operated by Cominco, with documented production and a historical resource estimate. Modern exploration has confirmed the presence of copper-dominant massive sulphide mineralization and demonstrated that the system remains open for expansion along strike and at depth.
  • Employs modern exploration technologies—including advanced geophysics, three-dimensional geological modelling, UAV-based magnetic surveys, and AI-assisted targeting—to efficiently identify and prioritize concealed critical-mineral-bearing sulphide systems across the portfolio.
  • Received regulatory approval for a 1,000-tonne bulk sample program at Nine Mile Brook, advancing the project beyond early-stage exploration and providing a pathway to evaluate concentrate quality, metallurgical performance, and potential development scenarios for copper and associated critical minerals.

This Nine Mile Metals profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*

Click here to connect with Nine Mile Metals (CSE:NINE) to receive an Investor Presentation

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / February 2, 2026 / 55 North Mining Inc. (CSE:FFF,OTC:FFFNF)(FSE:6YF) (‘55 North‘ or the ‘Company‘) announces details of its planned 2026 winter drill program at its 100% owned Last Hope Gold Project, located in Manitoba, Canada.

One drill rig is currently mobilized and on-site. The winter program is designed as an exploration drill program to test for potential extensions of mineralization to the southeast of the current mineral resource and to improve the Company’s understanding of the geological controls on mineralization.

‘We will focus on step-out drilling designed to test potential extensions of known mineralization and support an updated geological model. The results from this program will guide our plans for an updated mineral resource estimate later in 2026,’ said Bruce Reid, CEO of 55 North Mining.

Updated Resource Estimate Expected Later in 2026

Following the 2025-2026 drill program, 55 North plans to deliver an updated mineral resource estimate later in the year, integrating the new drill results. The previous mineral resource estimate at Last Hope was completed in September 2021 based on a US$1,650/oz gold price.

Upcoming Catalysts

  • Following completion of drilling: Drill results expected in approximately 4-6 weeks, subject to laboratory turnaround times

  • Later in 2026: Updated mineral resource estimate

Qualified Person

Peter Karelse, P.Geo., a ‘Qualified Person’ as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this release. Peter Karelse is not independent of 55 North Mining, as he is the Company’s Head of Exploration.

About 55 North Mining Inc.

55 North Mining Inc. is a Canadian exploration and development company advancing its high-grade Last Hope Gold Project located in Manitoba, Canada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Mr. Bruce Reid
Chief Executive Officer
55 North Mining Inc.
Phone: 647-500-4495
bruce@mine2capital.ca

Mr. Vance Loeber
Corporate Development
Phone: 778-999-3530
cvl@tydewell.com

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains ‘forward-looking statements’ and ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing of mobilization and drilling, the expected timing of drill results, the scope and objectives of the drill program, and the timing and completion of an updated mineral resource estimate.

Forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: delays in mobilization or drilling; weather, logistics and site conditions; availability of equipment, personnel and contractors; receipt and timing of assay results; exploration results not being consistent with expectations; and general market conditions.

SOURCE: 55 North Mining Inc

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

News Provided by ACCESS Newswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

(TheNewswire)

Pinnacle Silver and Gold Corp.

Finders’ Fees on the second tranche of the Offering consisted of $29,095.92 in cash commission and 207,828 non-transferable finder’s warrants, for aggregate totals of $32,035.92 and 228,828, respectively.  Each finder’s warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share at $0.20 cents per share over a 24-month period.  

The net proceeds raised from the Offering will be used to advance the high-grade El Potrero gold-silver project in Durango, Mexico, for project evaluations, and for general working capital.

Insiders of the Company participated in the second tranche, subscribing for a total of 335,714 units and gross proceeds of $46,999.96.  The participation of the insiders in the Offering will constitute a related-party transaction for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions).  The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal evaluation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the insider participation in reliance on sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities issued, nor the fair market value of the consideration for the securities issued will exceed 25 per cent of the company’s market capitalization as calculated in accordance with MI 61-101.  

All securities to be issued will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance and subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.  The securities offered have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

About the Potrero Property

El Potrero is located in the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental of western Mexico and lies within 35 kilometres of four operating mines, including the 4,000 tonnes per day (tpd) Ciénega Mine (Fresnillo), the 1,000 tpd Tahuehueto Mine (Luca Mining) and the 250 tpd Topia Mine (Guanajuato Silver).

High-grade gold-silver mineralization occurs in a low sulphidation epithermal breccia vein system hosted within andesites of the Lower Volcanic Series and has three historic mines along a 500 metre strike length.  The property has been in private hands for almost 40 years and has never been systematically explored by modern methods, leaving significant exploration potential.

