rare earth element

We take a look at how local police departments in Michigan have been working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection amid the nationwide immigration crackdown. Plus, a story from 1847 about how the people of Marshall, Michigan, stood up for their Black neighbors when slavecatchers came to the state.

Many modern technologies share small but vital components called critical minerals — and China has a near-monopoly on the supply chain for most of them. But what if we got more of those minerals by recycling our old iPhones, computers, and so many other electronics?