With Projected $250M of Annual Free Cash Flow Post Closing
DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / September 3, 2026 / AIAI Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:AIAI) (“Ai2” or the “Company”), an AI-enabled diversified holding company utilizing Transformational AI (TAI) to enhance portfolio performance, announced that the Company has entered into a letter of intent with its affiliated entity, Messier 42 LLC (“M42”), to acquire a controlling interest in one of M42’s businesses with operations in the defense industry.
M42 projects that this business is expected to produce $250 million in Free Cash Flow during the 12 months following the closing. The transaction is anticipated to close as early as the fourth quarter of 2026 and is expected to be accretive to the Ai² stockholders.
Due to the related-party relationship between Ai² and M42, the transaction is conditioned upon the receipt by Ai² of a third-party fairness opinion.
The acquisition remains subject to the satisfactory completion of due diligence and will require the approval of the boards of Ai² and M42.
About AIAI Holdings Corporation
AIAI Holdings Corporation (Ai2) (NASDAQ:AIAI) is an AI-enabled diversified holding company that acquires and grows companies across multiple industries. We expect to drive revenue and earnings growth throughout our portfolio by applying exclusively licensed Transformational AI to enhance operational efficiency and financial performance.
Ai2 is building a next-generation model for technology-enabled business operations, which is expected to create sustainable value for shareholders through the strategic integration of artificial intelligence across diverse industries.
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and plans of the Company. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding our expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “would,” “could,” “should”, “estimate,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “estimate”, or “continue,” or similar expressions, including the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations regarding its strategy, plans, intentions, performance, or future occurrences or results, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to our lack of operating history, our ability to attract new investments, our failure to manage growth effectively, our acquisition activities may pose risks that could harm our business, and our licensed AI may not perform up to the expected standards, as well as general business and economic conditions, competitive pressures, regulatory changes
technological developments, and other factors identified in the Company’s most recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Registration Statement on Form S-1, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. Furthermore, the Company operates in a competitive environment where new and unanticipated risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention to, and, except as may be required by law, undertake no obligation to, update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which the Company hereafter become aware. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Investor Relations
Matthew Selinger, Senior Partner Integrous Communications Email: mselinger@integcom.us Phone: 415-572-8152
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De Nederlandsche Bank said that better distribution of the country’s gold makes it easier to trade and spread risks – Pixelbizz/iStock
The Netherlands has moved its gold from the US to Britain because of “increasing geopolitical unrest”.
The Dutch central bank has relocated 86 tonnes of the precious metal to the Bank of England, mostly from New York, as part of its process of “strengthening its crisis preparedness”.
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the country’s central bank, said better distribution of the gold would make it easier to trade and spread risks, and would make it more readily available to use in a crisis.
DNB made no mention of what kind of crisis it was preparing for. However, fears that Donald Trump could impose a tariff on gold previously triggered a scramble to move it out of the US.
Future prices in New York rose to a premium of more than $100 (£74) compared to London as banks, refiners and dealers raced to secure metal for delivery.
Mr Trump eventually clarified that gold would be exempt from tariffs. However, analysts warned that the episode might undermine New York’s position as the largest gold-futures market.
Bullion has historically been exempt from any tariffs because of its important role in the financial system.
“With this relocation, we have improved the tradability of our gold reserves. We expect that we will never need to use them, but we do need to strengthen our resilience and preparedness,” Olaf Sleijpen, the governor of the DNB, said.
The Netherlands held 612.4 tonnes of gold by the end of 2025, worth €72.2bn (£61.9bn). The bank relocated a portion of the reserves between March and August this year.
“In view of increasing geopolitical unrest, DNB is strengthening its crisis preparedness. Improving the liquidity and tradability of the Dutch gold reserves is part of these preparations,” the bank said in a statement.
The UK operates one of the world’s most important gold markets and the Bank of England’s underground vaults hold the second-largest haul of gold in the world.
A recent survey by the World Gold Council found that 57pc of responding central banks stored some gold at the Bank of England, making it the most widely used foreign custodian.
This includes Venezuela, whose gold has been kept in the UK despite requests from Nicolás Maduro’s government to repatriate it.
At the time of his ousting earlier this year, a lack of formal recognition of Venezuela’s new administration meant that the Bank of England declined to release the gold – then worth more than $3bn.
Maduro, the former Venezuelan president, attempted to retake the gold stored at the Bank in 2018 to prop up his nation’s collapsing economy. However, the Bank refused the request because the UK did not recognise him as Venezuela’s legitimate president.
The Maduro government sued for the return of the precious metal in 2020, but ultimately lost the case in the Supreme Court in 2023.
Edmonton, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – September 2, 2026) – Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (FSE: G6H) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (“Grizzly” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that preliminary results for a Phase 2 Induced Polarization (IP) program conducted in April and May 2026 to follow up excellent prior results from both recent and historical surface sampling along with historical drilling results at the Motherlode Critical Minerals Target (Figure 1).
Highlights
Phase 2 Motherlode IP results identifies at least five (5) Discreet Chargeability Anomalies with four (4) of the anomalies yielding numerous readings in the core of each ranging from 30 up to 52 millivolts per volt (mV/V). The results have outlined several discreet and significant chargeability anomalies in the vicinity of the Greyhound Pit, the Sunset Pit and the Motherlode Pit. (Figures 2 and 3).
A couple of the Chargeability anomalies are on the order of 1 km by 500 m in current size and are open for further expansion (Figures 2 and 3).
Most of the chargeability anomalies have associated moderate to strong copper (Cu) and gold (Au) in soils and in rocks (Figure 2). Each of the pit areas have yielded numerous samples anomalous in Cu (>1% up to 5%) and Au (>1 g/t up to 20 g/t) with strong skarn mineralization.
