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I don't think so, but I thought I read somewhere in the volumes of information that loan details are made public 30 days after approval but now I can't find it and I'm not finding any examples. Maybe it was just a summary of some sort. Could be wrong. I'll keep looking.
Packwell, the 3rd MMIA recipient of EXIM money got approved on April 18 for $51 million. Interestingly, if you look at the Pending Transactions page, there were no updates made to NEPA (Pending), CO2 (TBD) and ESIA (Not Yet available) statuses. I guess watch the Board agenda.
https://www.exim.gov/news/export-import-bank-united-states-board-directors-approves-third-deal-under-make-more-america
Someone posted an example a while back on how EXIM upped the loan amount due to inflation and some other factors.
The more I look at this, the more it appears that many of these steps can be occurring simultaneously. The only hard timelines I'm seeing are the 25 day Federal Register posting that occurs after preliminary board approval, followed by the 10 day Congress notification. It even appears as though the External Notices step was probably the one that was just completed with the questionnaire.
We may be close to preliminary board action. The agenda is only posted up to May 9 (first May meeting) and that does not include NioCorp as it stands today. The board has met in the past in as little as a week and as often as 3x a month. Will be very interesting to see what the next agenda includes!
Update: Looking back at another transaction (AP089416XX), it looks like it hit the board agenda before it went out on the Federal Register so maybe we see that first, or the NEPA, CO2 ESIA status changes.
It's a little cloudy as to where we are exactly in the process but I think we might (maybe?) be nearing the end of Other Analysis? I do believe we are full steam ahead at this point, and I think it moves pretty deliberately from here. Unless they deviate from published procedures (which I think is highly unlikely), I'm guessing we have to start watching for an external notice of an "Application for Final Commitment for a Long-Term Loan or Financial Guarantee in Excess of $100 Million" in the Federal Register, and changes in the NEPA, CO2 and ESIA statuses on the Pending Transactions page. Haven't seen anything yet that would make a decision by the end of June impossible (as Mark conservatively hoped).
LONG-TERM LOAN OR GUARANTEE APPLICATON
ATTACHMENT F: Project and Structured Finance
Does anyone else find it very interesting that the PR for the PPL didn't come out until 3 weeks after it was received, and not until the end of the last day to submit comments to EXIM on critical mineral funding questions? Almost as if they were waiting to make sure nothing negative or unsupportive was submitted, making the financing all the more likely? Coincidence?
I think your FOMO is a GOGO after hours!
I would also note that it appears a company PR has substantially more impact on trading than what gets posted on this board. 😂
Single source lease for the Air Force. Single source awards and DOD and 2024 funding availability is a good combination!
The Federal Register now shows 5 comments received on the RFI on Financing Support for Critical Minerals Projects. Only one is visible. Tomorrow is the posted final day for submissions.
Supply certainty for critical minerals needed to avoid ‘system vulnerability’ in energy transition
02 MAY, 2024 BY BELINDA SMART
SAFE’s Abigail Hunter Testifies on Comprehensive Trade Approach for Critical Mineral Supply Security
POSTED ON: MAY 2, 2024
Long paper with lots of talk about China, magnets and domestic production. Abigail Hunter was on the panel with EXIM Chair Lewis at SAFE, just before Mark's presentation.
Random quotes, not necessarily in any particular order:
Critical minerals: US$16tn opportunity faces investment, sustainability concerns
Just a reminder of the stated purpose of the EXIM Federal Register questionnaire that closes Monday, with only two comments so far and the 2nd one clearly being from an entity that wants to tap the EXIM resources:
To assist the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) in supporting critical minerals transactions, which are crucial to the supply chains of several of the Congressionally mandated Transformational Export Areas in EXIM's Charter, EXIM seeks information on the financing gaps faced by project sponsors, users of critical minerals, and suppliers to critical minerals projects.
"To assist in supporting" "crucial to the supply chains" "Congressionally mandated" all in one sentence.
Good stuff.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/07/2024-04883/information-request-on-financing-support-for-critical-minerals-projects
Why higher prices are needed to develop ex-China rare earths supply
https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/higher-prices-needed-to-develop-ex-china-rare-earths-supply
Interested parties must apply for an EXIM LoI. That’s step #1.
https://www.exim.gov/resources/applications-forms/letter-interest/applying-for-letter-interest
The formation at Elk Creek has been known about for over 50 years.
https://www.usgs.gov/data/niobium-deposits-united-states
https://www.usgs.gov/data/geochemical-data-elk-creek-alkaline-complex-southeast-nebraska
So much bs and disinformation on this board.
As far as I can tell this was an additional step added into the process by EXIM, so we still have to pass steps 2 and 3, which MS said at the meeting were being worked concurrently. I have to think this was them looking for any more info they could get as they approached the next phase. I think the most recent loan timeline details are telling. I’m hoping things progress quickly after the 6th. Been traveling so not paying a ton of attention but picked up some 2.045.
