Several countries around the world are investing heavily in lithium extraction to support battery production for electric vehicles (EVs) and utility-scale storage. This has led to tremendous growth in mining projects in lithium hubs such as the Lithium Triangle in South America. It has also encouraged greater exploration in less productive areas as energy companies seek to strengthen their supply chains through domestic lithium production. In the United States, Arkansas is quickly becoming a major lithium hub and additional lithium states are expected to emerge following major exploration activities.

The Biden administration has supported the development of the domestic lithium industry with favorable policies for mining activities that support the green transition, as well as funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring a reliable supply of essential minerals to support the deployment of renewable energy and clean technologies.

In March of this year, the US Department of Energy (DoE) announced Financing of up to $2.26 billionConstruction of the Thacker Pass Lithium Project in Nevada under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The mine is expected to come online later this decade and supply General Motors (GM) with lithium. Lithium Americas will extract approximately 40,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually from Thacker Pass, which could power up to 800,000 electric vehicles. This will eventually rise to around 80,000 tonnes per year. GM has made additional investments 650 million dollars in the project.

In November last year, Exxon Mobil announced plans to produce lithium in the US starting in 2027. The Company will operate operations in Arkansas using conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access lithium deposits. Exxon works with Tetra Technologies for its lithium business under the brand name Mobil Lithium. American Battery Technology Company, Applied Materials and Cirba Solutions jointly received the award $2.8 billion in DoE funding for 21 new, upgraded and expanded commercial-scale lithium processing and battery recycling facilities.

Albemarle, a major lithium producer, is pursuing lithium production in North Carolina. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to reopen the resource-rich Kings Mountain lithium mine in the state by the end of 2026, backed by 150 million dollars in DoE funding. However, it faced backlash from environmentalists and indigenous groups who wanted to block the development, leading to delays. Albemarle wants to expand its domestic lithium production. The company currently operates the Silver Peak mine in Nevada first lithium producing mine in North America.

Based on recent discoveries, the US could be on the path to lithium independence. In September last year, a group of scientists funded by Lithium Americas Corporation founded reported that the McDermitt Caldera, a volcanic crater on the Nevada-Oregon border, holds between 20 and 40 million tons of lithium deposits, almost twice as much as in Bolivia, which forms part of it Lithium triangle. In December, the Department of Energy announced that it had confirmed another large lithium deposit beneath California’s Salton Sea. It said there were around 3,400 kilotons of lithium, which would be enough for over 375 million electric car batteries. This is well above the 14 million tonnes previously mapped by the US Geological Survey.

Although recent lithium discoveries in the US are significant, the country still has limited capacity to extract, refine and produce domestic lithium. The largest lithium producers in the world are currently Australia, Chile, China, Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe, the USA and Portugal. The United States is the only one of these countries to have had such an experience Decline in lithium production in the last decade. It also has the lowest lithium production relative to the size of its reserves of these countries.

However, there are some High hopes for the future of US-produced lithium with Arkansas is developing into an important transshipment point for the critical mineral. Several large companies, including companies such as ExxonMobil, Albemarle and Standard Lithium, have invested in mining operations in Arkansas. Based on recent exploration activities, lithium reserves in the state are of high quality, which should allow for easier extraction.

The USA is investing heavily in the development of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies to increase their production potential. DLE technologies can extract up to 90 percent of the lithium in brine, well above traditional pond extraction rates of around 50 percent. You can also extract the mineral in days instead of months, potentially making production much cheaper and faster. However, DLE has not yet been proven to work on a large scale, meaning the US will need to further develop the technology or deploy conventional production techniques on a larger scale to increase its lithium production capacity.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

More top reads from Oilprice.com

Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, REM, Burna Boy, Rush and many others are currently unplayable on YouTube in the US due to a legal dispute between the platform and performance rights organization SESAC.

Attempts to play many, but not all, of these artists’ songs on Saturday resulted in the following message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”

A similar dispute between Universal Music Group and TikTok lasted several months earlier this year before being resolved.

In a statement about this Diversity, A YouTube representative said: “We have been negotiating in good faith with SESAC to extend our existing contract. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach a fair agreement before the deadline. We take copyright very seriously and therefore the content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the United States. We are in active discussions with SESAC and hope to reach a new agreement as soon as possible.” Representatives for SESAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A source familiar with the situation reports diversity that the previous deal actually doesn’t expire until next week, suggesting that YouTube’s move is a negotiating tactic. SESAC is far smaller than ASCAP and BMI – with around 30,000 members and 1.5 million compositions, while ASCAP has almost 800,000 members – but as the caliber of artists affected by the lockdown shows, it represents a comparatively large percentage of the market.

