A 10-year-old
child suffered a gunshot wound while sleeping when gunmen opened fire in the
900 block of South 18th Street, hitting a duplex.

The St. Joseph
Police Department reports dispatchers received multiple shots fired reports at
approximately 3:20am Wednesday. Officers responded to the duplex on South 18th
and discovered it had been hit by gunfire. Officers located the 10-year-old,
who had been shot in the left thigh while asleep in an upstairs bedroom. First
aid was administered at the scene. Emergency crews transported the child to Mosaic
Life Care who is reported to be awake and in stable condition.

Officers recovered
more than 40 shell casings, from both a handgun and a rifle, across the street
southeast of the duplex. Gunfire also struck two vehicles parked on South 18th
Street.

Anyone with
information about this incident is encouraged to contact the St. Joseph Police
Department at (816) 271-4777 or submit an anonymous tip through the TIPS
Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS (8477) and receive up to a $1000 reward. 

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

St. Joseph 10-year-old shot and wounded while asleep in bedroom (UPDATE)

Missouri Western
State University’s nursing program has received a prestigious honor.

<a href="https://www.registerednursing.org/state/missouri/">Registerednursing.org</a>
has ranked it the best nursing school in the state.

“Missouri Western
being ranked number one in Missouri and we obviously have some pretty tough competition
out here in Missouri. So, we’re super proud that we are considered number one,”
Chelsea Norton, Nursing and Health Professions Admissions and Advisement
Director at Missouri Western, tells KFEQmmunity, adding MoWest’s small class
sizes and remarkable performance on the licensure tests propelled the program
to the top.

Assistant
Professor, Laura Nold, points out 98.8% of Missouri Western nursing graduates
pass the national licensure test the first time.

“We strive for
100% pass rates and we have been successful in that several times, which is not
a very common thing for programs to achieve that,” Nold says during her joint
appearance with Norton on KFEQmmunity.

Norton says that
high a rate in passing the NCLEX-RN test on the first try just isn’t common. 

“So, the national average
on pass rates (is) typically high 80s, low 90s percent,” according to Norton. “So,
to have so many cohorts that every single student who graduated passed, 100%,
on that first try is huge.”

Nold says the
program emphasizes hands-on learning in which students practice on mannequins
before moving into clinical experience.

“So, we give them
that opportunity before going and interacting with real patients and then they
learn from that,” Nold says. “And I have students frequently tell me, hey, I
really messed this up, but I learned so much when we debriefed. And debriefing
is very important process in that learning. We are able to talk through what
went wrong, what went well, and how do we fix it next time.”

Norton says the
ranking will help as Missouri Western recruit students to its nursing program.

“We have something
really special here that not a lot of people know about,” Norton says. “So, to
finally have that recognition and it to be official and it’s out there, it
feels like we’re finally being recognized for the amazing program that we are.”

MoWest gets big honor:  nursing program ranked #1 in Missouri

Applications are
being accepted for the Cotillion for Achievement.

The Cotillion is entering
its 39th year, offering scholarships, enrichment opportunities, and
leadership training for high school seniors pursuing college or other post-secondary
education.

Scholarship
applications approved by the state are being distributed to public and private
high schools throughout the area.

A student can
receive an application from their school counselor. Information can also be
obtained by visiting the Cotillion for Achievement website:
<a href="https://www.cotillionforachievement.org/">https://cotillionforachievement.org/</a>. Applications are due Friday, October 17th
5pm. Applications postmarked on that date will be accepted as well.

Applications will
be scored on each student’s scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities,
community involvement, plus a written essay.&nbsp;
A panel of five community leaders will review the applications. Finalists
are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. They will be recognized at a reception
on December 7th.

Finalists will
participate in three Adventure in Achievement seminars during January 2026, promoting
leadership skills, self-image, communication abilities, and community
engagement.

Applications being accepted for Cotillion for Achievement

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

St. Joseph Mayor
John Josendale will run for a second term.

Josendale, along
with St. Joseph city councilmembers, Madison Davis, Marty Novak, and Randy Schultz,
have picked up petitions at city hall, signaling their intent to run for
re-election during municipal elections next year.

Both Novak and
Schultz are at-large members on the St. Joseph City Council. Davis represents
District One.

Newcomer, Collin
Clibon, has picked up a petition to run for an at-large seat.

Tuesday was the
first day candidates for mayor, city council, and municipal judge could pick up
petitions to start the process of running for office.

Petitions can be
filed with the city clerk between October 7th and October 28th.

St. Joseph mayor, councilmembers make 1st step toward re-election bid

Click <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/4fd3ae1f-7384-4ecd-ad3c-b173af227c8c">HERE</a> for an update to this story.

