Podcasts about natural resources

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Today is Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. …and now for the rest of the stories…on today's daily304.com! #1 – From BUSINESS FACILITIES MAGAZINE – Why West Virginia? Business Facilities takes a closer look When companies decide where to invest, the questions are pretty straightforward: Is the site ready? Can we get the power? Can we find and keep the workforce? And can we get our product to market? Business Facilities recently put those questions to Christine Davies, Deputy Secretary of the West Virginia Division of Economic Development & Workforce Participation, for a national Q&A on the Mountain State's business advantages. Davies points to energy certainty, site readiness and workforce loyalty as key pieces of West Virginia's pitch. The state's targeted growth sectors include high-capacity data centers, advanced manufacturing and materials, and aerospace manufacturing and maintenance. Workforce programs include customized training grants, apprenticeship support and partnerships with West Virginia's community and technical colleges. Read more: https://businessfacilities.com/why-west-virginia/ #2 – From FEDERAL RESERVE – Small business owners: The Fed wants to hear from you The Federal Reserve's 2026 Small Business Credit Survey gathers information from businesses with fewer than 500 employees about their financial conditions, financing and debt needs and experiences. The resulting data are used by the Federal Reserve and others to better understand what's happening on Main Street. The West Virginia Small Business Development Center is a partner in this year's survey and is encouraging owners and key financial decision-makers of for-profit businesses to participate. Businesses currently operating, recently closed or preparing to launch can take part. Responses are confidential, and the survey takes about 12 minutes. Take the survey: https://fedreserveboard.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38k9xZy8ayEERue?orgID=20261020 #3 – From WV EXPLORER – Now THAT'S a big fish Tyler Harmon decided to take his son fishing on the Ohio River near Ravenswood and invited his father along. About 20 minutes after they started fishing, three generations of the Harmon family were sharing a boat with the heaviest blue catfish ever recorded in West Virginia. The fish weighed 72.75 pounds and measured 48.15 inches long, breaking a state weight record that had stood for less than four months. After the measurements, Harmon released the fish alive back into the Ohio River. There's an even bigger story behind the catch. Blue catfish had disappeared from West Virginia waters before the Division of Natural Resources began restoring the native species in the Ohio and Kanawha rivers in the early 2000s. Since then, the fishery has grown and state records have continued to fall. Read more: https://wvexplorer.com/west-virginia-blue-catfish-record-ohio-river/ Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty, and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

The federal government has made changes to Bill C-69, aimed at making it easier to move major energy projects through the approval process. This comes at a time when Canada needs to show its strength to investors at Carney's investment summit. Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa, joins the show to discuss Bill C-69 and what it means for Canada's energy future.

There are over 130 data centers across Oregon. In the eastern part of the state, there are more than 50, many of which are owned and operated by Amazon Web Services. The tech-giant has brought millions to cities such as Hermiston, allowing for renovations to its city hall and library. But the data centers have also drawn criticism from local advocates for their water and energy use and environmental impacts. Roger Wehner is the vice president of economic development for Amazon. He joins us to share his company's perspective on data center investments in Oregon.

RecLess 6 Ep 18 Chris Matthews - Division Director - Nature Preserves and Natural Resources at Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Outgoing chair for the CPC - Conference Program Committee for the National Recreation and Parks Association Conference. He speaks to serving on and leading the committee, the session proposal and selection background and process, offers tips and advice to create session proposals that stand out, and highlights the benefits and value of volunteering and networking on the committee and at the NRPA conference. Click here to learn more - https://conference.nrpa.org/Shane Mize is the Director of Parks and Recreation in the city of Pflugerville, Texas, where he resides with his wife and children.Tom Venniro is the 12-year Director of Parks and Recreation in Hilton-Parma, New York, where he resides with his wife Melissa, son Jack, and daughters Amelia and Maisie.Jay Tryon is an 19-year park and recreation professional who loves to improve communities and their quality of life. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children.

As fall approaches, and on the heels of last week's discussion about creating safe crossings to prevent deadly and costly vehicle-wildlife crashes, we are reprising an episode from 2024 featuring a discussion with Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Public Information Officer Ed Golder. Golder talked about the decline in deer harvests being reported by hunters and an innovative program, now called Hunters Feeding Michigan, a name change from what was mentioned in the original podcast.Since then, Golder says the MDNR is doing more than ever to help farmers get deer off their land. I hope you enjoy this encore presentation.The podcast covers themes featured in a Detroit Free Press story detailing other creative efforts by the MDNR to stem the proliferation of deer in the state's southern regions.Golder explained the challenges and how wildlife officials are tackling them.Podcast image courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Energy experts Heather Exner-Pirot and Mark Jaccard join the first-ever Nuanced Debate to examine Canadian climate policy, pipelines, carbon pricing, nuclear power, affordability, energy security, adaptation and whether markets or regulation can meaningfully reduce emissions with host Aaron Pete.Heather Exner-Pirot is Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a Special Advisor to the Business Council of Canada. Her work examines Canadian energy, natural-resource development, Arctic policy and Indigenous economic participation.Mark Jaccard is a Distinguished Professor in Simon Fraser University's School of Resource and Environmental Management and Chair and CEO of the British Columbia Utilities Commission. An energy economist with more than 30 years of experience, he has researched and advised governments on climate policy, carbon pricing, energy regulation and emissions reduction.Send us Fan MailSupport the shownuancedmedia.ca

Jacob and Eric sit down with Jason Sumners, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation, to discuss deer management, landowner collaboration, and adaptive strategies to address CWD. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series (here) and select the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop-down menu. You will need to create an account to view the seminars. The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Interview with David Wolfin, CEO of Avino Silver & Gold MinesOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/avino-silver-gold-tsxasm-record-revenue-powers-three-mine-expansion-strategy-8753Recording date: 4th September 2026Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:ASM) enters the second half of 2026 in the strongest financial position in its 57-year history, and that strength is now being deployed toward a decision that could reshape the company's production profile. Q2 2026 revenue reached $26.8 million, up 23% year-on-year, driven by higher realised silver prices at $68.90/oz and increased throughput from La Preciosa development material. Net income of $10.9 million and EBITDA of $12.6 million both grew strongly year-on-year, and the company closed the quarter debt-free with $144.2 million in cash and $140.8 million in working capital.That balance sheet strength underpins the company's most consequential near-term decision: whether to build a standalone processing plant at La Preciosa, its silver development project 19 kilometres from the existing Avino mill. Management estimates a facility comparable to Avino's current 2,500-tonne-per-day mill would cost $200-300 million, roughly half of which the company already holds in cash. A pre-feasibility study now underway with an independent engineering firm is expected within 8-10 months, after which Avino could move directly to a construction decision.The case for going standalone rests on both economics and optionality. Trucking material 19 kilometres at a much larger scale would strain logistics and community relations at the volumes a full La Preciosa operation would require, and CEO David Wolfin has been explicit that a standalone plant is the better use of capital once the study confirms it. Recent drilling supports that confidence: intercepts including 7.9 metres of 1,600 g/t silver and 2 g/t gold, and a further 6 metres at 550 g/t silver, suggest underground mining grades could exceed the diluted, open-pit-based resource model inherited from the project's previous owner, Coeur Mining.Underpinning this is Avino's first mineral reserve in company history, published in April 2026 after the company crossed the $90 million trailing-revenue threshold required under NI 43-101 to report reserves. The combined 127 million silver equivalent ounces in proven and probable reserves, alongside 301 million ounces of measured and indicated resources, gives the growth story a formal technical foundation it lacked a year ago. Average reserve mine life across the portfolio comfortably exceeds the roughly 8-year average among primary silver peers, a comparison management uses to argue for a valuation re-rating as the company de-risks.Risks remain concentrated in execution. Costs rose alongside the cash build, with all-in sustaining costs of $38.75 per silver equivalent ounce in Q2, reflecting the expense of developing a new mine rather than deterioration at Avino itself. Copper production fell 50% year-on-year as the company processed oxidised material from historical open-pit walls, a sequencing decision expected to reverse over the next six to eight months. Investors should also note that much of the grade upside management points to remains in step-out drilling not yet reflected in the reserve model; an updated estimate is expected in Q1 2027.For investors, Avino offers a rare combination: an operating, cash-generating mine funding a second high-grade asset, a debt-free balance sheet providing genuine optionality, and two concrete near-term catalysts: the La Preciosa pre-feasibility study, and the Q1 2027 resource update against which to track execution.View Avino Silver & Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/avino-silver-gold-mines-ltdSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Interview with Donovan Pollitt, President and Director, White Gold Corp Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/white-gold-tsxvwgo-largest-drill-program-commencing-on-highest-grade-gold-resource-in-yukon-10043Recording date: 2nd September 2026White Gold Corp (TSXV:WGO) has crossed a threshold that had eluded it for years: a Preliminary Economic Assessment that puts formal economics around its Yukon flagship deposit. Released August 10, 2026 and refined in an August 28 update, the PEA delivers an after-tax NPV (5%) of C$1.86 billion and a 41% IRR at a US$3,600/oz gold price, with a 1.5-year payback period. At spot-adjacent US$4,500/oz pricing, those figures rise to a C$2.9 billion NPV and 56% IRR. The proposed operation is a conventional open-pit, carbon-in-leach mine processing 12,000 tonnes per day across the Golden Saddle, Arc, Ryan's Surprise and VG zones, producing approximately 188,000 ounces annually over a 9.4-year life at an all-in sustaining cost of US$1,482/oz. Initial capital is costed at C$1,002 million.President and Director Donovan Pollitt was explicit that the study was built conservatively: a first-year production rate derated to 85% of nameplate, full costing of infrastructure most PEAs might trim (a new 5,000-foot airstrip, complete camp and tailings facilities), and a mine plan that uses only around 60% of the current 3 million-ounce resource. Notably, underground potential at Golden Saddle where drilling continues to target higher-grade mineralisation below the current pit design was excluded from the study altogether, representing upside not yet reflected in the headline numbers.Beyond the PEA, two lower-cost avenues to resource growth are underway in parallel with continued step-out drilling: a systematic resampling of roughly 7,350 metres of historic core (about 12% of all metres drilled on the property since 2008) that was never assayed, concentrated in a hanging-wall zone now interpreted as continuously mineralised, and a new target, Golden Saddle 2.0, on the far side of a fault offset from the main deposit. The 2026 drilling programme totals 15,000-20,000 metres, with over 10,000 metres completed at the time of the interview and 11,500 metres confirmed in a subsequent company update; assay results are expected through the autumn as regional lab capacity, strained by a busy Yukon drill season, catches up.A second and distinct value lever sits outside the gold story: White Gold's non-gold critical mineral targets - copper, tungsten, silver and molybdenum anomalies identified through years of soil geochemistry but never drilled - are being spun into a separately listed vehicle, W2 Critical Minerals Corp, at a ratio of one W2 share per five WGO shares held. The Ontario Superior Court granted final approval for the arrangement on August 28, 2026, with W2's associated financing upsized from $5 million to $10 million to fund a maiden drill programme.Valuation-wise, White Gold trades at approximately US$116 per contained ounce as of early August 2026 company filings - the lowest in its Yukon peer group despite carrying that group's highest weighted-average grade (1.38 g/T). Management has signalled no rush toward a production decision or an accelerated pre-feasibility study, prioritising further drilling and optionality on mine-plan design over speed. For investors, the near-term catalyst calendar includes autumn assay results, progress at Golden Saddle 2.0 and the VG East extension, and the pending completion of the W2 spin-out.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/white-gold-corpSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

