At the edge of California’s Mojave Desert, the Mountain Pass mine looks like any other stretch of dust and rock. But for decades, this lonely pit supplied the world with the rare-earth elements that make modern technology — and modern warfare — possible.In the 1980s, Mountain Pass was the beating heart of a quiet American advantage. The ore pulled from its depths yielded neodymium, lanthanum and cerium — metals that powered radar systems, early computer chips and the guidance of precision munitions. At its peak, the mine met nearly two-thirds of global demand.Then, almost overnight, it went si...

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