A new study by Hastha Kalalu ranked the best U.S. cities for families, evaluating factors like home prices, cost of living, crime rates, family household percentages, childcare costs, house size, and diversity. Scores were scaled from 1 to 100 for easy comparison.

Allen, Texas, ranks as the best U.S. city for families, earning a score of 99. With the highest percentage of family households (74%) among the top ten and a low cost of living index (95), it offers affordability alongside spacious homes averaging 2,170 sq ft.

In second place, Hialeah, Florida, scores 96, standing out as the most diverse city with a perfect multicultural index of 100. It also provides more affordable childcare at $840 per month compared to Allen.

Gilbert, Arizona, takes third with a score of 95, noted for being the safest city in the top ten with the lowest violent crime rate (85.51 per capita), nearly 2.5 times lower than Hialeah. It also boasts the second-highest family household percentage (73%).

In fourth place, Laredo, Texas, earns a score of 92, recognized for its affordability with a median home price of $209.5K and the only home price decline (-0.30%) among the top ten. The city also has a low cost of living index of 88. Close behind, El Paso, Texas, ranks fifth with a score of 87, offering the lowest monthly childcare costs at $734 and sharing Laredo’s affordable cost of living index.

Henderson, Nevada, places sixth with a score of 86.3. Though its living costs are higher than some competitors, it has the strongest housing market with the highest home price growth rate (5.40%) and ranks third-lowest in violent crime.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, follows in seventh place with a score of 86, distinguishing itself with the second-lowest violent crime rate (137 per capita), making it one of the safest options for families.

Chandler, Arizona, secures eighth place with a score of 85, maintaining balanced metrics across all categories. With 65% of households being family-based, it ranks fourth in this category among the top ten. Colorado Springs, Colorado, comes in ninth with a score of 83, offering the largest average home size (2,760 sq ft)—nearly 50% larger than homes in Virginia Beach. However, it also has the highest childcare costs at $1,667 per month.

Finally, Boise, Idaho, rounds out the top ten with a score of 82. While its home prices continue to grow at 3.10%, its multicultural index (1.71) is significantly lower than the other cities on the list. Its average home size of 2,311 sq ft is second only to Colorado Springs, making it an appealing option for families needing more space.

A spokesperson from Hastha Kalalu commented on the study: “Mid-sized cities strike an optimal balance for family life, offering advantages that major metropolitan areas often struggle to match. High concentrations of families in these cities create their own benefits, from more stable property markets to better childcare options.”

They continued: “These places naturally develop into environments where public safety, affordability, and community services reinforce each other – the presence of more families leads to more family-oriented services, which in turn attracts more families. The result is a self-sustaining cycle where moderate living costs, strong community ties, and family-focused amenities create ideal conditions for raising children.”

You can access the full research here.

Via American Greatness,

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) may be only pretending to comply with an Executive Order keeping men out of women’s sports that was signed by President Trump on Feb 5.

Jennifer Sey, who is a former U.S. gymnastics champion, says the NCAA’s new policy claims to comply with Trump’s order, yet leaves itself two loopholes through which men who identify as women may continue to participate as student athletes in women’s sports.

One loophole in the NCAA’s new policy is a clause that allows them to duck accountability by stating that “member schools will remain responsible for certifying student-athlete eligibility for practice and competition.”

The NCAA newly announced policy to “keep women’s sports female” — and (supposedly) uphold the Executive Order — is no policy at all. There are holes upon holes upon holes, and mostly the NCAA wants to appear to satisfy the Executive Order while allowing the gender ideologues… pic.twitter.com/5i0Ag3zNaO

— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) February 15, 2025

This means that it is up to the schools to determine who is eligible to participate in women’s sports and that the NCAA can also defer to the schools being subject to local, state and federal legislation that supersedes the rules of the NCAA.

An even bigger loophole which is called out by Sey, is that the NCAA’s new policy states that they will determine who is what sex based upon an athlete’s birth certificate, which can be changed in all but 6 states.

Sey states:

A birth certificate is a record of fact. And it can now be altered to change — literally — facts. All that is required is a “signed statement of identity” and a photo ID for the mother or father listed on the birth certificate. What??

This practice of changing one’s birth certificate is called a “gender marker correction” but Sey says, “It’s not a correction. It’s a lie.”

