Senator calls for faster weapons production to counter China, arguing U.S. military strength requires speed and scale alongside advanced technology.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 16, 2026   |   Listen Online   |   Read Online Speed vs. Sophistication: America's Defense Dilemma in the Age of China Senator calls for faster weapons production to counter China, arguing U.S. military strength requires speed and scale alongside advanced technology.   Tyler Flores What Happened Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana is pushing for a fundamental overhaul of how the Pentagon buys weapons. The former Navy SEAL argued that America's procurement system is too slow and too rigid to keep up with China's industrial scale. Sheehy's warning comes from his belief that quality alone does not win wars. He pointed to estimates that China can build naval vessels at a pace roughly 230 times faster than the United States. While American ships and aircraft are often more advanced, he argues that speed and volume could decide a future conflict in the Pacific. One top-tier fighter jet does not mean much, he said in essence, if an adversary can deploy a hundred capable ones. There is bipartisan agreement that the U.S. military must remain dominant as China expands its naval and missile forces. Policymakers on both sides support strengthening the Navy, modernizing aircraft fleets, and improving readiness. But the disagreement lies in execution, as Sheehy believes acquisition reform is urgent. His proposal has stirred resistance inside the Pentagon and among defense contractors. Existing procurement processes were developed over decades in response to cost overruns and failed programs. Companies structure their operations around long-term contracts and detailed requirements. Changing that structure would not be simple. Sheehy, however, says his priority is the 19-year-old Marine who may one day face combat in the Western Pacific, not the bureaucracy that maintains the status quo. Why It Matters For decades, American strategy leaned heavily on technological superiority. Stealth aircraft, nuclear-powered carriers, and precision-guided munitions gave U.S. forces a decisive edge. But these systems take years, sometimes decades, to design and field, while also being expensive and produced in limited numbers. This $1.1B Giant's Even Bigger Than Previously Thought In 2023, a GM-backed startup bought mining rights to 100,000+ acres of lithium-rich Chilean land. The buyer, EnergyX, estimated at least 2.6 million tons of lithium sat untapped. Turns out there's even greater upside. A third-party study recently verified that the site, dubbed Project Black Giant™, holds at least 4.5M tons and up to 9.8M. Now that the study is complete, EnergyX is preparing for commercial extraction. Their patented tech extracts up to 3 times more lithium than traditional methods, so they have the means and access to scale Project Black Giant™ to its $1.1B annual revenue potential at projected market prices. 40K+ people have already invested. EnergyX even earned support from the Department of Energy.* You can join them as an EnergyX shareholder before their share price increases from $11/share after February 26th. China has emphasized scale, growing into the world's manufacturing center and applied that capacity to military production. Its ships, missiles, and aircraft may not always match American systems feature-for-feature, but they can be built quickly and in large quantities. In a conflict defined by attrition and long supply lines across the Pacific, replenishment rates could matter as much as raw performance. Cost overruns, failed programs, and public scandals forced reforms that added layers of oversight and testing. These safeguards are meant to protect taxpayers and ensure troops receive equipment that performs under pressure. Strip them back too aggressively, and the same old problems could resurface. Adding to the complexity, after years of consolidation, only a small circle of firms can produce the most advanced systems. They operate on long timelines and predictable contracts to sustain skilled labor and specialized facilities. A rapid pivot toward speed and lower costs could disrupt that balance, especially in the near term. How It Affects You For taxpayers, acquisition reform could change what defense dollars buy. A renewed system focused on speed and quantity might deliver more platforms at lower unit costs, but likely with fewer advanced features. A system that prioritizes sophistication may produce unmatched capability in smaller numbers. Regions built around long-term weapons programs might see contracts reshaped or redirected while others could benefit from expanded production lines if speed becomes the new priority. Defense jobs often anchor local economies, so shifts in procurement policy ripple outward. The real test will be if American institutions can adapt without overcorrecting. Moving too slowly puts them at risk of falling behind a faster, more industrially agile rival; if they change too abruptly, they could undermine systems that still provide real advantages. Finding a steady balance between speed and sophistication may ultimately determine how effectively the U.S. competes with China's expanding military power. More breaking news below… Department of Homeland Security shuts down on February 14th due to impasse between