CRT IN PRAXIS

Young slave, once painted out, is back in a work at New York's Met

Agence France-Presse
October 16, 2023

Sylvia Yount, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, displays a painting in which a young enslaved man (upper right), who had once been painted over, has been revealed (Ed JONES/AFP)


For years, the three children from a well-to-do New Orleans family seemed to be the only figures in a nearly forgotten painting attributed to French artist Jacques Amans.

The family's slave, Belizaire, had simply been painted over, erased from both history and the picture, which this week went on display -- with his image restored -- at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

For the prestigious Manhattan museum, the artwork represents "the first naturalistic representation of a named enslaved individual pictured in a Southern setting," said Sylvia Yount, the curator in charge of the museum's American wing.

"We have no other work like this in the collection, and it allows us to tell a lot of different, interesting and complicated stories," she told AFP, standing before the 1837 oil painting, on display since Thursday.

And yet despite its significance, the young enslaved man -- standing erect, arms crossed and with a grave expression -- had nearly disappeared forever from the painting, commissioned by the children's father, Frederick Frey, a successful New Orleans banker originally from Germany.

- Painted over -

While no one knows the exact reason, the mixed-race lad was painted over, probably early in the 20th century. Frey and his wife were both dead by then, and the painting had been 
"The family may not have been proud, or they may have been ashamed" to have an enslaved worker in the painting "because it really implicates them, you know, as a slaveholding family," said Yount.

"The other side of that could be that they just didn't want a black figure shown with their white ancestors."

In 1972, the New Orleans Museum of Art acquired the painting but kept it in storage until reselling it in 2004. In 2005 the work's new owner had it restored -- and the young slave reappeared.

Still, it was only through the involvement of Louisiana collector Jeremy K. Simien, a man passionate about representations of Creoles in local art, that the work's importance came to public attention.

Simien first discovered the painting on an auction website and then, while doing further research, was stunned to see how it had changed from the time the New Orleans museum sold it.

"I could see it ghosting through, I could see the outline," he told AFP. "That really blew my mind."


- Sold at six -

In 2021, Simien acquired the painting, and he hired Katy Shannon, an expert in such historical research, to delve into the Louisiana archives. There she discovered that the young man in the painting was named Belizaire -- and that when he was six, in 1828, he and his mother had been sold to the Freys.

It was an ill-fated time. Two of the three Frey children died the very year the painting was made, possibly of yellow fever, and the third child died a few years later.

Shannon discovered that Belizaire was later sold to a sugarcane plantation.

"We know he did live past the Civil War and become free," Simien said.

He added that he finds the story told by the painting "fascinating, because it's almost as if Belizaire, the boy that we didn't know his name, refused to be erased."

"He serves kind of as a representation of a lot of history that was erased or covered over."

Simien said he was "very excited" that the Met had decided to purchase the work -- for undisclosed terms -- and was treating it with due "dignity and reverence."

The painting is being displayed along with an explanation of its unusual history, and a photo of the version that excluded Belizaire.

Today, as museums work to diversify their collections, "we need to tell these more complicated stories," said Yount.

'How deeply runs the rot': Fox hit for attempt to overthrow the House like 2020 election

Sarah K. Burris
October 15, 2023

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

As news spread that Sean Hannity was attempting to overthrow the House of Representatives with his own hand-picked man, the repetition was obvious to some and a campaign violation to others.

"So at the lowbrow entertainment network that paid a $787.5 million settlement for parroting lies crafted to overturn the Constitution, producers openly campaign in support of a coup-plotting legislator’s bid for the insurrectionist party’s leadership," said Washington lawyer George Conway of Fox's efforts to get Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to the Speaker's office. "How deeply runs the rot."

NBC News congressional correspondent Sahil Kapur explained, "This is where the rubber meets the road. Jim Jordan’s allies are betting his opponents buckle when he puts them on record and conservative media lights them up. Trump is with Jordan, creating an added specter of retribution. Will come down to whether 5+ 'Never Jim' Rs hold firm."