Sey points to the fact that some governors, like Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson, are touting how they are giving priority to individuals who wish to change their sex on their birth certificates.

Very proud to announce the Department of Health will now process all requests to change gender designation on birth certificates within three business days. Previously, there was as much as a 10 month wait.

— Governor Bob Ferguson (@GovBobFerguson) February 12, 2025

The bottom line, according to Sey, is that, “The NCAA policy is no policy at all. There are holes upon holes upon holes, and mostly the NCAA wants to appear to satisfy the Executive Order while allowing the gender ideologues and whiny scream-y failed male athletes to still have their way and validate their kooky identities.”

Alibaba Group’s founder, Jack Ma, vanished from public view in late 2020 after making critical remarks about China’s financial regulatory system. He briefly resurfaced in early 2021 during a video call with rural teachers but remained out of the spotlight for several years—until now. 

Goldman’s Philip Sun penned a note to clients overnight titled “A pic is worth thousands of words. President Xi shook hands with Jack Ma. Buy GS A500 inclusion basket?”

Sun was watching CCTV Prime Time News when top CCP leaders gathered at the Great Hall of the People for a meeting with Chinese business executives, including Jack Ma.

“I took a snapshot of President Xi shaking hands with Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma,” the analyst said, adding, “The young man sitting to the right of Pony Ma is DeepSeek founder Mr. Liang WenFeng (born in 1985)” and “The young man sitting to the right of Jack Ma (with 2 people in between them) is the robotics company UniTree’s founder Mr. XingXing WANG (born in 1995).” 

Ma was also joined by other private enterprise heads who spoke at the event, including Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei, BYD’s founder Wang Chuanfu, New Hope Group’s founder Liu Yonghao, Will Semi’s founder Yu Renrong, and Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun.

The rare meeting between Ma, other Chinese tech leaders, and President Xi signals the CCP’s renewed confidence in the tech space after years of regulatory crackdowns. 

Summarized here:

Goldman’s Sun told clients: “As mentioned this morning, I think the symposium is highly symbolic. It is yet another very strong testimony that China’s political pendulum is swinging from the left (SOE’s) to the right (POE’s), as highlighted in the sales note below.” 

He told clients to consider “our GS A500 inclusion basket (GSTDA500)” to “get more exposure to China A-shares.” 

Ten days ago, Goldman’s Hailey He informed clients her stance on Chinese tech stocks was “cautiously optimistic,” noting that “AI enthusiasm sparked by Deepseek pushed Chinese tech shares into a bull market. 

Goldman’s He provided more color around “cautiously optimistic“: 

As China returns from one week CNY holiday, market sentiment on China asset improves as seen from the bullish price action in both equities and fixed income. Tariff reprieve, AI enthusiasm sparked by Deepseek and easy liquidity all contributed to the move.

China equities staged a meaningful rebound this week on AI optimism. HSI tech, the parameter of foreigner confidence, surged 23% from January lows. GS Asia internet research is bullish on further AI advancement and cost efficiencies. To highlight, the cost of Doubao, the most popular AI Chatbot in China, is 85% cheaper than industry average. In terms of stocks, we continue to see Tencent as best positioned in introducing To-C AI agent applications given the Weixin super-app with both social and transaction capabilities. We continue to be bullish on Alibaba (China’s largest public cloud hyperscaler) and data centers (GDS, VNET) that will benefit from ongoing public cloud and AI computing demand growth from multi-year higher AI adoption. The latest piece from equity research on China AI can be accessed here.

In a separate note, Sat Duhra, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors in Singapore, told clients, “This is a sector that has been ignored but like other purely domestic sectors, there are some bright spots,” adding, “The recent DeepSeek announcement is a timely reminder that behind the scenes, industrial policy — for example Made in China 2025 — has pushed many sectors toward world-class status.”

Deutsche Bank analyst Peter Milliken told clients, “We think 2025 is the year the investing world realizes China is out-competing the rest of the world.” 

“Investors, we believe, will have to pivot sharply to China in the medium term and will struggle to get access to its stocks without bidding them up,” Milliken wrote.

China politics observer Alfred Wu of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy told The Straight Times that the meeting was twofold:

1. to address international challenges
2. and domestic economic stagnation.

