North Dakota and Maryland will become the first states to use the Farm Service Agency's upgraded crop reporting system, which scans paper maps instead of requiring manual data entry.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt threatens to call a special legislative session to ban deceptive AI-generated political ads after lawmakers failed to regulate the technology this year.

Portland animal rights activists gathered more than 126,000 signatures to put a measure on Oregon's November ballot that would ban hunting, fishing and most animal agriculture.

New Mexico forecasters predict the state will hit peak wildfire season later this month after an unusually active start driven by low snowpack and early lightning strikes.

An EPA crew's excavation of a century-old Colorado gold mine in 2015 accidentally released three million gallons of toxic, acidic water into the Animas River watershed, creating one of the state's worst environmental disasters.

New Mexico adults are vaping more while smoking cigarettes less, though health officials warn e-cigarettes carry their own serious health risks.

A San Miguel County landowner faces five counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening fishermen with firearms on the Pecos River over nearly three years.

Arizona's uninsured rate for children under 6 reached 9%, nearly double the national average, leaving thousands without access to preventive care and early health screenings.

Wyoming ranks ninth nationally in energy-burdened households, with families forced to choose between paying for utilities, food, housing and health care as electric bills climb.

Agriculture news and information from the Eads USDA Service Center in Kiowa County, Colorado.