Performing rights organizations such as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in the US collect royalties and help protect copyrights on behalf of songwriters and music publishers. They have the ability to block certain public performances of music — which includes everything from streaming to radio to music played in restaurants — although such bans are cumbersome and difficult to enforce, even for a platform as large as YouTube, as the seemingly scattered numbers show prove blockage of SESAC material on the platform at the moment.

Such blocks are legally complex and may affect other copyright holders (for example, a live recording of the British broadcaster BBC’s Green Day is currently available, suggesting litigation), although they may also reflect the sheer volume of videos that are blocked must be. Certain songs by Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj and other artists are also affected, presumably because they are featured by songwriters affiliated with SESAC.

Fans quickly noticed the ban and received the following responses from the TeamYouTube account on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

“We hear you,” it says. “Our music licensing agreement with SESAC has expired without agreement on renewal terms, despite our best efforts. “For this reason, we have blocked content on YouTube in the US that is known to be associated with SESAC – in accordance with copyright law.”

Responding to frustrated follow-up tweets from users, the company said: “We understand this is a difficult situation and our teams continue to work to reach an extension agreement” and “We are continuing our discussions with SESAC to “I don’t have exact dates for future updates yet.”

Such suspensions often occur when rights holders (e.g. record labels, publishers and PROs) and a broadcaster cannot agree on a licensing agreement, and typically last no longer than a few days or weeks. But along with the heated UMG-TikTok battle earlier this year, such a dispute between YouTube and Warner Music Group led to Warner withdrawing its videos from the platform for about nine months in 2008 and 2009 before terms were reached became.

In recent years, YouTube’s formerly contentious relationship with music companies has become much more positive, ironically after the company hired former Warner recording chief Lyor Cohen as music chief in 2016. But as music fans learned on Saturday, disputes still arise.

diversity I will have more information on the situation as it develops.

Additional reporting by Steven J. Horowitz

UCF football returns after break this week for perhaps its biggest home game of the 2024 college football season.

After a thrilling 21-point come-from-behind win at TCU in Week 3, the Knights (3-0) return home Saturday to host Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12 Game). to FBC Mortgage Stadium for the Big 12 home opener in Week 5.

It will be the first time in program history that UCF and Colorado will face each other, as both programs were admitted to the Big 12 the past two seasons.

Similar to UCF, Colorado is coming off a win in its last contest. The Knights’ defense will have its hands full Saturday trying to stop Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is ranked fourth nationally in passing yards (1,340) and seventh in passing touchdowns (11) through four games. documented.

Here’s how to watch the UCF vs. Colorado game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

Michigan football ended its five-game homestand to start the season with a 27-24 survival of Minnesota on Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

No. 12 Michigan (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) defeated Minnesota (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) to stay unblemished in the conference, but nearly blew a 21-0 lead.

A Dominic Zvada 35-yard field goal proved to be the difference. The Golden Gophers recovered an onside kick, but were ruled offsides while replays showed the call was incorrect.

TRENDING:Fox’s Chris Peterson ‘sick’ over refs controversial Minnesota-Michigan onside kick call

Kalel Mullings scored a 27-yard touchdown on the opening drive then powered in for a short touchdown in the second quarter after being set up by a Zeke Berry forced fumble. The Wolverines blocked a punt to set up a Tyler Morris touchdown to go up 21-0. Minnesota closed the first half with a last-second field goal and Michigan opened the second with a 54-yard field goal by Zvada.

Tight end Colston Loveland returned after missing one game while star cornerback Will Johnson did not play after being questionable on the pregame availability report. Defensive end Josaiah Stewart and receiver Semaj Morgan also did not play.

Here’s the game recap between Michigan and Minnesota football:

Michigan vs. Minnesota live updates recap, game highlights

Georgians are feeling major impacts Friday morning from Hurricane Helene as it swept rapidly across Georgia during the overnight hours.

The storm left many in south Georgia with damage and without power and it continues to impact the north half of the state.