“It is certainly good that the government hears from the private sector in person. But it remains to be seen whether this will lead to concrete actions that address their concerns,” Associate Professor Wu said, citing the difficulty in getting loans and dealing with predatory behavior by local governments, such as profit-driven enforcement.

Professor Bert Hofman, an economist at NUS’ East Asian Institute, viewed the meeting as a major signal that the government would begin supporting the private sector.

“China’s innovation and development depend on a healthy private sector as demonstrated by the people in the meeting – all innovators in their own field. The fact that Jack Ma and Pony Ma (chief executive officer of Tencent) were in the meeting is good news for the platform economy, which had been under regulatory scrutiny for some time,” Hofman said. 

The return of Ma and the CCP’s renewed love of domestic tech firms comes as China’s rivalry with US tech companies intensifies amid an AI arms race and an ongoing ‘Great Power’ competition. This development is promising news for investors who have recently loaded up on cheap Chinese tech.

However, despite the rally in Chinese tech stocks and broader domestic markets, onshore equity ETFs saw 44 billion in outflows last week, marking the largest weekly outflow this year. It remains to be seen how the market will react once the plunge protectors step back.

Reports are circulating on X about a Delta CRJ-900 regional jet that appears to have crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport. While there are no confirmed details on injuries or casualties, the first images of the accident show the plane overturned on the runway.

CTV News has confirmed: “Crews responding to plane crash at Toronto Pearson, police say.” 

Flight tracking website Flightrader24 said the Delta regional jet (DL4819) experienced an “accident” while landing … 

We are following reports of accident involving Delta flight #DL4819 while landing in Toronto. https://t.co/fAGbADxfBU pic.twitter.com/ND2dGltNfY

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 17, 2025

Footage: 

Delta plane that crashed was reportedly an Endeavor Air Mitsubishi CRJ900 operating flight DL4819 from Minneapolis to Toronto Pearson Airport.

It crashed while attempting to land and came to a stop upside down.

Looks like many survivors. pic.twitter.com/g9rFPWIFPq

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 17, 2025

Toronto Pearson confirms an incident involving a Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis. Emergency teams responded, and all passengers and crew are accounted for. Investigation ongoing. pic.twitter.com/NX0bZomYqB

— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) February 17, 2025

Breaking: A Delta CRJ900 seems to have experienced a crash landing at Toronto Pearson Airport. No causalities have been reported yet. pic.twitter.com/H7VfEByhbI

— Josh Cahill (@gotravelyourway) February 17, 2025

BREAKING🚨: Delta plane crashes at Toronto Pearson International Airport; no word on injuries or casualties pic.twitter.com/MSGpleZW6O

— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) February 17, 2025

Air plane crash at Toronto Pearson airport pic.twitter.com/UFVABIgPEu

— Lil Shmoo (@lilshmoo6) February 17, 2025

 *Developing…

Another midweek winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow and ice from Kansas through the Ohio Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic. This wintry system overlaps with a polar vortex pouring Arctic air into the central and eastern areas of the Lower 48. 

Meteorologist Kelly Cass wrote on X, “Another winter storm from the plains/midwest to the east. Oh, and yes, some snow for parts of the south too!”

Cass provided snow total forecasts through Wednesday for parts of the Midwest and Southeast. 

More notably, the forecast through Thursday for the Mid-Atlantic states shows the potential for a major winter storm that could impact Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.

Meteorologist Ava Marie of local media outlet WBAL in Baltimore provided a more in-depth snow forecast for the Washington–Baltimore metro area.

It was me. 😉 I spent all weekend wishing away the snowstorm, and voila, the models continue to decrease the snow for Baltimore. I’ll let you know if that changes, but that’s the best data we have for now. Are you bummed? Or relieved? @wbaltv11 pic.twitter.com/mxfNiw5qu8

— Ava Marie (@AvaWBAL) February 17, 2025

At the same time, a polar vortex is set to dump Arctic air into some central and southern states, with tens of millions of Americans expected to be under cold weather alerts by the middle of the week. 

“Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, & Polar Vortex Is Coming For You” https://t.co/Z3XtMvNxkZ

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 15, 2025

Meteorological spring begins on March 1. 

