Recent damage to the Gene Field Road Bridge in St. Joseph has forced the Missouri Department of Transportation to close the bridge for an extensive amount of time.  

MoDOT District Engineer Austin Hibler says the bridge had been set to be replaced due to its condition, but a truck hauling an oversized load on I-29 hit the bridge supports, causing more damage  

"This bridge has four girders that support the deck, and during the incident one of the four girders was damaged and is essentially not supporting the deck like it was intended to,” Hibler tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  “So, you have about 25% of the deck there that is unsupported from its original design.” 

The Missouri Department of Transportation moved up a bridge replacement project from next fall to early next spring, but construction will not begin until at least summer.     

Hibler says that means construction won't be able to begin at least until summer. 

"Our goal would be completed by the fall, late fall early winter of 2026, depending on the contractors schedule,” Hibler explains. 

 Hibler says, currently, design work on the bridge is underway. 

"It takes a lot of preliminary data and information to get the design correct, so that’s all being taken care of right now, in hopes that we can get the design out for a letting in March or April of 2026,” Hibler says.  “And then a contractor, or multiple contractors, will look at it and bid on it.” 

There is a public listening session scheduled for December 17th at 4pm for residents to speak with MoDOT officials about the bridge. 

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

Work on Gene Field Road Bridge may not start until summer 2026 

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 5a.m. Tuesday at Kansas City International Airport.

A Honda Fit was traveling the wrong way on International Circle, just south of 1 KC Boulevard, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. The car&nbsp; collided head-on with a Subaru. 

The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead from the medical staff at a local hospital. The driver and passenger of the Subaru were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

 This is Fatality #59 vs #82 last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Becchina.

Driver killed in head-on crash at Kansas City International Airport

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

CALDWELL COUNTY — Three people were injured in an accident just after 6p.m. Monday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 driven by a 63-year-old Trenton man was stopped in the crossover of U.S. 36 and started northbound and entered the westbound lanes of U.S. 36

A westbound 2012 Chrysler Town and Country driven by a 74-year-old Chillicothe man struck the right side of the pickup. After impact both vehicles began skidding and sliding. The vehicles traveled off the north side of U.S. 36. The van became airborne and rolled.

Life Flight Eagle transported the driver of the van to Truman Medical Center and a 67-year-old female passenger in the van to St. Luke's Hospital.&nbsp; Livingston County EMS transported the pickup driver to Liberty Hospital. All three were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri couple airlifted to hospital after van, pickup crash

North Central
Missouri College has been awarded a $1.37 million grant to expand mental health
workforce training on its Savannah campus.

College officials
say it has received the grant in partnership with Mosaic Life Care of St.
Joseph.

North Central says
the partnership with Mosaic through the Community Behavioral Health Alliance was
a key to receiving the grant from the Health Resources and Services
Administration. The Community Behavioral Health Alliance is comprised of direct
mental health service provider organizations such as Mosaic Life Care, Mosaic
Life Care Foundation, Family Guidance, The Center, and Greater St. Joseph
United Way. Other members of the alliance include regional public schools as
well as Missouri Western State University and North Central Missouri College.

Since 2021, the
Community Behavioral Health Alliance has identified areas of need, including access
to care, mental health workforce provider shortage, wrap-around service
availability, and post-secondary educational opportunities for mental health
related caregivers.

&nbsp;The alliance collaboration has resulted in
heightened shared commitment to embracing a grow-our-own philosophy to meet our
regional communities’ expansive mental health needs. 

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

North Central MO College gets grant to train mental health care workers

Buchanan County was honored with a Blue Shield designation, and now with money coming from the state will be able to purchase new equipment.  

Last month, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced nearly $10 million in state grants with the program to help improve public safety.  

Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says now, after months of planning, his office knows how much they will be able to get through the grant 

"We are earmarked to receive $50,000 no matching funds, it’s a direct award from the state, and so that’s going to help buy some equipment, mainly it’s directed towards equipment and things like that, not salaries or anything,” Puett says on the KFEQmunnity show.  “And so we’re looking at a couple UTV’s and a trailer.” 

Puett says the current UTV the department has is worn down and needs to be replaced, pointing out the vehicle is valuable to be used in special events such as floods or ice storms 

"We have plenty of incidents where people are lost in wooded areas or we have to recover injured or deceased people that are way out in a bad area that you can’t get to with vehicles and things like that,” Puett explains. 

