(theweek.com) - The clock is ticking on America's debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced this week that the federal government will "run out of money to pay its bills" if Congress does not raise the debt limit by June 1. With Republicans and Democrats gridlocked over the issue, another option has emerged as a possible-fail safe: The trillion-dollar platinum coin. The notion has been around for a few decades, and the proposal is exactly what it sounds like: The U.S. Mint would simply "issue a new $1 trillion platinum coin and then use that influx of funds to pay the government's bills," Yahoo Money explains. (The influx would come from depositing the coin with the Federal Reserve.) Voilà! No more debt crisis. Critics dismiss the idea as a cute trick, but advocates say extraordinary measures might be needed to prevent the government from tipping over into default. A trillion-dollar coin? That would be pretty extraordinary. Here are some of the arguments for and against.
News
Indian jewellers promote natural diamonds amid competition from lab-grown stones
Falling prices for lab-grown diamonds and their resulting rise in market share are transforming India’s diamond jewellery market and prompting jewellers to take proactive measures.
Yesterday
Ethiopia opens first gold refinery to serve region
Ethiopia has inaugurated its first gold refinery, a $50 million joint venture that the government hopes will establish the country as a regional hub for precious metals processing, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced over the weekend, according to Reuters...
Yesterday
Anglo American bets R11.2B on South African mining's future
Anglo American has reaffirmed South Africa's potential as a premier mining investment destination, even as the company commits R11.2 billion ($677 million) to an ultra-high dense media separation iron-ore project at Sishen in the Northern...
Yesterday
Nornickel forecasts $4 billion in precious metals revenue for 2026 - report
A senior Nornickel representative noted that the company expects to generate $4 billion in revenue from precious metals sales this year.
Yesterday
Russia to build first permanent REM magnet plant
In 2028, Russia is set to start the construction of its first plant for manufacturing permanent magnets from rare-earth metals (REM) in the city of Glazov, to be commissioned in 2029 with an initial capacity of 500 tonnes per year, said Andrey...
Yesterday
