We have heard much “tough talk” through the years regarding reining in the regulatory excesses of government agencies in the past, but little action has followed those words. Perhaps we will finally see a genuine move away from excessive regulation.

…2017 was just the first year with a small increase after a huge drop off in exploration activity. It may take many years of future increases to get back to where the activity was in 2012, as projected increases in exploration spending are seen to be slow and steady.

This past month has been filled with headline-grabbing news events and, for a change, it was not only politics that dominated those news stories, but rather financial markets themselves, with gold and mining shares grabbing a major share of attention.

Other economic commentators have joined in regarding the sounding of alarms. Retired Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul feels financial markets could drop a stunning 50%...