Puett says the vehicle is also helpful to have for accidents along the interstate to help move supplies back and forth.   

Puett says having this would help expand his deputy's ability to get to people and serve them better and quicker, especially in tight and bad locations. 

Once the money is spent, will there be more to come?  Puett says they are hopeful Kehoe will continue these public safety programs 

"Obviously as we pay state taxes and it goes to the state, it’s nice to get some of our tax dollars that we pay back into our community for things that we’re able to utilize and all those things here locally instead of going somewhere else in the state, so that’s a plus,” Puett says. 

Puett says they won't know if this will continue however until after the first of the year, but also points out many things were held up and in limbo due to the recently ended federal government shutdown. 

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

Buchanan County Sheriff benefits from Blue Shield program with new equipment

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/joshmerchant/">Josh Merchant</a>

The World Cup is just seven months away, and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority faces the immense challenge of moving hundreds of thousands of fans around Kansas City next summer.

Now, the transit agency has decided to crack open its piggy bank.

For years, transit leaders have asked Kansas, Missouri and the federal government for financial support during the World Cup to manage massive crowds of fans who will travel to the region without cars.

But they have not received a dime for World Cup bus service. So the KCATA is planning to raid millions of dollars from a federal grant from 2018 intended to buy new buses. Instead, that money will be spent on 40 days of expanded service for fans and tourists.

Chuck Ferguson, the chief operations officer for the KCATA, asked the Mid-America Regional Council to approve the change at a committee meeting on Nov. 10.

“We — Johnson County, the Unified Government — have been pushing local, regional and the feds for some kind of dedicated funding for transit for the last few years to no avail,” Ferguson said. “So now we’re scrambling.”

The federal government created a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/13/drone-defenses-world-cup-00606174" target="_blank">$625 million grant program for safety and security</a>&nbsp;in World Cup cities. But none of that money can be used by transit agencies.

Ferguson told The Beacon that Missouri also provided some support with an “ambassador” program, which will pay people to be “wayfinders” to help visitors find bus stops at World Cup events. But again, that money can’t be used to pay for additional bus routes or operators.

In the absence of additional support, the KCATA is being asked to manage unprecedented numbers of bus riders in Kansas City with a budget that’s already spread thin. And that exposes funding challenges that the KCATA was already facing before the World Cup was even announced.

KC2026, the organizing committee&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/06/19/is-kansas-city-world-cup-ready-2026/" target="_blank">formed to raise funds for and manage the World Cup</a>, announced earlier this year that it plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-06-12/world-cup-kansas-city-2026-transportation" target="_blank">lease 200 buses</a>&nbsp;to get visitors between the airport, downtown and the six matches planned to be hosted at Arrowhead Stadium.

“KC2026 is currently planning to fund and operate all transportation required to meet the Host City obligations, as well as additional services to facilitate movement in the region,” a spokesperson for KC2026 said in an email statement. “This includes the 200 buses we have leased, as well as any event-specific services that may be provided by partners.”

But transportation leaders are still staring down a problem — getting fans to and from the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansascityfwc26.com/fan-fest/" target="_blank">FIFA Fan Festival</a>&nbsp;on the south lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

The World War I Museum sits along the newly extended streetcar line, which theoretically could move fans to and from the festival. But anyone who attended the recent Chappell Roan concerts or the NFL Draft in 2023 will remember long wait times to board the streetcar when tens of thousands of people left the venue at the end of the night.

Transportation planners call that a “crush load” —&nbsp;when people are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the train and a long line of passengers has to wait for the next ride.

“The big worry right now,” Ferguson said at the MARC committee meeting, “is between 25,000 and 35,000 people leaving that venue at one point in time and looking to go somewhere.”

The streetcar, he said, can only handle a fraction of that number — a few thousand per hour.

KC2026 is planning to host the Fan Fest for 18 nights next summer — on the day of every Kansas City or Team USA match. But if the public transit along Main Street is overwhelmed that frequently, transit leaders worry it could be catastrophic for public safety and for the city’s reputation during the World Cup.

So the plan is to repurpose about $2.1 million that the KCATA received in 2018 to purchase new energy efficient buses. Instead, the agency will spend it on operations during the World Cup to run some extra buses along the streetcar line to manage the flood of fans. Another $387,500 would come from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2018-04-09/second-most-popular-bus-line-in-kansas-city-receives-long-awaited-30m-federal-funding" target="_blank">Prospect MAX grant</a>.

