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Monday, February 2, 2026
House returns with partial shutdown in effect
Agencies prepare for partial shutdown, as lawmakers look to minimize its impact
Federal News Network - The Federal Report - February 02, 2026
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** Congress
Agencies prepare for partial shutdown, as lawmakers look to minimize its impact
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** Workforce
MSPB: Tenured employees can't be fired under probationary period rules
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** Advertisement
Why government employees should think carefully about Roth conversions going into 2026 : Before rushing to a Roth conversion, here are several important realities federal employees should understand.
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** Open Data/Transparency
GSA ends U.S. participation in 'open government' initiative
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** Insight by FEBA
Why government employees should think carefully about Roth conversions going into 2026 : Before rushing to a Roth conversion, here are several important realities federal employees should understand.
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** Advertisement
The TSP Modernization Act's hidden provision: What federal employees need to know about portfolio diversification : If you're working and between ages 59½ and 65, or if you're already retired, then this strategy is for you.
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** IT Modernization
Federal CIO outlines 'one government' blueprint for overhauling digital services
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** Federal Newscast
Virginia senators call for investigation into DHS use of personal data
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** Insight by Tyler Technologies
In our new e-book, experts from Tyler Technologies share how small steps and smart tech can drive big change, from empowered teams to smarter fieldwork. Download now!
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Turning the tide on the hidden toll of cross-border trafficking : How advanced tactical intelligence helps protect the most vulnerable.
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** People
Founding Fathers with extra bounce: New bobblehead set marks America's 250th
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** Artificial Intelligence
Can automation in government coexist with transparency and public trust?
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**Advertisement
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** Congress
Senate passes government funding deal despite GOP backlash
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** Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC
Leadership spotlight: Margie Graves
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**Advertisement
Industry Exchange Cloud 2025: Apptio's Gabrielle Scalf on how to get control over cloud spending : Agencies need a tool to analyze the programs that use cloud and for what purposes. Only then can they optimize spend, Apptio solutions architect says.
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** Commentary
Resilience is essential as demands on government networks multiply
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**Partnership
Don't miss the 10th Annual Federal Law Enforcement Conference presented by PSC on February 11th in Crystal City, Virginia. : Hear the latest updates on key law enforcement initiatives directly from leaders at GSA, CBP, DEA, FBI, FAA, and more. Network with executives across industry and government, attend hot-topic sessions, and hear a keynote address from DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. Livestream access also available. Register today at lawenforcement.pscouncil.org.
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** Commentary
Department of Defense acquisition reform
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** Fed Photo of the Day
Astronauts prepare for next mission to the Moon, despite cold-weather delay
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Ticker Revealed: Pre-IPO Access to "Next Elon Musk" Company
Dear Reader,
Peter Thiel just bet $1 Billion on it.
And you can get exposure — pre-IPO — through a 4-letter ticker symbol revealed in this free briefing.
Digging Into Demand: Copper's Scarcity Premium Is Rising
Authored by Jeffrey Neal Johnson. Posted: 1/29/2026.
In Brief
- The explosive growth of artificial intelligence data centers is driving an unprecedented surge in copper demand.
- Major mining producers are utilizing new leaching technologies to extract additional value from waste rock stockpiles without digging new mines.
- Investors can access this structural growth trend through diversified funds that offer broad exposure to global producers rather than single stocks.
Gold and silver have dominated financial headlines over the last 18 months. Driven by central bank buying, geopolitical instability and global economic uncertainty, precious metals have served as a safe haven for investors. But as we enter February 2026, the narrative is shifting: the defensive trade is giving way to a growth trade led by copper.
Currently testing the $5.85 to $6 per pound range (approximately $12,900 per metric tonne), copper is decoupling from traditional industrial cycles. In previous decades, copper prices tracked construction and GDP — when housing slowed, copper fell. That correlation is breaking. A new, relatively price-inelastic dual engine now drives demand: the electrification of the global power grid and the massive energy requirements of artificial intelligence (AI).
Ticker Revealed: Pre-IPO Access to "Next Elon Musk" Company (Ad)
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Today's copper story is about more than building electric vehicles. Data centers running advanced AI models consume exponentially more power than traditional server farms and require vast amounts of copper cabling for transmission lines, transformers and grounding systems. At the same time, global copper supply is tightening due to aging mines and a scarcity of major discoveries. That supply-demand imbalance creates a compelling setup unlike any cycle investors have seen before.
Freeport-McMoRan: Capturing the AI Demand Wave
For investors looking to capitalize on the surge in copper demand tied to AI and electrification, Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) stands out as a primary beneficiary.
As one of the world's largest publicly traded producers, Freeport's stock price is highly sensitive to the metal's spot price.
Unlike diversified miners that also sell iron or coal, Freeport is a pure copper play. When copper prices rise, Freeport's profit margins expand substantially.
