A new battleground is forming in the state of Nevada, where an influx of federal funding and state-level tax incentives are seeking to kickstart a critical mineral economy necessary to support the renewable energy transition. But while critical minerals provide foundational components to all of our electronic devices - from everyday technologies like cell phones and laptops, to renewable energy technologies like wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries - extracting them from the ground does not come without its costs.

Sierra Nevada Ally’s science and technology reporter, Scott King recently spoke with Ernest Scheyder, author of The War Below: Lithium, Copper and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives, about what the critical mineral economy means to the everyday Nevadan.

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Amy Ray of Indigo Girls has been penning songs for decades now. The duo had a major hit with the song Closer to Fine in the late 1980s and have continued to write and tour in the years since. Amy has also established herself as a solo artist releasing seven studio albums and three live records on her own. Her musical style is best described as folk-rock, both as the duo and a solo artist. Throughout her career she has sought to bring elements of activism into her tunes. She has been a stalwart voice for the LGBTQ community, but also writes about disenfranchised people from all walks of life. She has established a loyal fanbase over the years and continues to write songs with her people in mind.

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For nearly 80 years, six friends from the Alabama Institute for the Negro Deaf and Blind have been singing together, starting from their first performance at WSGN, a radio station in Birmingham, Ala. The group, now known as the Blind Boys of Alabama, has traveled around the world, performing at Carnegie Hall, the White House and this month, the Nashville Social Club in Carson City.

Sierra Nevada Ally music contributor Will Houk recently spoke with one of the members of the group about their new record, which is nominated for three Grammy awards, and how the group approaches music.

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