A St. Joseph juvenile
has been struck and wounded after shots were fired into a house in the 900
block of South 18th early Wednesday morning.

St. Joseph police
report the shooting took place around three o’clock this morning. The wound,
according to police, does not appear to be life-threatening. &nbsp;An investigation is underway. 

Police report
several shots were fired into the house. The juvenile was the only person
harmed.

St. Joseph juvenile wounded in early morning shooting

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

The effort would repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.

A coalition of Missouri hemp business leaders and advocates formally filed four initiative petitions Tuesday that would ask voters to allow marijuana and intoxicating hemp products to be sold in the same stores as alcohol and tobacco.

The goal of the effort, led by Kansas-City-based hemp business American Shaman, is to repeal the 41-page constitutional amendment that legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.&nbsp;

Each version of the proposed initiative petition would replace the marijuana legalization amendment with language that instructs Missouri lawmakers to create regulations that are “no more burdensome than what we already have for alcohol and tobacco,” said Eapen Thampy, a longtime hemp lobbyist.

“Marijuana and hemp are one plant,” Thampy said in an interview Tuesday. “They should be regulated in the same way. It should be a free, fair and regulated market.”

The effort is being organized under a new political action committee called&nbsp;<a href="https://mec.mo.gov/MEC/Campaign_Finance/CommInfo.aspx?MECID=C253534#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank">Missourians for a Single Market</a>.

The four petitions differ slightly, but they each would take out criminal offenses for possessing too much marijuana. They’d also retain the current taxes on the products for at least the next 10 years, and allow businesses to obtain licenses to sell the products through a similar process as they do with alcohol and tobacco products.&nbsp;

Currently marijuana facility licenses are limited and highly regulated, but businesses don’t need a license to sell intoxicating hemp products — despite numerous legislative attempts to outright ban them.&nbsp;

“Legislative efforts to ban hemp products allow the illegal market to flourish,” said Gary Wiegert, a retired St. Louis City police sergeant, in the group’s Tuesday press release announcing the initiative petition campaign. “Regulating these products and preserving legal access to the market ensures public safety by allowing business owners to serve the consumer market instead.”

In many ways, it’s the latest showdown between the marijuana industry, which has operated legally in Missouri since 2018 but is still outlawed federally,&nbsp; and the hemp industry, whose products were legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill.

At the end of the day, what’s the difference between intoxicating hemp products and intoxicating marijuana products?

Hemp and marijuana are essentially terms the government uses to distinguish between the part of the cannabis plant that has high amounts of THC, or their psychoactive component.

Any part of the plant containing 0.3% or less THC by dry weight is defined as hemp. And that’s why in 2018 Congress removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s schedule of controlled substances as part of the Farm Bill.

Cannabis buds – or what the industry calls “flower” – must be smoked or heated to release Delta-9 THC that produces a high.&nbsp;

So eating most raw cannabis flower shouldn’t get someone high.

There is a growing legal argument that marijuana sold in dispensaries that doesn’t contain .3% Delta-9 THC before it’s smoked or heated is actually hemp.

Currently, a number of Missouri cannabis events – where people are selling weed outside of dispensaries – are operating under this interpretation of the federal definition.

The initiative petitions filed Tuesday support this interpretation.&nbsp;

The effort also aims to regulate products, such as edibles, beverages and vapes, that are currently being sold in gas stations and stores without any testing or tracking requirements. The lack of state regulation has led some&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/14/war-between-intoxicating-hemp-and-marijuana-industries-resumes-in-st-louis/">municipal governments</a>&nbsp;to try and find a way to regulate them through city health departments.&nbsp;

“Our position is that marijuana legalization has always been not about getting ‘high’ but to end prohibition against one of the most beneficial plants on earth,” said Tim Gilio, founder of the Missouri Marijuana Legalization Movement. “Our goal is to open up a free and open market to all and prevent a monopoly from encroaching on any benefits of the cannabis plant.”

