This podcast takes you inside the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, D.C., where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a radical shift in U.S. industrial policy. We explore the administration's "Ironclad" strategy to secure the oil and minerals necessary to power the digital economy, moving beyond "book reports" to direct government equity in mining. Episodes detail the launch of Project Vault, a historic $10 billion domestic strategic reserve, and FORGE, the new global alliance designed to decouple supply chains from adversarial control. We also analyze the controversial proposal for a "preferential trade zone" that uses enforceable price floors to protect allied miners from foreign dumping. (powered by AI) Links to documents: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/2026-critical-minerals-ministerial/https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/opening-remarks-of-the-critical-minerals-ministerial/

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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