Washington Post Live anchor Leigh Ann Caldwell confirmed the reporting, revealing "One member said Hannity reached out directly with this same message - that the war in Israel is a reason to get behind Jordan. Member told me it's not going to persuade them. Read more in the Early 202 in the morning."

She isn't the only one. Reporters are not only beginning to hear from the members, but Politico's Olivia Beavers reported "anger" among part of the GOP.

"Been hearing this frustration quite a bit as well. In addition to anger about the changed position Jordan and his allies had about not going to the floor without 218 votes when Scalise was running, but now doing the opposite," she said.

Washington Post columnist, Karen Tumulty, posted, "This is … not smooth."

Former White House counsel to Richard Nixon, John Dean said, "Fox News should be [required] to register as a lobbyist for Jim Jordan! The First Amendment does not exempt lobbyists, and this is blatant, conspicuously blatant!"

Mark Jacob, a former editor of the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, agreed that the network was continuing to reveal itself as a political operation.

"Fox News is not journalism," he posted on the social media site previously known as Twitter. "It’s a right-wing political operation disguised as journalism, as this example demonstrates. Hannity is pressuring Republican members of Congress to knuckle under to Jim Jordan."

"The next time Fox or Republicans clutch their pearls about the LiBeRaL MeDiA, show them this email and ask which media is actually an extension of a political party," attacked MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen.

The Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson pointed out that moderates have "all got the number for Rep. Jeffries." He was referring to Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY). There are several moderate holdouts miffed at the GOP being taken over by the few fringe elements of the party, but they've been unwilling to play hardball and make a deal with Jeffries. Instead, they've allowed themselves to be tied to the most unpopular piece of their party.

Brett Meiselas, a co-founder of the progressive group Meidas Touch asked, "So is it normal for a major political party to use a cable “news” host to extort party members into voting for their Speaker pick?"


"More evidence Fox is a political/propaganda operation, not a journalistic entity. In case you needed more evidence the sun rises in the East," Mother Jones DC bureau chief David Corn wrote.

But ultimately, "democracy defender," and elections lawyer Marc Elias pointed out, "Reminder: There are no moderate House Republicans. There are proud MAGA and scared MAGA. This is aimed at scared MAGA."

How do the traits of macroinvertebrates in the River Chanchaga respond to illegal gold mining activities in North Central Nigeria

Augustine O. Edegbene1,2*† Luckey A. Elakhame2 Francis O. Arimoro3 Ekikhalo C. Osimen2 Tega T. Edegbene Ovie4 Ehi C. Akumabor5 Nididi C. Ubanatu6 Carolyne W. Njuguna7 Abdul A. Sankoh8,9 Frank C. Akamagwuna10

• 1Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Nigeria
• 2Department of Zoology, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria
• 3Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
• 4Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Nigeria
• 5Safety and Security Management Division, Department of Engineering Management Services, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, Nigeria
• 6Department of Highways Construction and Rehabilitation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, Nigeria
• 7Environment Department, Kenya Industrial Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
• 8Department of Environmental Engineering Management, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
• 9Department of Chemistry, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
• 10Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa

