Josef Schachter, president and author at the Schachter Energy Report, shares his thoughts on oil and natural gas prices, supply and demand in 2026.
‘I think before the cycle is over, the 2007 high of US$147 (per barrel) will be breached, because the industry cannot respond quickly by bringing on new oil,’ he said.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
With margins tight in both chambers, control of Congress in 2026 is expected to hinge on a small group of competitive Senate contests and House districts sensitive to national trends. As America plunges into a new year, here are the races that are most likely to define the midterm races.
Senate Republicans are looking to maintain their razor-thin majority after flipping the upper chamber in 2024. There are 33 seats in-cycle in the forthcoming midterms, which often act as a check on an incumbent president’s performance.
The GOP is hoping to replicate the Election Day successes that helped preserve its majority at the midpoint of President Donald Trump’s first term, entering 2026 with what many analysts consider a favorable map.
Georgia is the top prize of Senate Republicans and their campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). Incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is vulnerable in his first attempt at re-election to the Senate and will be met with the full weight of the NRSC’s campaign war chest.
Before the general election, Republicans will first have to let the dust settle on a bloody, four-way primary fight among Reps. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., Mike Collins, R-Ga., former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley and horse trainer Reagan Box. Republicans’ prized candidate, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, opted not to enter the contest, leaving a wide open playing field for the GOP to fight over.
In the heat of the Senate advancing Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced his retirement. What would likely have been a gimme race for the GOP has now turned into a wide open contest for an open seat.
Democrats believe they can flip the seat for the first time since 2008 and hope that former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper will carry them to victory and provide a crucial win to tip the balance of power. Republicans scored their preferred candidate, too, in former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. He will have a primary challenge though from Michele Morrow.
Similar to North Carolina, Democrats lost their incumbent Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., to retirement. Both parties are now gunning for the open seat, but Democrats’ have a tangled primary to survive first before their true candidate emerges.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and physician Abdul El-Sayed, are all in on the Democratic side, while Trump and Republicans have coalesced behind former Rep. Mike Rogers, who narrowly lost to Sen. Elissa Slotkin last year.
Incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is Senate Democrats’ top target in the midterms. Collins, who is looking to score a sixth term in the Senate, could face a formidable opponent in the general election with the full backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., or an upstart progressive candidate that’s looking to throw a wrench into Democrats’ plans.
There are several local candidates that have jumped in on both sides of the race, but the main contenders are Collins, popular Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who has rubbed shoulders with progressive heavyweights Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance earlier this year, will look to finish out the remaining two years of his predecessor’s term. But he’ll face a tough opponent in former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who narrowly lost last year.
Schumer and Democrats scored their best chance at picking up a seat in Ohio, again trying to turn the state purple after Brown’s loss to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. And there will be eye-popping amounts of money thrown at this contest.
Democrats took yet another hit from the retirement train when Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced she’d leave Congress at the end of her term. That has opened up the field to several familiar Republican names jumping into the contest in the hopes of turning part of the Granite State red.
Republicans have two prime candidates, former Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., and former Rep. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who also served as an ambassador for Trump, to pick from. Meanwhile, Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., is the likely heir apparent on the Democratic side.
Control of the House is likely to hinge on fewer than two dozen districts nationwide, as both parties focus their resources on a small set of competitive seats that could decide the chamber. The battlegrounds span suburbs, rural communities and diverse metro areas, underscoring how varied the path to a majority has become.
With GOP Rep. Gabe Evans defending the seat, Colorado’s 8th District remains one of the most competitive House districts in the country. Drawn as a true swing seat after redistricting, it has flipped parties in back-to-back cycles and is often decided by slim margins.
Whether Latino and working-class voters break decisively toward one party and whether the race is decided by a narrow margin. A comfortable win here typically signals momentum heading into other battleground House races.
With a history of close results, Iowa’s 1st District is once again a top battleground as Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks seeks re-election.
The district spans college towns, rural counties and small manufacturing hubs, creating an electorate that frequently splits its ticket. Even as Iowa trends red at the presidential level, the seat continues to hover in toss-up territory and is often among the last House races decided on election night.
Held by GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr., New Jersey’s 7th is a high-income, college-educated suburban district that has repeatedly swung with the national political climate and historically punished incumbents during unfavorable cycles.
Whether suburban voters continue drifting away from Republicans or stabilize in a midterm environment. A shift here would offer an early read on how educated suburbs are responding to the party in power.
New York’s 17th District, which previously backed former President Joe Biden, is represented by GOP Rep. Mike Lawler and is expected to play an outsized role in determining House control.
