Rare earths are needed for EVs, smartphones, and fighter jets, but the United States lost the industry to China. Can it win it back? BY MARK DENT Over the last few weeks, an obscure subject has sowed panic and speculation among investors, the federal government, national security experts, and business leaders: rare earth elements. Commonly called “rare earths,” they encompass 17 elements on the periodic table that are found in underground ore deposits. They’re so useful that rare earths have bee...