That would fund overtime pay for bus operators and the extra fuel.

“It’s not going to be the massive amounts of service that people had originally envisioned,” Ferguson told the committee. “But it is one dedicated opportunity that we hope to put out there.”

Johnson County Transit made a similar request at the Nov. 10 meeting, except it would use $2.1 million to bolster bus lines to hotels like the Sheraton in Overland Park.

In both cases, if the extra buses are not needed, the money will not be spent and it will be returned to the fund, likely to pay for the new efficient buses as originally intended.

KCATA is expected to do more with the same budget

Ultimately, the MARC transportation and emissions committee voted to recommend the change for approval by the entire board later this year.

But there were some dissenters, including Eric Rogers, the executive director and cofounder of BikeWalkKC. Rogers was one of three “no” votes.

He voted that way because he’s concerned about sacrificing long-term transit investments —&nbsp;like buses that could last for 25 years — for the sake of solving a short-term problem at the World Cup.

But he remains frustrated that the KCATA is expected to provide transit service for an unprecedented event in Kansas City without any funding from FIFA or from state or federal partners.

“We are putting our transit agencies in a tough position,” he said. “My question is, ‘Why isn’t the event that’s creating all of this demand doing more to provide the funding that’s needed for the transit agency to respond to the demand?’”

That concern was echoed by several other members of the committee during the meeting, including some who voted yes.

Bailey Waters, the chief mobility officer at Kansas City, asked Ferguson if FIFA was providing any support for the planned World Cup events.

“FIFA is not, never was going to sponsor anything,” Ferguson said in response. “FIFA requires things. But really all that FIFA provides is the happiness that we get to host the World Cup.”

Kansas City Councilmember Eric Bunch, who also serves on the KCATA Board of Commissioners, supports the move to repurpose the green bus funds for World Cup operations. But he said the frustration with FIFA is not lost on him.

“That is the problem with major events like the World Cup, like the Olympics, like the DNC or the RNC,” he said. “They’re pitching this as a positive economic impact. And in the end, it’s the local governments that pick up the bill often, and it’s the local residents who are impacted by it.”

Bunch said this most recent situation is emblematic of ongoing funding issues at the KCATA.

Not only is the transit agency underfunded in the Kansas City area, but its biggest financial constraints are around operating costs, rather than buying new buses.

In other words, the KCATA does not tend to have problems paying for new buses. The issue is finding money to pay the drivers and mechanics or buying fuel.

That’s because the federal government is willing to give grants for “capital” like new buses or streetcar tracks, but it is much rarer for the KCATA to get grants that can be used for “operations.”

(The Trump administration has deprioritized public transit as a whole compared to the Biden administration.)

“The federal government basically says, ‘All right, we’ll help you build your transit system, we’ll buy buses, we’ll build tracks for streetcars and light rail,’” Bunch said. “But once it’s up and running, that’s (the city’s) responsibility.”

About 72% of the KCATA’s operations — $61 million out of total $85 million — are paid for by Kansas City Hall.

So if the KCATA can find a way to use the federal grants to pay bus operators during the World Cup, Bunch said, that’s a far more appealing option than tapping an already strained operations budget.

Tristin Amezcua-Hogan, the chair of the Regional Transit Alliance, told The Beacon in an email statement that the KCATA is “trapped in a cycle of poverty right now that is perpetuated by a lack of stable regional funding.”

“This is just one of the many instances of the organization having to choose what gets the job done over the optimal decision that would come out of consistent funding,” he said.

Some members of the MARC committee, including Westwood City Administrator Leslie Herring, believe that the positive side of the World Cup is that some Kansas Citians are going to be taking public transit for the first time to get to the Fan Fest.

“It might be an opportunity to expand who all in Kansas City actually feels comfortable riding the buses,” Herring said at the committee meeting. “When Mission would take residents down to the Plaza, in Westport, to go bar hop during the holiday season, that was one of my first times on a bus. And I feel very comfortable on KCATA buses now.”

In theory, that kind of public support from new bus riders could pay off in the future if a regional transit sales tax is placed on the ballot.