Whether Democrats can effectively harness heavy national spending and messaging in a district expected to draw intense attention.
Held by Republican Rep. Chris Mackenzie, Pennsylvania’s 7th is a true purple district in a must-win swing state. This area is made up of a politically diverse electorate that has previously mirrored statewide results.
Economic pressures and immigration debates are expected to shape how working-class and Latino voters approach the race.
California’s 22nd, represented by GOP Rep. David Valadao, has remained a perennial battleground for more than a decade, shaped by its agricultural economy and a large Latino electorate sensitive to turnout swings.
Whether Democrats can boost turnout enough to flip the seat, and whether Central Valley races help offset Republican gains elsewhere in the country.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / December 31, 2025 / Goldgroup Mining Inc. (‘Goldgroup‘ or the ‘Company‘) (TSXV:GGA,OTC:GGAZF)(OTCQX:GGAZF).
Goldgroup announces that, subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the ‘TSXV‘), it has entered into an agreement with a private arm’s length British Columbia company under which it has agreed to sell all of the issued and outstanding Class ‘A’ shares and Class ‘B’ common shares in the capital (collectively the ‘Apolo Shares‘) of Minera Apolo, S.A. de C.V. (‘Apolo‘), which owns all the issued and outstanding shares of Minera Catanava, S.A. de C.V. (‘MC‘). Apolo and MC collectively hold a 100% interest in the Pinos gold/silver project (‘Pinos‘) located in Zacatecas State, the second largest mining state in Mexico. Pinos comprises 30 contiguous mining concessions over 3,816 hectares. The sale of Apolo is an Arm’s Length Transaction and there are no finder’s fees payable.
Ralph Shearing, Chief Executive Officer, commented: ‘Having received an unsolicited bid for Pinos, management determined that it would be the best use of the Company’s resources to dispose of the Pinos asset based on the Company’s recent acquisition of the San Francisco gold mine, which is a much larger and more advanced project than Pinos. The Company’s focus will be the continued development and optimization of our flagship Cerro Prieto heap-leach gold mine and advancing towards a re-start of gold production at the San Francisco gold mine (see news release dated December 24, 2025). Both assets are located within 44km in a straight line from each other in the state of Sonora, Mexico. The San Francisco gold mine represents a unique opportunity to consolidate a highly prospective gold district.’ Mr. Shearing further stated: ‘At this stage of our Company’s development, with Pinos being a non-core asset, management and the board of directors has elected to monetize Pinos with an attractive, high cash purchase offer, deploying the sale proceeds towards Cerro Prieto optimization and re-starting gold production at San Francisco.
Under the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement, Goldgroup has agreed to sell all the Apolo Shares to a private arm’s length British Columbia company (the ‘Purchaser‘) in consideration of the payment to Goldgroup of US$5,000,000 in stages, with US$2,450,000 deposit payable on signing which will be refunded if the transaction does not close by February 16, 2026, US$550,000 to be paid on closing and US$2,000,000 to be secured by a Promissory Note and paid on or before the date that is six (6) months from the Closing Date. Further, the Purchaser has agreed to assume any and all liabilities of Goldgroup associated with Apolo, MC and the Pinos project, including the assumption of US$400,000 remaining payable on the original purchase agreement in addition to debt in the amount of US$1,500,000 payable to the previous owners of Apolo that will be triggered by the sale of Apolo. Goldgroup, the Purchaser and the previous owners of Apolo have also agreed to enter an Assumption and Acknowledgement Agreement under which the previous owners acknowledge and agree that they will have no further recourse against Goldgroup for any liabilities related to Apolo, MC and the Pinos project, all of which have been assumed by the Purchaser.
Cautionary Statement
The closing of the sale of Apolo is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Clarification regarding Investor Relations Agreement
At the request of the TSXV, Goldgroup wishes to clarify its news release of October 13, 2025, regarding the retention of Machai Capital Inc. to provide digital marketing services on behalf of the Company. Goldgroup advises that it paid Machai Capital Inc. $200,000 as an upfront fee. Further Goldgroup advises that neither Machai Capital Inc. nor its principal Suneal Sandhu owned any securities of Goldgroup as at October 13, 2025.
About Goldgroup
Goldgroup is a Canadian-based mining Company with two high-growth gold assets in Mexico. In addition to the San Francisco gold mine, the Company has a 100% interest in the producing Cerro Prieto heap-leach gold mine located in the State of Sonora. An optimization and exploration program is underway at Cerro Prieto to significantly increase existing production and resources. The acquisition of Molimentales del Noroeste, S.A. de C.V. (‘Molimentales‘), the owner of the San Francisco gold mine is subject to final approval from the TSXV.
