Rare Earth Push: Cyclic Materials says it completed a $75 million financing round to speed rare-earth recycling and scale its South Carolina rare-earth campus and U.S. “hub-and-spoke” infrastructure. Conservation Funding: Publix will give $1 million to The Nature Conservancy for freshwater and forest projects—protecting Florida’s Indian River Lagoon from runoff and restoring native pine habitat in South Carolina. Native Habitat Opens: The South Carolina State Museum officially launched the Carolina Wildlife Garden, a wildlife-friendly native plant space meant to boost pollinators and local biodiversity. Climate & Water Stress: A drought report highlights how dry conditions are straining South Carolina farm crops, with irrigation helping but impacts lingering into winter. Local Energy Oversight: Mount Pleasant is weighing a temporary moratorium on new data center projects amid concerns about environmental impacts. Wildlife & Health: Researchers at USC report a nanoparticle treatment that reversed cognitive decline in an Alzheimer’s animal model, pointing to possible future dementia therapies. Weather Watch: Hot, drier conditions are expected across the Upstate, with feels-like temps near 100° and storm chances returning later in the week. Water Quality Spotlight: A study ranks Columbia mid-tier for college-town drinking water, flagging lead concerns while noting no PFAS detections in the measured categories. Extreme Flooding Elsewhere: The Grand Canyon flash flood knocked out the park’s main water pipeline and left people missing or unaccounted for, underscoring how quickly extreme weather can disrupt water systems.