A sales tax has some support in the Jackson County Courthouse, and four out of five of the Unified Government commissioners elected earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/10/23/wyandotte-county-election-2025-ug-districts/" target="_blank">told The Beacon that they would support putting a similar measure on the ballot</a>&nbsp;in Wyandotte County.

Bunch said polling shows the majority of voters in Jackson, Johnson, Clay and Wyandotte counties&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2025-10-02/kansas-city-regional-transit-alliance-poll-sales-tax-bus-service" target="_blank">already support raising taxes to fund public transit</a>. And that could increase if the KCATA does a good job during the World Cup.

“That is the opportunity we have with the World Cup, and enhancing bus service during that time,” he said. “That more people are going to be willing to try it out. And I think that that’s a really good thing.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/11/13/kcata-kansas-city-world-cup-public-transit/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

Kansas City wants state, federal help for extra bus service during World Cup

ANDREW COUNTY—Three people were injured in an accident just before 4:30p.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2021 Polaris Ranger Turbo S driven by a 40-year-old Savannah man was northbound on U.S. 71 just south of CR 57 four miles north of Savannah. The vehicle traveled off the west side of the road and struck a drainage culvert.

Andrew County EMS transported the driver and two passengers including a 45-year-old St. Joseph man and a 37-year-old Rosendale man to Mosaic Life Care. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

3 Mo. men hospitalized after UTV accident

December corn closed up 2 cents and March corn was up 1 1/2 cents. January soybeans closed down 3 3/4 cents and March soybeans were down 3 cents. December KC wheat closed down 2 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 2 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 9 cents.

It was a return to low volume, slow news trade on Tuesday across row-crop futures with prices chopping on either side of unchanged but falling from early highs, which were the highs for the rally thus far for the soybean market. It is likely traders saw the need to lock in some profits following confirmation of rumored soybean purchases by China on Monday. In outside markets, diesel prices continue to push higher, positively influencing soybean oil futures, which have surged higher through the first half of the week. In financial markets, equities are under heavy pressure to start the week, led by AI bubble fears. Meanwhile, the potential for money flow out of equities and into commodities as a hedge against inflation may be a story of growing importance to watch through the end of 2025 and into 2026.

The live cattle complex traded mixed, erring on the side of caution as traders would like to see the contracts trade fully higher but need sure-fire fundamental support this week to successfully do so. No developments have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market, and trade will likely be delayed until later in the week, as that's usually what happens whenever a Cattle on Feed report is released. No bids or asking prices are currently on the table.

Likewise, the feeder cattle complex also traded in a mixed manner as the market isn't confident that there will be enough support in the market to trade fully higher. Until something wildly bullish develops, the feeder cattle complex will likely continue to trade in a sideways manner as it's going to take some substantial support to push the contracts back over the market's 100-day moving average.

The lean hog complex traded fully lower and currently pressuring the market's support plane as traders aren't seeing enough support arise in the marketplace to send the contracts higher.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/18140529/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has extended the sign-up deadline for the Emergency Livestock Relief Program to Nov. 21, 2025, after many ranchers were unable to apply during county office closures tied to the federal shutdown. The program provides payments to producers facing added feed costs or grazing losses from 2023–24 floods and wildfires. FSA Administrator Bill Beam said offices are now open five days a week under Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ directive to restore full access to core services. 

To simplify enrollment, FSA pre-qualified counties where disasters were already verified, allowing eligible producers to apply without submitting additional documentation. Covered livestock include beef and dairy cattle, sheep, llamas and other grazing animals. Payments are based on supplemental feed costs, offering up to 60% of one month’s feed cost for wildfire losses or three months for flood impacts. Annual payments are capped at $125,000, with limited exceptions up to $250,000.

USDA extends livestock relief deadline 

The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday released a new proposed definition of “waters of the United States,” marking the latest shift in federal water policy after the Supreme Court’s narrowing decision in Sackett v. EPA. The proposal would limit Clean Water Act jurisdiction to traditional navigable waters and wetlands that share a continuous surface connection with them. 

Tributaries would qualify only if they directly connect to those waters or flow through other jurisdictional features. The rule also maintains long-standing exclusions, including prior-converted cropland, waste treatment systems and a newly clarified exemption for groundwater. Federal officials said the updated definition aims to align the rule with the Supreme Court’s guidance while providing clarity to landowners. A 45-day public comment period will begin once the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

EPA, Army Corps unveil new proposed WOTUS rule

December corn closed up 4 1/2 cents and March corn was up 4 cents. January soybeans closed up 32 3/4 cents and March soybeans were up 27 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 13 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 17 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was up 9 cents.