Authored by Stephen Katte via CoinTelegraph.com,

Argentine lawyers have reportedly filed charges against Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, in a criminal court for promoting a cryptocurrency that briefly pumped and then tanked over the weekend. 

The Libertad project’s native Solana token, Libra (LIBRA), rallied to a market capitalization of $4.56 billion on Feb. 14, after Milei posted about the token on X. It then fell over 94% after he deleted the post, prompting accusations of a pump and dump scheme. 

Lawyers Marcos Zelaya and Jonatan Baldiviezo, along with engineer María Eva Koutsovitis and economist Claudio Lozano, have filed a criminal complaint that alleges Milei was complicit in fraud by promoting Libra, according to a Feb. 17 Associated Press report. 

Source: Kobeissi Letter

Baldiviezo also accused Milei of violating the Public Ethics Law, which is Argentina’s framework for public officials, requiring them to declare asset holdings and conflicts of interest. 

 “Within this illicit association, the crime of fraud was committed, in which the president’s actions were essential,” Baldiviezo said.

A judge will be assigned to the case, or it will be referred to a prosecutor for further investigation on Feb. 17, according to the Associated Press report.

Meanwhile, Argentine lawyer Agustín Rombolá, founder and associate of Rombola Mangione law firm, has filed a separate legal complaint about Milei promoting Libra. 

In a Feb. 16 statement to X, Rombolá, who is also a member of the Argentine political party Unión Cívica Radical, said he had reported Milei for alleged “fraud, negotiations incompatible with public office, price manipulation and financial crimes.”

Source: Agustín Rombolá

Rombolá also said his firm is preparing a class-action suit for people who might have invested in the token and lost money. 

Argentina’s presidential office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

After the token’s collapse, Milei requested the Anti-Corruption Office to investigate all government members, including himself, for potential misconduct, with the findings to be shared with the courts, Argentina’s presidential office said in a statement. 

The presidential office claimed that the president was not aware of the details of the project when he endorsed it and had no connection to the company that launched the token.

However, Milei did disclose that he held a meeting with KIP Protocol representatives on Oct. 19 in Argentina, where the company informed him about the blockchain project.

KIP Protocol, a Web3 company that builds AI payment infrastructure, has said it was the tech consultancy company hired to help distribute project funds to local businesses in Argentina. However, it says it didn’t create the token or act as a market maker.

Some analysts have also raised concerns about the project after discovering that Libra’s website domain was created hours before launch, and there is no public owner information.

Opposition lawmaker Leandro Santoro told Reuters he would be launching a request to impeach the president. 

Obama-appointed US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has may not block an effort by Democratic attorneys general to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE team from accessing federal data.

On Monday, Chutkan said she hoped to rule within 24 hours after hearing arguments earlier in the day.

“The things I’m hearing are troubling indeed, but I have to have a record and findings of fact before I issue something,” Chutkan said, expressing doubt that the states had met the legal standard for imminent harm required for her to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO), adding “It’s kind of a like a prophylactic TRO and that’s not allowed.“

As USAID-funded Politico notes, 

…the judge said granting the temporary restraining order sought as part of a lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general required much clearer evidence that DOGE’s actions were causing grave, permanent damage. Instead, she said, states had relied primarily on news reports that speculated about the risks of Musk and DOGE’s actions, some of which she said could potentially be remedied in further litigation.

“The courts can’t act based on media reports. We can’t do that,” Chutkan continued.

🚨 #BREAKING: US District Judge Chutkan has REJECTED an effort to block Elon Musk and DOGE from accessing government systems, and facilitating mass firings across the government

Another MASSIVE win for the Trump administration!

Judge Chutkan says the Democrat states have FAILED… pic.twitter.com/6w9crNsJ8H

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 17, 2025

That said, Chutkan noted that “DOGE appears to be moving in no sort of predictable and orderly fashion and plaintiffs are obviously scrambling to find out what’s next,” adding “I don’t know if that’s deliberate or not.”

Last week the states sued Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, alleging that the authority granted to the billionaire and his team at DOGE is unconstitutional. The states, including Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, have taken aim at efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce, including dismantling entire agencies, as well as their access to sensitive data.

“The founders of this country would be outraged that, 250 years after our nation overthrew a king, the people of this country—many of whom have fought and died to protect our freedoms—are now subject to the whims of a single unelected billionaire,” said Arizona AG Kris Mayes in a statement reported by NBC News.

