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Over the past decade, the government has been paying farmers to keep their land covered with native grasses instead of crops. But as grain prices have risen, the conservation reserve has shrunk by more than 25 percent. This decline in native grasslands means more soil erosion and less habitat for wildlife.

Crews collected 4.6 million pounds of oily material from the Gulf Coast shoreline this year. Coastal residents are asking how long they'll be living with the effects of BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Also: Obama, Romney campaigns continue to spar over tax returns; U.K. and Sweden criticize Ecuador for giving asylum to Assange.

Rain is falling in St. Louis. Game 7, if it's necessary, would be set for Friday. The Rangers lead the Series 3 games to 2.

At Penn State, authorities missed chances to stop alleged abuse of young boys. In Europe, new leaders in Italy and Greece rush to tackle financial crises. In the Mideast, Jordan's King Abdullah calls on Syria's Assad to step down.

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that bars professional teams there from treating their cheerleaders as independent contractors. The bill came after lawsuits alleged the cheerleaders were underpaid.

But results were boosted by several one-time-only factors, including cost-cutting efforts and asset sales.

Also: Thatchers funeral set for April 17; Kerry and Netanyahu claim progress on Mideast peace; some Plains states getting b buried by spring snow; Louisville men win national basketball championship.

Greece's prime minster is under pressure to resign. Occupy Oakland demonstrations turned chaotic overnight. The Wall Street Journal says administration planners are exploring a "faster Afghan handover."

For the first time, the U.S. government has officially named China as the world's leading source of economic espionage, largely using cybertools — followed by Russia. Intelligence officials say the new candor reflects their heightened level of concern over the growing espionage threat.

Ke$ha's debut album has sold more than 150,000 copies in its first week. Here, the pop star talks about her success and tells the stories behind her songs.

Also: Some cancer clinics turn Medicare patients away, blaming sequester cuts; two men associated with supremacist gang sought in Colorado prison chief's slaying; and Japan unveils a new economic stimulus package.