Africa harbours about a third of the world’s largest natural resource reserves of mineral such as gold and diamonds. These vast mineral reserves in Africa are essential to the continent's development and modern industrial society. However, these minerals, including gold, are often illegally mined by locals which leads to biodiversity loss and groundwater and surface water contamination. In the present study, we assess the impact of illegal gold mining (i.e., panning) and other anthropogenic activities on the distribution patterns of macroinvertebrate traits in the River Chanchaga, North central Nigeria. Anthropogenic activities including urban development, agricultural activities, household activities and gold mining are impacting the Chanchaga stream sites samples in Nigeria. We selected four sampling stations (i.e., reaches), denoting increasing disturbance order; Station 1 < Station 2 < Station 4 < Station 3. Four macroinvertebrate traits, body size, mode of respiration, mode of locomotion, and body shape, were selected and categorized into 19 attributes. The trait attributes were assigned to taxa using the fuzzy coding method. The relative abundance of traits in the study river showed that very large body size (>40–80 mm) macroinvertebrates dominated Stations 1 and 2 while large body size (>20–40mm) dominated Station 3. The relative abundance of macroinvertebrates possessing an integument for oxygen diffusion dominated Station 4. The RLQ model showed that traits such as medium body size (>10–20 mm), gills as mode of respiration, and streamlined and spherical body shapes were positively associated with Stations 1 and 2. Conversely, small (>5–10 mm) and very large (>40–80 mm) body sizes, spiracle: vegetative respiration using plant stems, climbing mode of locomotion, and sprawling mode of locomotion were positively associated with Stations 3 and 4. The fourth-corner test revealed that macroinvertebrates with very small (<5mm) and medium body sizes (>10–20 mm), spiracles mode of respiration and climbing mode of locomotion were positively associated with at least one of the following physico-chemical variables: 1) electrical conductivity [EC (μS cm−1)], 2) biological oxygen demand [BOD5 (mg l−1)], 3) sulphate (mg l−1), 4) nitrate (mg l−1) and 5) phosphate (mg l−1). These traits were classified as resilient traits to pollution in our study. On the other hand, macroinvertebrates that possess gills and can swim actively were positively associated with dissolved oxygen and were deemed vulnerable to pollution. Based on our findings, we concluded that anthropogenic activities, especially illegal gold mining, alter the distribution patterns of macroinvertebrates traits and, in turn, the ecological balance of the ecosystem. To forestall further damage to the ecological health of the River Chanchaga, the government should regulate the activities of gold miners.

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Frontiers | How do the traits of macroinvertebrates in the River Chanchaga respond to illegal gold mining activities in North Central Nigeria (frontiersin.org)

New development revealed as Scottish gold mine strives to avert collapse

Ian McConnell
Mon, 16 October 2023 

The mine at Cononish (Image: Jamie Simpson)

Scotgold Resources, which has been developing Scotland’s only gold mine at Cononish in Argyll, has revealed it is in discussions with a new “strategic investor” which could enable it to continue as a going concern.

The company had on October 2 warned that administrators could be appointed “over the coming days” after the party which had at that stage been the “most advanced prospective investor” withdrew from discussions.

Scotgold told the stock market yesterday: “Further to this, the company is now in advanced discussions with a new strategic investor which, should final agreement be reached, is expected to provide sufficient funding for the company to continue as a going concern.”

However, it added: “Whilst financing discussions are at an advanced stage, in the event the company cannot secure financing with the new strategic investor, this could result in the appointment of administrators.”

Scotgold describes itself as “Scotland's first commercial gold producer”.

It poured first gold in November 2020 at its Cononish gold and silver mine near Tyndrum.

The company noted it is developing Cononish into a “plus-23,500-ounce gold mine per annum”.

It added: “Cononish is a high-grade underground mining operation with a central processing plant producing gold concentrate for off-take and gold doré for the Scottish jewellery industry.”

Scotgold has in recent years highlighted its ambitions to develop other sites in Scotland.

It noted: “It is Scotgold's vision to build a mid-tier gold mining company in Scotland with multiple operations in the country that enhance the local environment and economy in ways that have an enduring positive impact.”

Trading in Scotgold shares was suspended on September 11 after the company told the stock market it needed “significant capital investment” and highlighted the “highly uncertain” outcome of funding discussions.

It said then: “On 10 July 2023, the company announced that, among other things, it was undertaking a third-party review of the Cononish mine plan for the next 12 months, encompassing a geological review of the Cononish mine mineral resource estimate (MRE) and grade control (GC) process, mine design, schedule and production forecasts. Initial findings have been fed back to the board.

“As announced on 10 July 2023, H1 2023 was disappointing in terms of gold production and development of the underground mine at Cononish. The ability of the group to continue as a going concern over the long term would remain dependent on the quantity and grade of ore mined and processed being within a reasonable tolerance of the forecast quantity and grade and adherence to the previously planned product shipment schedule.”

