President Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the framework of the critical minerals deal Monday that aims to boost US access to both the mining and processing of Australian rare earth resources. It was a move aimed squarely at China — which recently moved to choke off its own rare earth mineral exports — and is set to be just the first display of friendliness between Trump and China's regional adversaries in the days ahead. "We'll be doing a little bit of a tour," Trump said Monday at the White House. "I'll be in Malaysia. I'll be in Japan." It's a coordinated string of diplomatic outreach ... (full story)