However, Andrew Mullins, executive director for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, told The Independent in June that the idea is a “bait and switch.”&nbsp;

The state’s regulated marijuana industry, he said, generated $241 million in state and local tax revenues last year alone and is regarded as one of the most successful marijuana programs in the country, citing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/missouri-cannabis-market-business-34dd47ad?mod=e2tw&amp;gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAi6PE3BQERvbb-fuJyCT3TUHPqzyDmZaOBA7z2p4IrJNE448pqQQlOJuYZuLnI%3D&amp;gaa_sig=589hKhzJJ83VibbJThKqws5L0tFMC4cfGLVI7iP9s6rCqnTgzMAFY3xKdfW3eaoC4-voDJHOVTTiObvrNWiHgw%3D%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68507e7e" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal article</a>. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/05/missouri-cannabis-sales-remain-steady-as-new-products-emerge/">marijuana industry conference&nbsp;</a>last week, company leaders agreed that limited licenses for dispensaries and grow facilities was key to Missouri’s success.&nbsp;

Voters have twice voted for cannabis regulation, Mullins said in June, and any effort to roll back those constitutional protections would be a “spectacular failure.”

“Missourians aren’t about to take hundreds of millions away from local communities, veterans and our justice system, all in hopes that politicians will eventually replace it with something down the road,” Mullins said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thampy said that tax revenue wouldn’t go away. The taxable market would increase by about a third, he said, “meaning tens of millions in new revenue for public defenders, substance abuse prevention, and the Missouri Veterans Commission.”

The petitions were filed with the Missouri Secretary of State on Tuesday afternoon. The group aims to get enough signatures by May to appear on the November 2026 ballot.&nbsp;

New initiative petition would regulate Missouri marijuana, hemp products the same as alcohol

Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">Jason Hancock</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Bills creating a gerrymandered congressional map and making it virtually impossible to change the state constitution through the initiative petition process are on their way to the Missouri Senate.

The Missouri House gave final approval to both proposals Tuesday after two days of contentious debate.&nbsp;

Gov. Mike Kehoe called the legislature back into session after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">weeks of pressure from the President Donald Trump&nbsp;</a>for GOP-run states to redraw congressional districts to ensure more Republican seats before next year’s midterm elections.&nbsp;

In Missouri, the effort targeted the 5th District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, by carving it up and dispersing its voters into three districts that give Republicans an electoral advantage in seven of the state’s eight congressional districts.&nbsp;

“This is a superior map,” said state Rep. Dirk Deaton, a Noel Republican sponsoring the proposed new congressional map. “It better represents the state of Missouri.”

In addition to the gerrymandered map, Republicans also took aim at the citizen initiative petition process. The House approved a plan Tuesday that would require constitutional amendments put on the ballot by Missouri voters to attain both a simple majority statewide and a majority in all eight congressional districts in order to pass.&nbsp;

Based on last year’s election results, that change would mean&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/04/as-few-as-5-of-voters-could-defeat-initiative-petitions-under-missouri-gop-legislation/">as few as 5% of voters could defeat any ballot measure</a>. The proposal would also ban foreign contributions to initiative petition campaigns, something that is already illegal.&nbsp;

If it passes the Senate, the issue would go on the statewide ballot in 2026 and require a simple majority to approve.&nbsp;

State Rep. Ed Lewis, a Moberly Republican, said amending the state constitution has become too easy and has been dominated by out-of-state interests. His proposal, he said, would address both of those issues.&nbsp;

“There should be a broad consensus across the state to amend the constitution,” he said.&nbsp;

Democrats denounced both of the proposals as a power grab by the Republican supermajority and a&nbsp;Trump-inspired assault on democracy.&nbsp;

“The Missouri GOP is aiding and abetting the systematic destruction of our democracy by an authoritarian regime led by geriatric conman who knows the only way he can win is to cheat,” said House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat.

GOP state Rep. Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve was one of the few Republicans who voted against both measures, saying this week’s special session proves that the only thing that matters in the Missouri Capitol is “political power.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not ethics,” he said. “It’s not morality. It’s definitely not liberty. It’s just political power.”

If Democrats were in charge, Wolfin, said, he’s sure they would do the same thing. But that doesn’t justify what Republicans are doing.

“There’s certainly nothing conservative about ignoring the moral implications of our actions,” he said. “Morality is not defined by what is legal. Morality is not defined by what you can get away with.”

Revising congressional district lines occurs every 10 years, after the allocation of seats following the federal census. The Missouri Constitution mandates it but is silent on whether lawmakers have the power to do so at other times.&nbsp;

Democrats argue it is unconstitutional to draw another map before the next census is complete.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-09-04/naacp-sues-missouri-republicans-unconstitutional-gerrymander-kansas-city" target="_blank">Missouri NAACP filed a lawsuit last week</a>&nbsp;in Cole County arguing the governor’s decision to call a special session was unconstitutional. Cleaver has also&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/rep-emanuel-cleaver-promises-lawsuit-if-missouri-republicans-gerrymander-his-district/">promised to go to court</a>&nbsp;to challenge any gerrymandered map lawmakers approve.

