Daniel Potter

The artificial cave could house hundreds of thousands of bats, helping them escape a devastating infection called white-nose syndrome. As bats continue to die off, scientists are seeking quick and effective ways to protect them from an invasive fungus that grows naturally in caves.

Funding for specially trained meth lab cleanup crews is drying up as state budgets are tightening. Police forces are learning how to handle the dangerous job themselves.

Like many state Medicaid programs, Tennessee covers bariatric surgery for the morbidly obese but doesn't pay for diet counseling. Critics argue that investing in prevention could save money for the strapped program, but the state's chief medical officer says there's no proof that's true.