Cleveland, OH
Iron mine owner eyes Michigan for rare-earth mineral extraction
CLEVELAND, OH — U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs plans to explore sites in Michigan and Minnesota for domestic rare-earth metals.
The company, which owns several Minnesota taconite facilities and two iron ore mines in the Upper Peninsula, told investors on Oct. 20 that surveys show promise in both states and expansion into rare-earth mining would align with U.S. strategy on critical minerals.
Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the move toward rare-earth mining follows “comprehensive reviews of our ore bodies and tailings,” which identified two sites that show evidence of mineralization.
The initial focus would be Michigan, Goncalves said, although he did not specify exact locations and cautioned that the effort is still early stage.
“The important thing is that they are there. We found them there. And we want to make it viable,” he said. “We really believe that we have potential there. And that it will be good for Michigan — for the Upper Peninsula, primarily. And there’s even one site in Minnesota that we would go. It’s not very friendly to us, but we will still investigate there.“
“But we’ll definitely start in Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, because we love the Upper Peninsula,” he said.
Rare earths are a group of metals used in small amounts but vital to high-tech products such as electric vehicle motors, consumer electronics, renewable energy and military systems. Despite their name, they’re relatively common in the Earth’s crust but are hard to extract and process economically. Most global refining and production takes place in China, which has fueled U.S. efforts to build a domestic supply chain.
The metals have become a focal point in recent trade tensions and the move toward rare-earth exploration reflects shifting global trade dynamics. Company executives have credited federal tariffs on imported steel and parts with strengthening domestic manufacturing and creating new incentives for U.S.-based production.
Goncalves said successful extraction would align Cleveland-Cliffs with broader U.S. strategy for critical mineral independence, “similar to what we achieved in steel.”
“America’s industrial foundation must never depend on China or any other foreign source for essential minerals, and Cliffs intends to be part of the solution,” he said.
In Michigan, the potential for rare earths and other critical minerals offers a possible extension of mining in a region that once thrived on iron ore and copper, but today is home to only two operating mines: the Eagle nickel and copper mine and the Tilden iron ore mine.
Cleveland-Cliffs owns the Tilden Mine and the next-door Empire Mine, which has been indefinitely idled since 2016. The company asked the Trump administration for exemptions from new emissions controls at the two mines earlier this year.
The hunt is on for new U.P. mineral deposits. Talon Metals, an exploration company jointly developing a new Minnesota nickel mine with Rio Tinto, has been hunting for nickel deposits in the U.P. for several years. In March, Talon announced a non-finalized deal with Eagle Mine owner Lundin to finance drilling at drilling at two exploration sites.
In addition to new deposit exploration, old mine waste is being examined, too. Lundin is partner in a startup that won a $145 million federal grant awarded this year to reclaim nickel from Eagle Mine’s Humboldt Mill processing waste. The Michigan Geological Survey is using federal grants to analyze waste rock and mine tailings for traces of nickel, cobalt, copper and rare-earths that could be recovered with modern technology.
The mining efforts are supported by local governments and economic development organizations but they haven’t been without pushback. Plans to develop the fully-permitted Copperwood Mine near Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park have drawn loud opposition from environmental groups and Indigenous tribes. Development of the proposed Back Forty open-pit gold mine near Menominee has apparently stalled amid fierce opposition from environmental groups and tribes.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — Cleveland is once again setting sail into cruise season — and this year could be its biggest yet.
The Port of Cleveland welcomed its first ship of 2026 on Tuesday, bringing visitors and a boost to the local economy along with it. Local leaders told Fox 8 that this is just the beginning.
“This is a great day. It’s officially the kickoff of the 2026 cruise season in Northeast Ohio and at the Port of Cleveland,” said Dave Gutheil, chief operating officer at the Port of Cleveland.
The arrival marked the start of what could be a record-breaking cruise season for the Port of Cleveland. Since launching cruise operations in 2017 with just nine ship visits, the port now expects 57 — its highest ever.
“Really a big economic impact on the city. Each passenger spends about $100 to $150 when they come in. So, we should have close to 10,000 passengers this year,” said Gutheil.
That excitement is exactly what local leaders are counting on as cruise tourism continues to grow year after year. Visitors are stepping off ships and straight into Cleveland’s top attractions — from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the West Side Market and beyond.
“We are super excited. We have friends here, they’re going to show us around,” said cruise passengers, Margaret Niehaus and Robert Niehaus from Santa Barbara, Ca.
For travelers from across the country like the Niehaus’, the Great Lakes cruise is both scenic and personal.
“The cruise is great. The food is delicious, the staff is great, the ship, only about 200 passengers, it is very nice, really intimate,” the Niehaus’ said.
Victory I carries about 200 passengers on 10-to-14-day Great Lakes routes, with stops including Chicago, Toronto and Cleveland. For many, it’s a chance to see the Great Lakes in a completely different way.
“The Great Lakes are a very special ecosystem, very special environment, of course, you know, and having a chance to see them from the shore is a lifetime experience for a lot of people,” said cruise passenger Steve Kaverman from Denver, Colo.
Ships like this will continue arriving through mid-October — bringing thousands more visitors to Cleveland’s waterfront.
“If you see passengers from the cruise vessels out in Northeast Ohio, wish them a warm welcome to Cleveland and let’s put out the red carpet for them,” said Gutheil.
Trips can be booked directly through Victory Cruise Lines website. Port officials said they expect both visitor numbers and economic impact to keep growing in the years ahead.
Among the Democratic Party primary races Signal Cleveland is following is the one for Ohio House District 19, which has drawn three major candidates to the open seat. (Incumbent Phillip Robinson Jr., of Solon, is term-limited.) The district includes Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood and all or portions of a string of eastern and southeastern suburbs.
The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate is Nicole Sigurdson, a Cleveland resident and union organizer with SEIU District 1199 who narrowly won enough support to secure the party’s influential backing.
But Sigurdson has been under fire from fellow party members and others for a comment she made on social media in 2025 about the Israel-Hamas war. Her comment – which she has since deleted – especially stood out because her district includes communities with sizable Jewish populations, including Solon and Pepper Pike.
In the post, Sigurdson shared an image of the Palestinian flag that read, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” It was a phrase used by protesters against the war. Prior, it was used for years by some advocating for the elimination of the state of Israel. And it’s been a slogan used by terrorist groups.
She posted a video earlier this year apologizing for the post.
“The post contained an image with an antisemitic slogan of which I failed to grasp the full significance of,” she said. “At the time, several people reached out to me expressing their hurt and sharing the full context of the phrase. After listening carefully to their concerns, I immediately deleted the post, but I should have known not to post it at all.”
Signal asked Sigurdson what motivated her original post. She said it was made in reaction to seeing a lot of coverage of Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza during the war. (The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 civilians and Hamas took 250 people hostage. Israeli’s military response left tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza dead.)
“I made them out of humanitarian concern, wanting autonomy for all people, wanting safety for all people,” Sigurdson said. “And part of what has driven me to politics is I never want to shy away from controversial topics.”
Fliers were recently mailed to residents in Solon attacking Sigurdson for her antisemitic comments. One flyer featured the headlines from a Cleveland Jewish News story about the comments. “Nicole Sigurdson is wrong for Ohio,” it read.
Sigurdson is campaigning around workers’ rights, including increasing the minimum wage, protecting the environment and the need to be more “caring about people.”
She faces two candidates in the primary: Dionne M. Gore of Solon, who works for Medical Mutual and is backed by Robinson; and Cheryl Perez, a small business owner from Brecksville, who was endorsed by Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer.
(There was only one Republican primary candidate, but he recently died unexpectedly.)
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