That leverage was evident in the company's fourth-quarter earnings report released on Jan. 22, 2026. Freeport reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.47, beating analyst estimates of $0.28, and revenue of $5.63 billion. Those results confirm that demand from the tech and infrastructure sectors is translating into real cash flow.
Innovation Through Leaching
Beyond traditional greenfield projects, Freeport is deploying a technique that sets it apart: leaching technology. Developing a new mine can take more than 15 years because of permitting, environmental studies and construction. Freeport, however, owns massive stockpiles of waste rock from decades of prior operations.
Applying new, proprietary leaching processes to those stockpiles allows the company to extract residual copper that was previously deemed uneconomic. This approach brings new metal to market without the capital intensity or decade-long delay of building a new mine. It is the quickest way for a major producer to help relieve the immediate supply squeeze created by the AI boom.
Navigating Supply Constraints
Investors should note Freeport is managing Challenges at its Grasberg district in Indonesia following a mudslide in late 2025. While this has temporarily reduced production, it also supports the bullish case: the temporary loss of supply helps keep copper prices elevated, which lifts the profitability of Freeport's operations in North and South America.
Southern Copper: The Value of Scarcity
While Freeport represents a demand-side beneficiary, Southern Copper Corporation (NYSE: SCCO) illustrates the value of scarcity on the supply side.
In mining, reserves — the amount of metal in the ground that is economically viable to extract — are the ultimate asset. Southern Copper holds the largest copper reserves of any publicly listed company.
As permitting for new mines becomes increasingly difficult due to stricter environmental rules and local opposition, companies with existing, approved projects command a premium. Southern Copper is capitalizing on that advantage with its massive Tía María project in Peru.
Project Progress and Income
After years of delays, Tía María is now under construction and roughly 25% complete as of early 2026. That progress is a key differentiator: while competitors still hunt for deposits or fight for permits, Southern Copper is pouring concrete. Tía María is one of the few large-scale supply sources slated to come online in the near term, giving the company a distinct growth profile as the global supply cliff approaches.
Southern Copper also appeals to income-oriented investors. The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1 per share. In the volatile world of commodities, that payout is a meaningful bonus — it provides yield while investors wait for Tía María to ramp to full production. Political risks common in Latin America remain, but the company's low-cost operations in Mexico offer a financial cushion that helps protect the dividend.
How to Invest Without Picking Winners
Investing in individual mining stocks carries company-specific risks that the metal itself does not. A mine collapse, a labor strike or a change in local tax law can hurt a stock even as copper prices rise. For investors who want exposure to the copper thesis — that prices will rise due to shortages — without taking on single-company risk, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) offer an efficient alternative.
- Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: COPX): Provides broad diversification across roughly 48 miners globally, including Canadian, Latin American and Australian firms. It's a good vehicle for investors seeking broad sector exposure; losses at one miner are offset by holdings in others.
- Sprott Copper Miners ETF (NASDAQ: COPP): A more aggressive option with heavier weightings in large-cap, pure-play miners like Freeport-McMoRan. If major producers rally, this ETF is designed to capture that upside more directly than a broader index, acting as a concentrated bet on industry leaders.
The Structural Floor for Copper
The current rally in copper is fundamentally different from speculative surges in cryptocurrency or fear-driven buying of gold. It is driven by utility and necessity: the world cannot build AI data centers, electric vehicles or renewable power grids at scale without copper. There is no substitute.
With prices testing historical highs and supply constraints worsening, copper appears to have established a structural floor. Whether through volume leaders like Freeport-McMoRan, reserve giants like Southern Copper, or diversified ETFs, the evidence suggests the copper sector is positioned for a multi-year run. For investors who missed the early move in precious metals, copper now offers a strategic entry into the next — and potentially most durable — phase of the commodities cycle.
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A U.S. “birthright” claim worth trillions - activated quietly
Dear Fellow Investor,
A tiny government task force working out of a strip mall just finished a 20-year mission.
And with almost no media coverage, they confirmed one of the largest U.S. territorial expansions in modern history...
A resource claim worth an estimated $500 trillion.
Thanks to sovereign U.S. law, this isn't just a national asset.
It's an "American birthright".
That means every citizen now has the legal right to stake a "claim"...
But very few even know the opportunity exists.
If you want to see how you can get in line for your portion of this record-breaking windfall...
I've assembled everything you need to see inside a new, time-sensitive briefing:
Get all the details here - while the "claim" window remains open.
"The Buck Stops Here,"
Dylan Jovine, CEO & Founder
Behind the Markets
P.S. This "claim" belongs to American citizens - but the first profits will go to those who move early. See the full briefing here.
What's the Best Way to Buy Gold in 2026?
Authored by Chris Markoch. Article Published: 1/24/2026.
At a Glance
- Gold prices are approaching the $5,000 level in 2026, driven by inflation concerns, currency devaluation, and supportive monetary policy.
- Investors must decide between physical gold exposure through ETFs or higher-risk, higher-reward opportunities in gold mining stocks.