As of a 7:30 a.m. Friday, Hurricane Helene still had winds at 70 miles per hour after moving onto land in the big bend of Florida around 11 p.m. Thursday. Flooding is still a concern throughout the state.

Follow along here for updates as the hurricane makes its way into and through Georgia.

5:51 p.m. Saturday, More cooling stations open, ice available

Three more charging and cooling stations opened at 4 p.m. and will stay open until 7 p.m.- Tompkins Regional Center at 2333 Ogeechee Road – Mighty 8th Air Museum at 175 Bourne Ave. – Life Bridge Ministry at 8511 Waters Ave. – Kingdome Life Christian Fellowship at 425 W Montgomery Cross Road

By Luke Chafer

Published: 8:19 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2024 | Updated: 8:19 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2024

Thousands of people at risk of blindness will be spared monthly injections as NHS bosses approve a new drug that slows the progression of a debilitating eye problem.

The drug faricimab is offered to patients being treated for advanced retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

It is estimated that more than 11,000 people will benefit from the new drug, which is so effective it will require only three vaccinations a year compared to current monthly injections.

Experts say this could be a “big step” for patients suffering from the disease. RVO occurs when one of the small blood veins in the back of the eye becomes blocked by a clot. This allows blood and other fluids to enter the retina, causing bruising and swelling.

Over time, blindness can occur as the fluid buildup causes permanent damage to the eye. Studies suggest that 50,000 Brits suffer from RVO every year, with the majority being over 60 years old.

New drug faricimab saves thousands of people at risk of blindness from monthly injections (archive image above)

NHS bosses (pictured Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard) have approved the drug, which will be offered to patients being treated for advanced retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Within two months of diagnosis, 80 percent of patients experience severe symptoms that result in blurred vision.

The exact cause of RVO is unknown, but several medical conditions make it more likely, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

Treatment must be done once a month through an injection into the eye.

“This means that patients spend a lot of time coming to the hospital,” says Dr. Christiana Dinah, consultant ophthalmologist at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.

“This feels like a big step forward,” she adds. “The NHS spends thousands of hours each year carrying out these injections.”

“If we could reduce the number of procedures that need to be performed, it would free up doctors’ time and help address the worryingly long waiting lists we have.”

Roche eye expert Eelke Roos said: “People with this condition have a high treatment burden due to the frequency of injections. This causes great anxiety among patients and carers as they have to fit repeated clinic visits into their already busy lives.”

The Houston Texans will play the Jacksonville Jaguars in an NFL game on Sunday afternoon. The matchup begins at 12 p.m. CT on CBS. Fans can watch this game online for free by taking advantage of the free trial offered by Fubo TV, which also offers new users a $30 discount during their first month of service. Alternatively, DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

Houston comes into this matchup with a 2-1 record and the team is coming off a tough 34-7 loss to Minnesota. What’s notable is that the Texans only ran for 38 yards in the loss. Cam Akers led the team in rushing as he finished the game with nine carries for 21 yards. Houston’s offense will look to improve its rushing attack on Sunday, but may have to play without its star running back Joe Mixon. He was unable to play against Minnesota due to injury, and it is questionable whether he will play against Jacksonville.

Houston’s starting quarterback CJ Stroud played poorly against Minnesota last week, throwing two interceptions. The second-year player has already thrown for 709 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, so he’ll look to bounce back with a better performance against Jacksonville.

Jacksonville enters this matchup with a record of 0-3 and the team is coming off a 47-10 loss to Buffalo. The Jaguars had two turnovers and only managed 239 total yards in the loss. Notably, Jacksonville hasn’t been able to score more than 17 points in a single game this season, so the team needs to turn things around quickly.

Fans can watch this game online for free by taking advantage of the free trial offered by Fubo TV, which also offers new users a $30 discount during their first month of service. Alternatively, DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

The Ohio State football team is on a roll in Week 5 of the season, defeating Marshall 49-14.

In East Lansing, Michigan, against the Michigan State Spartans, OSU took an early lead as quarterback Will Howard repeatedly attacked the MSU defense.

But then the Spartans took advantage of a Will Howard interception in the second quarter to cut the Buckeyes’ lead to a field goal.

The Buckeyes are 3-0. Michigan State is 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten.