It was a remarkable turnaround session across row-crop futures on Monday following a bearish close to last week's trade which saw sharply lower corn, soy, and wheat prices on Friday following data from USDA which I would characterize as mixed overall, although the released listing of all reportable sales (100,000 metric tons or higher) of U.S. grains and oilseeds through the government shutdown was among the more bearish set of figures unveiled during Friday's busy session. President Trump said over the weekend he had held talks with China on Friday and reiterated they will be considerably increasing their purchases of U.S. ag products, most notably soybeans, which went a long way in easing traders' minds and likely sparked algorithmic buying to begin the new week, with reports by late morning that China had indeed bought some U.S. soybeans to start the week. Outside markets were mostly positive as well for Monday, with slightly higher equities, as well as firm energy markets with crude oil futures attempting a third straight session higher.

The live cattle complex traded higher into Monday's close as traders note the announcement that came on Friday that tariffs on food was going to be reduced. The current tariff on Brazilian beef remains at 40%, so it's still unknown how this will affect the greater marketplace as the U.S. still needs lean beef, but a 40% tariff is still a relatively strong barrier. New showlists appear to be mixed, higher in Texas, but lower in Kansas and Nebraska/Colorado.

Throughout last week's trade, Southern live cattle were marked at $226 to mostly $228, which is $3.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average. Northern dressed cattle traded anywhere from $346 to $355, but mostly at $351, which is $8.00 lower than the previous week's weighted average. And to only make matters worse, packers were able to get some cattle committed for delivery for the weeks of Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 as they slowly, but surely are buying up supplies to ensure that they're not short bought in the weeks ahead and potentially run the risk of letting feedlot managers gain the upper hand in the market again. Last week's negotiated cash cattle trade totaled 55,342 head. Of that, 83% (45,792 head) were committed to the market's nearby delivery, while the remaining 17% (9,550 head) were committed to the market's deferred delivery option.

The feeder cattle complex was also trading higher into Monday's closing bell, as the feeder cattle market has been closely following the direction of the live cattle contracts. As long as the live cattle complex remains strong through the day's end, it's likely that the feeder cattle complex will too.

The lean hog complex is trading mixed as the futures market wants to trade higher but needs reassurance from consumers that they're going to show up at the meat counter with more demand before they'll do so confidently. It's likely a slightly higher close for the day is in sight as the greater livestock complex is being met with ample trader support.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/17140859/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

President Donald Trump is preparing significant tariff cuts and new trade agreements aimed at easing high food prices, a top concern for voters heading into 2026. The administration on Thursday announced framework deals with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador that would reduce tariffs and other barriers on imports of beef, bananas, coffee and other staples. Officials said the effort is designed to lower grocery bills that have remained elevated for years. The push follows a string of Democratic victories in state and local elections last week, where candidates emphasized affordability issues. 

Trump and senior advisers have also signaled broader tariff exemptions are coming. In interviews, Trump said he would “lower some tariffs” on coffee, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said fruit imports could see relief. The New York Times reported the White House is preparing reciprocal tariff changes that may include carve-outs for beef and citrus, expanding on an earlier executive order targeting food items not produced in the United States.

Administration preparing ag tariff carve-outs

In the first set of government estimates since September, Friday’s much-anticipated World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate, or WASDE, Report offered mixed outlooks for major U.S. crops, trimming projected corn and soybean yields while leaving wheat production unchanged. USDA lowered the national corn yield to 186 bushels per acre, slightly reducing 2025-26 production to 16.75 billion bushels. Exports were raised to 3.08 billion bushels, lifting ending stocks to 2.15 billion. The average farm price rose to $4 a bushel. 

Soybean yield was cut to 53 bushels per acre, pulling production down to 4.25 billion bushels. USDA reduced export estimates to 1.64 billion bushels and projected ending stocks at 290 million. The farmgate price increased to $10.50 per bushel. Wheat production held steady at 1.99 billion bushels, but USDA raised ending stocks to 901 million. The average price slipped to $5 a bushel. Globally, USDA boosted wheat and corn beginning stocks while trimming soybean supplies, and raised production estimates for Argentina, Australia and Russia. 

