⛏ GOP Spending Swells US Deficit to Nearly $2 Trillion for 2026

Copper-hungry US buyers circle Ivanhoe Electric mine
Ivanhoe Electric (IE) is in advanced negotiations to sell copper from its $1.4-billion Santa Cruz project in Arizona as surging demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure and power grids intensifies competition for US supplies. Read on »

To Find Criminals and Child Exploitation in Gold Mines, We Just Had to Look
Gold can carry a stamp of approval while concealing a troubling story. A New York Times investigation examines criminal activity and child exploitation in gold mines—and the certification system meant to keep those abuses out of the supply chain. What did reporters discover simply by showing up? Read on »

GOP Spending Swells US Deficit to Nearly $2 Trillion for 2026
Even when adjusted for CPI inflation, however, 2026’s deficit remains the third largest ever, even including the Second World War, when the deficit in 2026 dollars reached an eye-watering $1 trillion.That was considered an off-the-charts deficit at the time. Today, World-War-Two style spending looks quaint compared to Covid-era spending and the past two years of Trump deficits. Read on »