Rare Earth Push: A $150 million rare earth minerals project is set to be announced in Greenbrier County, aiming to pull valuable materials from coal tailings and slurry, with nearly 250 jobs expected—no state subsidies, just private investment. Data Center Fight: West Virginia’s Commerce Department says a 5.2-gigawatt data center complex in Tucker and Grant counties needs state certification, but Fundamental Data LLC is disputing the requirement, setting up a legal standoff as communities seek leverage. Regional Data Center Watch: In Ohio’s Belmont County and nearby Wheeling, officials and residents are sorting out what’s actually planned after talk of a data center and a facility to build modules for data centers. STEM Pipeline: A Catoctin High School student, Ben Harbaugh, is heading to WVU to study aerospace and mechanical engineering after a four-year FIRST Robotics journey. Housing Reality Check: A LendingTree analysis finds fewer than 4 in 10 non-homeowner households can afford a typical starter home, underscoring pressure on entry-level housing supply. Agriculture Tech: WVU researchers unveiled a soft robotic hand designed to harvest delicate produce with less damage and waste. SCOTUS Impact on WV: The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship and also upheld West Virginia’s ban on transgender girls and women competing on school sports teams under Title IX. Local Business/Jobs: A Putnam County manufacturing ribbon-cutting points to new jobs, while a separate Nscale job fair in Point Pleasant targets hiring for the Monarch Compute Campus. Wildlife & Farms: UMaine researchers report woodcock hens charging deer to defend nests—new insight into how nesting birds respond to predators.