@Hittman:

This was incorporated to give the lesser powers and pretty much anyone other than the Unites States a  chance of getting something useful during game play

Did the cost of the tech researchers change?
If not, then how are you giving lesser powers a chance at getting something useful?
Are you saying that now all the techs are useful to everyone?

That’s certainly not true.

Plus now I can’t even target a grouping. it’s TOTALLY random what technology I will achieve.  How does that meet your stated goal of ‘increasing the chance of getting something useful’?