Host rocks in the area are mapped as late Paleozoic to Early Triassic metasedimentary rocks including carbonates and calcareous shales. A number of dykes, stocks and large intrusions are mapped in the area and likely range from Jurassic to Cretaceous to Eocene in age.
The Geological Setting is the East Fault Contact of the Toroda Graben with numerous pyroxenite-monzonite-diorite (older – Jurassic) and younger quartz-feldspar porphyry (QFP)-diorite (Tertiary) intrusions into the sedimentary package and the overlying younger intermediate-mafic volcanics.
The East and West Faults of the Toroda Graben likely played a role in controlling the Au-Ag mineralization for the Buckhorn Skarn and Mine to the southwest and the Cu-Au-Ag mineralization for the Motherlode/Greyhound skarns in the Greenwood area (Figure 1).
Permitting of drill locations to test the new anomalies is underway.
A total of eight north-south lines spaced 200 m apart and totaling 12.9 line km of Induced Polarization (IP) were conducted by Peter E. Walcott and Associates in late April through May, 2026 (Figure 2). The results have outlined several discreet and significant chargeability anomalies in the vicinity of the Greyhound Pit, the Sunset Pit and the Motherlode Pit. It is interpreted that the strong chargeability anomalies likely represent disseminated sulphides and potentially represent intrusion related skarn and/or porphyry targets (Figures 2 and 3).
The Company is currently in the process of permitting additional drillhole pads to complete drill testing of a number of the chargeability targets during a fall drilling program at the Motherlode Critical Minerals Target area along with potentially the Sappho Critical Minerals Target area and the Midway Precious Metals – Critical Minerals Target area. Further IP work, geological mapping and surface sampling centered on several of the targets is planned prior to the commencement of drilling.
A new sulphide showing was discovered during early 2026 field work, with a rock grab sample from an old adit yielding 5.12 grams per tonne (g/t) Au, 66.7 g/t Ag and up to as high as 0.53% Cu (Figure 2 and see Grizzly news release dated May 25th, 2026).
Figure 1: Motherlode and Other Active Exploration Areas 2026.
Brian “Griz” Testo, President & CEO of Grizzly Discoveries, states: “IP Surveys have outlined multiple and significant chargeability anomalies and new targets across the Motherlode Project Area. The Grizzly team is excited to see what the next phase of drilling might show us – we will continue to refine these targets to the drill ready stage for drilling in the next couple of months and look forward to identifying some new discoveries.”
Figure 3: Motherlode Chargeability Anomalies Orthogonal View looking NNE – Voxel Model Survey Results and Cross-Sectional Inversions.
The Company is continuing with surface exploration in the Greenwood area. Crews from APEX completed trenching and rock sampling in June at the Midway Mine area, as well as some follow sampling at the Sappho Chargeability Target area. The 2026 exploration work was suspended in July and August during high fire season but has recommenced and will be ongoing through the fall and includes prospecting and rock sampling at targets in the Motherlode area, the Rock Creek area, the Midway area, the Copper Mountain area, the Overlander-Attwood area and at the Sappho area (Figure 1). Additional groundwork including ground geophysical surveys are being planned and will comprise IP, magnetics and Loupe electromagnetics (EM) for the Sappho, the Midway and Motherlode areas (Figure 1). Additional drilling is planned from October to December. Results from the 2026 work are pending and will be released as they are received.
Motherlode Area Past Exploration Highlights
The Motherlode Crown Grants near the town of Greenwood, South-Central British Columbia (BC) include 13 Crown Grants for over 300 acres (121.4 hectares) that include subsurface mineral rights (Figure 2). The Crown Grants take precedence over mineral claims issued pursuant to the Mineral Tenures Act (BC). The Crown Grants cover a number of historical mines, including the Motherlode Mine that produced 76,975,111 pounds of Cu, 173,319 ounces of Au and 688,203 ounces of Ag during the active periods of mining from 1900 to 1920 and then from 1957 to 1962. The Motherlode skarn mineralization is developed in the Triassic Brooklyn Formation sediments (BC Minfile 082ESE034). The Motherlode Mine is road accessible and is approximately 2.5 km northwest of the town of Greenwood (Figure 1).
The Company has collected in excess of 350 rock samples, mostly selective grab samples, from across the Motherlode project area including the Crown Grants (Figures 2). Of the 17 samples collected from the Motherlode Pit area, a total of 9 samples yielded from 1.16% Cu up to 4.88% Cu, 12 samples yielded from 1.075 grams per tonne (g/t) Au up to 6.65 g/t Au and 8 samples yielded from 12.6 g/t Ag up to 51.3 g/t Ag (See Company News Release dated January 15, 2025). Of the 10 samples collected from the Sunset Pit area, a total of 8 samples yielded from 1.44% Cu up to 3.66% Cu, 9 samples yielded from 1.7 g/t Au up to 4.88 g/t Au and 7 samples yielded from 14.5 g/t Ag up to 55 g/t Ag (See Company News Release dated January 15, 2025). Various other targets including the Greyhound Pit, the Butte City Target, the Marguerite Target and the Great Hopes Target have yielded a number of samples with >1% Cu and >10 g/t Au and warrant additional exploration (See Company News Release dated January 15, 2025).
Figure 4: Motherlode Conductivity Anomalies – Orthogonal View looking NNW – Voxel Model Survey Results and Cross-Sectional Inversions.
Past work by the Company has focused on the Motherlode North polymetallic and skarn targets (Figures 1 to 3) which are comprised of copper-gold-silver +/- lead-zinc (Cu-Au-Ag +/- Pb-Zn) targets 500 to 750 m north and northeast of the historical Motherlode Mine.