Friday’s WASDE lowers corn, soybean yields

December corn closed down 11 1/4 cents and March corn was down 11 1/2 cents. January soybeans closed down 22 1/2 cents and March soybeans were down 20 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed down 10 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 8 1/2 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 5 cents.

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

Row-crop futures moved sharply lower Friday following the release of new USDA data including Crop Production and WASDE reports, along with a listing of all reportable flash sales which went unreported due to the government shutdown through October and early November. I would characterize Friday's reports as mixed overall, with some undeniably bearish estimates but plenty of silver linings to be found if looked for and discussed in further detail below. Outside markets to close the week were choppy with crude oil turning higher following Ukrainian attacks on Russian ports and the seizure of a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, where over a third of world crude shipments are routed. Stock indices were mixed with tech-focused buying pushing the NASDAQ and S&amp;P500 higher while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped.

The live cattle contracts traded slightly higher into Friday's closing bell, despite the fact that the day's fundamentals are lacking a bit with no new cash cattle trade having developed, and what has developed has been lower than last week's weighted average, and boxed beef prices are lower again. So far this week, Southern live cattle have traded at mostly $228, which is $3.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Northern dressed cattle have traded for mostly $351, which is $8.00 lower than last week's weighted average. And while it's looking like the bulk of this week's trade is done with, some more clean up trade isn't out of the question.

Friday's WASDE report shared less than supportive news for the cattle and beef markets of 2025 and 2026. Beef production for 2025 fell by 70 million pounds from the last report in September, as fed cattle slaughter speeds have declined. The same similar trend is also noted for 2026 beef production as now the year is expected to yield 25,490 million pounds, which is down 100 million pounds from September's report. The biggest expected reason for the decline in slaughter speeds for 2026 is because fed cattle processing is expected to remain light, and with cattle spending more time on feed, marketings will be slower for at least the first half of the year. Quarterly steer prices were also disappointing as steers in the fourth quarter of 2025 are expected to average $234 (down $10.00), steers in the first quarter of 2026 are expected to average $242 (down $5.00) and steers in the second quarter are expected to average $248 (down $3.00). Beef imports for 2025 remained unchanged, but exports for the year fell by 10 million pounds.

Although, the feeder cattle complex was trading fully lower earlier this morning, it rebounded and ended trading higher alongside the live cattle contracts. As long as the live cattle contracts continue to trade higher, the feeder cattle market will likely follow in its shadow.

The lean hog complex also found a little technical support, which could be trader moral given that the cattle contracts were trading higher too, or it could partly be because consumer demand is showing more interest today as the midday pork cutout is up $4.68. It's unlikely that any more cash hog trade is going to develop throughout the day.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/14143023/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins led the largest USDA agribusiness trade mission in the history of the U.S. to Mexico City last week. During the trip to Mexico, 41 U.S. businesses, 33 cooperators and agriculture advocacy groups, six state departments of agriculture, and 150 participants conducted more than 500 business-to-business meetings over three days. This was a critical opportunity for American businesses to further trade ties, and for the USDA to continue its aggressive response to the New World Screwworm in Mexico. 

“Whether it’s securing the Southern Border from illegal immigration, combating the New World Screwworm, or expanding market access for American agricultural products, we are working every day to put American interests first,” Rollins said. Mexico was the top market for U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, with shipments valued at $30.2 billion. Products like meat and meat products, dairy, processed foods, fruits, and beverages constituted almost 50 percent of that. 

Rollins leads trade trip to Mexico City

Late Wednesday, the government shutdown ended as President Donald Trump signed into law a measure that brought the standoff to a close. Trump signed a bill that fully funds the USDA and FDA for fiscal year 2026. It also ends a legal battle over partial or full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November. The measure also extended farm bill programs that expired on September 30. While two Republicans voted against the bill, six Democrats stepped across party lines to vote in favor of it. 

Reports say that farmers can expect full services to return to their local Farm Service Agency offices, including processing loan applications for farm ownership or home loans that have been frozen since the start of the government shutdown. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is also expected to reopen for business. A report from Politico said that millions of low-income Americans should receive their full food benefits this week. 

Shutdown ends as Farm Bill programs extended

December corn closed up 6 1/4 cents and March corn was up 6 1/4 cents. January soybeans closed up 13 1/4 cents and March soybeans were up 12 3/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 1/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was down 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was unchanged.

