News
Coal mine gas explosion in China kills 90 people, state media say
4+ hour, 14+ min ago (267+ words) A gas explosion at a coal mine in China's northern province of Shanxi killed at least 90 people, state media reported Saturday. Official news agency Xinhua said the accident at Changzhi city's Liushenyu coal mine happened on Friday evening. Around 247 workers…...
A massive 11, 000-carat ruby has been unearthed in Myanmar's war-scarred gemstone heartland
1+ week, 6+ day ago (209+ words) Miners in Myanmar have discovered a rare ruby of enormous size, considered to be the second-largest by weight ever found in the conflict-battered Southeast Asian nation, state media reported Friday. The ruby, measuring 11, 000 carats (2. 2 kilograms, or 4. 8 pounds), was unearthed near…...
Silver's Elevation to Critical Mineral Status: A Strategic Turning Point for U. S. Supply Chains
2+ week, 5+ day ago (510+ words) Key Takeaways A Historic Reclassification: The U. S. Department of the Interior officially designated silver as a Critical Mineral for 2025, reclassifying it from a historic precious metal to a strategic asset essential for national defense and economic stability. Hidden High-Tech Dependencies: While…...
This Ordinary Rock Called "Fool's Gold" Was Thrown Away, But It Turns Out It Contain Hidden Lithium
3+ week, 2+ day ago (460+ words) A mineral long dismissed as worthless may be hiding something far more valuable. Scientists have found lithium inside pyrite, a discovery that could change how we think about future energy resources. Lithium is now central to modern technology. It powers…...
$65 B lithium mother lode hidden beneath Appalachian Mountains could supply US with power for centuries
3+ week, 2+ day ago (538+ words) They've hit the mother lode. We may no longer need to rely on foreign batteries to power our electronics. Geologists have announced that the Appalachian Mountains could be hiding a sprawling multi-billion-dollar cache of lithium that could last the US…...
H. R. 8007 - SILVER Act119th Congress (2025-2026)
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (792+ words) 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8007 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 19, 2026 Mr. Fulcher (for himself and Mr. Harris of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Commodity Exchange Act to reduce…...
UNITED STATES-MEXICOCRITICAL MINERALS ACTION PLAN
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (129+ words) 1. Introduction In recent decades, distortions resulting from pervasive non-market policies and practices have left critical minerals supply chains of market-oriented economies vulnerable to a myriad of disruptions, including economic coercion. Correcting these vulnerabilities is imperative, as critical minerals are strategic…...
Roman Gold Mining Operation Identified in Spain
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (190+ words) According to a statement released by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Romans extracted gold from alluvial deposits in the Eastern Pyrenees. Using optically stimulated luminescence dating techniques, Oriol Olesti Vila of the UAB and Jorge Sanjurjo-S'nchez of the…...
How China's Rare Earth Ban Backfired into a U. S. Tech Breakthrough
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (309+ words) I thought that part of the problem was toxic waste from the processing. China seems to have no problem spewing toxic waste everywhere, but western nations try to avoid that sort of thing. I'm glad that Canada is building an…...
The Great Crew Change " AI and the new generation of oilworkers
3+ mon, 4+ day ago (1754+ words) In 2010, I was a roughneck on a drilling rig in West Texas. These were the early days of the American shale revolution, before we truly understood what horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing would mean for the country. The work was…...