On this episode of the Alachua County Extension Cord Podcast, we discuss The Giant African Land Snail.Guest: Mikel Barbeite, Alachua County Extension Program Assistant.Host: Dr. Kevin Korus, UF/IFAS ExtensionAgriculture and Natural Resources agent. For more information visit.⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN904Music by the Walkers:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thewalkersbandgville⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://the-walkers.bandcamp.com/track/rattling-bones

Interview with Jonathan Fisher, CEO of Cauldron EnergyRecording date: 2nd September 2026Cauldron Energy (ASX:CXU) holds 55 million pounds of JORC-compliant uranium resource at its Yanrey Project in Western Australia, with an exploration target of up to 269 million additional pounds. The company's near-perfect drilling record and strategic positioning make it a compelling uranium story—provided Western Australia lifts its longstanding mining ban.The Yanrey Project spans three deposits: Bennett Well, Manyingee South, and Manyingee North are all situated in a region considered highly prospective for in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining. Cauldron's exploration has been remarkably successful wherein the first 24 drill holes at Manyingee North intersected mineralisation, defining a maiden 10-million-pound resource with a 100% hit rate. Subsequent drilling of 40 to 50 additional holes has maintained that near-perfect success rate.The company uses passive seismic surveying to identify buried palaeochannels, ancient river systems, that concentrated uranium as they flowed eastward from granitic sources. Three channels have been drilled to date, yielding the three known deposits, with 20-30 more channels still untested. A formal resource update is expected later in 2026 following the completion of the current drilling campaign.Western Australia's state-level uranium mining ban remains the single biggest obstacle to production. Despite this, Cauldron received two government exploration grants in April 2026, a signal CEO Jonathan Fisher interprets as contradictory but encouraging. Additional indicators of potential policy shift include a parliamentary inquiry where over 60% of submissions favoured uranium mining, and a recent by-election swing toward the pro-uranium One Nation party.While the ban persists, Cauldron is maximising its resource base to become either a ready-to-develop asset or an attractive takeover target once policy changes. The company has partnered with Uzbekistan's Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company to de-risk ISR process design and hired an experienced environmental manager to navigate regulatory approvals. Groundwater testing by ANSTO found low salinity across all three deposits—a favourable factor for ISR recovery economics.Cauldron's investment case hinges entirely on Western Australia lifting its mining ban. While management cites multiple signals of policy change, none are confirmed. Technical risks remain, as demonstrated by peer Boss Energy's setbacks at its Honeymoon ISR operation, though Cauldron's Navoi partnership aims to mitigate such risks. Shareholder concentration is high, with a family office holding ~30% and ETFs ~15–16%, providing stability but limiting free float.View Cauldron Energy's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/cauldron-energy-limitedSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Interview with Alex Walker, CEO of East Star ResourcesOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/east-star-resources-lseest-partner-funded-copper-production-and-25m-gold-search-in-kazakhstan-10606Recording date: 2nd September 2026East Star Resources (LSE:EST) has added a second free-carried development structure to its Kazakhstan copper and gold portfolio, signing a binding Heads of Agreement for a joint venture over its Rulikha copper project. The deal follows the same non-dilutive logic that underpins East Star's existing Verkhuba joint venture with Chinese mine-builder Xinhai Mining: rather than raising capital from shareholders to fund permitting, drilling and construction, East Star brings in a partner with deeper development expertise and lets that partner carry the cost, in exchange for a minority economic interest once the project reaches production.At Rulikha, that partner group consists of two entities: Nova, a financing vehicle, and Orion, an operating team that has previously built two copper mines in Kazakhstan and exited its most recent project to a Chinese buyer for approximately $125 million within the past four years. CEO Alex Walker cited that track record, along with the personal involvement of a well-connected Kazakh lawyer who structured the deal, as central to his confidence in the partnership.The earn-in mechanics are designed to protect East Star's downside. The partners' initial percentage only crystallises once they complete the first of either 3,000 metres of drilling or $1.5 million of spend, and even that threshold represents only a fraction of the total committed spend, not a cap. East Star's final economic interest lands between 25% and 35% depending on whether the partners fund with equity or debt and importantly, majority ownership does not pass to the partners until they reach the construction stage, well beyond the current commitment.Operationally, drilling approval for Rulikha is already secured, land access was obtained before the joint venture was even discussed, and management expects drilling to begin in the third or fourth quarter of 2026, targeting both the main Rulikha deposit areas and two satellite targets, Taloskoy and Rulikha North, the latter having already returned a 120-metre interval of disseminated sulphide mineralisation last year.Meanwhile, at the more advanced Verkhuba copper deposit, drilling continues under the existing Xinhai-funded joint venture, with a second rig now on site and the first assay results due at the lab within one to two weeks. East Star's separate gold exploration joint venture with Endeavour Mining, covering two large land packages in northern and central Kazakhstan under a $25 million funding commitment, remains unchanged and continues to offer a third free-carried catalyst.For investors, the Rulikha announcement effectively doubles East Star's exposure to potential copper production funded entirely by third parties, without adding dilution risk. The near-term catalysts to watch are execution of the definitive Rulikha joint venture agreement (currently only a Heads of Agreement), the start of Rulikha drilling later this year, and Verkhuba's forthcoming assay results, which together will begin to clarify the pace at which East Star's project pipeline converts into cash flow.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/east-star-resourcesSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Interview with Peter Akerley, CEO & Kelly Clure, Advisor of Erdene Resource DevelopmentOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/erdene-resource-developments-tsxerd-undervalued-investment-series-with-peter-akerley-10566Recording date: 1st September 2026Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX:ERD; MSE:ERDN; OTCQX:ERDCF) has moved from mine-builder to self-funded explorer. The company's Bayan Khundii Gold Mine, operated as a 50/50 joint venture with Mongolian Mining Corporation, delivered 11,709 ounces of gold in Q2 2026, a 37% increase quarter-on-quarter, generating $53 million in gross revenue. Feed grade rose 25% to 2.4 g/t gold, with recoveries of 96%, ahead of plan.That cash flow is now being redeployed into a materially more aggressive exploration program across the company's broader Khundii Minerals District, discovered by Erdene in Mongolia's southwest. Management has committed 12,000 metres of drilling to Bayan Khundii's western expansion, targeting the corridor between the current pit and the newly resource-defined Ulaan deposit. In parallel, the company is testing porphyry copper potential beneath all three of its main hydrothermal systems, Bayan Khundii, Altan Nar and Zuun Mod, none of which has been drill-tested below roughly 700 metres, despite kilometre-scale surface alteration footprints comparable to major regional discoveries like Oyu Tolgoi.Zuun Mod, a wholly-owned molybdenum-copper porphyry, is the standout near-term catalyst: the deposit ranks in the upper 15th percentile globally on grade-tonnage terms, and a preliminary economic assessment is on track for mid-H2 2026, backed by a newly contracted deep geophysics (IP/MT) program aimed at both Zuun Mod itself and the adjacent Khuvyn Khar copper target.Altan Nar, holding roughly 500,000 ounces of gold along a 5-kilometre trend, is next in line for 2027 capital, with management weighing a CIP tie-in to the existing Bayan Khundii plant against a standalone flotation-concentrate build. Early metallurgical work favours the CIP route, potentially adding five years of mine life for a fraction of the estimated $140 million standalone capex. A complementary heap leach study, covering oxide material at both Dark Horse and Altan Nar, could add a further ~100,000 ounces of lower-cost production.A smaller, earlier-stage option property, Tereg Uul, sits roughly 10km south of Oyu Tolgoi; a maiden drill program confirmed anomalous gold, silver and native copper along a 1.5-kilometre structure, and the option was extended in July 2026 with a $400,000 payment.Underpinning the exploration push is a policy tailwind: Mongolia's mining ministry announced in June 2026 that it would reopen exploration licensing after roughly a decade of restricted issuance, a development management believes favours first movers with existing geological databases, including Erdene.Financially, the company holds $26 million in corporate cash earmarked for its wholly-owned project pipeline through 2027, and is running an active share buyback (up to 4.9 million shares, ~10% of public float, with 94,400 shares already repurchased at an average $5.21). Key near-term catalysts for investors to track include the Zuun Mod PEA, deep geophysics results expected later in Q3 2026, and progress on Mongolia's licensing reopening.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/erdene-resource-developmentSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Kate Fowler, Global Head of Nuclear and Alastair Nicklin, Senior Director, Natural Resources explores the growing connection between AI, data centres and nuclear energy. The discussion examines why surging demand for computing power is making reliable electricity a strategic priority, how nuclear power can support digital infrastructure resilience, and the risks and opportunities associated with deploying new nuclear technologies to meet future energy needs.

