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Nuclear watchdog urges ‘trust but verify’ that Iran engages in good-faith negotiations

April 23, 2025 No Comments

Much remains unknown regarding the progress of Washington’s nuclear talks with Iran, but the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the international community must ‘trust but verify’ that Tehran is engaging in good-faith negotiations.

The U.S. and Iran are set to hold a third round of discussions on Saturday, which will deal with the technical aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, as well as political negotiations, according to reports.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has applauded the U.S.-Iran negotiations mediated by Oman, but said the top nuclear agency has not yet been asked to assist in the negotiations, though he has been in communication with Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

‘I think there’s a general expectation that this goes well, and that the agreement is verified by the IAEA,’ Grossi told reporters from Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. ‘It’s good the United States and Iran have a direct conversation. Of course, there are parallel processes.

‘We have to keep our eyes on the ball. We must avoid Iran or prevent Iran from getting weapons. This is the objective.’

Grossi said that from the perspective of not only the top nuclear agency, but from world leaders he has been in communication with, there is a ‘degree of expectation’ that after the political agreements are hashed out between Washington and Tehran, it will be the IAEA that makes the nuclear terms ‘credible’ and ‘verifiable.’

‘They all are expecting the IAEA to step in at the right time,’ he said. ‘We are at their service to support, to make this thing credible. In a certain sense, they may have a political agreement, but then we have to make it verifiable.’

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of an address Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — who traveled to China on Wednesday to reportedly discuss progress in the nuclear negotiations — was set to give at the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference, though he never delivered the address due to format change requests by Tehran that were denied by the host.

But in his address, he was set to position Iran as a proponent of nuclear non-proliferation and said Iran’s position had been ‘mischaracterized.’

Since the U.S.’ withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Tehran has argued made the deal mute, Iran has significantly advanced its programs by stockpiling near-weapons-grade-enriched uranium to levels that, if further enriched, could produce five nuclear warheads, as well as its centrifuges and missile capabilities.

When asked by Fox News Digital if Grossi assessed the Islamic Republic’s position to be honest, he said, ‘Trust, but verify. We need to verify.’

‘We are inspectors — that’s the only way we build trust,’ he added.

Grossi said the administration needs to identify what the end goals of this latest deal will be, as the framework of the JCPOA — widely criticized by Trump — is now very dated due to the advancements Iran has made.

Issues like uranium stockpiles, inventories, centrifuge advances and weaponization capabilities are all on the table in the U.S.-Iran negotiations.

‘We have a much more complex field in front of us,’ Grossi warned. ‘The good thing is we know what we need to look at. We have a unique perspective of that.’

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Trump unfurls plans for double 100-foot flagpoles during White House lawn walk

April 23, 2025 No Comments

President Donald Trump on Wednesday revealed plans to install two ‘beautiful’ 100-foot flagpoles on the White House lawns that will each fly an American flag.

Trump told reporters about the plans after he was spotted touring the North Lawn of the White House with Dale Haney, head White House groundskeeper.

‘We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag,’ Trump said, adding that the two flagpoles will be ‘top of the line.’

‘And they’ve needed flagpoles for 200 years,’ Trump told reporters. ‘It was something I’ve often said. You know, they don’t have a flagpole, per se. So we’re putting one right where you saw us, and we’re putting another one on the side on top of the mounds. It’s going to be two beautiful poles.’

The president noted that the flagpoles will be ‘paid for by Trump,’ and should arrive at the White House in about a week.

The White House currently flies an American flag from a flagpole on its rooftop. The flag is always flown there, no matter the president’s location.

The POW/MIA flag has also been flown at the White House since 2019.

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Supreme Court likely to side with parents in letting them opt out of LGBTQ storybooks, expert says

April 23, 2025 No Comments

Several Supreme Court justices signaled sympathy Tuesday toward Maryland parents who are seeking to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed classroom materials. One education expert said the case could lead to a ruling that expands parental rights in public schools nationwide.