In this September 11 statement, Scotgold added: “While the geological data and documentation suggested 'no fatal flaws' in the MRE and GC modelling process, the draft mine plan and associated cash flow forecasts are currently being reviewed by the company, but they indicate that to deliver to the plan, a significant capital investment is required.

“The company is actively seeking additional financing and discussions are in an advanced stage and, should they materialise, are expected to provide sufficient funding for the company to continue as a going concern. The outcome of the funding discussions is highly uncertain and if the company cannot conclude a significant fundraise, it will cast material uncertainty for the company to continue as a going concern.”

Scotgold revealed late last month that it had placed the majority of its approximately 80-strong workforce at the Cononish mine on unpaid leave.

On September 29, Scotgold told the stock market: “As at 28 September 2023, the company has placed the majority of its employees on short term unpaid leave until further notice, allowing the company time to advance the financing discussions and preserve funds to help retain some key trained staff members across mining and plant and maintenance. This care and maintenance team will maintain the company's assets and ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and environmental reporting obligations for the immediate future.”

WORD OF THE DAY

What is niobobaotite, the new mineral that will revolutionize transportation

BUSINESS
October 16, 2023
By Nation World News Desk


In the mining region of Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia, a mineral was discovered that could revolutionize transportation. It is niobobaotite.

This black mineral is rich in niobium, a rare metal used to make rockets or combat aircraft engines. It has superconducting properties that make batteries cheaper and more efficient than current ones.

The mines of Bayan Obo, located 90 kilometers south of the China-Mongolia border, make it easy for China to become the world leader in the rare metal market. Rare metals are hard to find in their pure form, but they are found in most of the technology we use every day: cell phones, flat screens, speakers…
Read Also: How much would an employee make today if legal tender were changed?

To date Brazil has 90% of the known reserves of niobium. China imports nearly 95% of niobium for the steel industry, something that could change with the new discovery. By providing a large amount, China can become self-sufficient.

Usually in alloys

Niobium is often used in alloys such as steel to improve its strength. It resists corrosion and deformation at high temperatures, something important for the construction of rockets or jet engines such as those used in fighter aircraft.

Their superconducting qualities can also provide more efficient batteries without lithium, an endangered material.

The director of the Brazilian Metallurgy and Mining Company, which has Chinese participation and owns 70% of the world’s niobium reserves, said in May that his company made a strategic shift and stopped focusing on the production of steel to use the metal in the development of batteries with research centers and manufacturers in China.
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As Singaporean engineering professor Antonio H. Castro Neto explained to a Hong Kong media outlet, the newly developed niobium-graphene batteries “can last 30 years or more ” (10 times higher than conventional batteries). safer, because they do not contain flammable substances, charge faster and have greater performance thanks to their conductive properties.

Piedmont Lithium to invest in Newfoundland lithium project

Reuters | October 11, 2023 |

Newfoundland. (Image Felix Dilly, Pixabay).

Piedmont Lithium on Wednesday announced it would invest around C$2 million ($1.5 million) in cash in a prospective lithium project in Newfoundland, Canada.


Piedmont Lithium will acquire a 19.9% interest in Vinland Lithium, which owns Killick Lithium, the company said in a statement.

Vinland Lithium is formed by a partnership between Piedmont and exploration-based companies Sokomon Minerals and Benton Resources.

Piedmont could also earn up to a 62.5% equity interest in the new project through staged investments.

Company officials told Reuters last year that its first steps in securing lithium supplies would likely be in Canada or Ghana.

“While we help fund exploration activities at Killick Lithium, our projects and operations teams remain focused on the ongoing development of our core portfolio, including the producing North American Lithium mine in Quebec and our planned operations in Ghana, Tennessee, and North Carolina,” Piedmont chief operating officer Patrick Brindle said in the statement.

The Killick Lithium property in Newfoundland totals 950 square kilometers and holds spodumene-bearing pegmatite.