Three-quarters of Americans say they do not want a data center built near their home. That is the finding of an August 2026 Heatmap News and Embold Research poll of more than 2,000 registered voters, up from roughly 43 percent opposed just a year earlier, in August 2025. Opposition has climbed almost every time it has been measured since.David Senter is watching that shift from the ground. A fourth-generation Texas farmer and president of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM), he has spent close to fifty years advocating for family farmers and ranchers. On this week's For Humanity, he tells John Sherman what has changed: wells running dry, land bought with no public hearing, and a question few of these towns have had to answer before: what happens if one of these buildings catches fire?The 60-second version* AAM says it passed a unanimous resolution in January opposing data centers on farm and ranch land. No public copy of the resolution text was locatable to verify the exact wording, so this is Senter's account, not an independently confirmed document.* A University of Texas at Austin study found data centers could consume between 3 and 9 percent of the state's total water supply by 2040, concentrated in regions that already depend on a declining aquifer.* Two fire codes, NFPA 855 and UL 9540, require lithium-ion battery systems to be separated from other structures with dedicated spacing and enclosures. Senter says he has not seen a data center built that way in the rural areas he tracks.* A named Texas rancher has testified to state lawmakers about a project's expected water draw and his concerns for his herd. Independent scientific evidence linking data centers to livestock health outcomes broadly does not yet exist, according to a recent fact-check.* National opposition to local data centers has climbed from about 43 percent a year ago to 75 percent today.The water math over farm countryWest Texas sits on part of the Ogallala Aquifer, a fossil water source that recharges far slower than it is being drawn down, and farmers there have relied on it for irrigation and livestock for decades. Senter describes wells, streams, and ponds already drying up in areas where data centers have moved in, and says operators are often not required to report how much groundwater they use.A University of Texas at Austin research report found that, depending on growth and cooling technology, data centers could account for 3 to 9 percent of Texas's total water consumption by 2040. Individual hyperscale campuses can draw up to five million gallons a day, comparable to a small city. Five proposed or under-construction projects sit directly on or near the Ogallala, and in April 2026, more than 500 residents protested one of them near San Angelo. Tom Green County commissioners have since passed their own resolution calling for stricter state regulation of high-volume water use. This local, unanimous vote mirrors what Senter describes AAM doing nationally.“That's a critical stage,” Senter says of the aquifer. “A lot of areas used to be irrigated farmland. There's no water there left now.”Sources for this section: UT Austin water use findings, via HighPlainsPundit - Newsweek: data centers proposed over the Ogallala Aquifer - Water Information Program: water and energyA fire nobody has fought yet.The part of the conversation that lingers longest is not about water. It is about what a rural volunteer fire department would actually do if one of these buildings caught fire.Senter says he has a friend who is a fire chief near Matador, Texas, where a large data center is under construction in open ranch country. His account of the chief's plan: “they just have to sit and watch it burn,” because the department has neither the water supply nor the specialized equipment for a large-scale fire involving thousands of lithium-ion battery cells.That gap is not hypothetical. New York City's own struggle with lithium-ion battery fires, mostly from e-bikes, gives a sense of scale: at least 30 deaths and more than 800 fires since 2022, with a full-time, professionally equipped fire department. Two national codes, NFPA 855 and UL 9540, exist to reduce this risk by requiring battery storage to be spaced and separated from other structures, with exact distances set project by project. Senter says that separation is not what he sees built. “I'm not aware of any of the data centers having a segregated fireproof building for the batteries,” he says. “It's cheaper just to do it like they're doing it.”A Central Texas fire department has already gone on record with the same worry about a data center proposed in its district, which suggests Senter's concern is not isolated to the sites he happens to know personally.Sources for this section: NFPA 855 overview, Mayfield Renewables - Lithium-ion battery fires in NYC: 30 deaths, 800 fires, AEE Law, citing NFPA Journal - Data center plans spark concern for Central Texas fire department, KXX.VThe fight that is actually workingNot every claim in this space is settled, and it is worth being precise about which ones are. In Bell County, Texas, rancher Alton Fowler has testified before the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources against a $700 million data center project five miles from his farm, citing an estimated 2.5 million gallons of daily water use and low-frequency noise he says affects his cattle and goats. That testimony is on the public record. Separately, viral claims that data centers have caused cattle stillbirths near other Texas sites remain, per an independent fact-check, anecdotal: real concern from real farmers, without the veterinary data to establish cause and effect. Senter's own account, that livestock near a new site “get as far away from that data center as they can,” sits in the same category: a firsthand observation, not a study.What is measurable is the shift in public opinion, from roughly even a year ago to 75 percent opposed today, and the growing list of counties passing their own resolutions. Senter frames it as one of the only issues left that pulls in voters who agree on almost nothing else. “When you unite people from both sides of the aisle,” he says, “politicians have not seen that in quite a long time.”Sources for this section: Temple rancher testimony, KWTX - Livestock stillbirth claims fact-check - Heatmap News: 75% of Americans now oppose local data center developmentThe takeawayData centers are the physical infrastructure underneath everything else this show covers. The wells, the fire codes, and the county commission meetings are what AI's buildout looks like at ground level, well before a model release makes headlines. Senter is not an AI safety researcher, and says as much. But the pattern he describes, well-funded interests moving fast in places with the least oversight, is the one this show tracks in the labs too. Whether the guardrails show up at the county line or in a training run, the question stays the same: who gets to decide, and who finds out after the fact.Full source listPrimary data and research* Heatmap News / Embold Research poll on data center opposition, August 2026* University of Texas at Austin, Texas data center water use findings, via HighPlainsPundit* NFPA Journal lithium-ion battery fire data, via AEE LawReporting* Newsweek: data centers proposed over the Ogallala Aquifer* KWTX: Temple rancher opposes Bell County data center* KXXV: data center plans spark concern for Central Texas fire department* Water Information Program: water and energy* Mayfield Renewables: NFPA 855 overview* Factually.co: livestock stillbirth claims fact-check This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theairisknetwork.substack.com/subscribe

A major Washington media lawsuit has reached a settlement in a fight over press freedom and access to state lawmakers, while an iconic Seattle restaurant is closing after more than 50 years as its owner blames rising rent, labor costs, taxes, construction and other pressures facing small businesses. Plus, a Washington lawmaker is questioning why the Department of Natural Resources is trying to fill a six-figure position while the state faces serious budget challenges. First, a major development in Washington's press credential controversy. Citizen Action Defense Fund announced a settlement with the Capitol Correspondents Association in litigation involving journalists Ari Hoffman, Jonathan Choe and Brandi Kruse. The case raises a fundamental First Amendment question: Who gets to decide who qualifies as a journalist and receives press access to Washington lawmakers? The controversy grew after reporters were denied access or credentials at the Washington State Capitol, and the litigation's discovery process uncovered internal communications about journalists seeking access. The settlement ends the Capitol Correspondents Association's role in the dispute, but the broader lawsuit involving the Washington State House continues. Then, another longtime Seattle business is shutting its doors. Luigi's Italian Eatery in Pioneer Square will close September 19 after more than 50 years. Owner Angela Williams explains why rising rent, labor expenses, food costs, construction disruptions and Seattle's broader business environment ultimately made continuing operations unsustainable. Williams says the restaurant faced a roughly 40% rent increase and describes repeatedly trying to adjust the business before reaching the conclusion that it could no longer survive another winter. She also discusses the World Cup economic boost that many Pioneer Square businesses expected—and why Luigi's did not experience the windfall it hoped for. Finally, Washington state government spending is facing new scrutiny as the Department of Natural Resources seeks to fill a Director for Equity, Environmental Justice and Civil Rights position with a listed salary of roughly $131,000 to $153,000 per year. Washington State Sen. Mark Schoesler is questioning whether the six-figure DNR position should be a priority while Gov. Bob Ferguson is asking state agencies to find efficiencies, Washington faces future budget pressures and DNR resources have been strained by a devastating wildfire season. Washington in Focus Daily breaks down the latest Washington politics, Seattle business news, government spending, taxpayer issues, press freedom controversies and state budget developments affecting residents across Washington. #WashingtonState #Seattle #WashingtonPolitics #SeattleNews #PressFreedom #Media #FirstAmendment #SeattleBusiness #SmallBusiness #PioneerSquare #WashingtonBudget #GovernmentSpending #DNR #Taxpayer #WashingtonInFocus Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

EO Wilson famously called insects the "little things that run the world." Dr. Ken Johnson, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, joins us this week to solve our insect challenges.  Insects perform numerous services within our ecosystems, but how do we respond when insects start to "bug" us? Mosquitos on your patio, wasps by your door, and ticks in your yard - all these topics are discussed around the table this week on Everyday Environment. ResourcesManaging mosquitoes at homeVoice of the Wild - Yellow billed cuckooWILSON, E.O. (1987), The Little Things That Run the world* (The Importance and Conservation of Invertebrates). Conservation Biology, 1: 344-346. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1987.tb00055.xFabian, S.T., Sondhi, Y., Allen, P.E. et al. Why flying insects gather at artificial light. Nat Commun 15, 689 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44785-3. Check out Ken on the Good Growing podcast and blog!Share your own Everyday ObservationWas there something about this topic we didn't cover? See something cool in nature? Let us know! Send us your question or share your everyday nature observation with us at go.illinois.edu/EEconnect, and we may share it in a future blog or podcast.Questions? We'd love to hear from you!Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu Subscribe to our NewsletterCheck out our BlogSee the Everyday Environment Archives

The Ministry of Natural Resources has conducted a comprehensive marine geophysical survey in waters under China's jurisdiction east of Taiwan Island to improve understanding of seabed geology and support marine management.自然资源部在中国台湾岛以东我国管辖海域开展了一次综合性海洋地球物理勘测，旨在加深对海底地质情况的了解，为海洋管理工作提供支撑。The survey was carried out by the ministry's Second Institute of Oceanography from Aug 10 to 31, according to the ministry.据该部门介绍，本次勘测由自然资源部第二海洋研究所于8月10日31日实施。Researchers used multiple survey techniques simultaneously, including multibeam sonar, multichannel seismic exploration, oceanbottom seismometers, and gravity and magnetic measurements.科研人员同步运用了多种勘测技术，包括多波束声呐、多道地震勘探、海底地震仪以及重力与磁力测量。The survey collected basic environmental data on seabed topography, sedimentary layers, deep geological structures and geophysical fields, the ministry said.自然资源部表示，本次勘测采集了有关海底地形、沉积地层、深部地质构造以及地球物理场的基础环境数据。The data will help researchers further examine the geological and geophysical characteristics of the seabed east of Taiwan Island, including seabed sediments, tectonic structures, deep crustal architecture and geological evolution.这些数据将助力科研人员进一步探究台湾岛以东海域海底的地质与地球物理特征，涵盖海底沉积物、构造结构、深部地壳构造以及地质演化过程。The survey will also provide a scientific basis for the comprehensive management of waters under China's jurisdiction in the area, while contributing data to the development of a unified spatial planning database, the ministry said.自然资源部称，本次勘测也将为该区域我国管辖海域的综合管理提供科学依据，同时为建设统一的空间规划数据库贡献相关数据。geophysical /ˌdʒiːəʊˈfɪzɪkl/地球物理的jurisdiction /ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃn/管辖权；管辖区域sedimentary /ˌsedɪˈmentri/沉积的tectonic /tekˈtɒnɪk/构造的（地质）crustal /ˈkrʌstl/地壳的

Research indicates as many as 2 million vehicles collide with large wildlife in the United States each year, resulting in as many as 200 human deaths, more than 26,000 injuries and billions of dollars in property damage.Officials in Michigan hope to join other states in finding creative ways to address the problem.On this week's Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, Amanda Novak, a resource specialist at the Michigan Department of Transportation, talks about her work in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to study these collisions and ways to create safer crossings.Environment America reports that a survey of Americans about their views on wildlife crossings found that nearly 90 percent of them support the concept. Other relevant links:https://www.pew.org/en/trust/archive/summer-2026/states-act-to-reduce-wildlife-collisions https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/wildlife-crossings   Podcast Photo by Da-shika on Unsplash

