Mike Belleme

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Eduardo Medina |Mike Belleme

Image Residents have a saying in Spruce Pine, that a piece of their home is in tech across the globe. But could geopolitical tensions hurt their mining tradition, and their lucrative quartz business? WHY WE'RE HEREWe're exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In Spruce Pine, N.C., a vast deposit of quartz has turned this small mountain town into an economic treasure.