Magnets, missiles and mines: How MP Materials became the Pentagon’s secret rare earths weapon for next-gen arms

MP Stock: The US is betting big on breaking free from China’s grip on rare earths. The Pentagon will buy $400 million in shares of MP Materials, America’s only rare earth miner, and fund a new magnet plant. A guaranteed price floor and a decade-long contract aim to keep production profitable. Rare earths power everything from F-35 jets to smartphones. This is about national security, tech, clean energy and jobs — and it’s America’s boldest push yet to rebuild this critical supply chain.