Robbie sits down with Kristie Gill, a PhD student out of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, doing her field work in South Africa. Kristie has an incredible journey from an anti hunter to actually becoming PRO hunting and the evolution of her preconceived notions to opening her eyes to the realities of wildlife conservation. This all started with her first visit to South Africa and someone taking the time to explain to her the value of sustainable use of wildlife.  Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org  Text us at 601-790-0607 with thoughts, comments and ideas for guests and episodes Support our Conservation Club Members! Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/  Walther: https://waltherarms.com/ Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/  See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com  This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com  Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a fifth generation row-crop farmer in the Northern Neck of Virginia, P.J. Haynie III shares how important generational knowledge, networking, and technologies are to successful farming and business development. In this episode, P.J. talks with Jeff, Mary, and Eric about the farming legacy of his family and how they have adapted and innovated through the years to enhance the return on investment of their time, labor, equipment, and technologies. Through generational technology and sharing of information, P.J. and his family are able to monitor trends in soil health, manage cover crops and plant residue to cope with extremely wet and dry seasons, suppress weeds, and retain as much moisture as possible. Similarly, P.J. emphasizes he is best person to tell the story of his farm and his family's legacy of farm business management and ecological soil stewardship. Along with storytelling, networking is a critical element for learning and staying competitive. Since joining and helping to found the National Black Growers Council in 2009, P.J. has benefited from his relationships and interactions with other black row-crop farmers. P.J. studied and graduated with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech. While at Virginia Tech, P.J. was the president of the university's chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS). P.J. currently serves as a director on the National Black Growers Council's board.Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcastAs always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.  4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Partners include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and other members of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today's program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia State University, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Eustacy is a word used to describe worldwide changes of sea level. This is a new word for us: even though it seems we live in a eustatic world. We're using this newly-discovered word to distill the five areas of our existence where the ocean matters most: fresh water, the ocean-fresh water continuum, energy, food, health, and exchange.  About World Ocean RadioWorld Ocean Radio is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays available for syndicated use at no cost by college and community radio stations worldwide, providing coverage of a broad spectrum of ocean issues from science and education to advocacy and exemplary projects. Episodes of World Ocean Radio offer perspectives on global ocean issues and viable solutions, and celebrate exemplary projects. 

The 38 people charged in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church say they have been singled out for selective or vindictive prosecution. A motion to dismiss filed Monday in federal court says the defendants, including journalists who covered the protest, are being prosecuted for protected speech. The motion says protesters who disrupted a service at an LGBTQ-friendly church in Orlando, Florida, last year did not face charges. It alleges the Florida protesters were not prosecuted because their political views aligned with President Donald Trump and his administration.The Democratic candidate running against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer says Congress has been weakened under President Donald Trump. Election policy expert Doug Chapin is running against Emmer in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. Emmer is part of Republican House leadership and has won his six previous races easily. Chapin says Emmer has allowed executive power to grow on his watch, but says the changing district and an anti-incumbent mood could work in his favor.A months-long strike in Chisago County is officially over after the county board approved contract agreements for striking workers. About 125 county workers had been on strike since May. That was about a third of the county's staff, including health and human services workers and other government center employees. The union says the three-year deal includes pay raises and better health care plans.Thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Lake Mille Lacs in recent weeks. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says it is common for some fish to die every summer, but hotter-than-normal weather has increased lake temperatures. That can be hard on cold-water fish such as tullibee, also known as cisco. Cisco populations are under pressure in some Minnesota lakes that are warming due to climate change.

Recording date: 28th August 2026Olive Resource Capital's latest Compass episode centres on two connected observations: a summer drilling season that is quietly delivering strong results, and a persistent shortage of the advanced copper projects the market increasingly wants exposure to.On the drilling side, Derek Macpherson said a quick scan of recent releases turned up roughly ten notable holes in a two-day window, spanning gold and copper-equivalent results from companies including Lake Victoria Gold, Free Gold, ATEX Resources and VR Resources. He attributed the volume to well-funded companies - many of which raised capital during the frothy financing window of late 2025 and early 2026 - finally reaching the drill bit with larger, multi-rig programmes than in past cycles. Despite the quality of results, Samuel Pelaez noted that most of the underlying stocks have moved only modestly, framing individual holes as a starting point for deeper diligence rather than a signal to react to immediately. He illustrated the point with VR Resources Ltd. (TSXV:VRR), whose strong copper-equivalent grade at its New Boston project in Nevada turned out to be molybdenum-led on closer inspection, and with Heritage Mining Corp., where a genuinely strong gold result failed to move the share price because of an unresolved warrant overhang from prior financings.Both Macpherson and Pelaez pointed to operational bottlenecks as a growing constraint on the pace of news flow. Assay laboratory turnaround times have roughly doubled industry-wide, and at least one Nevada-based lab has stopped accepting new clients. Macpherson cited a conversation with White Gold Corp. CEO David D'Onofrio, who described Yukon labs as overwhelmed by the scale of concurrent drill programmes in the territory - a dynamic likely to push meaningful drill-result reporting into the fourth quarter and beyond the traditional autumn conference season.This episode returned to a recurring theme: the scarcity of tier-one copper development projects. Pelaez cited comments from Mineral Resources Limited (ASX:MIN) chief executive Chris Ellison, who told investors on a results call that the roughly A$10 billion Australian miner intends to buy a copper project outside Australia within the next 12 months - a sign, in Pelaez's view, that copper demand is broadening well beyond specialist resource investors. Macpherson highlighted Rio Tinto's US$15 million strategic investment in Mogotes Metals Inc. (TSXV:MOG), closed on 27 August, as further evidence of major producers competing for exposure to early-stage assets in Argentina and Chile's Vicuña district, home to NGEx Minerals Ltd.'s (TSXV:NGEX) four significant discoveries. Closer to home, Olive continues to build positions in Edge Copper Corporation's (TSXV:EDCU) Zonia project in Arizona, Gladiator in the Yukon, and Valhalla in Alaska.Olive's preferred strategy is buying advanced development assets likely to be built or acquired this cycle, on the view that the valuation gap between developers and producers is typically widest early in a bull market, a gap they expect to become more pronounced in copper as competition for scarce, advanced assets intensifies.Sign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Join us today as we speak with Judy Cardin about the best plants to grow in your garden for attracting bumblebees. Her plant recommendations: Dutchman's Breeches; Virginia Bluebells; Giant Lavender Hyssop; Giant Yellow Hyssop; Joe Pye Weed; Culver's Root; Thistle; Great Blue Lobelia; Bottle Gentian; Asters; Goldenrod; Virginia Waterleaf; Jacob's Ladder; Wild Geranium; Wld Bergamot; Mountain Mint; Anise Hyssop. Shrub recommendations: American Plum; Dwarfbush Honeysuckle; Shrubby St. Johnswort; Lead Plant; and New Jersey Tea. We also discuss the concern about the vanishing Rusty-Patched bumblebee. Judy Cardin is a bumble bee expert and educator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's community science program Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade. When Judy retired as Bureau Director with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection 7 years ago, she transitioned her 50 year passion for nature and gardening into her retirement career: sharing her knowledge of bumble bees, how to restore yard and community spaces to native habitat that will support native wildlife, in particular bumble bees and pollinators. She has trained a wide range of audiences, including Master Gardener and Master Naturalist classes, school teachers, and the PBS Garden expo. Judy is also the administrator of the Wisconsin/Midwest Bumble Bee Observers Facebook page. Educator, WDNR Bumble Bee Brigade Citizen Science ProgramUW-Madison Arboretum volunteer, mentored on native plants by Susan Carpenter, Arboretum Native Plant CuratorChair, Friends of the UW-Madison Arboretum Grass to Garden Program, Co-chair FOA Native Plant SaleWild Ones Native Plant Certification InstructorConverted her urban yard to over 350 native plant species and 25,000 native plants.She is a Bee surveyor: conducted hundreds of surveys for Bumble Bee Brigade, UWArboretum, and the USGS. Contributing author, Nature Magazine research article on finding Rusty patched bumble bees:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-46861-8Author "Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Floral Phenology" https://online.flippingbook.com/view/810946527/Administrator, Wisconsin/Midwest Bumble Bee Observers Facebook page.Join Catherine Greenleaf, a certified wildlife rehabilitator with 25 years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, for twice-monthly discussions about restoring native habitat and helping the birds in your backyard. Send your questions about birds and native gardening to birdhuggerpodcast@gmail.com. (PG-13) St. Dymphna Press, LLC.

If you've been near a boat landing in Minnesota this summer, you've probably seen dire warnings about zebra mussels. The Department of Natural Resources says about five percent of Minnesota's more than 11,000 lakes are infested with the fingernail-sized mollusk, and they are always trying to limit spread. That word — infested — hints at what the DNR thinks of invasive zebra mussel. It's the language of contamination, infection and ruin. In her new book, “Undesirable: Invasive Species, Humans, and Where We All Belong,” science writer Amy Crawford examines how we came to see certain plants and animals as invading and marauding. She writes that, in his age of anxiety, “stories about invasive species tap into widely held feelings about environmental loss.”Click hereThis week on Big Books and Bold Ideas, Kerri Miller talks with Crawford about invasion biology and the hard questions that surround it: What's considered native to an ecosystem? What do we do when our own damage of a habitat gives way to new plants, insects and animals? And is it time to reconsider our attempts to control these environments?Guest:Amy Crawford is a Michigan-based freelance journalist. Her new book is, “Undesirable: Invasive Species, Humans, and Where We All Belong.”Subscribe to Big Books and Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, RSS or anywhere you get your podcasts.Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations.

Pennsylvania's top prosecutor is touting Pennsylvania's share of a nationwide legal settlement with the owner of Facebook and Instagram.Central Pennsylvania's food banks are seeing increased demand. Eligibility changes to SNAP are kicking people off the program and causing confusion.Meet WITF reporter and Weekend Edition host Katie Knol, in conversation with the Morning Agenda's Karen Hendricks.The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is recognizing two rangers and a civilian for saving a mountain biker's life at Swatara State Park this spring.And now it's time for our weekly segment called The Bright Spot. Every Friday, I'll share a positive news story that may have gotten lost amid this week's news cycle.  Today's bright spot is this:A new Hershey area nonprofit is creating opportunities for new mothers to learn a skill, do something for themselves and connect with other moms. The initiative promotes the benefits of dance and removes barriers mothers face.It's been one year since public media's federal funding was revoked. Thanks to our community, we're still here for you and looking toward the future. Join the thousands of members who are building a stronger WITF. Go to  www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you.