A previously operational 100 tpd plant on site can be refurbished / rebuilt and historic underground mine workings rehabilitated at relatively low cost in order to achieve near-term production once permits are in place. The property is road accessible with a power line within three kilometres.  

Pinnacle will earn an initial 50% interest immediately upon commencing production.  The goal would then be to generate sufficient cash flow with which to further develop the project and increase the Company’s ownership to 100% subject to a 2% NSR.  If successful, this approach would be less dilutive for shareholders than relying on the equity markets to finance the growth of the Company.

About Pinnacle Silver and Gold Corp.

Pinnacle is focused on the development of precious metals projects in the Americas.  The high-grade Potrero gold-silver project in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Belt hosts an underexplored low-sulphidation epithermal vein system and provides the potential for near-term production. In the prolific Red Lake District of northwestern Ontario, the Company owns a 100% interest in the past-producing, high-grade Argosy Gold Mine and the adjacent North Birch Project with an eight-kilometre-long target horizon.  With a seasoned, highly successful management team and quality projects, Pinnacle Silver and Gold is committed to building long-term, sustainable value for shareholders.

Signed: ‘Robert A. Archer’

President & CEO

For further information contact:

Email:        info@pinnaclesilverandgold.com

Tel.:  +1 (877) 271-5886 ext. 110

Website: www.pinnaclesilverandgold.com

 

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

   

Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.

News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Eagle, a next-generation nuclear energy company with rights to the largest open pit-constrained measured and indicated uranium deposit in the United States, and SVII, a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that the SEC has declared effective the Registration Statement, which includes a proxy statement/prospectus in connection with SVII’s Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Extraordinary General Meeting”) to approve the Proposed Business Combination. The Proposed Business Combination is expected to result in New Eagle listing its common stock and warrants on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “NUCL” and “NUCLW,” respectively, subject to approval of its listing application. Additionally, SVII today announced that it has set a record date of January 5, 2026 (the “Record Date”) and meeting date of February 23, 2026 for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

  • The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has declared effective the registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333- 290631) (as amended, the “Registration Statement”) filed by Eagle Nuclear Energy Corp. (“New Eagle”) and co-registrant Eagle Energy Metals Corp. (“Eagle”)
  • Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II (OTC: SVIIF) (“SVII”) to approve proposed business combination with New Eagle and Eagle (the “Proposed Business Combination”) to be held on February 23, 2026
  • Record date for the Extraordinary General Meeting is January 5, 2026
  • Upon closing, combined company stock and warrants will trade on Nasdaq under “NUCL” and “NUCLW” ticker symbols

SVII’s shareholders of record at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to receive notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting and to vote the ordinary shares of SVII owned by them at the Extraordinary General Meeting. The Extraordinary General Meeting will be held virtually and in-person at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, located at One Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017. In connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting, SVII’s shareholders that wish to exercise their redemption rights must do so no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 19, 2026 by following the procedures specified in the proxy statement/prospectus for the Extraordinary General Meeting. There is no requirement that shareholders affirmatively vote for or against the Proposed Business Combination at the Extraordinary General Meeting in order to redeem their shares for cash.

As announced previously, upon completion of the Proposed Business Combination, SVII and Eagle will each become a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of New Eagle, and New Eagle will become a publicly traded company, with its common stock and warrants expected to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbols “NUCL” and “NUCLW,” respectively, and SVII’s securities will no longer trade.

The Record Date determines the holders of SVII’s ordinary shares entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, whereby shareholders will be asked to approve and adopt the Proposed Business Combination, and such other proposals as disclosed in the proxy statement included in the Registration Statement. If the Proposed Business Combination is approved by SVII shareholders, SVII anticipates closing the Proposed Business Combination shortly after the Extraordinary General Meeting, subject to the satisfaction or waiver (as applicable) of all other closing conditions.

The Extraordinary General Meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on February 23, 2026 via a virtual meeting at the following address: https://www.cstproxy.com/svacii/2026 and in-person at the offices of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, located at One Vanderbilt Ave, New York, NY 10017. SVII shareholders entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting will need the 12-digit meeting control number that is printed on their respective proxy cards to participate in the virtual meeting. SVII recommends that its shareholders wishing to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting log in at least 15 minutes before the Extraordinary General Meeting starts. SVII encourages its shareholders entitled to vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting to vote their shares via proxy in advance of the Extraordinary General Meeting by following the instructions on the proxy card.

About Eagle Energy Metals Corp.
Eagle Energy Metals Corp. is a next-generation nuclear energy company that combines domestic uranium exploration with proprietary Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology. The Company holds the rights to the largest open pit-constrained, measured and indicated uranium deposit in the United States, located in southeastern Oregon. This includes the Aurora deposit, with 32.75Mlbs Indicated and 4.98Mlbs Inferred (SK-1300 TRS) of near-surface uranium resource, and the adjacent Cordex deposit, which offers significant potential to expand the project’s overall resource inventory. By integrating advanced SMR technology with a sizeable uranium asset, Eagle is building an integrated nuclear platform positioned to help restore American leadership in the global nuclear industry. For more information about Eagle Energy Metals Corp., visit www.eagleenergymetals.com.

About Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II
Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II (OTC: SVIIF, SVIRF, SVIUF, and SVIWF) is a part of a family of investment vehicles formed for the purpose of acquiring or merging with a business focused on the energy and decarbonization industries. SVII is led by Christopher D. Sorrells, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and Robert Kaplan, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development. SVII’s board of directors includes Christopher D. Sorrells (Chairman), Sharon Youngblood, Rich Thompson, David Buzby, David Levinson, and Kevin Pohler. Its Sponsor group includes Pearl Energy; a $3.0 billion Texas-based firm focused on the North American energy sector. Spring Valley I successfully completed its business combination with NuScale Power, a leading U.S. small modular reactor (“SMR”) technology company in May 2022. SVII maintains a corporate website at https://sv-ac.com.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the Proposed Business Combination, New Eagle filed with the SEC the Registration Statement, which includes a prospectus with respect to New Eagle’s securities to be issued in connection with the Proposed Business Combination and a proxy statement to be distributed to holders of SVII’s Class A Ordinary Shares in connection with SVII’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by SVII’s shareholders with respect to the Proposed Business Combination and other matters described in the Registration Statement (collectively, the “Proxy Statement”). The SEC declared the Registration Statement effective on January 30, 2026, and SVII has filed the definitive Proxy Statement with the SEC on February 2, 2026 and will be mailing copies to shareholders of SVII as of the Record Date. This press release does not contain all of the information that should be considered concerning the Proposed Business Combination and is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement or for any other document that SVII, New Eagle or Eagle may file with the SEC. Before making any investment or voting decision, investors and security holders of SVII, New Eagle and Eagle are urged to read the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, and any amendments or supplements thereto, as well as all other relevant materials filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the Proposed Business Combination as they become available because they will contain important information about New Eagle, Eagle, SVII and the Proposed Business Combination. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by SVII, New Eagle or Eagle through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

Participants in the Solicitation

New Eagle, Eagle, SVII and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be participants in the solicitations of proxies from SVII’s shareholders in connection with the Proposed Business Combination. For more information about the names, affiliations and interests of SVII’s directors and executive officers, please refer to SVII’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on April 11, 2025 (the “2024 Form 10-K”) and the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials filed or to be filed with the SEC in connection with the Proposed Business Combination when they become available. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, which may, in some cases, be different than those of SVII’s shareholders generally, are included in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, and any amendments or supplements thereto, carefully, before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute a “solicitation” as defined in Section 14 of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, the solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation to purchase, any securities, or a solicitation of any vote, consent or approval, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale may be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. No offering of securities in the Proposed Business Combination shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are also forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “target,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” “preliminary,” or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, SVII’s, New Eagle’s, Eagle’s, or their respective management teams’ expectations concerning the Proposed Business Combination and expected benefits thereof; the outlook for Eagle’s or New Eagle’s business; the abilities to execute Eagle’s or New Eagle’s strategies; projected and estimated financial performance; anticipated industry trends; the future price of minerals; future capital expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; government regulation of mining operations; and environmental risks; as well as any information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations of Eagle or New Eagle. The forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the respective management teams of Eagle, New Eagle, and SVII, as applicable, and are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstance and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (i) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of SVII’s securities; (ii) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination may not be completed by SVII’s business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by SVII; (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination, including the approval of the related merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) by the shareholders of SVII and the receipt of regulatory approvals; (iv) market risks; (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (vi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Proposed Business Combination on Eagle’s business relationships, performance, and business generally; (vii) risks that the Proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans of Eagle and potential difficulties in its employee retention as a result of the Proposed Business Combination; (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Eagle or SVII related to the Merger Agreement or the Proposed Business Combination; (ix) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Business Combination; (x) the inability to meet listing requirements and maintain the listing of the combined company’s securities on Nasdaq Capital Market or a comparable exchange; (xi) the risk that the price of the combined company’s securities may be volatile due to a variety of factors, including changes in laws, regulations, technologies, natural disasters or health epidemics/pandemics, national security tensions, and macro- economic and social environments affecting its business; (xii) fluctuations in spot and forward markets for lithium and uranium and certain other commodities (such as natural gas, fuel oil and electricity); (xiii) restrictions on mining in the jurisdictions in which Eagle operates; (xiv) laws and regulations governing Eagle’s operation, exploration and development activities, and changes in such laws and regulations; (xv) Eagle’s ability to obtain or renew the licenses and permits necessary for the operation and expansion of its existing operations and for the development, construction and commencement of new operations; (xvi) risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, potential unintended releases of contaminants, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); (xvii) inherent risks associated with tailings facilities and heap leach operations, including failure or leakages; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; the inability to determine, with certainty, production and cost estimates; inadequate or unreliable infrastructure (such as roads, bridges, power sources and water supplies); (xviii) environmental regulations and legislation; (xix) the effects of climate change, extreme weather events, water scarcity, and seismic events, and the effectiveness of strategies to deal with these issues; (xx) risks relating to Eagle’s exploration operations; (xxi) fluctuations in currency markets; (xxii) the volatility of the metals markets, and its potential to impact Eagle’s ability to meet its financial obligations; (xxiii) disputes as to the validity of mining or exploration titles or claims or rights, which constitute most of Eagle’s property holdings; (xxiv) Eagle’s ability to complete and successfully integrate acquisitions; (xxv) increased competition in the mining industry for properties and equipment; (xxvi) limited supply of materials and supply chain disruptions; (xxvii) relations with and claims by indigenous populations; (xxviii) relations with and claims by local communities and non-governmental organizations; and (xxix) the risk that the Series A Preferred Stock Investment may not be completed, or that other capital needed by the combined company may not be raised on favorable terms, or at all. The foregoing list is not exhaustive, and there may be additional risks that neither SVII, Eagle, nor New Eagle presently know or that SVII, Eagle, and New Eagle currently believe are immaterial. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors, any other factors discussed in this press release and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the 2024 Form 10-K, the risks described or to be described in the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement, and any amendments or supplements thereto, and those discussed and identified in filings made with the SEC by SVII, New Eagle or Eagle from time to time. Eagle, New Eagle, and SVII caution you against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect current beliefs and are based on information currently available as of the date a forward-looking statement is made. Forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Neither Eagle, SVII, nor New Eagle undertakes any obligation to revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs. In the event that any forward-looking statement is updated, no inference should be made that New Eagle, Eagle or SVII will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statements. Any corrections or revisions and other important assumptions and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, including discussions of significant risk factors, may appear, up to the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination, in SVII’s public filings with the SEC, which are or will be (as appropriate) accessible at www.sec.gov, and which you are advised to review carefully.

