In the blistering heart of California’s Mojave Desert, a forgotten mine may decide the fate of the 21st century — and who controls the technologies that will define it.
Mountain Pass, the only rare earth mine in the Western Hemisphere, is no longer just a relic of Cold War industry. Thanks to a quiet but monumental move by the U.S. Department of Defense — which recently took a 15% stake in its owner, MP Materials — it’s now ground zero in the escalating economic and technological battle between the United States and China.
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