Bird flu has killed millions of hens in recent weeks, shrinking the supply of eggs and hiking up prices at grocery stores.

The one-time payments could offer short-term support as many farmers grapple with less income and extreme weather.

The monarch butterfly population continues to shrink due to factors such as climate change. People working to help the species say proposed federal protections could boost existing efforts.

Lincoln University in Missouri is heading a USDA-funded project researching the commodity, but its prohibition created high hurdles for getting the crop off the ground.

Incoming president Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from countries such as China, Mexico and Canada. Many economists and commodity groups say these import taxes could boomerang and harm U.S. agriculture.

Many Midwest states and outdoor organizations are now trying to reach groups that haven’t historically participated in hunting — including women. But while women make up about a third of new hunters, many face barriers to break into and continue with the sport.

The new strategy aims to pinpoint where bird flu exists in the U.S. and halt its spread. There have been hundreds of cases in cattle and dozens in humans.

Wild rice grows in shallow waterways in the Great Lakes region and parts of Canada. It’s a plant that holds important ecological and cultural significance, but it’s been on the decline since the early 1900s.