‘This looks pretty promising for the parent petitioners in this case,’ said Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow of the grassroots organization Defending Education. ‘I heard a lot of very aggressive questioning from the three liberal justices, but no matter how you slice this apple, it looks to be a very clear violation of the First Amendment, as exercised through the 14th Amendment’s right to direct a child’s religious upbringing.’

Perry previously served as the lead lawyer to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education from 2020 to 2021, where she drafted the Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) annual report to Congress.

‘They’re very malleable,’ Perry said of the 4-and 5-year-olds in the case. ‘They’re very much shaped by their environment, by what they’re exposed to, and they don’t have the meaningful agency to be able to opt out or object or push back. And so these individuals are learning their own familial values while being exposed to material that is, as Justice [Amy Coney] Barrett and Justice [Neil] Gorsuch pointed out, designed to influence their thinking.’

At the heart of Mahmoud v. Taylor is a lawsuit brought by religious parents—Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Ukrainian Orthodox—who argue that the school district’s policy violates their First Amendment rights by forcing their children to engage with instruction that contradicts their faith.

The Fourth Circuit Court, a federal appeals court, ruled last year that there was no violation of religious exercise rights, stating that the policy did not force parents to change their religious beliefs or conduct and that parents could still teach their children outside of school.

Several conservative justices, including Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, appeared sympathetic to the parents’ concerns during the two-and-a-half-hour oral debate. Alito questioned the moral messages conveyed by books like ‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,’ suggesting that such content might conflict with deeply held religious beliefs. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also pressed the school district’s attorneys on why opt-out provisions, similar to those in sex education, could not be extended to these storybooks.

Meanwhile, the liberal justices argued that mere exposure to these books may not constitute coercion or a violation of religious freedoms. The school district contended that the policy promotes inclusivity and exposure to LGBTQ viewpoints does not equate to forced belief changes.

‘I think it was highly sort of predictable,’ Perry said of the liberal justices’ arguments. ‘They are trying to prove that there is going to be too much of a burden on the school district to allow these children to opt out because the consequences could, for example, be catastrophic for the ability of a public school to manage its own affairs.’

‘The reason we see an issue like this at the Supreme Court is because these are issues directly related to religious liberty and directly related to the very early cognitive stages of development for minor children,’ Perry said. ‘And it’s very clear … that a burden of religious liberty within public education has to be treated quite seriously by the court and deference must be given to religious parents if the burden is very clear.’

‘I think in this instance, it is indeed crystal clear,’ she added.

Among the storybooks at the center of the case is ‘Prince & Knight,’ a modern fairy tale aimed at children ages 4 to 8, which tells the story of two men who fall in love after joining forces to defeat a dragon and later marry. Another book frequently referenced during oral arguments was ‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,’ which follows a young girl processing her favorite uncle’s decision to marry another man.

‘Because parental rights have become sort of the cultural zeitgeist for where we are in this political day and age, I think we are certain to see more litigation, not less, and more pushback,’ Perry said.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the case by late June.

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Hidden Gems: Bullish Patterns Emerging in These Country ETFs

April 23, 2025 No Comments

In this video, Joe highlights key technical setups in select country ETFs that are showing strength right now. He analyzes monthly and weekly MACD, ADX, and RSI trends that are signaling momentum shifts. Joe also reviews the critical level to watch on the S&P 500 (SPX), while breaking down important patterns in the QQQ, IWM, and Bitcoin. As always, he finishes with analysis on your most-requested stocks, applying his trusted multi-timeframe approach.

The video premiered on April 23, 2025. Click this link to watch on Joe’s dedicated page.

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

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Uranium Price Update: Q1 2025 in Review

April 23, 2025 No Comments

Impacted by broad uncertainty, geopolitical risks and trade tensions, spot U308 prices fell 13.26 percent during Q1 2025, starting the session at US$74.74 per pound, and contracting to US$64.83 by March 31.

As factors outside the uranium market forced the spot price consolidation, the long term price remained steady holding at the US$80.00 level, a potential indicator of the market’s long term growth forecast.

Despite positive long term fundamentals propelling U308 spot prices to nearly two decade highs in 2024, the market has been unable to find continued support in 2025.