But Republicans say critics are misreading the constitution and are confident the new map would survive a legal challenge.&nbsp;

“The constitution is clear that we can alter districts as we desire at any point at any point,” Deaton said.&nbsp;

Legislators were elected to represent the people, Deaton said, and if a majority of legislators vote in support of the map “that’s representative democracy.”

The new map does not include an emergency clause that would have made it go into effect upon Kehoe’s signature. That means opponents of the map will have 90s days after it is signed into law to collect signatures to force a statewide vote.&nbsp;

St. Louis Public Radio reported Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2025-09-08/missouri-redistricting-opponents-referendum" target="_blank">the Missouri AFL-CIO is considering whether to launch a petition drive</a>&nbsp;to force a referendum vote. If enough signatures are gathered before the law takes effect, it would be held in abeyance until after the vote.

That strategy was last deployed in 2018, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/07/politics/missouri-right-to-work-vote" target="_blank">labor unions collected more than 300,000 signatures in 90 days</a>&nbsp;— more than three times the amount needed — to put a question on the statewide ballot repealing a GOP-backed right-to-work law.&nbsp;

The repeal push was ultimately successful, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/08/08/636568530/missouri-blocks-right-to-work-law" target="_blank">67% of voters rejecting the right-to-work law</a>.&nbsp;

In fact, of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the ballot, voters have rejected actions by the General Assembly all but twice.

Missouri is<a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes" target="_blank">&nbsp;one of 24 states</a>&nbsp;that allows citizen initiative petitions. They can be used to either amend the constitution or change state law, though the path to successfully doing so is often&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/05/missouri-abortion-2024-initiative-petition-ballot/">arduous and expensive</a>, requiring tens of thousands of signatures to even land on the ballot.&nbsp;

Missourians in recent years have used the initiative petition process to legalize abortion and recreational marijuana use, as well expand Medicaid eligibility.&nbsp;

In November, the abortion-rights amendment passed with just shy of 52% of the vote driven by large support from the state’s urban, more-populated areas. Voters in all but eight of Missouri’s 115 counties opposed the amendment.

Lewis argued Tuesday that the process is dominated by liberal, out-of-state organizations who are pushing partisan amendments that would be impossible to pass through the Republican-dominated legislature.&nbsp;

“Do you want partisan things going into the constitution,” Lewis said, “or do we want something that a broad consensus of all Missourians could support.”

State Rep. Martin Jacobs, a Democrat from Liberty, questioned why the process should be changed to allow a fraction of voters to sink an initiative petition, arguing it violates the principle of one person, one vote.&nbsp;

“Voters in one district can override voters of every other district,” Jacobs said.&nbsp;

Based on last year’s general election, where 2,960,266 votes were cast for governor and only 311,915 in the 1st District, under the proposed change only 156,000 voters could defeat ballot question — or just shy of 5.3% of the statewide vote.

The GOP-backed legislation “rigs the system,” said Democratic state Rep. Kathey Steinhoof of Columbia, “and I assure you all Missourians on both sides of the aisle are tired of the system being rigged.”

Both bills now head to the Missouri Senate, where Democrats are expected to use the filibuster and other procedural maneuvers to gum up legislative business as much as possible.&nbsp;

In order to overcome the gridlock, Senate Republicans may once again have to break a filibuster and force a vote by turning to a rule that was previously rarely-used but got deployed twice during the regular legislative session in May.&nbsp;

Doing so would create even more bad blood in a legislative chamber already teetering on the edge of full on partisan collapse. It could also upend the 2026 session before it even gets started.&nbsp;

Republican leaders in the Senate are determined to push both measures across the finish line.&nbsp;

“The map and the initiative petition reform measures will strike a huge blow to progressives and their efforts to turn Missouri into California,” Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.olaughlin/posts/pfbid037UKuVtbBEUmy8c1NQ8FPzChj5zeVoFpxBfC9DonvRBiZChHTzgYdQkiG9JdDRJcZl" target="_blank">posted on social media</a>. “We are not California. We are not progressives.”

Missouri House passes GOP-friendly congressional map, limits on initiative petitions

Doniphan County is
getting help from the state of Kansas along with the federal government to finance
a major bridge replacement near Troy.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s
office announced it is awarding money to help replace the Oxide Road bridge
over an abandoned CRI railroad line south of U.S. 36 Highway. The bridge is
located two-and-a-half miles east of Troy.

The total cost of
the bridge is $1,250,000. Under the state program, Doniphan County is
contributing $82,994 or 6.8% of the project’s cost.

The project is one
of 27 local and off-system bridge projects across Kansas receiving a combined
$40.5 million in state and federal funding.