Biden signed MMIA in 2021. The EXIM chair was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in by Harris in 2022. She knows her role and her mission with respect to the administration. The 2024 NDAA included the ability for advance purchases and long term contracts for critical minerals along with $10 million for AlSc alloy production. That was signed by Biden. The first EXIM domestic loan was August 2023. If anyone else has any proof to the contrary that the Biden admin isn’t 💯 behind these projects, please put it out there without stating things as facts without backing them up.
Trump signed Executive Order 13817 of December 20, 2017 (A Federal Strategy To Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals), which required the Secretary of the Interior to identify critical minerals and made it the policy of the Federal Government “to reduce the Nation’s vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals.”
They both want it, the military wants it, the private sector wants and needs it. Do your own research and make your own decisions.
VirTra to Introduce V-XR Training Solution at IAHSS Exhibition, Signaling Increased Commitment to Healthcare Security Training
CHANDLER, Ariz. — April 29, 2024 — VirTra, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTSI) (“VirTra”), a global provider of judgmental use-of-force training simulators and firearms training simulators for the law enforcement and military markets, announced its participation at the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS) Conference and Exhibition in Orlando from April 29 to May 1, 2024. As a first-time vendor, VirTra will introduce its new V-XR headset training solution at the event, highlighting its advanced functionality and ability to meet diverse training demands, particularly in healthcare settings.
The IAHSS Annual Conference and Exhibition is a key event for healthcare’s top security, safety, and emergency management leaders to network, meet with vendors, and find solutions for their challenges. This year, VirTra joins the expo to demonstrate the effectiveness of its new V-XR training solution, a compact, lightweight headset training simulator with a focus on de-escalation scenarios. The headset features hyper-realistic characters created using volumetric video capture and pass-through to reduce motion sickness for the user.
VirTra’s recent entry into the healthcare market began last month when it partnered with Ascension St. John Hospital (“Ascension”) to equip its team with advanced training simulators. VirTra’s V-180 was a practical application of Ascension’s grant funds.
Darrel Long, Director of Security for Ascension Oklahoma, noted the impact, stating, “We can implement frequent training in scenarios representing our environment. The V-180 is a tremendous asset and allows all security officers within the Ascension St. John Health System to ensure patient and associate safety.”
Ascension also reported the system’s success in a recent case study, available to download on VirTra’s website. The study highlights the simulator’s wide range of training scenarios and how it allows the entire staff, not just the security team, to practice skills that keep them safe.
As VirTra’s role in healthcare security expands, multiple other healthcare organizations have already adopted its technologies. Ohio Healthcare PD, TriHealth Cincinnati, Marion Hospital in Indiana, Indiana University Hospital, Health First Security in Florida, and several VA locations have begun training their teams using VirTra simulators.
John Givens, CEO of VirTra, stated, “Every day, medical providers around the country go beyond the call of duty for their patients. VirTra supports every initiative within our capabilities to ensure the security of hospital staff while on the job. With our V-XR training solution, we are not only enhancing safety in healthcare environments but also demonstrating its cross-market functionality, allowing us to begin expansion beyond our core law enforcement and military markets. I’m confident that the training provided by our simulators will instill a renewed sense of safety among hospital staff, patients, and their visitors.”
VirTra’s entry into healthcare security coincides with an increase in unruly and sometimes violent behavior directed at healthcare providers. A 2022 report from the American College of Emergency Physicians revealed a significant increase in healthcare violence, with 55% of physicians surveyed saying they had been physically assaulted while at work. With the increased demand for hospital security, VirTra is stepping up to provide advanced use-of-force, de-escalation, and other forms of simulator-based training to its healthcare partners.
Haven't watched this yet but skimmed a bit and at 7:15 one speaker talks about what the USGS considers to be the 4 most critical minerals
cobalt, neodymium, gallium and niobium.
About 56:00 talks briefly about the possibility of MSP projects in the U.S.
Wyoming wins again (and Montana)!
The New Era of Mining
A deep dive into the efforts bringing mining into the 21st century.
Anna-Sofia Lesiv
April 25, 2024
I was responding to your suggestion about working on the community center and suggesting it as away to get attention to the cause. Then I threw some more stuff in.
Framing for fame?
Hammering for hype?
Erecting for exposure?
Setting up for stardom?
Raising for renown?
Implementing for image?
Pimping for publicity?
Lots of ways to go with that press package! Most of the info is out there now in the public domain by way of press releases, presentations, the April Belgium presentation showing EXIM status, recovery rates, ore grades, demonstration plant outcomes, AlSc alloy development and commercialization efforts, estimated CM and REE resources, permitting status etc.
https://www.niocorp.com/wp-content/uploads/NioCorp_Project_Update_April-2024_FINAL.pdf
Time to start getting the word out and making the case to the world and more retail investors that Elk Creek and NioCorp are the next best thing, not Halleck Creek and American Rare Earths! Seems like any argument for a quiet period or something similar is long past. The more folks queued up and watching when news hits, the better.