Congress and the White House. Read more here… At Munich Security Conference German Chancellor Merz says international rules-based order no longer exists. Read more here… Trump directs Pentagon to buy coal power for bases, citing reliability, as critics warn of higher costs and limited resilience gains. Read more here… After a big correction, Bitcoin is entering a stabilization phase — and the real signals aren't in the headlines. Read more here… *Disclaimer: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. ("EnergyX") has engaged Shortlysts to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX's ongoing Regulation A offering. Shortlysts has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Shortlysts and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX's offering materials. EnergyX's Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.   Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 Shortlysts.com. All Rights Reserved. DIC Building 2 Dubai, Dubai 1, United Arab Emirates Terms of Service

Anyone who was optimistic about 2026 being a quieter year than 2025 is shaking their heads by now.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Read Online New gold price target Most investment banks now predict gold will cross $6,000 an ounce this year. Some analysts expect it to soar as high as $10,000. But if you 're thinking of buying gold this year, do this first. In short: There 's no question 2026 will be a year of great uncertainty, especially as we get closer to the midterm elections. And there 's no question gold could skyrocket as a result. But I have an unfortunate truth to tell you... Most folks will likely run out and buy bullion or mining stocks. Sadly, these folks will likely miss out on the biggest gains. That's because there's a much, much better way to invest in gold right now. Most people know nothing about it. But as I'll show you, if you follow this simple approach, which has nothing to do with bullion, ETFs, or mining stocks, the gains can be absolutely incredible. In one period, it turned every $5,000 invested into more than $1.6 million. Which is why we 're sounding the alarm on gold in 2026. And why it 's critical for you to see our top gold recommendation immediately.  Regards, Matt Weinschenk Director of Research, Stansberry Research Exclusive Story from MarketBeat.com Amazon Erases a Year of Gains—2 Reasons the Market's Wrong By Sam Quirke. Published: 2/16/2026. In Brief Amazon shares are down more than 12% this year and over 20% from November’s all-time high, drifting back toward levels last seen nearly a year ago. The stock’s RSI has sunk into the low 20s, marking one of its most oversold readings in almost four years. Analyst support remains overwhelmingly bullish, with price targets implying close to 60% upside from current levels. After months of steady pressure that intensified in recent weeks, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) is back to where it was at the start of last March. Shares are down more than 12% this year alone and over 20% from November's all-time high, effectively erasing roughly a year of gains. For a company with such strong fundamentals, the stock simply can’t seem to catch a break. Yes, investors have been rotating out of mega-cap tech, concerns about Amazon’s capital expenditure plans have risen, and sentiment across the sector has cooled. But beneath the surface, the current setup is starting to look extreme. Here are two reasons the market may have gone too far. Reason #1: The Stock Is Extremely Oversold Three Nobel Prize winners: A convergence is coming (Ad) Watch Now! Porter Stansberry & Luke Lango join forces to unveil: The Three Titanic Forces Converging To Unleash A New 1776 Moment "We have never seen wealth created at this size and speed" MIT Researcher Click here for the stocks to buy and sell now The technical picture is flashing oversold. Amazon’s relative strength index (RSI) has slipped into the low 20s — its weakest reading in nearly four years. That degree of oversold pressure is unusual for this stock, especially given the company’s persistent earnings strength and reinforced growth story over the same period. Historically, when Amazon’s RSI has hit this kind of technical exhaustion, it hasn’t stayed there long. Extremely oversold readings — any RSI below 30 — have tended to mark temporary lows rather than the midpoint of a prolonged breakdown. For example, a brief dip below 30 in April of last year preceded a rally of roughly 60%. In August 2024, another sub-30 reading was followed by a comparable move. Go back further to November 2022, and the rebound was even more dramatic. History doesn’t have to repeat, but it often rhymes, and this pattern is worth respecting. If Amazon shares can stabilize over the coming sessions and the RSI begins to turn higher, that would be an early indication that bullish accumulation is returning. Reason #2: Analysts Are Not Backing Down If the technical case is compelling, the analysts’ view provides strong fundamental support, making the current disconnect even harder to ignore. It’s rare to see such a wide gap between what the market is doing and what analysts expect the stock to do. Normally, a slide of this magnitude would trigger a wave of rating downgrades as analysts reassess their outlooks. Instead, many are standing firm. In the past week, teams at Daiwa Securities Group and New Street Research