Investor Relations Contact:

775-335-2029
info@eagleenergymetals.com

Media Relations Contact:

Gateway Group
Zach Kadletz, Brenlyn Motlagh
949-574-3860
EAGLE@Gateway-grp.com

Source

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that if House Republicans try to jam voter ID legislation into the Trump-backed funding deal, it would be dead on arrival in the Senate.

House Republicans want to walk away from the current spending fight with a victory of sorts, despite President Donald Trump taking the lead and negotiating a temporary funding truce with Schumer and Senate Democrats. 

They’re demanding that the five-bill funding package, which stripped out the controversial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill in favor of a two-week funding extension, also include the House Republicans’ updated Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act, dubbed the SAVE America Act. 

But doing so is a bridge too far for Schumer. The top Senate Democrat argued that the legislation, which has been sitting on the shelf in the House for months, is ‘reminiscent of Jim Crow-era laws,’ and would act as a means to suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections. 

‘I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, the SAVE Act would impose Jim Crow-type laws to the entire country and is dead on arrival in the Senate,’ Schumer said in a statement. 

‘It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to. If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown,’ he continued. 

The updated version of the SAVE Act would require that people present photo identification before voting, states obtain proof of citizenship in-person when people register to vote and remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who is leading the push to attach the voter ID legislation to the funding package, countered Schumer’s accusation in a post on X.

‘If you are a minority that wants a voter ID, apparently you are for racist policies according to [Schumer],’ she said.

Schumer’s edict touches on the reality of the partisan divide in the Senate and the nature of passing any legislation in most cases. In order for the SAVE Act to become law, it would have to get at least 60 votes in the upper chamber. And given Senate Democrats’ disdain for the bill, that is unlikely. 

And adding the bill would further disincentivize House Democrats, who are already leery of the deal. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., may need their support given the anger simmering in his conference. 

Further complicating matters is that if the modified package with the SAVE Act were to make it out of the House, it would have to go back to the Senate, creating a virtual ping-pong between the chambers as what was meant to be a short-term partial government shutdown drags on.

Still, House Republicans aren’t backing off of their demands and have backup in the upper chamber from Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, and a co-sponsor of the updated SAVE Act.

‘House Republicans shouldn’t let Schumer dictate the terms of government funding,’ Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said on X. ‘If Dems want to play games, no spending package should come out of the House without the SAVE Act attached — securing American elections must be a non-negotiable.’


This post appeared first on FOX NEWS