Much of the uncertainty has been introduced from the on and off and on again tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, which infused the already opaque uranium market with even more ambiguity.

As volatility rattles investors, US utility companies have also been impacted by the threat of first a 25 percent and then 10 percent tariff on uranium imports from Canada.

Jander questioned the motive behind tariffing a long standing ally, especially when the domestic sector is unable to satiate the national need.

“Does it make sense for the US to put tariffs on Canadian material, who is their best friend?” he asked rhetorically. “I don’t think so, because the US produces 1 million pounds a year. They need about 45 to 50 million pounds per year. So it feels like they’re just punishing themselves.”

With investors and utilities sidelined, U3O8 prices sank to an almost three year low of US$63.44 per pound on March 12, well off the 17 year high of US$105 per pound set in February 2024.

Chronic undersupply meets rising demand

The tailwinds that bolstered prices above the US$100 per pound level, largely remain intact, despite being faced with Trump’s trade tensions. Some of those drivers include the growing supply deficit.

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), in 2022 total mined supply only met 74 percent of global demand, a disparity that is still persistent, and growing.

“This year, uranium mines will only supply 75 percent of demand, so 25 percent of demand is uncovered,” Amir Adnani, CEO and president of Uranium Energy (UEC) (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC) said at VRIC 2025 in January.

Adnani went on to explain that after enduring nearly two decades of underinvestment, the uranium sector is grappling with one of the most acute supply deficits in the broader commodity space.

Unlike typical resource markets, where price surges prompt swift production responses, uranium has remained sluggish on the supply side, despite prices jumping 290 percent over the past four years.

According to Adnani this chronic underproduction stems from 18 years of depressed pricing and lackluster market conditions, which discouraged new mine development and shuttered existing operations.

“The fact that we’re not incentivizing new uranium mines simply means the commodity price isn’t high enough,” he said, of the US$74 per pound spot price.

Now with prices holding in the US$64 range, new supply is even less likely to come online in the near term, especially in Canada and the US.

Meanwhile, demand is set to steadily increase.

“Next year, uranium demand is going up because there are 65 reactors under construction, and we haven’t even started talking about small and advanced modular reactors,” said Adnani. “Small and advanced modular reactors are an additional source of demand that maybe not next year, but within the next three to four years, can become a reality.”

Supply setbacks mount

With prices sitting well below the US$100 per pound level – which is widely considered the incentive price – future supply is even more precarious.

Guidance reductions from uranium majors is only compounding the challenges on the supply side, but may be a potential price catalyst.

In 2024, Kazatomprom (LSE:KAP,OTC Pink:NATKY), the world’s largest uranium producer, revised its 2025 production forecast downward by approximately 17 percent, now projecting output between 25,000 and 26,500 metric tons of uranium.

This adjustment from the earlier estimate of 30,500–31,500 metric tons is attributed to ongoing challenges, including shortages of sulphuric acid and delays in developing new mining sites, notably at the Budenovskoye deposit.

In January, a temporary production suspension at the Inkai operation in Kazakhstan further threatened 2025 supply. The project, a joint venture between Kazatomprom and Cameco (TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ), was halted in January due to paperwork delay.

– YouTube

Rick Rule discusses his expectations for the resource sector in 2025.

While the news was a blow to the uranium supply picture, as veteran resource investor and proprietor of Rule Media, Rick Rule pointed out at VRIC 2025, the move could benefit the spot price.

“The thing that’s happened very recently that’s very bullish for uranium is the unsuccessful restart of Inkai, which I had believed to be the best uranium mine in the world,” said Rule in the January interview.

He continued: “At the time that it was shut down, it was the lowest cost producer on the globe, because of many things, including an unavailability of sulfuric acid in Kazakhstan, that mine hasn’t resumed production anywhere near at the rate that I thought it would. So there’s 10 million pounds in reduced supply in 2025 and the spot market is already pretty skinny.”