reiterated Buy ratings, and Argus did the same the week before. Price targets among the bullish camp run as high as $325, which — with the stock trading below $200 — implies nearly 60% upside. That degree of asymmetry is hard to dismiss for one of the leading mega-cap tech companies. Analysts point to accelerating growth at AWS, Amazon’s structural moat in e-commerce, diversified revenue streams, and an expanding advertising business as reasons the long-term thesis remains intact. Watching for the Turn Concerns about rising capital expenditures clearly helped trigger the recent selloff. But at these levels much of that fear looks priced in. The pullback has pushed Amazon’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio below 30 for the first time in years, making the valuation materially more attractive. For now, the setup hinges on stabilization. If the stock can hold near current levels and begin carving out a base instead of sliding to fresh lows, the bullish case would strengthen quickly. With shares pressing toward 52-week lows, the RSI at multi-year extremes, and analysts calling for as much as 60% upside, the risk/reward profile is difficult to ignore.   This ad is sent on behalf of Stansberry Research, 1125 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201. If you would like to optout from receiving offers from Stansberry Research please click here.     Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 American Market News 345 N Reid Place #620 Sioux Falls, SD 57103, United States Terms of Service

The Next Tech Boom Is Already Underway, and Here’s What’s Driving It

A behind-the-scenes force is reshaping industries and creating new profit opportunities…

The Next Tech Boom Is Already Underway, and Here’s What’s Driving It VIEW IN BROWSER Before we jump in, a quick reminder – our InvestorPlace offices are closed today given the Presidents’ Day market holiday. If you need help from our Customer Service team, they’ll be happy to assist you when we reopen tomorrow. In last Friday’s Digest takeover, we reintroduced you to Wall Street veteran Marc Chaikin. Today, we’re back with another perspective from Marc that can help your portfolio. Some technological breakthroughs feel abstract…until you see how they change a real person’s life. In today’s guest essay, Marc shares a remarkable story from the height of COVID: a life-saving robotic surgery performed in London with guidance from a specialist sitting 4,700 miles away in Seattle. It worked because of something most of us barely think about anymore – high-speed internet. But Marc’s point isn’t just about medicine. It’s about markets. When a technology quietly becomes essential infrastructure, it reshapes entire industries – and the biggest investment opportunities often form before most investors realize what’s happening. That’s exactly what Marc plans to break down in his free live market briefing tomorrow at 10 a.m. Eastern. You can reserve your seat right here. If you’re trying to separate durable trends from passing hype, Marc’s essay below is a must-read. I’ll let him take it from here. Have a good evening, Jeff Remsburg Mo Tajer needed a lifesaving surgery at one of the worst times in history… The 31-year-old Englishman had testicular cancer. And he had undergone four rounds of chemotherapy. But unfortunately, the cancer spread to his abdomen… Doctors found a roughly two-inch tumor wrapped around his aorta and inferior vena cava. The aorta is the body’s most important blood vessel. It carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. And the inferior vena cava moves blood back to the heart. Doctors knew the tumor could rupture either of these major blood vessels at any moment. If that happened, Tajer could die from internal bleeding. Tajer had to get the tumor removed as soon as possible. But doctors faced a big problem… A Life-or-Death Problem With No Obvious Solution Tajer needed his surgery in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most major cities were locked down. And many countries had restricted travel. In hospitals all over the world, doctors and nurses dealt with a surging number of patients as best they could. A lot of those patients fought for their lives in COVID-19 wards. Many hospitals couldn’t keep up with the demand for beds. So they postponed most surgeries. Tajer couldn’t afford to delay his surgery, though. He needed help immediately. A traditional open surgery was out of the question. Tajer would’ve needed a two-week recovery in intensive care. And with so many COVID-19 patients, there wasn’t any room. That’s when his attending physician, Dr. Archie Fernando, had an idea… She could use a robot to remove the tumor in a less invasive way. You see, Tajer’s treatment took place at Guy’s Hospital in London. And the hospital owned a Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system from Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG)… As you can see, this roughly $2 million system has four robotic arms. The technology helps doctors perform minimally invasive surgeries – like removing tumors. It’s much safer than traditional open surgery. And it doesn’t require a long recovery. Globally, more than 6,700 hospitals use one of these robotic-assisted surgical systems. But there was another problem… Fernando had never performed that kind of surgery. So she had to get creative again. Specifically, she turned to