Loop

A copper mine in Utah has installed more than 71,000 solar panels that use tellurium, a metal extracted from the same refinery sludge already processed for gold and silver. Around 90 percent of the world's tellurium is locked inside copper ore, making copper refining a key supply route. The panels now power the mining operation itself, closing the loop between extraction and clean energy production.

California has moved to close a chemical-safety loophole after CalMatters' reporting drew attention to the regulatory gap. The state's action follows the nonprofit newsroom's investigation into how hazardous chemicals avoided oversight under existing rules. Officials are presenting the fix as a step toward stronger consumer and environmental protections, and the story has put renewed focus on the role of accountability journalism in prompting policy change.