Last youtube channel video was 3 months ago
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAdB3xslsf9go3Ela7vu4lA
Last X/Twitter was almost 3 months ago
https://twitter.com/niocorp
Facebook about 1 a month
https://www.facebook.com/niocorp
The Dirtiest Side of EVs: Rare Earths and Conflict Metals
A difficult look into the most troubling side of the growing proliferation of EVs and hybrid vehicles.
Tim Stevens Apr 25, 2024
It would be nice if NioCorp could find a way to get the word out...many articles and no mentions. Frustrating.
Critical Contrast: NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) and U.S. Gold (NASDAQ:USAU)
Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 25th, 2024
The things you can find on the interwebs! No clue what generated this but here it is...
"NioCorp Developments presently has a consensus target price of $12.00, suggesting a potential upside of 387.80%. U.S. Gold has a consensus target price of $14.50, suggesting a potential upside of 258.02%. Given NioCorp Developments’ higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe NioCorp Developments is more favorable than U.S. Gold."
https://www.defenseworld.net/2024/04/25/critical-contrast-niocorp-developments-nasdaqnb-and-u-s-gold-nasdaqusau.html
Scandium: The element that could revolutionise clean energy
Critical Raw Materials
18th April 2024
"For example, several countries are stepping up efforts to increase their scandium reserves. Moreover, market demand analysis shows a clear upward trajectory, with companies throughout the supply chain collaborating to secure scandium sources. To ensure the transition to clean energy, developing robust supply chains for this critical element requires investment in research and development of new extraction technologies."
"However, current production levels can’t meet the voracious demands of a burgeoning clean energy sector. To capitalise on scandium’s potential, we need to see a dramatic shift in scandium production."
https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/scandium-the-element-that-could-revolutionise-clean-energy/46529/
NuVibe - what's with the inability to create an original and distinctive name? Is that intentional?
https://nursejamie.com/products/nurse-jamie-nuvibe-rx-amethyst-massaging-beauty-tool
https://www.korg.com/us/products/effects/nuvibe/
https://nuvibeluxetravel.com/
https://nuvibe.net/
https://nuvibe.in/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChj73JoEBGKBnk3AxlYfKKw
https://www.nuvibe.de/en/collections/all
https://www.nuvibesystems.com/
https://m.facebook.com/p/NuVibe-Juice-and-Java-100069866201623/
Seems to be some possible potential here in the not too distant future. Anyone home?
Kona Gold was always a holding company.
They should have re-named the energy drinks NuVibe and ditched the confusing and misleading Kona Gold name (is it coffee? is it weed? is it Hawaiian? why is it more like lead than gold?).
Good article/opinion piece/comments about Lynas/MP merger and REEs
https://investornews.com/critical-minerals-rare-earths/thinking-about-mp-lynas-think-about-studebaker-packard/
Lots of new stuff coming out but if you click on that “more info on the op” link he specifically says it’s vanadium which is a heavy metal. There are other companies too but pretty sure Invinity is the specific one he’s taking about.
In 2016, Forbes called vanadium batteries the "energy storage breakthrough we’ve needed"...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2016/12/13/vanadium-flow-batteries-the-energy-storage-breakthrough-weve-needed/
Side note interesting story on how we gave away that vanadium battery technology to CHINA!
https://www.npr.org/2022/08/03/1114964240/new-battery-technology-china-vanadium
He appears to be talking about Invinity and their vanadium flow batteries.
https://invinity.com/
CBMM has a website just about Niobium - interesting stuff.
https://niobium.tech/en
New Alloy Has Properties Thought to Be 'Nearly Impossible'
Aliyah Kovner Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory April 23, 2024
The Top Manufacturing Stocks to Buy in April 2024
Strong buy industrials that offer great returns
22h ago · By Noah Bolton, InvestorPlace Contributor
Welcome to CriticalMinerals.gov.
Thanks again! The need to teach them seemed to be evident in the Federal Register request for information. I share your impression that EXIM will be the dam breaker and the rest will follow. Sounds, at least, as though everything is still on track and moving forward!
Critical Minerals for the Sustainable Energy Transition
A Guidebook to Support Intergenerational Action
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE
To be fair, EXIM has had a few hiccups along the way with the billions it has lent. It's unlikely though that the management team is trying to go to prison.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-defrauding-export-import-bank-16-million
https://www.exim.gov/news/eight-charged-80-million-conspiracy-commit-fraud-against-export-import-bank-united-states
https://causeofaction.org/exim-supporter-investigated-for-potentially-defrauding-the-bank/
Thank you, TD. I do think they want this in the "Win" column before the election. Did he also then give the sense that he doesn't think EXIM will be by the end of Q2? That would be disappointing but not overly discouraging.