Prior drilling by Grizzly in 2011 intersected up 17.15 g/t Au, 41.7 g/t Ag, along with, 0.56% Pb and 1.51% Zn over 1.5 m core length at one of the skarn targets north of the Motherlode Pit. Skarn and sulphide rich mineralization, along with widespread hornfels and propylitic alteration were intersected in most of the more recent 2022 Motherlode North drilling (22ML07 to 15) and the two (22MR01 & 02) Marguerite core holes (Figures 2 and 3). Assay results for the nine Motherlode North 2022 holes have yielded anomalous Au, Ag, Cu, Pb and Zn in every hole with a best high-grade sample of 5.86 g/t Au and 6.36 g/t Ag over 1 m core length along with several wide low-grade intersections in particular adjacent to porphyritic intrusions in Triassic sulphide rich hornfelsed or skarnified Brooklyn sedimentary rocks. Examples include hole 22ML07 with 0.415 g/t Au, 2.19 g/t Ag, 0.019% Cu and 0.08% Zn over 17.56 m core length, along with hole 22ML08 with 0.108 g/t Au, 2.43 g/t Ag, 0.013% Cu and 0.059% Zn over 11.09 m core length and 0.332 g/t Au, 2.63 g/t Ag and 0.053% Zn over 15 m core length, interpreted to be part of a large alteration footprint in a well mineralized skarn-porphyry system.
The porphyritic intrusions are widespread and are likely Cretaceous or Eocene in age. Sulphide mineralization with anomalous geochemistry appears to be spatially associated with these intrusions. The two holes in the vicinity of the Marguerite historical shaft intersected near surface skarn with anomalous Au-Ag-Cu and deeper hornfelsed sediments and breccias that are silica-sulphide rich and with widespread anomalous Cu over 50 to 100 m in thickness (Holes 22MR01 and 02). The deeper mineralization is associated with propylitic alteration and potentially could highlight deeper copper-gold porphyry potential beneath the Motherlode area skarn system. Holes 22MR01 and 22MR02 returned upper skarn related zones of 0.442 g/t Au, 5.61 g/t Ag and 0.028% Cu over 5.32 m, and 0.227 g/t Au, 4.36 g/t Ag and 0.037% Cu over 9.5 m core length. The lower highly anomalous copper-gold rich zones are highlighted by 0.123 g/t Au, 2.06 g/t Ag and 0.127% Cu over 8 m core length in hole 22MR02, but this is contained within a 46 m wide zone to the end of the hole where all but 4 of 45 samples yielded >100 ppm Cu up to 1,980 ppm Cu. Similarly, in hole 22MR01, there was a lower zone of copper rich mineralization that is 119 m in thickness to the end of the hole where 80 of 116 samples yielded >100 ppm Cu up to 1,600 ppm Cu. Although low grade, the wide highly anomalous intersections of low to moderate grade gold and copper are likely indicative or part of a large mineralized hydrothermal system.
Warrants Exercised
In July 2026, the Company issued 1,183,335 common shares upon the exercise of outstanding warrants for gross proceeds of $59,167. Pursuant to the exercise of warrants, the Company has 234,021,369 common shares issued and outstanding.
ASSAY METHODOLOGY & QUALITY CONTROL (QA/QC)
The analytical work on the Greenwood Critical Minerals Project was performed by the ALS Global Limited in Kamloops and North Vancouver, an internationally recognized analytical service provider. All core and rock samples were prepared using ALS procedure PREP-31A (dry, crush to 70% passing 2mm, riffle split off 250g, pulverize split to better than 85% passing 75 microns) and analyzed by method PGM-ICP27 (30g fire assay with ICP finish for Au, Pt and Pd) and ME-ICP61a (0.5g, four acid digestion and ICP-AES/MS analysis) for multi-elements. Any samples containing >10g/t Au are reanalyzed using method FAS-415 (30g Fire Assay with gravimetric finish). Samples containing >100 ppm Ag and/or >1% Cu, Pb, & Zn are reanalyzed using method ICF-6 (0.2g, 4-acid digest and ore grade ICP-AES analysis). Rock samples were analyzed using Au-ICP21 (30g fire assay with ICP-AES finish) and multi-elements using ME-ICP41 (0.5g, aqua regia digestion and ICP-AES analysis).
The reported work has been completed using industry standard procedures, including a quality assurance/quality control (“QA/QC”) program consisting of the insertion of certified standards, blanks and duplicates into the sample stream by APEX personnel. The ALS geochemical laboratory data was provided directly to APEX and the QP and has been verified by the QP.
QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT
The technical content of this news release and the Company’s technical disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael B. Dufresne, M. Sc., P. Geol., P.Geo., who is a non-independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.
Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on developing its approximately 72,700 ha (approximately 180,000 acres) of precious and critical minerals properties in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly is run by a highly experienced junior resource sector management team, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from early exploration stage through to feasibility stage.
On behalf of the Board,
GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC. Brian Testo, CEO, President
Suite 363-9768 170 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta T5T 5L4
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Caution concerning forward-looking information
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly’s actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.
Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedarplus.ca. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.
Copper cathodes hanging from a crane in an electrowinning plant at a copper mine. Credit: Adobe Stock/Jose Luis Stephens
Copper slipped in New York on Tuesday, giving back an advance in London, as a global bond selloff and a firmer dollar cut into a rally that has carried the metal to within touching distance of record highs.
Comex copper for December delivery, which took over this week as the most-active contract, fell 1.3% to $6.6020 a pound (about $14,555 a tonne) by late morning in New York, after trading as high as $6.7420 earlier in the session. The September contract touched an all-time high of $6.7775 last Wednesday.
In London, three-month copper came within $2.50 of its own record last week, touching $14,525 a tonne against the all-time intraday peak of $14,527.50 set on January 29. LME inventories have fallen for four straight sessions, to 234,275 tonnes.
Click on chart for live prices.
Traders have spent the year shipping copper into the United States ahead of a 15% duty on refined imports due in January 2027, rising to 30% in 2028, a trade that has dominated the paper market and drained warehouses everywhere else. Comex stockpiles reached about 688,000 tonnes on August 31, almost three times the LME total, according to Bloomberg.
