State veterinarians from Wyoming, Montana and Idaho plan to meet next week in Denver to discuss brucellosis and their concerns over federal rules for handling the livestock disease. Wyoming state veterinarian Walter Cook said the states will confer on how they'd like to see USDA's Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service change its rules for brucellosis, a bacterial infection that can cause pregnant cows to abort their calves. The meeting, set for Wednesday and Thursday, comes as Wyoming investigates the possibility of a second brucellosis-infected herd within its borders this summer. If a second case is confirmed, the state would likely lose its federal brucellosis-free status...

Many U.S. Senate Republicans are lagging behind in reaching their campaign fundraising goals less than two months before Election Day, GOP officials say. Just 13 Senate Republicans have met goals for their campaign committees, The Hill reported using internal numbers reviewed by the Washington political publication. Senate Republicans are said to have set goals of raising between $750,000 and $3 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and GOP Senate candidates...

With energy companies clamoring to produce more uranium, Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal is urging federal regulators not to delay release of an environmental study on an increasingly popular, and controversial, method of mining the radioactive element. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans meetings in Wyoming later this month to get public comment on a draft environmental study it released this summer on "in situ" uranium mining. The technique involves pumping chemicals into groundwater to free uranium from the surrounding ore so it can be pumped to the surface and refined. Critics say the technique pollutes groundwater. But supporters say it's a clean process that's less disruptive than traditional mining methods. The NRC has received applications and letters of intent from mining companies proposing to open 28 uranium mines around the West, nearly all of them using the in situ method. Of those, 18 would be in Wyoming...

Dozens of members of the U.S. Congress, including presidential candidate John McCain, had investments last year in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, possibly putting a keen edge on their interest in the companies' troubles, a watchdog group said on Wednesday. Twenty-eight legislators had between $598,100 and $1.7 million of their own money invested in Fannie and Freddie in 2007, the latest period for which financial disclosure forms are available, said the Center for Responsive Politics. Lawmakers with investments last year included Sen. Mike Enzi...

Free public Climate Change in Carbon Central lectures at Wheeler Auditorium, Room 103 of the Wold Physical Science Center at Casper College. Info: 268-2713 or 1-977-264-9930. Nov. 20, 7-9 p.m., what does climate change have to do with state finances. Gov. Dave Freudenthal will speak...

Information from the Associated Press, Reuters, UPI, and the Casper Star Tribune