“By funding bridge
projects across our state, we are directly investing in the future of our
communities,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a written statement released by her
office. “Repairing and replacing aging bridges ensures people and commerce can
move safely and efficiently throughout Kansas.”

The governor’s
office says that by reshaping the local bridge programs, the Kansas Department
of Transportation more than doubled its annual funding as part of the existing
Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).

The office reports
that of the 19,000 local bridges more than 5,000 need to be updated.

Doniphan County benefits from state bridge program

The United Way of Greater St. Joseph's annual campaign is underway.   

The campaign kicked off at the end of last week and will go on over the next two months after successfully raising nearly $1 million dollars, raising $970,506.40 through the pacesetter campaign.  

President Kylee Strough says the pacesetter campaign is a good indicator for United Way of how the campaign is going to go 

"When the pacesetters get us off to such a strong start, it gives us a peek inside, as to how donors and potential donors are feeling and if United Way is capturing their hearts this year," Strough tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "And so, that pacesetter number gives us a lot of enthusiasm for where we're headed." 

Strough says while there is no particular goal to hit with this year’s campaign, the hope is to raise more than last year when the campaign raised just over $2.5 million. 

Strough says one big hurdle they face in getting people to donate, however, is donors knowing how much their donation matters.  

"When you talk about $2.5 million dollars, I think it's easy to think that like oh that's happening somewhere else, what's my $25 or $100 make a difference, how does mine make a difference if they're raising that much money?" Strough explains.  "But that much money comes from thousands of people giving their fair share, and so I think that's one of our largest hurdles." 

Strough says another hurdle is the work of those partner agencies is so expansive, donors have trouble grasping that they are a part of everything.  

Strough says over the next few weeks United Way employees will be planning out businesses to go into to talk about the campaign, but starting today volunteers will come in to begin calling out 

"They will select a list of businesses to reach out to, and invite those businesses to give, so the phones will start ringing here in the next couple weeks," Strough says.  "And it will really be friends calling their friends here in the community, saying hey I'm volunteering for United Way would you support the campaign with a gift?" 

To donate to United Way's campaign or to learn more, you can visit their website or contact the agency. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

United Way of Greater St Joseph campaign successful pacesetter opens '25 campaign

The U.S. agricultural trade deficit widened further in July, highlighting the challenge facing President Donald Trump as he vows to reverse the trend. Agricultural exports lagged imports by $4.97 billion in July, a gap 9% wider than a year earlier and the largest on record for the month. According to data released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture That pushed the sector’s deficit to an unprecedented $33.6 billion for the first seven months of the year. 

The widening farm trade gap this year has been mostly driven by a jump in imports, just as Trump slapped tariffs on other countries in a push to shrink the overall deficit. That further cements a shift that has been building since the president’s first term, with a sector that has long run major trade surpluses becoming a consistent net importer. 

Ag trade deficit hit another record high in July

China imported a record volume of soybeans for August to build a buffer against possible shortages as a protracted trade war with the U.S. — its second-largest supplier — drags on. Reports show that China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, purchased 12.3 million metric tons in August, the highest ever recorded for the month, shoring up local availability before U.S. supplies begin to dominate the global market. China has traditionally sourced a large share of its soybean imports from the US, but ongoing trade tensions have pushed it to favor Brazil. 

The recent purchases reflect a strategic move to reduce reliance on US shipments ahead of the export season that is expected to peak in the coming months. Abundant imports, mainly from Brazil, have left Chinese crushers better prepared for a winter possibly without US soybeans. China’s stockpiles of imported soybeans totaled about 6.8 million tons as of last Friday, nearly the highest amount since March.

China soybean imports at record high in August, but not from U.S.

December corn closed down 2 cents and March corn was down 2 cents. November soybeans closed down 2 1/2 cents and January soybeans were down 2 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed down 7 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 3 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 2 3/4 cents.

Row crop futures were lower for the most part across the board on Tuesday, correcting from Monday's positive action as traders are really just sitting on their hands currently, waiting for USDA clues on Friday in terms of what to expect for the impending U.S. corn and soy harvests. Corn and soybean conditions fell again week over week, but it is somewhat normal to see some degree of decline ahead of harvest, and the cuts were not as large as some were expecting, which dampened bullish motivation somewhat for Tuesday. Outside markets on Tuesday were mixed and mostly quiet as well, with most of the attention going to the revisions lower in U.S. job creation stretching back to April 2024 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which in turn has investors waiting to see how the Federal Reserve will react in their meeting next week.