CRU projected a 639,000-tonne global surplus for 2026 but now regards the market as at best balanced. “If imports keep coming in as they have been, then it’s going to look like a deficit market in reality,” principal copper analyst Robert Edwards told Reuters last week.
Chile’s missing tonnes
Chile produced 403,424 tonnes of copper in July, down 9.4% from a year earlier and 9.8% below June, the weakest July for the world’s biggest producer since 2011. The national statistics agency blamed weather in the north of the country that hindered normal production, along with maintenance at major sites.
The damage showed up in the wider economy on Tuesday. Chile’s Imacec activity index, a proxy for GDP, fell 1.5% in July from a year earlier against expectations for 0.4% growth, with mining down 9.3%. The 1.7% monthly drop was the steepest since 2022. “These results were partly affected by weather conditions that disrupted the normal operation of production facilities,” the central bank said.
Copper producers fell with the metal on Tuesday, though the month behind them looks very different. Freeport-McMoRan, down 2.6% to $73.76 on Tuesday, has still gained 17.8% over the past month, the best of the majors, ahead of First Quantum’s 15.6% and Ivanhoe Mines’ 15.3%. Southern Copper is up 13.3% over the month, Teck Resources 11.4%, Glencore 10.7% and BHP 10.5%.
The two producers that cut Chilean guidance are the laggards. Antofagasta, ahead 4.9% over the month, dropped 5.1% on Tuesday, the worst performer in the group, while Lundin Mining has managed just 2.9% and fell 3.8% in Toronto.
Sibanye-Stillwater, down 0.8%, used first-half results on Tuesday to commit to the $340 million Mt Lyell copper-gold mine in Tasmania, targeting first ore in 2029 and 26,000 tonnes of copper a year over a 23-year life.
Comex copper is up about 15% in 2026 and 44% over the past year.
New equipment provides capacity to produce up to 20 million rounds per month, helping meet marketplace demand
HAGERSTOWN, MD / ACCESS Newswire / September 1, 2026 / First Breach Inc. (NASDAQ:FBDT) (“First Breach” or the “Company”), a U.S. based developer and manufacturer of defense technologies, today announced that new ammunition-loading and inspection equipment has been installed and is operational at the Company’s manufacturing facility in Hagerstown, Maryland.
The newly installed equipment significantly increases First Breach’s ammunition production capacity by approximately 175%, enabling the Company to manufacture up to 20 million rounds per month as it transitions to a 24-hour production schedule.
“The addition of this equipment reflects the continued growth of First Breach and our manufacturing operations,” said Jeffrey Low, Chief Executive Officer of First Breach. “This significant expansion provides us with the scale needed to respond to the strong demand we are seeing in the ammunition market. It also complements our growing drone manufacturing capabilities as we continue building a broader American-made defense technology platform. Across both areas, our focus remains on delivering the quality, consistency and reliability our customers expect from us.”
About First Breach
First Breach Inc. is an ISO 9001:2015 certified, American-made defense technologies company focused on manufacturing match-grade ammunition components, finished ammunition, and developing next-generation unmanned aerial systems for commercial, law enforcement, and military markets. The Company manufactures its products in-house at its Hagerstown, Maryland facility, where it produces brass cups, casings, projectiles, lead cores, lead wire, and completed ammunition with rigorous quality control standards. First Breach is also advancing its drone strategy through the development of U.S.-made unmanned systems, leveraging advanced engineering, robotics, ISR and sensor technologies, and precision manufacturing capabilities to address evolving defense, homeland security, law enforcement, and commercial requirements across domestic and international markets.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and include statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, strategies, future events, future performance, business prospects, growth initiatives, acquisitions, market opportunities, capital resources, operational objectives, and other statements that are predictive in nature. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs regarding future developments and their potential effect on the Company. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in economic, business, market, competitive, regulatory, technological, legal, and geopolitical conditions; the Company’s ability to execute its business strategy; the successful integration of acquisitions and strategic transactions; access to capital and financing; customer demand; industry developments; and other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update, revise, or publicly disclose any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or changes in expectations occurring after the date of this press release.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Jay Gold Corp. (TSXV: JAY) (OTCQB: JAYGF) (FSE: JAY) (“Blue Jay” or the “Company“), is pleased to announce that it has commenced drilling at the Becker-Cochran antimony-silver occurrence on its 100%-owned Steller Gold Project (“Steller” or the “Project“) in southern Yukon (Figures 1&2). The Company has planned ten drill holes to test the target. Blue Jay also expects to receive and publish initial assay results from its 2026 drill program at the Skukum Creek and Mt. Skukum gold-silver deposits in September.
“The underground development at Becker-Cochran stopped in the 1960’s because the antimony price collapsed, not because the target wasn’t promising,” said Geordie Mark, CEO of Blue Jay Gold. “The scope of earlier works were limited by time, and not the scale of the antimony systems. Mineralizing systems of this style extend laterally for several kilometres, and the surface exposures at Becker-Cochran carry stibnite needles set in opaline silica and chalcedony textures. Textures of that kind typically form at or near the top of such a system. The Company’s interpretation is that the historical underground development, which reached less than 100 metres below the surface outcrop, worked only the uppermost part of the system, and that the system may extend as much as 600 metres below surface. That figure is based on our own interpretation of the available data.”
“We see considerable potential to extend the defined lateral and vertical continuity of mineralization of the system. We have designed a Phase 1 drill program at Becker-Cochran to test extensions of known antimony mineralization, complementing our ongoing metallurgical work assessing antimony concentrate product quality. Antimony is a critical mineral the Western world is short of, and we have it right here in our backyard. If these holes tell us what we hope they will, Steller carries a second and entirely different endowment alongside its known gold and silver resources and that is exactly why we believe Steller is a district play rather than a single deposit.”
