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Rare earth green light: Louisiana regulators have approved an air quality permit for Aclara’s $277 million Project Dynamo rare earth separation facility at the Port of Vinton, allowing construction to move forward under specific emissions limits. The plant will produce high-purity rare earth oxides used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense technologies, with AI-powered technology from the Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory. The permit caps emissions and requires Aclara to use a caustic scrubber and monitor its flow and pH every four hours, while environmental groups warn that expedited reviews could increase risks to coastal ecosystems. The Center Square has the full story.
Company eyeing Venezuela: ExxonMobil is nearing a preliminary agreement to explore investments in several Venezuelan oil fields, potentially marking its return to the country nearly 20 years after leaving. The deal could cover fields with more than 50 billion barrels of oil in the ground, as Venezuela seeks to attract U.S. energy investment following regulatory changes and pressure from the Trump administration to revive its oil industry. Exxon’s potential return comes as Chevron and Continental Resources also pursue Venezuelan projects. The Wall Street Journal has the full story.
Initial filings drop: Jobless claims fell sharply to 196,000 last week, down from 206,000 the week before and below economists’ expectations, signaling that layoffs remain historically low. The four-week average also declined to 203,250, while businesses continue to hold onto workers despite higher costs and economic uncertainty. Employers have added an average of 80,000 jobs per month this year, an improvement from 2025 but still well below the pace of job creation in 2023 and 2024. The Associated Press has the full story.