Interview with Colin Joudrie, CEO, Selkirk CopperOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/selkirk-copper-mines-tsxvscmi-restart-developer-targets-mid-2028-production-10866Recording date: 26th August 2026Selkirk Copper Mines is executing a restart of the past-producing Minto copper-gold-silver mine in Yukon, Canada, an asset that operated successfully for 16 years before its most recent operator entered bankruptcy in 2023. Rather than building a new mine, Selkirk is rehabilitating existing infrastructure - a 4,100 tonne-per-day processing plant, underground and open-pit workings, a 400-person camp, water treatment facilities and grid power - an approach management argues meaningfully compresses both the capital and time required to reach production.The exploration case has strengthened materially over the past year. A Phase 1 drill programme of 52,288 metres, completed in mid-2026, underpinned an updated Mineral Resource Estimate showing a 182% increase in Measured & Indicated copper to 940 million pounds, alongside comparable increases in gold and silver. An ongoing Phase 2 programme, targeting 50,000 metres, is now more than 90% complete and running ahead of schedule, with recent assay results including a 13.12% copper-equivalent intercept at the high-grade Minto North zone and step-out drilling that suggests further expansion potential to the south. Roughly half of the resource growth is attributed to drilling success, with the remainder reflecting updated metal price assumptions.A structural feature distinguishes Selkirk's economics from the prior operation: a gold and silver streaming agreement that previously diverted precious metals revenue to an outside party was eliminated during the bankruptcy process. CEO Colin Joudrie describes this as a rare outcome that leaves the company with full exposure to gold and silver, which together represent roughly 35% of the deposit's value. Management also plans metallurgical upgrades - adding gravity recovery circuits and a permanent crusher circuit - intended to lift precious metals recovery and reduce milling costs relative to historical performance.The near-term roadmap is defined. A Preliminary Economic Assessment, incorporating the enlarged resource base, is targeted for completion in Q3 2026 and will provide the first formal cost and production estimate under Selkirk's ownership. A Feasibility Study is expected to begin around the end of September 2026, feeding into a final investment decision targeted for mid-2027, with first production targeted for mid-2028. Restart capital costs are currently expected to be in the range of C$200 million, financing for which - alongside potential offtake and streaming arrangements - is expected to be arranged over the next 12-18 months.Joudrie situates the restart within a broader copper market thesis: negative treatment and refining charges, ageing global mine supply, and recent major operational failures elsewhere have left the market structurally short, a gap he believes new, quickly-executed supply like Minto is well positioned to help fill. Risks include permitting amendment timing, which remains outside the company's direct control, Yukon-specific cost inflation in contract mining, and the execution risk of translating a substantially larger drill database into a coherent, financeable mine plan. The PEA release stands as the clearest near-term test of whether the exploration success translates into a credible economic case.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/selkirk-copperSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

First up on the podcast, will it ever make economic sense to produce drugs and biomedical supplies in space? Associate Online News Editor Michael Greshko discusses his story on the researchers attempting to make biomanufacturing in space a reality, with News intern Julia Vaz. Next on the show, producer Kevin McLean chats with Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, a professor in the department of birds and mammals at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, about how narwhals have helped collect hard-to-reach oceanographic samples. Data collected by these long-toothed cetaceans revealed far more warm Atlantic water is pressing into the fjords of East Greenland than previously thought. Finally, the latest in our book series on biographies. This month, books host Angela Saini talks with writer Priyambada Jayakumar about her biography of M. S. Swaminathan. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. Image credit: Vast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interview with Anthony Moreau, CEO, American Eagle GoldOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/american-eagle-gold-tsxvae-29-million-major-funding-for-multi-billion-ton-copper-gold-in-bc-6271Recording date: 25th August 2026American Eagle Gold Corp. (TSXV:AE | OTCQB:AMEGF) is advancing its 100%-owned NAK copper-gold porphyry project in British Columbia's Babine Porphyry District, and the past month has produced two of the strongest results in the company's history. NAK26-87, reported 18 August 2026, intersected 1,001 metres of 0.46% copper equivalent (CuEq) starting at surface, including 218 metres of 1.01% CuEq - a full kilometre of continuous copper-gold mineralisation and the longest intercept ever drilled at NAK. A week later, NAK26-89 returned 411 metres of 0.43% CuEq from 47 metres downhole, within a broader 880-metre interval of 0.30% CuEq, extending near-surface mineralisation roughly 250 metres east of the existing South Zone and opening a new target area along the southern margin of the Babine porphyry stock.Together, these results have grown the mapped South Zone footprint to more than 700 metres east-west by 600 metres north-south, with a high-grade core extending beyond 800 metres depth, and management believes the zone remains open in multiple directions. Three additional western step-out holes - NAK26-84, -86 and -88 - returned broad, consistent copper intercepts that extend the footprint further north and west, with positive implications for future open-pit design and strip ratio.The company is roughly a fifth of the way through an approximately 80-hole, 55,000-metre drill programme running through April 2027, with three rigs operating continuously. Management has now dedicated one rig specifically to the newly opened southern stock zone, an area it describes as among the least-tested but most prospective ground on the property, and the immediate next target is a follow-up to NAK23-09 - the 2023 "Teck Hole."American Eagle is well capitalised to execute this programme. As at July 2026, the company reported approximately $55 million in cash (with a subsequent release citing approximately $50 million), 205 million shares outstanding, and a market capitalisation of roughly $230 million at a share price of $1.12. Management states the company is funded through 2028 without need for near-term financing. Insiders and strategic shareholders control 53% of the share register, including South32 (19.9%), Teck (12.9%) and Eric Sprott (9.5%) - none of whom, according to CEO Anthony Moreau, have sold shares since investing.The investment case rests on combining a high-grade core with substantial surrounding bulk tonnage, a model management compares to Highland Valley. CEO Moreau has framed the strategy as proving NAK can become a mine within the current metal price cycle, positioning the asset for acquisition by a major producer. Road access, existing power and rail infrastructure, and a five-year Exploration Agreement with the Lake Babine Nation (signed August 2023) support a lower relative cost of capital versus more remote British Columbia projects.Key catalysts ahead include continued assay releases through April 2027 (roughly 74 of 80 planned holes remain unreported), results from the newly dedicated southern stock zone rig, ongoing metallurgical test work feeding a 2027 PEA, and a targeted maiden mineral resource estimate in 2027. The primary risk remains that NAK is still a pre-resource exploration asset: reported intercepts, while long and consistently mineralised, do not yet establish confirmed tonnage or grade, and copper equivalent figures rely on assumed metal prices and recoveries pending further metallurgical work.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/american-eagle-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Interview with Luis Azevedo, Chairman and CEO, Bravo MiningOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/bravo-mining-tsxvbrvo-double-grades-and-resource-up-to-236-million-tons-in-tier-one-pgm-deposit-7934Recording date: 25th August 2026Bravo Mining (TSXV:BRVO, OTCQX:BRVMF) is advancing its 100%-owned Luanga PGM+Au+Ni deposit in Brazil's Carajás Mineral Province through a Pre-Feasibility Study guided for Q3 2026, while simultaneously extending two secondary discoveries — a nickel-copper sulphide system at the Babylon target and an early-stage copper-gold exploration programme — that management believes could add materially to the project's long-term optionality.The immediate news is a set of assay results from drill hole DDH26LU347 at Babylon, adjacent to Luanga's North Sector. The hole intercepted 13.4 metres at 1.55% nickel, 0.33% copper and 2.02 g/t PGM+Au (including a higher-grade 6.7-metre interval at 2.25% nickel and 3.14 g/t PGM+Au), plus a separate 6.0-metre interval grading 6.81 g/t PGM+Au. CEO Luis Azevedo characterises the nickel-copper result as evidence the deposit could ultimately support underground mining grades in addition to its established open-pit resource, with a large Induced Polarisation anomaly at roughly 700 metres depth now queued for follow-up drilling.On the core PGM story, the PFS — pushed one quarter from Q2 to Q3 2026 — is being built around metallurgical testwork showing Jameson Cell flotation technology can lift platinum, palladium and gold recoveries by 5-10% and nickel recoveries by 5-30% against conventional Denver cells, while cutting mass pull by up to 50%. Glencore Technology has independently reviewed the metallurgical database and indicated it is prepared to issue performance guarantees on the assumptions. Azevedo argues the practical effect is a larger, more profitable pit rather than a simple recovery uplift, which is the stated reason the study needed the extra quarter.Bravo held approximately $94 million in cash at the time of interview, which management says funds the PFS, permitting and 2026 drilling without near-term dilution. Beyond the treasury, the company has structured but not yet drawn on two further levers: an indicative $280 million offer for a portion of its gold credit, and an existing $300 million credit line from Orion. A PGM offtake has drawn interest from multiple parties but remains unpriced pending bankable feasibility numbers.On permitting, Bravo already holds its preliminary licence and plans to submit for the Installation Licence within one to two weeks of the PFS release, targeting approval within six months to a year based on the company's track record with Brazilian regulators. A construction decision is targeted roughly six months after the PFS, with construction possible from mid-2028, pending a Q1 2027 resource update and a Q3 2027 Definitive Feasibility Study.The 2025 PEA's vertically-integrated smelter scenario has also become more attractive: rising sulphuric acid byproduct pricing lifts that case's NPV from approximately $1.2 billion to $1.68 billion versus the base concentrate-sale case, though management has not yet decided on timing.Separately, a copper-gold division led by 31-year Vale veteran Fabio Masotti is running IP surveying ahead of an 8,000-metre H2 2026 drill programme — a third, still unpriced source of optionality that management says could eventually support a standalone corporate structure if results warrant it.Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com/companies/bravo-miningSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com/subscribe

Jacob and Eric catch up with Luke Resop, PhD student in the MSU Deer Lab, to discuss food plots. They cover the basics of cool-season food plots and what you can do to increase your chances of success. Check out the MSU Deer Lab's online seminar series (here) and select the Natural Resources option from the Categories drop-down menu. You will need to create an account to view the seminars. The seminars are free unless you are seeking professional educational credits. Also, be sure to visit our YouTube channel (here)