What the Becker-Cochran Drill Program Is Testing
The holes are planned along the strike length of the historical underground development at Becker-Cochran and are designed to test the down-dip continuation of the mineralized shear zone below the two levels developed in the mid-1960’s.1
Historical workings only outlined the zone over a limited vertical extent, so the mineralized footprint is defined by the available data rather than by geology, a gap tied to the antimony price falling out of favour at the time. The zone remains open for exploration targeting.
Steller Gold-Silver Project (170 km2) in southern Yukon, showing the distribution of gold-(silver) deposits (e.g., Skukum Creek and Mt Skukum), as well as antimony prospects (e.g., Becker-Cochran and Porter). Steller Project area underlay comprised of pseudo-colour TMI from airborne magnetic survey data, which drapes over grey-scale regional satellite image.
Figure 1. Steller Gold-Silver Project (170 km2) in southern Yukon, showing the distribution of gold-(silver) deposits (e.g., Skukum Creek and Mt Skukum), as well as antimony prospects (e.g., Becker-Cochran and Porter). Steller Project area underlay comprised of pseudo-colour TMI from airborne magnetic survey data, which drapes over grey-scale regional satellite image.
Figure 2. Kilometre-scale antimony soil and rock anomaly over Steller Project. (Left): Colour contoured rock and soil survey showing antimony anomaly over Steller Project area (East). (Right): Pseudo-colour Total Magnetic Intensity Map over Steller Project area (East).
Figure 2. Kilometre-scale antimony soil and rock anomaly over Steller Project. (Left): Colour contoured rock and soil survey showing antimony anomaly over Steller Project area (East). (Right): Pseudo-colour Total Magnetic Intensity Map over Steller Project area (East).
The Workings the Drill Follows
Antimony was found on the flank of Carbon Hill in 1906, and the belt was mapped by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1912. In 1964 Yukon Antimony Corporation Ltd. was formed to develop it. The company stripped the Becker-Cochran showing along strike, and in 1965 began driving a tunnel, developing the zone underground on two levels, and mapping and sampling what was uncovered. Workings have remained dormant since that time.1
Becker-Cochran, One of the Many Targets at Steller
Drilling at Becker-Cochran has been part of the Company’s 2026 exploration plan from the outset. Blue Jay is drilling a number of targets at Steller this year, and Becker-Cochran is a deliberate exception to the Company’s core gold and silver drill target focus, forming no part of the Project’s current Mineral Resource Estimate.
What the historical record at Becker-Cochran does provide is further evidence of something the Company has said since acquiring Steller: this is a district, not a single deposit. The approximately 170 km² land package, located 55 kilometres south of Whitehorse and accessible by road, includes a mine that has already produced gold, two additional gold and gold-silver deposits hosted in different geological styles, a processing plant, and kilometres of underground workings. On the eastern side of the property lies the antimony ground that attracted an earlier generation of prospectors. All of it traces back to Eocene-age magmatic-epithermal activity manifesting a widespread mineralized system, and systems like this rarely leave only one deposit behind. Becker-Cochran is not a departure from the plan. It is another target within a property that continues to unveil its potential to host multiple attractive mineralized targets.
(1) Further detail regarding the Becker-Cochran occurrence, including its discovery, historical exploration, underground development, drilling and sampling, and regarding the Steller Gold Project and its current Mineral Resource Estimate, is set out in the technical report entitled “Technical Report and Updated Mineral Resource Estimate of the Steller Gold Project, Whitehorse Mining District, Yukon Territory, Canada,” prepared for the Company by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. with an effective date of October 31, 2025, available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Investors Relation / Marketing Agreement
The Company is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a service agreement (the “Agreement“) with Resource Stock Digest (“RSD“). Under the terms of the Agreement, among other things, RSD has agreed to provide certain marketing and advertising services to the Company, including conducting interviews with the Company, and producing content that is distributed to RSD’s subscriber base via e-mail and posts to RSD’s website. These services may constitute “Investor Relations Activities” as defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV“).
The Agreement has a 12-month term ending September 1, 2027, with an initiation fee of US$8,500 due on TSXV approval and a monthly fee of US$2,450 due upon RSD providing an invoice at the end of each month for services rendered. There are no performance factors in the Agreement, and no securities of the Company will be issued to RSD or any of its authorized representatives as compensation. Either party may terminate the Agreement at any time, with or without cause, by providing the other party with at least thirty (30) days prior written notice. Termination will become effective upon expiration of the thirty (30) day notice period. All amounts due and obligations accrued through the effective date of termination will remain due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.
RSD’s contact details are as follows:
Attention: Gerardo Del Real, 2250 Double Creek Dr #5669, Round Rock, TX 78665, USA Email: editor@resourcestockdigest.com; Phone: (844) 334-4700.
RSD is owned and operated by Nicholas Hodge and Gerardo Del Real and is based in Round, Rock, Texas, USA. Neither RSD nor Messrs. Del Real and Hodge have any present interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or present intent to acquire such an interest. RSD and its principals, Messrs. Del Real and Hodge, are considered arm’s-length to the Company and have no relationship with the Company outside of this Agreement.
Cautionary Note Regarding Historical Information
Information in this news release regarding the discovery, historical exploration, underground development, drilling and sampling at the Becker-Cochran occurrence is derived from publications and reports prepared before NI 43-101 came into force, together with information summarized in the technical report referred to above. The Company has not independently verified this historical information, and it should not be relied upon. The sampling and analytical procedures used, the laboratories engaged, and the quality assurance and quality control protocols applied are not known to the Company and cannot be verified, and any samples described are selective and not necessarily representative of mineralization on the Property. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results of the drilling or metallurgical programs now underway. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to verify or classify the historical information as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating it as such. No mineral resource has been estimated for antimony mineralization at Becker-Cochran, no economic assessment of the occurrence has been undertaken, and antimony mineralization forms no part of the current Mineral Resource Estimate for the Steller Gold Project.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Freeman Smith, P.Geo., VP Exploration of Blue Jay Gold Corp., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Blue Jay Gold Corp.
