Harvest Public Media

Severe drought has states dependent on the Colorado River looking at alternatives. Desalinating seawater may be a viable supplement to some areas, but likely can't fix much of the river's deficit.

Freight railroads could stop rolling at midnight Friday if negotiators don't stop a looming strike over working conditions. Congress could end a strike quickly, but a brief shutdown hurts the economy.

Traffic fatalities in the United States are the highest they've been in 20 years, despite steady improvements in auto safety and declines in drunk driving.

This isn't the first time Missouri has banned abortions. Residents may have heard ghoulish tales of “Doc Annie” Smith, a physician who looms large in Missouri’s mythology for performing illegal abortions in the early 1900s. Today, the truth about her work has largely disappeared.

Blue-green algae appears in lakes all over the Midwest during the summers and can make both people and animals ill. Few states have routine testing programs to check for the toxic algae, but some local and volunteer groups are stepping in to fill that gap.

Agriculture companies are increasingly paying farmers to capture carbon. But some say the newly budding carbon marketplace isn’t enough to fight climate change.

Native American tribes and communities are creating formal programs that focus on their traditional foods to not only combat systemic food insecurity, but also connect people to their culture.

While COVID isn’t as big of a concern this year, fairs are keeping some protocols in place they picked up during the pandemic. At the same time, they are keeping an eye on other threats to crowd levels.

Conservation has been a popular part of agriculture for decades. But it’s become controversial since the Biden administration announced a national conservation goal. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has spearheaded a movement that likens conservation to government control.

In the first test of its kind since the Dobbs ruling, Kansas voters have decided not to amend the state constitution, keeping abortion legal in the state — for now.