Interview with Meredith Eades, President and CEO, EraNova Metals  Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/eranova-metals-dual-path-critical-minerals-play-with-30-million-infrastructure-advantage-in-canada-9037Recording date: 24th August 2026EraNova Metals has released the first independent economic study on its Adanac Molybdenum Project since 2008, and the numbers give investors a concrete basis for evaluating a story that has, until now, rested largely on historical potential. The Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), prepared by Tetra Tech Canada, values Adanac at a C$714.4 million after-tax NPV with a 23.5% IRR and a 2.6-year payback, using a US$25.00 per pound long-term molybdenum price. At the current spot price of US$31.91 per pound, President and CEO Meredith Eades said the after-tax NPV rises to C$1.29 billion, with IRR climbing to 30.2%.What separates Adanac from many junior molybdenum stories is the amount of work already completed. The project was drilled more than 73,000 metres, advanced through a full feasibility study, and received an Environmental Assessment Certificate in 2007, before the 2008 financial crisis halted construction. EraNova estimates the value of this historical infrastructure at more than C$100 million - road access, site works and engineering that a typical greenfield developer would need years and substantial capital to replicate. Combined with a mineral resource that is 93% Measured and Indicated, the technical foundation for a Feasibility Study is already largely in place, reducing the need for extensive further drilling.The macro backdrop adds to the case. Around 90% of the world's molybdenum supply arrives as a by-product of copper mining, and as copper operations increasingly move underground, by-product molybdenum grades and volumes are under pressure. That leaves relatively few primary molybdenum developers positioned to meet growing demand from high-strength steel applications in pipelines, energy infrastructure, aerospace and defence.Eades is explicit that EraNova is not attempting to raise its full C$953.3 million initial capital requirement in one step. Instead, the company is using the PEA as a credibility milestone to open conversations with government funding programmes, strategic partners and potential off-takers, including molybdenum consumers such as Freeport, Centerra and Molymet. A roughly 3,000-metre engineering support drilling programme is planned to advance toward Feasibility, alongside an updated environmental assessment process conducted in continued engagement with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation.Against a market capitalisation the company puts at approximately $10 million, the PEA's economics represent a significant disconnect from the underlying asset value - if the numbers hold through Feasibility. Risks remain: the project still requires a full Feasibility Study, updated permits, and a near-billion-dollar capital build, all of which carry execution and dilution risk as capital is raised in stages. For investors willing to accept pre-production development risk, EraNova offers a rare primary molybdenum exposure with an unusually advanced permitting and engineering head start, plus exploration optionality across the wider Ruby Creek property - including high-grade silver, gold and tungsten targets - that could deliver catalysts independent of the molybdenum development timeline.Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/eranova-metalsSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Keith Boyle, Director & CEO of New Found GoldOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/new-found-gold-tsxnfg-construction-still-on-track-10918Recording date: 14th August 2026New Found Gold's transition from exploration company to emerging Newfoundland gold producer reached a milestone with its move to the TSX main board, a step CEO Keith Boyle frames as recognition of the company's operational progress over the past 18 months. The listing upgrade is intended to widen access to institutional capital and stock indices unavailable on the TSX Venture Exchange, with Boyle noting the company currently splits roughly 60% of trading volume on New York exchanges and 40% on the TSXV, and expects the TSX move to lift Canadian volume without reducing US liquidity.Operationally, the company is running a two-track strategy. Hammerdown, a smaller open-pit gold mine acquired as part of the Maritime Resources transaction, is being ramped toward a 20,000-25,000 ounce annual run rate and is expected to be declared in commercial production within months. Boyle was explicit that Hammerdown was never intended to be a major cash generator - its purpose is to cover general and administrative costs and exploration spend, freeing the balance sheet to focus on the larger Queensway project.Queensway itself is being built in phases rather than as a single large-scale mill, a decision Boyle said was made specifically to reduce the size of financing required at each stage. Phase one, a 700-tonne-per-day open pit feeding an expanded Pine Cove mill, is fully funded through to first ore delivery - targeted for the fourth quarter of next year - following a $220 million financing announced in April. The company expects production to climb toward 120,000-125,000 ounces annually by 2028 and 175,000-200,000 ounces from 2031, as later, larger phases come online.A key near-term catalyst is the forthcoming updated mineral resource estimate and preliminary economic assessment for Queensway. Rather than moving straight to a feasibility study, the company is choosing to publish an updated PEA so investors can see the full multi-phase project, since phases two and three have not yet received enough infill drilling to be classified beyond inferred resources. Phase one, by contrast, has been de-risked through 5-by-5-metre grade control drilling and orders already placed for the mill conversion, which Boyle said supports a feasibility-level capital cost estimate for that portion of the project.On exploration, New Found Gold is directing roughly 45% of its expanded 90,000-metre, $40-million-plus 2026 drill programme toward new discovery targets rather than infill - including strike extensions east of the high-grade core, ground picked up along the Appleton Fault from the November Exploits Discovery acquisition, and follow-up drilling at Pulse Pond/Greenwood Pond and Duder Lake. Boyle said per-ounce discovery costs have fallen from roughly $145 for the initial resource to below $100 currently, comparing favourably with M&A-driven ounce additions in the sector, which he put at $500-600 per ounce. For investors, the story combines a funded near-term production ramp with an aggressive, discovery-weighted exploration budget, and the updated Queensway study will be the next major data point to watch.View New Found Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/new-found-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Get the latest updates from our LinkedIn page! https://onelink.to/treesandlinesDr. Carolyn Mahan, professor of biology and environmental studies at Penn State, returns to Trees & Lines to give an update on State Game Lands 33, the longest running vegetation management research project in the country. She breaks down what 70+ years of data show about integrated vegetation management, her expanding work on the Falcon pipeline with Shell Midstream, and her recent testimony in front of the House Committee on Natural Resources on the Fix Our Forests Act. Carolyn also gets candid about who actually pushes back on IVM today, why academic independence matters when industry funds the research, and what she's watching for after the midterms. Check out her research here.#UtilityVegetationManagement #RightOfWay #IVM #UtilityForestry #TreesAndLines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recording date: 21st August 2026Omai Gold Mines emerged as the central focus of Olive Resource Capital's latest market review after releasing a preliminary economic assessment that highlighted the project's potential scale. At a gold price of $3,600 per ounce, Omai's after-tax net present value was estimated at $4 billion, increasing to $5.5 billion at $4,200 gold. The study outlined average annual production of 350,000 ounces over an 18-year mine life, including several years above 400,000 ounces, and $8.1 billion in cumulative undiscounted cash flow. Although the market initially reacted cautiously, Olive argued that investors are still adjusting to the multibillion-dollar capital requirements of large mine developments in a higher-gold-price environment.Olive also viewed Prospector Metals' sharp selloff as a potential opportunity. The company's shares fell about 40% following early Yukon drill results that did not immediately match the prior year's standout intercepts. However, only two full holes and part of a third had been reported from a 44-hole program. With the company funded for its drilling campaign and management indicating it had identified a high-grade structural core, Olive added shares at approximately $0.80 to $0.90. The stock subsequently rebounded roughly 25% from its low.K92 Mining reported more than US$300 million in quarterly cash flow and reached a net-cash position while advancing its Stage 3 expansion. The company also announced a planned CEO succession, with John Lewins becoming non-executive chairman and internal executive David Medilek taking over as CEO. Olive characterized the change as a continuity move rather than a change in strategy.The broader second-quarter reporting season reinforced copper's growing importance. Copper accounted for more than half of BHP's EBITDA while being Rio Tinto's largest contributing group (alongside aluminum and lithium), both firsts. Supply disruptions, constrained inventories and US stockpiling contributed to tighter copper markets. This renewed attention on miners with copper exposure, including DPM Metals, which generated record revenue and free cash flow. Olive was more cautious on Eldorado Gold, arguing that McIlvenna Bay is principally a zinc asset despite being widely described as a copper project.Sign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Phil Hoskins, CEO of Atomic EagleOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/atomic-eagle-asxaeu-all-known-questions-answered-april-2026-10323Recording date: 3rd August 2026Atomic Eagle Limited (ASX:AEU | OTCQX:AEUXF) has negotiated the return of its Madaouela Uranium Project in Niger, transforming the company from a single-asset Zambian developer into a dual-asset uranium play with a combined resource base spanning two continents. The deal, agreed in principle after seven months of negotiation with Niger's Ministry of Mines, follows the 2024 expropriation of the project from Atomic Eagle's subsidiary GoviEx Uranium and the international arbitration proceedings that followed.The scale differential between the two projects is significant. Madaouela hosts 116.5 million pounds of U3O8 at 1,282ppm - roughly twice Muntanga's resource size and four times its grade - underpinned by more than $160 million of historical expenditure and 600,000 metres of drilling. At current uranium prices, management estimates the project's net present value at approximately $650 million US, with each $5-per-pound price increase adding a further $100 million.The commercial terms give Atomic Eagle 60% ownership of a newly formed Nigerien entity, with the government holding 40% - 15% as a standard free-carried interest and up to 25% as a contributory stake that dilutes if unfunded. Near-term cash outlay is limited to $10 million US in staged payments, plus a non-cash offer to carry the government for up to $40 million of its equity contribution. Critically for investors assessing execution risk, operational control - budgets, work programmes, and day-to-day decisions - sits unambiguously with Atomic Eagle, with no unanimous consent requirements from the government side.The company now has a two-year window to update feasibility studies, reapply for environmental approvals, and convert the historical NI 43-101 resource estimate into a JORC-compliant figure, targeted for the second half of 2026. With $13.8 million in cash as at 30 June 2026 and a further $16 million potentially available through early option exercises by strategic holders, management believes funding is adequate to meet these near-term obligations without an immediate capital raise.Management was explicit that Madaouela is not intended to divert resources or attention from Muntanga, which continues to grow toward a resource approaching 60 million pounds, supported by its own dedicated exploration and study teams. CEO Phil Hoskins framed the valuation opportunity in relative terms: African uranium developers currently trade around $3 a pound, which applied to Atomic Eagle's 60% attributable Madaouela resource implies roughly $210 million Australian in additional value - a figure he suggested could be exceeded given strategic interest already expressed by parties including the White House and major Chinese uranium companies, though he cautioned this depends on Atomic Eagle first demonstrating the deal's credibility to the market.Formal signing of the mining convention is imminent. Until then, the agreement remains non-binding, and investors should treat the current terms as indicative rather than final.View Atomic Eagle's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/atomic-eagleSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Travel writer Fleur Bainge with Philip Clark on the site, not the easiest site to reach if you want to scratch your 'remote places' travel itch, but the rewards can be remarkable.

This week marks the 800th edition of World Ocean Radio. We began broadcasting in 2009 on Community Radio, WERU 89.9 FM in Blue Hill, Maine, USA. We thank the WERU management and trustees for their initial confidence in this project, and to all listeners and Citizens of the Ocean around the world, for tuning in and responding so positively. Adora Maris translates from the Latin as “worship of the sea,” reflecting cultural reverence of and for the ocean. Thanks for listening. The sea connects all things.A weekly series of 5-minute insights on ocean science, advocacy, education, global ocean issues, marine science, policy, challenges, and solutions. Hosted by Peter Neill, Founder of W2O. Celebrating the broadcast of our 800th episode in August of this year! The full catalog is free to download and is available for RSS feed and broadcast by college, community and public radio stations worldwide via Exchange.prx.org and Audioport.org. Visit WorldOceanObservatory.org for the full catalog, searchable by theme.  