Blue Jay Gold Corp. is a Canadian gold exploration company focused on growing and discovering resources within established gold producing regions in Canada. The Company’s flagship asset is the 100%-owned Steller Gold Project in southern Yukon, an infrastructure-supported, past-producing mine with significant exploration upside and clear near-term catalysts. Blue Jay has also built a portfolio of projects in Ontario. With strategically located assets and a leadership team experienced in geology and capital markets, Blue Jay will advance disciplined, modern exploration programs focused on target definition, resource growth, and new discoveries in known gold-mineralized regions. For more information, please visit: www.bluejaygoldcorp.com.
Eric Negraeff Investor Relations Blue Jay Gold Corp. eric@bluejaygoldcorp.com Phone: (604) 235-4059
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In addition, the forward-looking statements require management to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate, that the management’s assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., “expect”,” estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may include, but are not limited to, the results of drilling at the Becker-Cochran occurrence, the timing and scope of the rest of the Company’s exploration program, and future business plans of the Company. Such information involves known and unknown risks, including the receipt of regulatory approval, the results of future financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Blue Jay in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Blue Jay disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Figures accompanying this announcement are available at:
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Riverside Resources Inc. (“Riverside” or the “Company“) (TSX-V: RRI) (OTCQB: RVSDF) (FSE: 5YY0), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement (the “Option Agreement“) with 1575540 B.C. Ltd., a private British Columbia company (the “Optionee“), pursuant to which the Optionee may acquire a 100% interest in Riverside’s Revel carbonatite rare earth element (REE) project located approximately 20 kilometres from the community of Seymour Arm, north of Revelstoke, in southeastern British Columbia (the “Revel Project” or the “Project“) with Riverside retaining a 3% NSR if the option is completed and if not the project returns 100% to Riverside.
“Securing this option agreement for Revel is an excellent step forward for Riverside’s REE portfolio and we can immediately move forward with a high resolution geophysical survey of the project with partner funding to refine and expand the targets,” said John-Mark Staude, President and CEO of Riverside Resources. “The agreement brings dedicated funding to advance the 12-kilometre-long Revel carbonatite REE system while allowing our team to remain involved in the program and building value across our broader portfolio of British Columbia and Mexico projects. By retaining a 3% NSR, Riverside preserves meaningful long-term exposure to the discovery and development potential of the Revel Project.”
Terms of the Option Agreement
Under the terms of the Option Agreement, the Optionee may acquire a 100% interest in the Revel Project by making aggregate cash payments to Riverside totalling $450,000 and incurring aggregate exploration expenditures on the Project totalling up to $2,200,000 in each case in accordance with the milestone schedule set out below and over a 5-year option period commencing on February 18, 2026 as the effective date of the Option Agreement.
Milestone Cash Payments and Exploration Expenditures
Milestone
Cash Payments to Riverside
Exploration Spend Required
Signing Option Agreement
$40,000(1)
N/A
On or before the 1st Anniversary of the Effective Date
$60,000
$150,000(1)
On or before the 2nd Anniversary of the Effective Date
$50,000
$350,000
On or before the 3rd Anniversary of the Effective Date
$50,000
$500,000
On or before the 4th Anniversary of the Effective Date
$100,000
$1,200,000 or $1,000,000(2)
On or before the 5th Anniversary of the Effective Date
$150,000
N/A
Total
$450,000
Up to $2,200,000
Paid $40,000 Signing Option and has Firm Commitment of $150,000 minimum exploration spending in 1st year.
An additional $1,200,000 of Exploration Expenditures (for an aggregate of $2,200,000 in Exploration Expenditures) on or before the 4th anniversary of this Agreement in the event the price of Au is greater than $6,000 per ounce on January 1, 2029 OR an additional $1,000,000 (for an aggregate of $2,000,000 in Exploration Expenditures) in the event the price of Au is less than $6,000 per ounce on January 1, 2029.
Upon exercise of the option and acquisition of a 100% interest in the Revel Project, the Optionee will grant to Riverside a 3% net smelter returns royalty on all commercial production from the Project on the terms set out in the NSR Royalty Agreement entered into concurrently with the Option Agreement (the “Royalty Agreement“). The Royalty Agreement provides the Optionee with two buy-down rights: (i) a first right to purchase 0.5% of the NSR for US$1,000,000 at any time prior to January 1, 2033, reducing the royalty to 2.5%; and (ii) a second right, exercisable only if the first buy-down has been exercised, to purchase an additional 1.0% of the NSR for US$2,000,000 at any time prior to January 1, 2035, reducing the royalty to 1.5%.
Riverside’s exploration team will continue to provide technical input and oversight on the Revel Project during the option period, with the Optionee funding programs designed to advance the Project toward drill testing of the carbonatite-style rare earth system.
About the Revel Project
The Revel Project is located approximately 20 kilometres from the community of Seymour Arm and north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, within a highly prospective carbonatite belt. The Project covers part of the Mount Grace Carbonatite, which is known to host rare earth element mineralization, and Riverside has outlined a 12-kilometre-long carbonatite-style rare earth system at Revel that remains undrilled.
The Revel claims are located on the northeast margin of the Frenchman Cap Gneiss Dome, comprising part of the Shuswap Metamorphic Terrain. The core gneisses are overlain by allochthonous cover rocks that host both extrusive and intrusive carbonatites and form part of the Monashee cover sequence. Recent exploration at Revel has included detailed mapping, spectral and geochemical sampling, and ground geophysics designed to vector toward higher-grade REE zones in advance of drill testing.
The next work will likely be airborne geophysics and field exploration work during the summer of 2026 with funding partner providing the capital for these efforts. Additional information on the Revel Project is available on Riverside’s website at www.rivres.com.