At the end of January production resumed at Inkai, however as Rule pointed out the mine failed to reach its projected output capacity in 2024, producing 7.8 million pounds U3O8 on a 100 percent basis, a 25 percent decrease from 2023’s 10.4 million pounds.

AI boom and clean energy push set stage for surge in uranium demand

Global uranium demand is projected to rise significantly over the next decade, driven by the proliferation of nuclear energy as a clean power source. According to a 2023 report from the WNA, uranium demand is expected to increase by 28 percent by 2030, reaching approximately 83,840 metric tons from 65,650 metric tons in 2023.

This growth is fueled by the construction of new reactors, reactor life extensions, and the global shift towards decarbonization. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to significantly increase global electricity demand, particularly from data centers.

“Electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to around 945 terawatt-hours (TWh), slightly more than the entire electricity consumption of Japan today,” an April report from the International Energy Agency notes. “AI will be the most significant driver of this increase, with electricity demand from AI-optimised data centres projected to more than quadruple by 2030.”

Nuclear energy is poised to play a crucial role in boosting global electricity production.

A recently released report from Deloitte indicates that new nuclear power capacity could meet about 10 of the projected increase in data center electricity demand by 2035.

However, “this estimate is based on a significant expansion of nuclear capacity, ranging between 35 gigawatts (GW) and 62 GW during the same period,” the market overview states.

While the more than 60 reactors under construction will meet some of this heightened demand, additional reactors and more uranium production will be needed to sustainably increase nuclear capacity.

Add to this the gradual restart of Japanese reactors and the disparity between supply and demand deepens. By the end of 2024 Japan had successfully restarted 14 of its 33 shuttered nuclear reactors, which were taken offline in 2011 following the Fukushima disaster.

Long-term upside remains intact

Although positive long term demand drivers paint a bright picture for the uranium industry, the current trade tensions from Trump’s tariffs have shaken the market.

Despite these challenges equities are still positioned to profit from the underlying fundamentals.

“I think that speculative fever is gone,” he said. The prices have normalized, consolidated. They haven’t been terrible performers, but they’ve consolidated, and I think they’re now ready for their next leg higher.”

This sentiment was reiterated by Sprott’s ETF product manager, Jacob White, who underscored the ‘buy the dip’ potential of the current market.

“We believe today’s price weakness presents a potentially attractive entry opportunity for investors who appreciate the strategic value of uranium and can weather near-term turbulence,” wrote White.

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

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Crypto Market Recap: Bitcoin Soars Past US$94,000, Beats Google in Market Cap

April 23, 2025 No Comments

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (April 23) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$94,294.96 and is up 4.4 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$89,896.28 and a high of US$94,320.19.

Bitcoin performance, April 23, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Trade tension escalation between China and the US continues to drag on the crypto market.

Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,794.62, a 9.7 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,641.13 and a high of US$1,815.85.

Altcoin price update

Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$152.37, up 5.79 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$142.88 and peaked at $153.47.

XRP is trading at US$2.29, reflecting a 7.3 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.13 and reached its highest point at US$2.30.

Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.91, showing an increaseof 25.5 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$2.37 and a high of US$2.97.

Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.7045, up 9.7 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Wednesday was US$0.6483, with a high of US$0.7138.

Today’s crypto news to know

Bitcoin ETFs see US$936 million in daily inflows

US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their strongest day of inflows since January, pulling in a combined US$936 million on Tuesday (April 22) across 10 issuers.

Leading the charge were Ark & 21Shares with US$267.1 million, Fidelity’s FBTC with US$253.8 million and BlackRock’s IBIT, which added US$193.5 million.

Over the past three days, total net inflows into Bitcoin ETFs have surpassed $1.4 billion, signaling renewed institutional confidence in crypto markets. Analysts attribute the momentum to persistent inflation, a weakening US dollar and growing fears over geopolitical instability, prompting investors to turn to Bitcoin as a hedge.

While still volatile, Bitcoin is increasingly being framed as “digital gold,” with ETF flows suggesting it’s becoming a staple in diversified portfolios. This week’s influx also reflects optimism that regulatory conditions are maturing, particularly in the US, where ETFs are rapidly gaining legitimacy among mainstream investors.