($1 = 1.3598 Canadian dollars)

(By Seher Dareen; Editing by Varun H K)

World’s top miners need more ambition to meet climate targets

Bloomberg News | October 11, 2023 | 

Anglo’s copper business in Chile made history in 2021 by commissioning the country’s first green H2 station for carbon zero vehicles. (Image courtesy of Anglo America | Flickr.)

The world’s biggest miners including BHP Group Ltd. and Rio Tinto Group will face growing pressure from investors to properly measure their carbon footprints, according to an international research firm.


At issue is accounting for so-called Scope 3 emissions, or the greenhouse gases created by a company’s customers and suppliers. For miners that produce vast quantities of iron ore for steelmaking, a particularly carbon-intensive material that forms the backbone of the world’s housing and infrastructure, Scope 3 dwarfs the emissions that the companies are directly responsible for.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis examined five miners that have announced goals to become carbon neutral by 2050 — BHP, Rio, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., Vale SA, and Anglo American Plc — and found varying degrees of purpose in meeting that target.

“Rio Tinto and BHP have no measurable Scope 3 emissions reduction targets,” Simon Nicholas, a lead analyst at the institute, said in a report, which also described Vale’s efforts as “inadequate.”

Fortescue, the company founded by clean energy advocate Andrew Forrest, won some praise.

“With a target to reach net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2040, Fortescue clearly leads in ambition,” Nicholas said. “The other major iron ore producers need to increase their intent to avoid investor pushback.”

As the climate crisis worsens, investors are paying ever closer attention to a company’s environmental goals when assessing where to put their money.

A crucial point for miners is that the technological transition from coal-based steelmaking is accelerating. That means there’s “no longer any excuse for suppliers of raw materials to the steel industry not to have a measurable Scope 3 emissions reduction target,” Nicholas said.

(By Liz Yee Xing Ng)

Australian court backs coal mine expansions in key climate case

Bloomberg News | October 11, 2023 |

Credit: Whitehaven Coal

An Australian court backed the government’s decision to approve expansions of two coal mines in a case that’s challenged the climate credentials of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration.


Justice Shaun McElwaine upheld a decision by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to authorize the Whitehaven Coal Ltd. and MACH Energy Australia Pty. projects, rejecting calls from activists for her to reconsider the climate risks posed by additional coal production.

“In no sense is this a case about the denial of climate science or the existential threat posed by climate change,” McElwaine said in a judgment Wednesday at the Federal Court in Melbourne. However, the case has raised issues for parliament to consider further on how global warming risks should be assessed, he said.

Australia, one of the world’s top shippers of fossil fuels, has seen a slew of legal challenges against projects over their forecast impact on global warming. Attention has also focused on Albanese’s support of a coal industry that delivered A$128 billion ($82 billion) in export earnings last fiscal year, even as his government pursues more ambitious cuts to domestic emissions.

Plibersek and the coal producers were joint respondents in the legal challenge made by the Environment Council of Central Queensland, an advocacy group that argued the minister acted unlawfully by not taking into account climate and ecological risks.

“Our environment laws are broken so long as they fail to tackle climate change,” Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said in a statement. “The Environment Minister should be on the side of the environment to protect our climate, our rivers, our reef and public safety instead of teaming up with coal and gas companies.”

Whitehaven has sought approval to continue operations at its Narrabri underground mine through 2044, while MACH — controlled by Indonesian billionaire Anthoni Salim’s Droxford International Ltd. — aims to extend production at Mount Pleasant to 2048.

Campaigners have also criticized Albanese’s government and exporters over their insistence that because global coal demand remains strong, any decision by Australia to restrict exports would only encourage other nations that supply lower-quality — and more polluting — raw materials to lift sales.

Australia’s center-left Labor government has granted approvals to four coal projects since taking office last year, according to campaign groups. Plibersek in February blocked development by mining tycoon Clive Palmer of the proposed Central Queensland coal project, citing environmental risks including to the Great Barrier Reef.

Coal exports from Australia are forecast to continue to expand through 2025, driven by growth in markets including India, the country’s industry ministry said this month.