Goldgroup is led by a team of highly successful and seasoned individuals with extensive expertise in mine development, corporate finance, and exploration in Mexico.
For further information on Goldgroup, please visit www.goldgroupmining.com
On behalf of the Board of Directors
‘Ralph Shearing’
Ralph Shearing, CEO
For more information:
+1 (604) 306-6867
410 – 1111 Melville St.
Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V6
www.goldgroupmining.com
ir@goldgroupmining.com
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 press release.
CAUTIONARY NOTES REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to future financial or operating performance, may be considered ‘forward-looking information’ (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law) and ‘forward-looking statements’ (within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Actual results could differ materially from the conclusions, forecasts and projections contained in such forward-looking information.
These forward-looking statements reflect Goldgroup’s current internal projections, expectations or beliefs and are based on information currently available to Goldgroup. In some cases forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as ‘may’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘expect’, ‘intend’, ‘plan’, ‘anticipate’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’, ‘scheduled’, ‘forecast’, ‘budget’ or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors including, without limitation: receipt of all required TSXV, regulatory and other interested party approvals in connection with the Concurso Mercantilprocess; uncertainties related to actual capital costs operating costs and expenditures; production schedules and economic returns from Goldgroup’s projects; timing to integrate acquisitions (San Francisco Mine) and timing to complete additional exploration and technical reports; uncertainties associated with development activities; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources and precious metal recoveries; uncertainties related to current global economic conditions; fluctuations in precious and base metal prices; uncertainties related to the availability of future financing; potential difficulties with joint venture partners; risks that Goldgroup’s title to its property could be challenged; political and country risk; risks associated with Goldgroup being subject to government regulation; risks associated with surface rights; environmental risks; Goldgroup’s need to attract and retain qualified personnel; risks associated with potential conflicts of interest; Goldgroup’s lack of experience in overseeing the construction of a mining project; risks related to the integration of businesses and assets acquired by Goldgroup; uncertainties related to the competitiveness of the mining industry; risk associated with theft; risk of water shortages and risks associated with competition for water; uninsured risks and inadequate insurance coverage; risks associated with potential legal proceedings; risks associated with community relations; outside contractor risks; risks related to archaeological sites; foreign currency risks; risks associated with security and human rights; and risks related to the need for reclamation activities on Goldgroup’s properties, as well as the risk factors disclosed in Goldgroup’s MD&A. Any and all of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements.
Although Goldgroup believes that the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on reasonable assumptions, readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information. Goldgroup expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except as may be required by, and in accordance with, applicable securities laws.
SOURCE: Goldgroup Mining, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday outlined a list of its accomplishments during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, arguing that the agency has ended the political weaponization it says existed under the Biden administration.
The DOJ claimed in a statement posted on X that it has ‘turned around’ the agency, restoring fairness and law enforcement priorities.
‘Instead of keeping Americans safe, the Biden DOJ weaponized its power against political opponents: conservatives, parents, pro-lifers, Christians, and most of all, President Trump,’ the DOJ stated.
The DOJ said that after President Trump inherited a justice system it described as ‘in chaos,’ he charged the department with restoring ‘integrity, accountability and equal justice under the law.’
‘In 2025, the DOJ returned to its core mission: upholding the rule of law, vigorously prosecuting criminals, and keeping the American people safe,’ the department wrote.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to face legal challenges and the Justice Department faces potential legal action after missing a statutory deadlinedeadline to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The DOJ outlined 10 ‘wins’ since President Trump took office on Jan. 20, including efforts to pursue major fraud cases, particularly in Minnesota, which it described as ‘rife with fraud.’
According to the DOJ, 98 people have been charged — including 85 individuals identified as being of Somali descent — in Medicaid fraud and related case programs, leading to 64 convictions to date.
The statement outlines actions taken to roll back policies it said were targeting conservatives and parents, reduce crime nationwide, increase law enforcement activity in major cities, seize record amounts of illegal drugs and secure favorable rulings at the Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that the bureau is working to restore trust in federal law enforcement.
‘Dismantling public corruption is a top priority of our leadership team here — we’ve worked day and night on that mission and will continue to do so until justice is done,’ he wrote.
The Justice Department said more enforcement actions are planned in 2026, signaling an escalation of arrests, court victories and action ‘against those who threaten the safety and well-being of the American people.’