Flags of Switzerland and Ukraine

Switzerland has expressed support for the Sino-Brazilian “peace initiative” regarding Ukraine, although it does not refer to the UN Charter and does not directly mention Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

source: Nicolas Bideau, spokesman for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, as reported by European Pravda, citing the Swiss newspaper Blick

Details: Bideau explained that Switzerland supports the “peace initiative” proposed by China and Brazil because it is committed to a ceasefire and a political solution to the conflict, thus representing an alternative to the “belligerent speeches” of the Ukrainian and Russian representatives at the UN.

Advertising:

The spokesman also stressed the need to reference the UN Charter in all peace initiatives regarding Ukraine, stressing that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted this in his speech to the UN Security Council.

Background:

• Switzerland, which hosted the first world summit based on the Ukrainian peace formula in June, was among a few Western nations invited to a meeting organized by China and Brazil on their “peace initiative” during the UN General Assembly on September 27.
• Among European countries, Hungary has also expressed its support for the Sino-Brazilian initiative.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously described the Sino-Brazilian proposal as “destructive,” particularly because it had not been discussed with Ukraine.
• EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell also criticized the proposed “peace plan,” noting that its participants “think of surrender when they talk about peace.”

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The suspect in the gruesome 1999 murder of Julie Paterson proudly confessed, but 25 years later, questions remain

Content Warning: The following article contains disturbing details.

A Briton remains behind bars more than 25 years after being convicted in one of the most shocking murder cases in modern English history.

David Harker, known in the media as the “cannibal killer,” was convicted in 1999 of the murder of Julie Paterson, a 32-year-old mother of four whom he had met just weeks earlier.

The details of Harker’s crimes remain shocking and disturbing some quarter of a century after the gruesome murder in Teesside, about 70 miles north of Leeds.

PEOPLE looks back at Paterson’s April 1998 murder, which happened after she and then-24-year-old Harker met to drink at a local park.

PA images via Getty

David Harker” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/i.TYWTeNv7dZL1S1qDb3kw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTk0Mw–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/ca8e1e2ce4633 f30dc1b9b3dcf429c57″ class=”caas-img”/>

A worried mother

According to Paterson, she was a mother of four and was struggling with alcoholism and depression at the time she met Harker The Teesside Gazette. Paterson’s partner, Alan Taylor, reportedly told police that Paterson often disappeared during binge drinking sessions but would always show up at home afterwards.

However, when Paterson met Harker for drinks at a local park in April 1998, the mother never returned.

Harker proudly confessed – and claimed more victims

After Paterson disappeared, police searched for a month in hopes of finding her body, they say The Guardianbut the mother of four children was only found in parts. It wasn’t until they interviewed Harker’s friends that investigators began to understand the brutal truth of what happened, the outlet reported.

“Harker told friends and psychiatrists at Ashworth Hospital that he killed her,” lead investigator Superintendent Barry Peart later testified in court The Guardian. “He also said he ate part of her thigh, fried it and ate it with pasta and cheese.”

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According to the report, Harker had told his friends that he wanted to be a serial killer one day gazettewho reported that he had also read books about other murderers. He pleaded guilty in February 1999 after telling a psychiatrist that “people like me don’t come from these movies, these movies come from people like me,” the outlet reported.

Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty

The search for the remains of Julie Paterson” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qj7ceeal7wq15zDK7GD6Jg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471 /9925b164d13036c8839ef65065fa853d” class=”caas-img”/>

Paterson’s remaining body parts were never found

Harker was convicted of Paterson’s murder in 1999 but has never told authorities where he disposed of Paterson’s head and limbs The Northern Echo.

The outlet reports that Taylor, Paterson’s then-partner, was tormented by not knowing where his loved one’s remaining body parts were hidden, and even as he began digging in areas, he believed his late partner’s body parts might be buried be.

The gazette reported that while in prison, Harker also withheld the information from Paterson’s first husband, who wrote a letter to his ex-wife’s murderer asking him to tell investigators where the woman’s head and limbs were buried because of the convicted murder.

“You are right when you talk about decency, I have none,” Harker reportedly wrote to Paterson’s ex-husband, Fred Newman gazette. “I have no inhibitions, no remorse or regret, and therefore I don’t care at all whether your wife receives a full body burial or not.”

BBC reported that Harker was denied parole in October 2021 under “Helen’s Law,” a law designed to make it harder for convicted murderers to be granted parole if they refuse to tell authorities where they found the remains disposed of their victims.

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