Qualified Person & QA/QC:
The scientific and technical data contained in this news release pertaining to the Project was reviewed and approved by Freeman Smith, P.Geo, a non-independent qualified person to Riverside Resources Inc., who is responsible for ensuring that the information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a “qualified person” under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Riverside Resources Inc.:
Riverside is a well-funded exploration company driven by value generation and discovery. The Company has a strong balance sheet, no debt and tight share structure with a strong portfolio of gold-silver, copper, and REE assets and royalties in North America. Further information about Riverside is available on the Company’s website at www.rivres.com.
ON BEHALF OF RIVERSIDE RESOURCES INC.
“John-Mark Staude”
Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO
For additional information contact:
John-Mark Staude President, CEO Riverside Resources Inc. info@rivres.com Phone: (778) 327-6671 Fax: (778) 327-6675 Web: www.rivres.com
Eric Negraeff Investor Relations Riverside Resources Inc. Phone: (778) 327-6671 TF: (877) RIV-RES1 Web: www.rivres.com
Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., “expect”,” estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”). Such information involves known and unknown risks — including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESS Newswire / August 24, 2026 / AIAI Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:AIAI) (“Ai2” or the “Company”), an AI-enabled diversified holding company utilizing Transformational AI (TAI) to enhance portfolio performance, announced today that, following discussions with its board, the Company is commencing discussions with Messier 42 LLC, a company controlled by our founder and controlling stockholder, John P. Rochon, to begin the process of acquiring a number of M42’s existing and targeted businesses across multiple sectors to help execute the Company’s vision, including international and domestic defense, intelligence, healthcare, gaming and rare earth minerals. The Company anticipates that, if completed, these significant transactions will be structured to be minimally dilutive to the current Ai² stockholders.
The acquisitions remain subject to due diligence and will require the approval of the board of AIAI. Additionally, because these will be related-party transactions, the Company will retain an investment banker to provide a fairness opinion and structuring advice.
About AIAI Holdings Corporation AIAI Holdings Corporation (Ai2) (NASDAQ:AIAI) is an AI-enabled diversified holding company that acquires and grows companies across multiple industries. We expect to drive revenue and earnings growth throughout our portfolio by applying exclusively licensed Transformational AI to enhance operational efficiency and financial performance.
Ai2 is building a next-generation model for technology-enabled business operations, which is expected to create sustainable value for shareholders through the strategic integration of artificial intelligence across diverse industries.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities and plans of the Company. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding our expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “would,” “could,” “should”, “estimate,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “estimate”, or “continue,” or similar expressions, including the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.
Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations regarding its strategy, plans, intentions, performance, or future occurrences or results, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, that could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to our lack of operating history, our ability to attract new investments, our failure to manage growth effectively, our acquisition activities may pose risks that could harm our business, and our licensed AI may not perform up to the expected standards, as well as general business and economic conditions, competitive pressures, regulatory changes, technological developments, and other factors identified in the Company’s most recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Registration Statement on Form S-1, which are available for review at www.sec.gov
Furthermore, the Company operates in a competitive environment where new and unanticipated risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention to, and, except as may be required by law, undertake no obligation to, update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which the Company hereafter become aware. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
CASPER, WY / ACCESS Newswire / August 20, 2026 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG)(TSX:URE) (“Ur-Energy” or the “Company“), America’s largest and fastest-growing domestic ISR uranium producer, is pleased to announce that on August 19, 2026, it made the first shipment of uranium from its Shirley Basin mine to its Lost Creek processing plant in Wyoming.
Matt Gili, President & CEO of Ur-Energy, stated, “This first shipment is not only the start of full operations at Shirley Basin, it also marks Ur-Energy’s transition to a multi-asset, domestic U.S. uranium producer. It is important to note that Shirley Basin moved from construction decision to production in just two and a half years. This is a clear demonstration of our team’s ability to progress through permitting, construction, and startup in a highly effective manner. Crucially, this milestone also validates our capital-efficient, hub-and-spoke development model and further strengthens Ur-Energy’s position as a leading U.S. uranium producer.”
With licensed wellfield and toll processing capacity of up to 2.0 million pounds of U3O8 equivalent, Ur-Energy’s Shirley Basin mine is the Company’s second uranium in-situ recovery (“ISR”) operation in Wyoming. As previously announced, initial mining operations commenced at the mine in April 2026. Final authorization to advance to full operations was received from the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in late June 2026.
Shirley Basin is being run as a satellite mine of the Company’s Lost Creek hub operation. Lost Creek, which is home to the largest operating ISR mine in the U.S., has a proven and tested facility that has processed and shipped more than 3.5 million pounds of U3O8 to the conversion facility for delivery to the Company’s customers. This hub-and-spoke model is the basis of Ur-Energy’s growth platform in Wyoming. It avoids duplicative infrastructure, improves capital efficiency, and can be scaled at an accelerated pace.
Now that shipments from Shirley Basin to Lost Creek have commenced, the Company will execute on its strategy for ramp-up to full commercial levels, while continuing to advance its other organic growth opportunities in the district.