Tuesday was quite the tumultuous ride for the live cattle complex. At the day's initial start, the market was trading slightly lower, but as the morning progressed, traders exacerbated the day's decline to be one that was sharp and painful to watch, as most of the live cattle contracts traded $4.00 to $6.00 lower. And why, you ask? More than anything, today's move seemed to be triggered by technical nervousness, as traders continue to worry about the market's position and know that fundamental support could be slightly weaker for the next little while, as cash prices could be lower and seasonally boxed beef prices could decline as well. No developments have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market and aren't expected to until Wednesday or later this week.

Did you think Monday afternoon that come Tuesday, the feeder cattle complex would be trading limit lower in most of its contracts? I hate to speculate, but I think it's safe to say that most of us didn't foresee the cattle complex toppling down so aggressively, given that from a fundamental perspective, feeder cattle demand is incredible -- the CME feeder cattle index closed at $367.03 Monday afternoon. But what's important to keep in perspective here is that even though it's frustrating, and even though so many factors say that today's actions simply shouldn't be, traders don't have to obey sound logic, and not every move aligns with the reality of the countryside's fundamentals.

While the cattle complex fell flat on its face, the lean hog complex saw most of its contracts drift slightly lower, but not to the severe degree in which the cattle contracts were trading. More than anything, the slight pullback in the hog sector seems to be because traders are noting resistance pressure, and midday pork cutout values were lower, too.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/09/09140923/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

The California Legislature has approved a bill to authorize the immediate sale of E15, a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol, but the measure still needs the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration signaled strong opposition to advancing E15 ahead of a California Air Resources Board regulatory review. In testimony at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last month on Assembly Bill 30, California Department of Finance officials labeled the bill as duplicative and unnecessary. 

A budget official pointed to the $2.3 million and 10 positions the Legislature approved this year for CARB to implement the new E15 standards, resources that will not be available until the agency completes its review. The administration’s opposition to AB 30 centers on new costs to the California Department of Food and Agriculture for enforcing petroleum product quality standards. Increasing fuel fees would run counter to the administration’s priority to lower gas prices.

California E15 fate now in hands of Newsom, who opposed bill

On Monday the U.S. House passed a five-year reauthorization of USDA’s grain inspection program. The bipartisan United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act includes some updates to the existing law, which expires September 30th, that are aimed in part at promoting new technology.

 The bill would require USDA to prioritize the adoption of improved grain grading technology to enable the efficient, accurate, and consistent grading of grain, and the legislation would exempt equipment and technology costs from a 30% cap on administrative and supervisory expenses that may be incurred under the law. The cap is intended to limit the overall cost of the program. The president and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association, Mike Seyfert, calls the legislation “a must-pass bill for the entire grain value chain.”

House passes grain inspection extension

Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers are pleading with the federal government to provide emergency funding amid a farm economy crisis. Almost everything that could go wrong for Arkansas farmers went wrong this year. A dismal global market and plunging commodity prices mean there’s little hope of breaking even, even as input costs soar because of inflation and tariffs—on top of bad weather earlier in the year. Inputs costs have gone up, fertilizer has gone up, commodity prices have gotten worse. 

“After a horrible year last year where most farmers in Arkansas lost money, this year is going to be worse,” said Derek Haigwood, a farmer from Independence and Jackson County. The “Big, Beautiful Bill” provided a much-needed update to safety net subsidies for farmers, they won’t see those federal dollars until late next year. By then, some have projected that as many as one-fourth—or even one-third—of Arkansas farmers could face bankruptcy or be forced out of business.

Arkansas Farmers Seeking Emergency Aid

California lawmakers voted Wednesday to allow the sale of a higher-ethanol gasoline blend that could help bring down fuel prices in the largest U.S. auto market. The sale of E15, a blend containing 15% ethanol, would be allowed immediately once the bill is signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. California had been the only U.S. state that did not allow sales of the fuel. The move likely will benefit biofuel producers and corn farmers, as it will expand the market for their products to the most populous U.S. state. 

California’s state Senate passed the bill, AB 30, in a unanimous 39-0 vote. The measure passed the state Assembly in June. California has been grappling with how to rein in skyrocketing pump prices while maintaining its ambitious environmental goals. California consumers cannot wait any longer,’ California Senator Laura Richardson said on the Senate floor while introducing the bill. She pointed to a University of California study that estimated that the fuel’s availability could lower gas prices in the state by 20 cents per gallon.

California Assembly Votes to Allow E15 Sales

American farmers are good at producing two crops: corn and soybeans. One of the largest crops in history in the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The harvest follows several years of bumper crops for farmers, fueling a glut that is driving down commodity prices. Weaker prices are crimping profits and farmers’ ability to stay afloat. Technological advancements from the world’s largest seed and pesticide companies are expected to increase harvests in the coming years. 

