China imposes export restrictions the rare earths we need for everything

Remember that periodic table you ignored in high school? The one with all those unpronounceable elements at the bottom, like yttrium, and praseodymium? Surprise — they're actually important, and China's got them all locked up tighter than a missile silo. As reported in CNBC, China just slapped export controls on seven rare earth elements that are absolutely crucial for things like fighter jets, submarines, and basically every piece of advanced military hardware the U.S.