About Ur-Energy
Ur-Energy is the largest and fastest-growing ISR uranium mining company in the United States. It owns and operates the Lost Creek ISR uranium facility in south-central Wyoming, which has produced more than 3.5 million pounds of U₃O₈ since operations began, and the Shirley Basin ISR operation in central Wyoming, where uranium recovery commenced in April 2026. Lost Creek and Shirley Basin have combined annual licensed production and toll-processing capacity of 4.2 million pounds of U₃O₈. The Company is also engaged in exploration and development activities at a selection of projects in the Great Divide Basin uranium district. Ur-Energy’s common shares trade on the NYSE American under the symbol “URG” and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “URE.” The Company’s corporate headquarters is in Casper, Wyoming, and its registered office is in Ottawa, Ontario.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding events or conditions that may occur in the future (e.g., our ability and the expected or planned timing at Shirley Basin to ramp up and increase production or to reach full commercial levels of production; our ability in the future to execute on our construction, development, and operating plans; and our ability in the future to comply with regulatory requirements and receive regulatory approvals). Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans,” “expects,” “does not expect,” “is expected,” “is likely,” “estimates,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “does not anticipate,” “believes,” or variations of the foregoing, or statements that certain actions, events or results “may,” “could,” “might” or “will” “be taken,” “occur,” “be achieved” or “have the potential to.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates; failure to establish estimated resources and reserves; the grade and recovery of ore that is mined varying from estimates; production rates, methods, and amounts varying from estimates; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental, or other project approvals; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in development; changes in governmental polices or market conditions; and other factors described in the public filings of the Company that are available at www.sec.gov and www.sedarplus.ca. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management as of the date hereof, and Ur-Energy disclaims any intent or obligation to update them or revise them to reflect any change in circumstances or changes in management’s beliefs, expectations, or opinions that occur in the future, except as required by applicable law.
The U.S. government’s debt has surpassed $40 trillion, according to the latest data from the Treasury. It’s a staggering, hard-to-process number, totaling over $359,000 in federal debt for every American taxpayer.
Bank of America’s chief equity strategist, Michael Hartnett, projects the number will swell to $50 trillion in less than three years.
“The problem with $40 trillion is not the number,” Stephen Innes, financial markets analyst and former investment bank trader, wrote in an analysis. “Markets have been watching the US debt clock spin higher for years and, for most of that time, the response has been little more than a shrug. Washington spends, Treasury issues, investors absorb it, and the machine keeps moving.”
The largest federal budget items are Medicare/Medicaid combined (nearly $2 trillion), Social Security (over $1.6 trillion), national defense ($946 billion) — and interest on the debt (over $1 trillion).
Innes believes interest costs will soon begin “eating the budget alive,” with the steep trajectory of the government debt making the interest expense “one of Washington’s largest single outlays.”
What does that mean for the stock and bond markets — and the cost of living?
For fiscal year 2026, the federal government is projected to collect $5.6 trillion in revenue while spending about $7.4 trillion. That results in a deficit of roughly $1.9 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“In other words, the government is spending roughly $1.33 for every $1 collected,” Colin Slabach, clinical assistant professor at New York University’s School of Professional Studies, told Yahoo Finance in an email.
“The good news is that there is still plenty of demand for US government debt,” he added. “The problem is that if that changes in the future — and nations like Japan need to sell our debt to stabilize their own currency — it could lead to an overabundance of supply.”
That’s when the Treasury would have to pay increasingly higher interest rates to attract investments in the U.S. government, Slabach said.
As swelling government debt pushes bond yields higher, borrowing costs for consumers also rise.
“As the federal government runs a deficit, it must borrow the difference by issuing Treasury securities. Increased supply of U.S. Treasuries pushes yields higher to attract investors. Those yields then serve as a benchmark for interest rates across the economy,” the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan economic think tank, wrote in an economic outlook.
As rising rates filter through the economy, the cost of living squeezes household budgets even tighter.
“Rising borrowing costs mean larger payments on mortgages, car loans, student loans, business loans, and credit card debt,” the report noted.
However, it’s not only about a higher monthly housing payment, Ethan White, co-founder of White Sands Tax Services in Long Beach, Calif., told Yahoo Finance.
When borrowing costs remain high, the “freedom to buy, move, downsize, or respond to a new job or caregiving need” is reduced.
“The debt becomes tangible not when Washington crosses another trillion-dollar milestone, but when an otherwise reasonable life decision no longer fits within the family budget,” White said.
The federal debt could ‘lower the standard of living for all Americans’
In June, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) came to a startling conclusion: At $31.3 trillion, the U.S. debt was roughly equal in size to the country’s economy. Within weeks, the debt quickly surpassed the U.S. Gross Domestic Product.
“When the federal government spends more than it collects in revenue, it borrows money to make up that deficit,” the GAO report said, adding that while the federal debt would often spike during an economic setback, over the past two decades, the deficit had grown even as the economy thrived.
One result: Businesses face higher borrowing costs. With less capital for operational costs, wages suffer, “leading to slower wage growth,” the GAO reported.
“If nothing is done to reduce deficits each year, we project that debt will grow about twice as fast as the economy over the next 10 years. In 30 years, that debt will likely be 2.5 times the size of the economy,” the GAO said. “What that means for you, and future generations, is that today’s deficits — if not addressed — could have lasting financial consequences. The federal government’s debt could ultimately lower the standard of living for all Americans.”
A growing deficit could bring another headache to taxpayers: “It could mean higher taxes with no additional services because the taxes will pay the interest on the debt,” Slabach said.
And investors are likely to see continued volatility in the markets.
“Higher rates can weigh on stocks because it makes borrowing more expensive for companies,” Robert Brokamp, CFP, a financial advisor with The Motley Fool, told Yahoo Finance. “When rates rise, the prices of current bonds drop since they are now less attractive than new bonds offering higher yields. Because rates have risen in 2026, the overall bond market has dropped approximately 2.5% so far this year. It’s not a devastating loss, but also not what many investors expect from ‘safe’ bonds.”
Brokamp recommends keeping any money you may need in the next three to five years in higher-yielding cash, money market funds, CDs, or short-term bonds, which are less sensitive to interest-rate moves.
Borrowers should watch debt levels as well.
“If rates remain elevated, carrying $25,000 on a variable-rate credit card or financing a car every few years becomes much more consequential,” Zachary Sahar, CPA, managing director at Capital Tax in Walnut Creek, Calif., said in an email. “I’d focus less on predicting Washington and more on reducing expensive variable-rate debt, maintaining liquidity, and avoiding new fixed expenses that only work if rates or economic conditions improve.”