The current market dynamic is years in the making. American farmers have been encouraged for decades to plant more acres and boost their harvests for a growing global population. The expectation was that new export destinations would emerge, according to industry officials. Finding partners beyond China has been difficult. Shifting trade policies and tariffs have complicated that equation further, leaving more crops in U.S. grain bins and countryside elevators. We need markets fast for this supply, said Kenneth Hartman Jr., an Illinois farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association.

Corn and Soybean “Overproduction” is Becoming a Concern

December corn closed up 3 3/4 cents and March corn was up 3 cents. November soybeans closed up 6 3/4 cents and January soybeans were up 7 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 12 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 4 1/2 cents, December MIAX Minneapolis wheat was up 10 3/4 cents.

Ag futures markets were out of the gate Monday with a mixed overall tone, with corn and soy markets trading both sides of even before managing to climb moderately higher by the close. Meanwhile, wheat markets attracted some buying attention amid long-term lows. This week may begin to see traders' position ahead of the September WASDE report due out from USDA on Friday, which is expected to potentially show cuts to USDA yield estimates following a shift to more difficult growing conditions in the Midwest through August.&nbsp;

The weakness in cattle futures last week has resurrected the idea that maybe a top has been established in the market. It is too early to tell whether that is the case or not. We have seen price retracements many times, only to see futures moving to new highs. However, some cash weakness with Northern dressed cattle trading $2.00 lower may put further pressure on the market. The weakness of cash in the North may offset Southern live cattle trading $1.00 higher.&nbsp;

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December corn closed down 1 3/4 cents and March corn was down 1 cent. November soybeans closed down 6 cents and January soybeans were down 6 cents. December KC wheat closed down 1 cent, December Chicago wheat was down 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 4 1/4 cents.

December corn closed down 2 1/4 cents and March corn was down 1 1/4 cents. November soybeans closed down 27 1/2 cents and January soybeans were down 27 cents. December KC wheat closed down 11 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 17 cents and December Minneapolis wheat was down 14 cents.

Agricultural markets were mostly calm Friday, and for the most part followed weekly trends into the close, featuring reversals off early session gains. Corn futures looked to be heading for a third positive session out of four tries this week before bears regained control by the last hour of trade. Meanwhile, soybean prices fell again following Thursday's impressive afternoon rally. Wheat markets remained limited in terms of upward momentum but were also able to stabilize following Thursday's ugly morning trade which sent prices to new lows. Outside markets to close the week were mostly a negative influence on agriculture, with another round of sluggish jobs data Friday morning sending equities lower and also weighing on energy markets. Also weighing on energies was Thursday's EIA inventory report which showed U.S. crude oil stocks higher week-over-week and year-over-year, as well as the OPEC+ meeting over the weekend. Treasury yields inched higher to close the week with the apparent slowing of the labor market, increasing the likelihood of a rate cut from the Federal Reserve in their meeting later this month.

The live cattle complex continued to etch lower and lower as the market isn't seeing the fundamental support it needs to convince traders that the market's direction should change. Following the trade that developed in the cash market on Thursday, no new cash cattle trade has surfaced thus far, and it's looking like the bulk of this week's business could be done with. So far this week Southern live cattle have traded anywhere from $242 to $243, which is steady to $1.00 higher than last week's weighted average, and Northern dressed cattle have traded at mostly $383, which is $2.00 lower than last week's weighted average.

And again today, the feeder cattle complex was following in the same direction as that of the live cattle market, as even though demand in the countryside remains historic, traders are waving their white flag for the time being and are fixated on working the contracts lower. As time moves closer and closer to the end of September/early October, it will be interesting to see the sheer volume of calves traded at sale barns as more cattle were moved earlier this year.

The momentum that's run with the lean hog complex for the vast majority of the week continued to sustain through Friday's session as the contracts kept trading higher. It is helpful that today, pork cutout values were higher, which is mainly because of the $5.07 increase in the picnic and the $4.13 jump in the loin.

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WASHINGTON­—Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets Chairwoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) delivered opening remarks at Tuesday’s hearing titled “<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/restoring-public-trust-through-uap-transparency-and-whistleblower-protection/">Restoring Public Trust Through UFO or UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection</a>.”

In her opening statement, Task Force Chairwoman Luna highlighted the lack of transparency from the federal government and intelligence communities on the research and disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). Task Force Chairwoman Luna also reiterated the importance of addressing threats to U.S. national security by (UFOs or now known as UAPs and the need for the federal government to acknowledge them.

