The U.S. government announced protections Thursday for two populations of a rare prairie bird that's found in parts of the Midwest, including one of the country's most prolific oil and gas fields.
Even though the state Legislature passed a uranium mine bill that was signed into law by the governor, it’ll likely be years before the state actually begins to clean things up. And though more money is needed for the effort, because the early stages of work are moving slowly, officials don’t expect to ask for additional funding in the next legislative session.