*  *  *

Patriots can support longtime ZeroHedge reader JohnO by purchasing a handcrafted wood American flag. Shipping included in price.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Footage out of North Carolina shows ICE agents being interrupted by an interfering Karen while they were conducting a raid and detaining three illegal aliens for deportation.

She got all up in their faces with a camera phone and demanded they show her their warrant. 

Of course they completely ignored her because it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Three men from India arrested by law enforcement for deportation, in Durham, North Carolina, on Thursday around 7:30 a.m.

This apparent ICE raid was met by a woman named Alisa Cullison who demanded to see a signed warrant from a judge.

The agents appropriately ignored her. pic.twitter.com/v2aewTKHof

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 15, 2025

She wants to speak to the ICE manager right away.

Just another stupid woman that doesn’t care that they are here illegally and that’s why they are getting deported, but wants to see a signed warrant from a judge to deport them.

What did we do to live in such a backward ass country?

— SheepDog Society LLC (@SDSLLC_USA) February 15, 2025

Later she got all over local news with another neighbourhood Karen complaining about the agents trying to do their job.

Exactly what you would expect her to look like. pic.twitter.com/9rnPCokPZ7

— DVinny84🇺🇸 (@DVinny84) February 15, 2025

The incredible CBS affiliate News report painted up the illegals as the victims and noted that the Karens had called a pro-illegals group called “Siembra NC,” which is known for trying to warn illegal aliens how to avoid raids and deportation.

CBS reported on this deportation and tried to make the illegals seem like the victims, even though they were the ones who broke the law.

A pro-illegals group called “Siembra NC” said they got involved to dispel rumors.

What they’re really doing is trying to warn other illegals. pic.twitter.com/3qRA41ZudG

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 15, 2025

The group @SiembraNC is basically an organization trying to thwart the efforts of ICE.

Siembra NC should be investigated by @ICEgov.

Are illegals working there? pic.twitter.com/Owj44AsWXY

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 15, 2025

I wrote a detailed report about this organization https://t.co/PKdXnXXEak

— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) February 16, 2025

When you love foreign criminals more than your own neighbors… is that a disordered love, no love at all, or a blatant hatred of America?

Clueless Karens who make themselves enemies of the people are playing a dangerous game. https://t.co/9umFaFdMLL

— CHARITY 🇺🇸 (@heycharity) February 16, 2025

It is illegal to interfere with the duties and operations of ICE officers. Expect to see this reflected with arrests if this continues. 

Can’t wait for the first retard arrested for interfering with them. https://t.co/8YMNu1RjUi

— T (@Trav_inMissouri) February 16, 2025

*  *  *

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Elon Musk was expected to remain offline Sunday night into Monday morning as his xAI team prepared for the highly anticipated debut of “Grok 3,” scheduled for release Monday evening at 8 p.m. EST. However, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with streamlining the federal bureaucracy, returned very excited to his social media platform around midnight, unveiling what “might be the biggest fraud in history.”

Musk posted a spreadsheet of Social Security Administration data showing “numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!”

The data shows that 20.789 million Americans are collecting social security benefits over the age of 100. Drilling down into the age buckets, benefits are still being paid out to folks over 140! 

“Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” Musk emphasized. 

According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!

Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/ltb06VX98Z

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2025

One X user pointed out that 2023 data showed the US population at around 334.9 million. However, Musk’s data (likely from DOGE’s ‘Big Balls’ analyst) shows 394 million names in the Social Security Administration database. 

Musk responded: “Yes, there are FAR more “eligible” social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history.”

Yes, there are FAR more “eligible” social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA.

This might be the biggest fraud in history.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2025

“Maybe we pause payments to everyone 120+ until they can authenticate they’re among the living, to start,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) wrote on X in response to Musk’s post. 

Maybe we pause payments to everyone 120+ until they can authenticate they’re among the living, to start.

— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) February 17, 2025

Collins is far too conservative. Lawmakers should freeze payments over the age bucket of 100 until a clear determination can be made where taxpayer funds are disappearing in this possible money pit that smells like fraud. 