Read the Congresswoman's full statement below:

Good morning, and welcome to this hearing regarding UAP disclosures.

For too long, the issue of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena – commonly known as UAPs – has been shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and in some cases outright dismissal.&nbsp;

Today, I want to state clearly: this is not science fiction or creating speculation.&nbsp;

This is about national security, government accountability, and the American people’s right to the truth.

I have now spoken to a number of whistleblowers from the military, to include at the infamous Eglin AFB incident that occurred when myself and former Rep Matt Gaetz as well as Rep Burchett followed up on a lead from multiple active-duty air force pilot whistleblowers that alleged that the USAF was covering up UAP activity at Eglin AFB.&nbsp;

We have heard from a number of whistleblowers, specifically military pilots, that the reason for not coming forward publicly is out of fear that speaking out would cost them their flight status, and potentially their careers.&nbsp;

We cannot protect our airspace if our best-trained observers are silenced.&nbsp;

We cannot advance science if we refuse to ask questions.&nbsp;

And we cannot maintain trust in government if we keep the American people in the dark.

Now, Congress has tried to fix this problem.

Congress tried to create formal channels – through the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, also known as AARO and the Intelligence Community Inspector General – for service members and officials to make disclosures.

But the reality: the reports that come in are too often brushed aside, slow-walked, or met with skepticism rather than serious investigation. Recently, the former AARO director known as Sean Kirpatrick attacked our witness and members on this committee. It should be noted that he is a documented liar and brings into question what his purpose at AARO really was if it was not to follow up on investigations and disclose his findings to Members of Congress.&nbsp;

A former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Chris Mellon, described a report published by ARRO that “found no evidence that any USG investigation, academic-sponsored research, or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extraterrestrial technology,” as “the most error-ridden and unsatisfactory government report I can recall reading during or after decades of government service.” Mellon further noted that this was the first ARRO report submitted to Congress without the Director of National Intelligence’s sign-off and seemingly excluded input from “any of the scholars or experts who have studied and written extensively on this topic as would normally be the case in another field.” Mellon determined that the report failed to fulfill the congressional mandate under which it was required, omitted entire agencies with “known investigations or activities relating to UAP,” and omitted any discussion of efforts to hide classified or unclassified information about UAP. Such efforts were unaddressed by the report despite the existence of agency records and investigations concerning them, including at US Customs and Border Protection.

If we set up offices and oversight bodies only to let them become graveyards for testimony or worse yet, ruses for pretending to investigate when in actuality, there was no follow up, then we are not doing our jobs.

In recent months, Congress has also been presented with evidence that points to technologies that to our knowledge, are beyond our current capabilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is our duty as elected representatives to follow the facts, wherever they lead, and to ensure those facts are not buried under classification stamps or bureaucratic excuses.&nbsp;

Let me be clear: whether UAPs represent adversarial technology, natural phenomena, or something beyond current human understanding, Congress has a responsibility to investigate.&nbsp;

If these objects are foreign in origin, they pose a direct threat to our national security.&nbsp;

If they represent something unknown, they demand rigorous scientific inquiry – not ridicule, not secrecy, and not silence.&nbsp;

Adversarial nations are not waiting for us to catch up – they are studying these phenomena aggressively as well and multiple nations have also announced their own parliamentary investigation into this very topic.

If we continue to hide information from ourselves, we risk strategic surprises.&nbsp;

If we continue to ignore our pilots and service members as well as the countless government whistleblowers, we risk losing their trust.&nbsp;

And if we continue to shield the truth from the public, we risk eroding the very foundation of democratic accountability.&nbsp;

This is about demanding basic transparency from the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community and/or military contractors.&nbsp;

It is about asking the questions every American has the right to ask: What do we know? What don’t we know? And why, in a free society are we still being told so little?&nbsp;

A major barrier to the Committee’s inquiry into UAPs has been a lack of cooperation and transparency from the DoD and the Intelligence Community (IC). In preparation for previous UAP hearings, the Committee repeatedly asked DoD to allow Members to view videos and files relating to UAP incidents. Unfortunately, DoD notified Committee staff that due to the Department’s special access program (SAP) rules, only members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee (HAC-D) were allowed to be “read in” on such programs. For a non-committee Member to be allowed to view these documents and videos, individual Members must be approved by the Chairman and Ranking Member of both HASC and HAC-D. Independent SAP oversight has presented a consistent problem for Congress as the program’s budgets are classified. Additionally, oversight reporting to Congress is classified, and is only provided to the authorizing and appropriations committees of jurisdiction.

They do not need to be shielded like children from reality.

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