Join Dr. Jonathan Larson and Dr. Hannah Tiffin, UK Entomology, as they share expert advice on identifying, controlling, and managing ticks on people and in woodland environments. Discover effective strategies to keep these pesky insects at bay, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable outdoor experience for you and your family. Also on tap: Japanese knotweed is a non-native invasive shrub that is native to several countries in eastern Asia. Also known as japanese bamboo, Mexican bamboo, and fleeceflower, it can form very dense stands that shade out, outcompete, and prevent the germination of native plants. Join us as Dr. Ellen Crocker, Forestry and Natural Resources, talks about how japanese knotweed spreads, tolerates a wide range of growing conditions and has the potential to become a much worse problem in Kentucky than it is currently.

Interview with Alan Carter, President & CEO of Cabral Gold Inc.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/cabral-gold-tsxvcbr-85-built-q4-production-district-growth-ahead-11014Recording date: 14th August 2026Cabral Gold has reached a pivotal stage in developing its Cuiú Cuiú gold district in Pará State, Brazil, having secured the Operating Licence (LO) needed to begin leaching gold from its first heap leach pad. The licence, granted by the state environmental authority SEMAS/PA, follows the earlier Preliminary Licence and sits alongside a separate approval from Brazilian military authorities covering the purchase and transport of cyanide which both prerequisites for gold recovery under the company's Phase 1 gold-in-oxide operation.Construction of the wet processing circuit, the last major piece of the build, is over 90% complete. The ADR plant which is built in Australia and shipped to site has finished mechanical assembly, with electrical work more than 90% done and commissioning under way. The simpler dry circuit, covering ore crushing, agglomeration and stacking, is already commissioned and operating. Ore is being mined, stacked and prepared for irrigation, which CEO Alan Carter expects to begin within days.Management's updated timeline puts first gold production in September 2026, around six weeks earlier than originally planned, with full commissioning wrapped up by late September and a ramp-up toward commercial production - defined internally as 60-70% of design throughput - through the fourth quarter. The company has deliberately avoided issuing formal 2026 production guidance given the number of ramp-up variables involved in a first-time mine build, though guidance is likely for 2027.Economically, the early mine life looks favourable relative to the broader resource. Infill drilling at the first deposit being mined points to average grades near 1.5 g/t gold over the first 12-18 months, roughly double the 0.7 g/t life-of-mine average, with life-of-mine costs guided at approximately US$1,200 an ounce against a gold price recently around US$4,300 an ounce. Management expects Phase 1 to generate at least US$50 million a year in cash flow once ramped up, which it intends to direct toward repaying a 39-month gold loan (signed in November 2025) and funding an active six-rig exploration programme, rather than raising further equity.The larger opportunity, as Carter frames it, is Stage 2: unweathered hard-rock gold beneath the oxide caps now being mined, which he says represents roughly three-quarters of the district's current resource. With six known gold deposits, five confirmed to carry oxide caps, and around 50 untested peripheral targets across the district, management plans to update Cuiú Cuiú's global resource estimate by year-end and, depending on the outcome, potentially advance a preliminary economic assessment on the hard-rock opportunity in the first half of 2027.Near-term risks centre on commissioning execution through the wet circuit and the inherent uncertainty of ramping up a new operation, while the current trial mining licence's 500,000-tonne cap - below the 1-million-tonne throughput contemplated in the Pre-Feasibility Study - remains a near-term constraint pending an expected licence upgrade. The project also recorded its first Lost Time Incident during the update period, a non-critical injury, against a Lost Time Injury Rate of 0.34 per 200,000 hours worked.View Cabral Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/cabral-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Today is Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. #1 – From JAMBASE – Billy Strings drops in at the Empty Glass You never know who might show up on a West Virginia stage. While in Charleston for a Mountain Stage appearance, Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Billy Strings made his way to the legendary Empty Glass and settled in for an impromptu jam session. The surprise performance stretched for hours, giving a small crowd the kind of live music experience you can't exactly put on the calendar. It's another reminder of the deep musical culture that runs through West Virginia, from internationally known performers and Mountain Stage to the small clubs where musicians still gather simply for the love of playing. Read more: https://www.jambase.com/article/billy-strings-empty-glass-west-virginia-videos-mountain-stage #2 – From WVDNR – $1.2 million investment improves Plum Orchard Lake One of Fayette County's favorite outdoor destinations just got a major upgrade. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has completed more than $1.2 million in improvements at Plum Orchard Lake Wildlife Management Area. The investment includes a new $1.16 million WMA headquarters, new courtesy docks, improvements to an accessible fishing pier, better parking lot lighting, drainage improvements, shoreline erosion control and new signage. Located about 20 minutes from Beckley, Plum Orchard Lake offers fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie and channel catfish, along with hunting and primitive camping. The improvements are part of WVDNR's effort to improve public access while protecting an outdoor resource for generations to come. Read more: https://wvdnr.gov/wvdnr-completes-over-1-2-million-in-upgrades-at-plum-orchard-lake-wma/ #3 – From WVSBDC – Finding confidence on the water Pamela Dunlap tried fly fishing for the first time in 2013. Two years later, she turned that experience into Women, Wine & Waders. The West Virginia business creates welcoming opportunities for women to discover fly fishing through casting clinics, guided adventures, retreats and educational programs. Equipment is provided, helping beginners get on the water without a major upfront investment. As the business grew, Dunlap turned to the West Virginia Small Business Development Center for coaching and support. Now in its second decade, Women, Wine & Waders is growing beyond a fly-fishing group into a women's outdoor-adventure brand built around confidence, friendship and a shared love of the outdoors. Read more: https://wvsbdc.com/women-wine-waders-builds-community-through-fly-fishing/ Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty, and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Deer management in Ohio Deer populations are becoming an increasingly visible issue in urban communities across Ohio. They cause tens of thousands of vehicle crashes each year that kill both people and deer. There's also concern of property damage and the impact on local ecosystems. This has prompted some cities to take a closer look at deer management. Medina is among the communities tackling this issue. The city recently developed a more comprehensive initiative involving federal support following two years of a city-run bowhunting program. Last year, 114 deer were harvested through that program, compared with 18 the year before. Currently, the population is around 1,000, or about one deer for every 26 residents. Wednesday on the "Sound of Ideas," hosted by Stephanie Haney, we'll learn more about this issue with local and statewide experts. Guests: - Geoff Westerfield, Assistant Wildlife Management Supervisor, Ohio Division of Wildlife - Gabriel Karns, Professor, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University - John Coyne, President, Medina City Council Armwrestling gains popularity in Northeast Ohio Armwrestling has been around for centuries, but for many people, the sport's most memorable pop culture moment came in the 1987 Sylvester Stallone movie, "Over the Top." The film follows a single father who enters a Las Vegas armwrestling competition, hoping to secure a future for his son. Today, armwrestling is finding new life in Ohio, with clubs popping up across the state. To end the hour, we'll hear from two Northeast Ohio professionals. We'll talk about how they got into the sport, what it takes to compete and why armwrestling is attracting a new generation of athletes. Guests: - Megann Galehouse, U.S. National Champion, Cleveland Armwrestling - Kevin Palko, Founder and Head Coach, Cleveland Armwrestling

If you have been downtown lately, you've seen all the changes underway along Rochester's riverfront. New and improved parks, public gathering spots, trails, and infrastructure. It's all part of a multi-year, half-billion dollar investment to expand the use of the Genesee River, which has long been treated as our city's backyard instead of its front. There's a lot of excitement around this…but what about the main attraction itself? How healthy is the Genesee River? How is it being affected by climate change? Are pollution problems of the past still an issue? And why does it matter? Guest host Julie Philipp talks with our panelists from Genesee River Watch. Our guests: Caroline Kilmer, assistant director of Genesee River Watch Steve Orr, board president of Genesee River Watch Mike Haugh, board member for Genesee River Watch Don Zelazny, board member for Genesee River Watch ---Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.---Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

How do row-crop farmers in the Northern Neck of Virginia practice soil and water conservation and add market value to their farming operations? Philip "P.J." Haynie III of Haynie Family Foods and Haynie Farms, LLC. spoke with Jeff, Mary, and Eric on his way back from the Arkansas Delta about his family's conservation and market expansion measures.P.J. is a fifth generation row-crop farmer who farms in four counties in Virginia and four counties in Arkansas. The Haynies grow winter wheat, barley, and canola as part of their corn and soybean rotation in Virginia. Strip till and banding fertilizer in the root zone are common soil health and precision agriculture techniques for corn and soybean growers to reduce the amount of fertilizer applied and limit the chance of soil and nutrient runoff. In 2024, P.J. and his family established Haynie Family Foods to focus on adding market value by bringing high-quality, sustainabily grow grain products directly to consumers. His family's Arkansas Delta-grown offerings include long-grain white rice, medium-grain white rice, long-grain brown rice, medium-grain brown rice, and aromatic rice.  In addition to studying and graduating with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, P.J. was an active member and leader in the university's chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS). P.J. currently serves as a director on the National Black Growers Council's board.Tune in, like, and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts or 4thesoil.org/podcastAs always, we encourage you to cooperate with other farmers, graziers, and gardeners for peer-to-peer learning. We can all be 4 The Soil, for the future! Here is how with four principles: 1) Keep the soil covered -- Cover crops are our friends;2) Minimize soil disturbance -- Be gentle, take it easy;3) Maximize living roots year-round -- Keep roots growing; and4) Energize with diversity -- Thrive with diversity.If you are interested in art and framing the 4 The Soil posters for your office or home, the 16” by 20” posters are available for purchase and printing as single posters or a set of five posters. Additionally, 4 The Soil gear and swag is available for purchase at https://4-the-soil.printify.me/If you have questions about soil and water conservation practices, or soil health principles, call or visit a USDA Service Center, a Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District office, or your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.  4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Partners include USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and other members of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today's program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia State University, and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.