“If DOGE’s numbers are right, $522B—1/3 of ALL spending on Social Security each year—is fraudulent,” X user Robert Sterling said. 

This doesn’t include the potential fraud from fake beneficiaries below age 100 (e.g., people in their 70s/80s/90s). By my math and adjusting for a normalized age distribution, this could bring the total amount of fraud to $793B per year. pic.twitter.com/Wqmab7mOW1

— Robert Sterling (@RobertMSterling) February 17, 2025

At a DOGE press conference last week in the White House, Musk said: 

“If money is spent badly. If your taxpayer dollars are not spent in a sensible and frugal manner, then that’s not okay. Your tax dollars need to be spent wisely on the things that matter to the people,” Musk said.

“It’s just common sense. It’s not Draconian or radical. I think it’s really just saying let’s look at each of the expenditures and say, is this actually in the best interest of the people, and if it is, it’s approved, if it’s not, we should think about it,” he added.

“There’s crazy things, like, just a cursory examination of Social Security and we’ve got people in there that are about 150 years old,” Musk said. “Now, do you know anyone that’s 150? I don’t. OK. They should be on the Guinness Book of World Records, they’re missing out.”

“So, you know, that’s the case where, like, I think they’re probably dead is my guess, or they should be very famous. One of the two,” he added.

It now appears DOGE’s Big Balls has been heard at work using AI to uncover possible fraud in federal entitlements. So far, we have not verified the data Musk shared on X, but confirmation could be just ahead. 

I can’t wait for the defenders to mansplain how this proves I know nothing about databases.

— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) February 17, 2025

This should be next on Big Balls’ list… 

I wonder how many of these people over 100 are registered to vote and vote in elections? 🤔

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 17, 2025

*  *  *

If you need help wrapping your brain around the massive graft uncovered by DOGE, pick up some IQ Biologix Peak Focus for a serious boost in mental clarity without the jitters. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

Earlier this month, China imposed restrictions on the export of five critical metals essential to defense, clean technology, and other industries. The tit-for-tat move was in response to President Trump’s blanket 10% tariffs on all Chinese goods. While Beijing has stopped short of an outright export ban on these meals, trade tensions have pushed these metal prices higher. 

One of the lesser-known but critical metals used in the defense industry—bismuth—has surged to a decade-high after China added it to its export control list. Beijing has also targeted four other critical metals in recent weeks, including tungsten, tellurium, molybdenum, and indium. Notably, China remains the world’s largest producer of all five.

Fastmarkets data via Bloomberg shows bismuth prices have jumped 38% since export restrictions were announced on Feb. 4.  

RealClear Defense recently noted that the US lacks proper reserves, scraps, and/or substitutes to fill supply gaps caused by the Chinese export restrictions on bismuth. 

“For instance, China supplied over 60% of America’s bismuth consumption from 2019 to 2022, and the United States has not produced bismuth since 1997. The US National Defense Stockpile also has no inventory of bismuth,” the media outlet noted. 

Bismuth is critical because it’s used in ammunition and alloys for defense…

China’s global metal mining and refining dominance poses a significant national security threat to the US. For example, China is responsible for about 80% of the world’s bismuth production and controls 81% of the world’s tungsten production—a critical material for armor-piercing munitions, artillery shells, and other weaponry. 

“Chinese bismuth ingot exports are set to halt in the near term, given exporters need time to apply for licenses,” said Chen Qiqi, an analyst at Mysteel Global, quoted by Bloomberg. 

Chen added that traders are hoarding the metal ahead of further price gains.  

Earlier this month, Lewis Black, CEO of North America’s Almonty Industries, stated that his customer base is in a “state of disbelief” after Beijing’s export controls on tungsten. 

“It’s the warning shot, because we cannot exist without it,” Black said. He noted: “Our economy, manufacturing, defense, everything, is so dependent on it. And yet, Russia, China and North Korea have about 90% of the output.“

What’s clear is that the Trump administration has to dramatically increase “fortifying” the nation for future mineral bans from China that could impact US defense production. This includes the rapid investment into domestic mining, processing, and recycling operations. 

The U.S. Must Fortify Itself Against Future Mineral Export Bans https://t.co/MJLAiLj0Vk

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 17, 2024

The US has also shown interest in Ukraine’s rare earth minerals…

Also…

. . .