- Large-cap miners and diversified ETFs like GDX and GDXJ offer operating leverage to gold prices but come with added volatility and execution risk.
Many of the themes that pushed stocks higher in 2025 are back in focus as 2026 begins. One of those is the bull market for precious metals. Silver has grabbed attention after hitting an all-time high, but investors shouldn't overlook gold, which shook off early-year weakness and climbed to a new record above $4,900 on Jan. 22.
That puts the yellow metal within striking distance of the psychologically important $5,000 level. Many analysts expected gold would reach that mark in 2025. It didn't quite get there, but the delay looks temporary: many of the trends that drove gold higher in 2025 remain intact in 2026.
The day the gold market broke (Ad)
On September 14th, 2023, something big happened that didn't make the news. The price gap between London gold and Shanghai gold blew out to $120 an ounce. For years, that gap was a few dollars, maybe $5 or $10. A 20x jump in seconds isn't a glitch, it's the system breaking. Traders tried to buy gold in London to sell in Shanghai, but hit a wall. The London vaults were empty. Since that day, gold has hit 53 all-time highs. One stock is positioned to capture the bulk of this wealth transfer.
See the full story on this opportunity now.With a bullish backdrop, investors are asking: what's the best way to own gold in 2026? Before answering that, it helps to step back and clarify why you would own gold in the first place.
Why Own Gold: Define Your Goal First
Gold and other precious metals can play a role in many portfolios, but the starting point is knowing your objective. At its core, gold is a store of value. Calling it an insurance policy is not far off: unlike fiat currency, gold cannot be issued by central banks, so it doesn't suffer the same depreciation risks.
Historically, gold has been used as an inflation hedge because its value often holds up when the purchasing power of paper money declines. As inflation erodes fiat currencies, gold—being scarce and not printable—tends to preserve purchasing power over long periods.
For the same reasons, gold can protect against currency devaluation, especially during aggressive monetary easing, rising government debt, or falling confidence in a nation's currency. When investors fear central banks are debasing money, they often shift into gold as a store of value outside the traditional banking system.
How to Own Gold: Choose the Right Vehicle
Many investors choose physical gold—bars or coins. That gives direct exposure to the metal but brings storage, insurance, and liquidity considerations that can be cumbersome for some.
Gold's push toward $5,000 reinforces its role as a portfolio anchor, but the vehicle you pick will determine whether gold acts mainly as a stabilizer or as a source of equity-like upside. That choice often comes down to physical bullion, miners, or gold-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Gold Miners and Miner ETFs: How Supply and Demand Can Amplify Returns
Gold mining stocks and miner-focused ETFs convert the macro gold thesis into a more aggressive, equity-style bet. When gold prices rise, miners' profits can increase faster than the metal's price because higher realized prices flow through to revenue while many costs remain relatively fixed. That operating leverage lets miners outperform physical gold in a sustained bull market.
This dynamic helps explain interest in smaller mining names such as TRX Gold (NYSEAMERICAN: TRX). The company reported earnings on Jan. 14 and posted record production and revenue as the high spot price boosted results.
But the supply-and-demand story runs both ways. Miners' earnings are exposed to rising input costs, operational setbacks, and political or environmental risks that can dent returns even when spot gold is strong.
For investors who want exposure to mining upside with somewhat lower company-specific risk, sticking to best-in-class producers such as Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) can be a sensible approach.
Diversified Gold Miner ETFs: Broad Exposure With Built-In Risk Management
Investors willing to accept higher volatility for greater upside potential may prefer diversified miner ETFs. These funds provide operating leverage to the gold price across many companies, which reduces the single-stock risk inherent in owning individual miners.
For broad exposure to large- and mid-cap producers, the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: GDX) tracks a global index of major producers. Investors seeking a more levered, riskier play can look at the VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: GDXJ), which focuses on smaller "junior" miners.
Junior-miner funds often move more sharply than bullion and senior producers in strong upcycles but carry higher volatility and company-specific risk.
Gold-Focused ETFs: An Investment in Gold With Better Liquidity
Physically backed gold ETFs, such as SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA: GLD), are designed to closely track the price of gold, offering a straightforward way to express a macro view without taking on company-specific business risks.
These funds usually offer deep liquidity, tight spreads, and relatively low costs, making them a practical choice for investors who want a long-term hedge against inflation, currency weakness, or geopolitical shocks without holding physical bars.
In that sense, gold ETFs function like an insurance policy you can trade intraday and size precisely within a diversified portfolio. With gold already elevated in 2026 and the odds tilted toward easing monetary policy, investors face a classic trade-off between liquidity, cost, and exposure type.
Those seeking ballast and ready liquidity may prefer physically backed ETFs as a cleaner way to "own gold." Those looking for amplified upside and willing to accept greater volatility might allocate to mining stocks or miner ETFs. Ultimately, the right vehicle depends on your investment objective, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
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