Interview with Alberto Orozco, CEO of Capitan SilverOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/capitan-silver-tsxvcapt-60000m-drilling-to-prove-scale-at-cruz-de-plata-9531Recording date: 11th August 2026Capitan Silver Corp. (TSXV:CAPT) is advancing its Cruz de Plata silver-gold project in Durango, Mexico, through a fully-funded 60,000 metre drill programme in 2026 - a 400% increase over the prior year's campaign and more than double all historic drilling on the property combined. CEO Alberto Orozco told Crux Investor the company is roughly halfway through the programme, with four rigs (one RC, three diamond) now active and the drill rate accelerating as additional rigs have come online through the year.The project's most advanced target, the Jesus María trend, has been drilled along a continuous strike length of 2.5 km, part of a broader 3.7 km surface-sampled mineralised trend and a cumulative 21 km of vein structures identified across the consolidated property. Historical and recent drill results include intercepts of up to 1 kg/t silver over two to three metres, within broader zones as wide as 40 m grading 100-300 g/t AgEq. Orozco was clear the project is a primary silver system rather than a base-metals story: silver represents 75-95% of AgEq value depending on location, and a west-to-east metal zonation pattern is being used to vector toward the deeper part of the system.Management's stated priority for 2026 is proving scale rather than rushing a resource. Because the current programme is focused on step-out rather than infill drilling, any near-term resource estimate would be classified as inferred. Orozco indicated an internal benchmark of roughly 100 Moz AgEq for a credible first resource, a figure he said the company does not expect to be far from once the current programme concludes, though further drilling would be needed to build density around any initial estimate.Financially, Capitan Silver raised C$29 million in late 2025 to fund the expanded programme and reported a market capitalisation of $212.0 million as of August 2026. Over 70% of the share register is tightly held, with no free founder shares and most shares issued at $0.20. Two of the last three financings priced at a premium of more than 30% to market, each led by a new strategic investor, Jupiter Gold & Silver Fund, Michael Gentile and Construplan are the top three shareholders. Management has also contracted to remove all remaining project royalties.The company positions Cruz de Plata within the intermediate sulphidation epithermal deposit class responsible for several major Mexican silver discoveries and recent billion-dollar M&A transactions, including Las Chispas, Los Gatos and Juanicipio. Peer-comparison data prepared by Stifel Canada shows Capitan trading at a discount to the average resource-stage peer on both market capitalisation and enterprise value. For investors, the key watch items through the remainder of 2026 are continued assay flow from the deeper, western portion of the Jesus María trend and from newly-permitted step-out targets, with a maiden resource estimate representing a later-stage catalyst rather than a near-term one.Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com/companies/capitan-silverSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Heather Smiles, VP External Affairs & Corporate Development of Electra Battery MaterialsOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/electra-battery-materials-nasdaqelbm-north-americas-first-cobalt-refinery-targets-2027-start-8710Recording date: 14th August 2026Electra Battery Materials is constructing what will be North America's only battery-grade cobalt sulfate refinery, located in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario. The project addresses a structural gap in the continent's battery supply chain: outside of a single Finnish facility, essentially all cobalt sulfate refining capacity sits in China, leaving North American EV, electronics and defence manufacturers dependent on a supply chain they don't control.The company has secured $84 million in financing to fund construction through mechanical completion, targeted for Q2 2027, with commercial production expected later that year. That financing includes $48 million in direct government support across three jurisdictions - the U.S. Department of War, the Canadian federal government, and Ontario - reflecting what management characterises as a broader shift toward governments taking direct financial stakes in strategic midstream infrastructure rather than relying solely on private capital.Commercially, the refinery's initial 5,100-tonne annual capacity (expanding to 6,500 tonnes) is anchored by a tolling agreement with LG Energy Solution covering 60% of output. The agreement uses a collar structure, with a floor protecting Electra's margins if cobalt prices fall and a ceiling preventing LG from overpaying in a price spike - management estimates this alone could generate $30-32 million in annual EBITDA at full run-rate. The remaining 40% of capacity is not yet contracted, and management is still weighing how much market exposure to take on for that portion versus locking in further tolling arrangements. Reported expressions of interest for offtake run at roughly 2-3x the refinery's initial nameplate capacity, suggesting more demand than the facility can currently supply.Feedstock is secured through supply agreements with Glencore and Eurasian Resources Group, covering material sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which produces roughly 80% of the world's cobalt.Beyond the core refinery, Electra is pursuing several growth vectors: an engineering study for a nickel sulfate refinery in the southeastern United States (addressing a similar midstream gap in a second critical mineral), black mass recycling capability, and cobalt-copper exploration assets at the Iron Creek project in Idaho's Cobalt Belt, which management is evaluating as potential future feedstock rather than near-term production.Demand-side fundamentals remain supportive: cobalt demand for lithium-ion batteries grew roughly 30% in 2025, driven primarily by EV adoption outside North America, alongside growing demand from consumer electronics and an emerging defence-sector use case. A new U.S. policy requiring domestically produced black mass to remain in-country for one year signals policymaker intent to support onshore refining capacity, though management characterises it as an early, limited step rather than a comprehensive solution.View Electra Battery Materials' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/electra-battery-metalsSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

What will it take to prepare the next generation to lead agriculture in a world changing faster than ever? In this episode of The Landowner Insider, Kasey Mock sits down with Dr. Frank Owsley of Tarleton State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for a conversation about the future of agriculture, education, artificial intelligence, and the skills young people will need to succeed. As AI changes how we learn and work, Kasey and Dr. Owsley discuss why critical thinking, communication, confidence, understanding numbers, and real-world decision-making may become even more valuable—not less. They also explore what today's agriculture students need to understand about business and profitability, why hands-on experience still matters, how young people can better prepare themselves for college and careers, and how Tarleton is preparing students for an agricultural industry that could look very different five years from now. In this episode: What the next generation needs to succeed in agriculture How AI is changing education and the workplace Why critical thinking matters in an AI-driven world The importance of communication and real-world decision-making Why agriculture students need to understand business, numbers, and profitability The value of hands-on agricultural education Building confidence before entering college Preparing students for agricultural careers that are rapidly changing Tarleton State University's rapid growth What Tarleton must preserve as the university continues to expand This conversation goes beyond college degrees and technology. It's about preparing the next generation to think independently, adapt, solve problems, lead, and build meaningful careers in agriculture and beyond. Whether you're a student, parent, rancher, farmer, landowner, educator, or agricultural leader, this is a conversation about where the industry is headed—and whether we're preparing the next generation to lead it. Follow The Landowner Insider for conversations about Texas land, agriculture, business, leadership, and the people shaping the future of our state.

Interview with Keith Henderson, President & CEO of Latin MetalsOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/latin-metals-tsxvlms-the-prospect-generator-model-few-juniors-follow-10250Recording date: 14th August 20206Latin Metals Inc. (TSXV:LMS) has added a third active partner-funded project to its portfolio with an ongoing agreement with Minsur, a private Peruvian mining company already in a 75/25 joint venture with Newmont on adjacent ground to cover the Lacsha copper-molybdenum porphyry project in southern Peru.Under the deal outlined by CEO Keith Henderson, Minsur can earn an initial 75% interest in Lacsha by completing 60,000 metres of drilling over six years and paying Latin Metals approximately $2.5 million in cash, a commitment Henderson estimated at roughly C$40 million in Minsur-funded exploration spending. Once that threshold is met, Minsur holds a time-limited option to acquire the remaining 25% for C$28 million which would leave Latin Metals with a 2% net smelter return royalty. Minsur separately holds a three-year option to buy 1% of that royalty for a further $20 million. Combined, Henderson said, the structure could deliver a little over $42 million in cash coming into the company.Latin Metals generated Lacsha internally, spending approximately $900,000 (CAD) on staking, mapping, geochemistry and geophysics before bringing in a partner - notably more than the company's typical $200,000-$300,000 generative budget per project, which Henderson attributed to years of incremental exploration work culminating in a stronger-than-usual technical package. Lacsha's location directly south of Minsur's existing Newmont joint venture ground gives the new partner a clear strategic rationale to test the structural and geochemical extension onto Latin Metals' claims.The Lacsha deal brings Latin Metals' total under-contract partner investment to approximately $120 million, spanning Lacsha, Cerro Bayo and La Flora (Daura Gold), and Zaha (Moxico Resources), all funded externally against a corporate budget Henderson described as flat at $3 million per year. Management is targeting further deals across the remaining pipeline including Organullo, Crosby and an Argentine sediment-hosted copper package during 2026, which it expects could push cumulative under-contract investment toward $150-180 million.Near-term catalysts sit with the Argentine silver-gold assets rather than Lacsha itself: Daura Gold's Phase II drill programme at Cerro Bayo is scheduled for Q3 2026, alongside the first drill test of the high-grade La Flora vein system, where surface sampling has returned grades as high as 82 g/t gold and 1,239 g/t silver historically. Combined partner-funded drilling across the portfolio is expected to reach approximately 18,000 metres in 2026.On financing, Henderson said Latin Metals expects roughly C$1.8 million from warrant exercises in September 2026, with warrants priced at 15 cents against a share price near 25 cents, a gap management is relying on to avoid raising additional equity capital through 2026 and 2027. As with all early-stage option structures, the eventual scale of Lacsha's payoff depends on drill results Latin Metals will not itself control, since the company does not intend to operate the project once Minsur's drilling begins.View Latin Metals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/latin-metalsSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Ukraine has asked Canada to consider a C$650 million grant to help purchase natural gas for the coming winter. That request was discussed during a meeting between Ukraine's Energy Minister and Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, according to Ukraine's government and Bloomberg. At the time this episode was written, there was no public confirmation from the Government of Canada that the request had been approved.But this episode isn't really about Ukraine.It's about priorities.While a proposed C$650 million grant is under discussion, Canada's entire Veteran Homelessness Program is funded at $79.1 million over five years. Food bank usage has reached record highs, and internal records cited in this episode suggest millions allocated for veteran homelessness went unspent. The question isn't whether Ukraine deserves support—it's whether Canadians deserve the same urgency when facing crises at home.In this episode, Kelsi examines:What was actually requested during the Canada–Ukraine energy meetingThe difference between a grant and a loanCanada's existing financial commitments to UkraineThe state of veteran homelessness in CanadaRecord food bank usage across the countryWhether Canada's spending priorities reflect the needs of CanadiansAs always, this conversation is grounded in publicly available reporting and government data. Where facts remain unconfirmed, they're presented as questions—not conclusions.If you found this episode valuable, please consider subscribing, sharing it with someone who cares about Canadian policy, and joining the discussion in the comments.Sources referenced include:BloombergGovernment of CanadaPrime Minister's OfficeFood Banks CanadaBlacklock's ReporterUkraine Ministry of EnergyUNNPublic statements by Denys Shmyhal0:00 Two numbers2:15 What Ukraine actually asked for4:00 Grant is not the same word as loan5:15 What Canada has already sent6:45 Two point two million food bank visits8:15 Eighteen hundred veterans, seventy-nine million dollars11:45 The three million we handed back13:45 The honest case for saying yes15:15 The question nobody has answered16:45 Where I land18:45 Two things you can doBuy me a coffee! - https://buymeacoffee.com/kelsisherenDo No Harm? - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683585763?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_SC8YGT87SPJ1VB8SAYP1Let's connect!Substack: https://substack.com/@kelsisherenRumble - https://rumble.com/user/TheKelsiSherenPerspectiveInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/thekelsisherenperspective?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3DX: https://x.com/KelsisherenSUPPORT OUR PEOPLE - - - - - - - - - - - -Ketone IQ- 30% off with code KELSI - https://ketone.com/KELSIGood Livin - 20% off with code KELSI - https://www.itsgoodlivin.com/?ref=KELSIBrass & Unity - 20% off with code UNITY - http://www.brassandunity.com