Dr. Jim Porter for help. Porter is the medical director for robotic surgery at the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. He has conducted thousands of surgeries using the Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system. Hospital officials got Tajer to an operating room. Then, Fernando and Porter worked together for five hours to remove the tumor. Tajer made a quick recovery. And he went on to live his life without any lingering pain. This story gets even more amazing… Recommended Link What’s wrong with Nvidia? The world’s richest people are selling Nvidia left and right. Softbank sold off $5.8 billion. CEO Jensen Huang sold off $1 billion. Follow the money… Over the past 90 days, a little-known AI hardware stock has outperformed NVDA by more than 3X… yet it’s STILL flying under the radar. Sell Nvidia and grab your next big opportunity right here. The Critical Technology Most People Take for Granted Porter helped Fernando while wearing his pajamas at his home in Seattle. That’s right… Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter couldn’t travel to London. But thanks to modern technology, he saw everything in real time. And he guided Fernando step by step through the procedure. He didn’t just talk her through it, either. With a special program, Porter used his laptop to show Fernando what to do. He pinpointed exactly where she needed to cut Tajer. Fernando and Porter worked together to save Tajer’s life. But without another critical tool in today’s tech-heavy world, the procedure wouldn’t have been possible. We’re talking about high-speed internet. Think about it… Porter was 4,700 miles away from the operating room. And yet, it felt like he was standing right next to Fernando as she made the needed cuts to remove Tajer’s tumor. If it weren’t for high-speed internet, Tajer likely wouldn’t be alive today. We use high-speed internet for all sorts of things these days. And that dependence is only growing… Take artificial intelligence AI, for example. This powerful technology simply doesn’t work without a massive amount of data. And it’s critical for that data to move as quickly as possible from one point to another. Self-driving cars require the collection and processing of a constant stream of data as well. Otherwise, they couldn’t safely navigate the roads. Factory automation is intensifying all over the world, too. Folks, there’s no denying that AI was the hottest investing topic of 2025. And it could grow even further in 2026. Put simply, humanity keeps finding new and exciting ways to use the incredible tool of the internet. The massive data boom isn’t going away anytime soon. And this is exactly the kind of shift investors need to be paying attention to right now. When transformative technologies like high-speed internet or AI quietly become essential infrastructure, the biggest opportunities don’t always show up where people expect them. And the risks aren’t always obvious either. That’s why I’m stepping forward next week with a free live market briefing to explain what’s changing beneath the surface of today’s market — and how investors can position themselves as innovation accelerates in 2026 and beyond. On Tuesday, February 17, at 10 a.m. Eastern, I’ll walk through what I’m seeing right now… why some stocks are built to thrive in this environment while others are far more fragile than they appear… and how to identify the small group of companies with the strongest potential ahead. I’ll also share a brand-new analytical tool you’ll be able to try for yourself, along with two free stock recommendations during the broadcast. Click here to reserve your seat for this free live event — and I’ll see you there. Good investing, Marc Chaikin Market Expert and Founder, Chaikin Analytics

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Please read the message below from our paid sponsor. Occasional paid messages like these help us continue bringing you Not The Bee content you love. Dear Friend, The following message is from Heather Rice-Minus, president and chief executive officer of Prison Fellowship. This amazing ministry has made an incredible impact in prisons across the country, restoring lives to Christ and serving children and families shattered by crime. That’s why we wanted to bring this special need to your attention. Below, please read a message from Heather. Thank you. Dear Friend,   Bibles are needed desperately in America’s prisons.   As I write, many prisoners are struggling with feelings of loneliness, isolation, and despair. But we can reach them with the hope of Jesus Christ by sending as many Bibles as we can, as quickly as we can.   Will you help with a generous gift today to send Bibles and life-changing Christian content to prisoners?   Every gift you give will put Bibles and Christian content into the hands of a waiting prisoner.   The demand right now is unlike anything we have ever seen, and there is nothing short of a revival happening behind prison walls!   That’s why I hope you can help by giving your best gift to send Bibles and Christian content into prisons today.   We have an amazing opportunity to reach men and women with what they need most: God’s Word! Thank you for remembering those in prison.   Yours in His service, GIVE BIBLES NOW Not the Bee PO Box 1322, Jupiter, FL 33468 If you no longer wish to receive sponsored promotional emails from us click here to unsubscribe.