Bitcoin becomes fifth largest global asset, overtakes Google

Bitcoin has climbed to a market capitalization of US$1.86 trillion, overtaking Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to become the world’s fifth-largest asset by market value. The price of Bitcoin surged past US$94,000, helped by easing trade tensions between the US and China and renewed bullish sentiment across tech and risk-on assets.

This marks a symbolic milestone for the cryptocurrency, which has now outpaced several of the world’s most valuable tech giants. Analysts point to Bitcoin’s increasing correlation with macroeconomic tailwinds — such as falling bond yields and speculative interest in risk assets — as drivers of the recent price action.

Its breakout relative to the Nasdaq also suggests growing investor confidence in crypto as a parallel to tech. If Bitcoin maintains this trajectory, some believe it could soon challenge silver’s position as the fourth-largest global asset.

Trump backs crypto regulation, Trump Media eyes retail crypto products

During a public appearance, US President Donald Trump called for regulatory certainty in the crypto industry and vowed to provide ‘clear rules of the road’ for digital asset innovation.

His statement coincided with Trump Media & Technology Group’s announcement that it will partner with Crypto.com and Yorkville America Digital to launch retail investment products, including crypto-focused ETFs aligned with Trump’s “America First” platform. The planned offerings aim to capitalize on the president’s growing presence in the digital asset space following prior ventures like Trump NFTs and crypto-affiliated partnerships.

While no official ETF filings have been submitted yet, the initiative signals Trump’s commitment to making crypto a policy priority as part of his economic strategy.

Tesla reports US$951 million in Bitcoin holdings despite earnings miss

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) revealed it continues to hold $951 million worth of Bitcoin on its balance sheet, despite posting weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue of US$19.34 billion.

The automaker’s Bitcoin holdings, totaling 11,509 BTC, remained unchanged during the quarter, with no buy or sell activity recorded. This comes as Bitcoin’s price dipped from late December highs, impacting Tesla’s valuation of its digital asset portfolio under the new Financial Accounting Standards Board rules.

These rules now require corporations to mark digital assets to market on a quarterly basis, increasing transparency but also exposing earnings to crypto market volatility. Tesla’s crypto exposure, while relatively small compared to its core business, still makes it one of the top public holders of Bitcoin globally.

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

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

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Palestinian leader demands Hamas release remaining hostages

April 23, 2025 No Comments

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas demanded Hamas disarm, relinquish power and release the hostages.

The Palestinian leader said that by letting the hostages go, Hamas would ‘shut down’ Israel’s ‘excuses’ to continue the war that began after the terror group’s massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

‘The first priority is to stop the war of extermination in Gaza. It must be stopped – hundreds are being killed every day,’ Abbas said, according to the Times of Israel. ‘Why don’t you hand over the hostages?’

The Palestinian Authority president also apparently called Hamas ‘sons of dogs’ during his address.

Abbas was speaking at a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council, which is expected to select a deputy who could be a successor to the 89-year-old PA president.

This marks the first time since the start of the war in Gaza that Abbas has called on Hamas to transfer its authority to the PA, according to Reuters, but he has done so in the past.

It is unclear whether Hamas will comply with Abbas’ demand, despite his assertion that it could help end the war and save Palestinian lives in Gaza. Hamas and the PA have been at odds for nearly two decades, since the terror organization seized power in 2006 and pushed the PA out of Gaza.

The international community has pushed for the PA to play a role in a ‘day after’ plan for Gaza, but Israel has not been receptive to this idea.

The Israeli government and the Trump administration have long criticized the PA’s ‘pay for slay’ policy, which Abbas reformed in February of this year. The policy saw payments go to family members of Palestinians who were imprisoned, killed or injured in connection with attacks against Israelis.

‘This is a new fraudulent trick by the Palestinian Authority, which intends to continue making payments to terrorists and their families through other payment channels,’ the Israeli Foreign Ministry said at the time, according to Axios.

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