(By David Stringer)

Stellantis, Rio Tinto raise bets on Argentina copper mining

Bloomberg News | October 11, 2023 | 

Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina. (Image courtesy of McEwen Mining.)

Automaker Stellantis NV and miner Rio Tinto Group are upping their investments in a giant copper deposit in Argentina as the race for metals used in electric vehicles heats up.


Stellantis, the maker of Peugeot cars and Jeep sports utility vehicles, is investing 42 billion Argentine pesos ($120 million) to raise its stake in closely held McEwen Copper Inc. to 19.4%, the latter said in a statement Wednesday. Rio Tinto venture Nuton will spend $10 million to boost its holdings in the firm run by mining entrepreneur Rob McEwen to 14.5%.

The investments, which value McEwen Copper at about $800 million, will go toward advancing the company’s Los Azules project in San Juan province after more welcoming policies rekindled interest in Argentina’s vast deposits despite the nation’s economic woes and capital and currency controls.

The fresh funds give McEwen Copper more breathing space before going public. The firm will continue to evaluate the ideal timing for an initial public offering, chief Michael Meding said in a text message. It hopes to publish a feasibility study early 2025 and start producing copper toward the end of the decade.

For Stellantis, it’s a sign of how keen car companies are to lock in future supplies of the materials needed to move away from fossil fuels. Still, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts warned earlier this year that moves by automakers into the mining space may end badly, saying they’d be better off sticking to their core competencies and reducing their exposure to commodity price swings through hedging.

The investment comes less than two weeks before a pivotal presidential election in Argentina in which opposition candidates Javier Milei and Patricia Bullrich promise to deregulate the heavily controlled economy.

(By James Attwood)

COMMODITY FETISHISM

Gold price slump may boost demand from India’s festive shoppers

Bloomberg News | October 11, 2023 |


A slump in gold prices to a seven-month low in India may stimulate demand in the current festive season, when people traditionally buy more coins and ornaments.


Strong purchases during the October-December festival period, considered an auspicious time to own and wear gold, may underpin the global market. But the positive outlook, which follows a drop of almost 12% in purchases in the first half of 2023, is likely to increase imports and strain the country’s trade deficit that has already widened due to elevated oil prices.

“Overall, the sentiment is positive and this price drop has come at the best time for the market,” said Suvankar Sen, managing director of Kolkata-based Senco Gold Ltd. Footfalls have increased in stores and Indian demand is expected to be 10% to 15% higher than last year in the festival season, he said.

Gold prices in India, the world’s second-biggest consumer, have dropped about 7% from a record high in May. Although, the Israel-Hamas conflict has arrested a fall in global bullion prices, they are facing pressure from surging US bond yields due to expectations that the Federal Reserve may keep the monetary policy tighter for longer. Higher rates are typically negative for gold, a non-yielding asset.

The brighter demand prospect has buoyed shares of major jewelers in India. Kalyan Jewellers India Ltd. has jumped 15% so far this month, Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri Ltd. has gained 5%, while Tata Group’s Titan Co. has advanced almost 4%. Shares of SAIF Partners-backed Senco has doubled from the offer price since its listing on Indian exchanges in July.

The World Gold Council said in August that demand in India, the world’s most populous nation, may drop this year to 650 tons to 750 tons, the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country in 2020, from 774 tons in 2022. The group is expected to release its data for the July-September quarter and estimates for the full year soon.

In contrast to earlier expectations of a sharp decline, there are now hopes that demand could be flat this year, said Chirag Sheth, principal consultant with Metals Focus Ltd. “If prices remain around these levels until Diwali in November or fall more, then we can see a fairly good increase in sales,” he said, referring to the Hindu festival of lights.

Some of the price benefits for consumers will depend on the local currency, Sheth said, adding that a weaker rupee could negate the advantages of lower global gold prices. A depreciating rupee makes gold expensive in India as the nation imports almost all the bullion it uses, mainly from Switzerland.

(By Swansy Afonso, with assistance from Muneeza Naqvi)