Thursday was a day of general strength across row-crop futures with the soybean complex once again leading the way higher, specifically with another burst of bullishness in the soybean meal market as prices set new calendar year highs. With the government shutdown officially ended following President Trump's signing of the funding bill, and operations set to ramp up again, Thursday's strength may be a display of optimism that the release of missing data will support the recent bullish swing in crop prices. Grain and oilseed markets will receive a big piece of the puzzle on Friday morning when USDA releases their November supply and demand estimates after six weeks of relatively few updates from the agency.

With some light trade in the South developing at $282 (which is $3.00 lower than last week's weighted average), combined with seeing boxed beef prices trading lower too -- it comes as no real surprise that the live cattle contracts were trading lower into Thursday's closing bell. And some extremely light sales have been reported in Nebraska at $351, but not enough cattle have traded to say that any sort of a trend has been established this week. Without fundamental support rising to comfort traders, it's likely that a downward trend will remain with the market at least today, and potentially into Friday's session as well.

With the fundamentals in the live cattle complex not helping boost bullish sediment, the feeder cattle contracts were once again left to trade lower. And until the live cattle complex finds some support, it's likely that the feeder cattle market will continue to trade lower in its shadow.

With there not being much interest in the cash market and pork cutout values are lower too, the lean hog complex also traded lower into Thursday's closing bell. And until there's an improvement in the market's fundamentals, mainly from consumers in the form of stronger pork cutout values, it's unlikely that the market will find much upward potential.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/13140255">Click HERE for audio</a>

This criminal illegal alien was RELEASED into the country under the Biden administration, granted a work authorization, and was even issued a commercial driver’s license by Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 31-year-old Akhror Bozorov, a criminal illegal alien from Uzbekistan wanted in his origin country for belonging to a&nbsp;terrorist&nbsp;organization.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Uzbekistan authorities issued an arrest warrant for Bozorov in 2022 for being a member of a terrorist organization. He is accused of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement.

ICE arrested him in Kansas on November 9, while he was working as a commercial truck driver. Governor Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania issued him a commercial driver's license (CDL). The Biden administration granted him work authorization in January 2024.

“Not only was Akhror Bozorov—a wanted&nbsp;terrorist—RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration, but he was he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. This should go without saying, but terrorist illegal aliens should not be operating 18-wheelers on America’s highways,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.&nbsp;“Biden and Mayorkas allowed countless terrorists to come into our country. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target these national security threats.”

Bozorov illegally entered the United States in February 2023. He was then arrested by U.S. Border Patrol and released into American communities by the Biden administration.

ICE arrests truck driver in Kansas, wanted on international terrorism warrant

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ashley-murray/">Ashley Murray</a>

WASHINGTON — A bill is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk compelling the release of unclassified investigative files from the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a friend to the rich and powerful who died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday night did not object to a unanimous consent request from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to accept and pass the legislation, as is, after the U.S. House overwhelmingly approved the measure earlier in the day.

A senior administration official told States Newsroom the president will sign the bill “whenever it gets to the White House.”

The lawmakers in the lower chamber voted&nbsp;<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025289" target="_blank">427-1</a>&nbsp;to compel the Department of Justice to release materials related to the government’s investigation of the financier who harmed over 1,000 victims, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., was the lone “no” vote.

Survivors and their supporters watched the vote from the chamber’s gallery seats. Among them was Sky Roberts, the brother of the late Virginia Giuffre, who sued Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and the British royal family’s Andrew Windsor, who recently was stripped of his title of prince. Giuffre died by suicide in April.

“I’m very happy with the outcome, but this is just the beginning, and we have a lot of work ahead of us, a lot more to do,” Haley Robson told States Newsroom in an interview after the vote. Robson is prominent among those who have shared their stories of abuse by Epstein.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">bill</a>&nbsp;now goes to Trump, who said Monday he will sign it.

‘Courage and advocacy’ of survivors cited

Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on social media earlier the vote would “not have been possible without the courage and advocacy of Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors. They made this vote possible. They risked their safety coming out of the darkness to share their stories and to tell the truth.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said earlier Tuesday he expected the bill to move through the Senate “fairly quickly” and likely without changes, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/18/politics/what-happens-next-epstein-bill" target="_blank">reporting</a>&nbsp;by CNN.

The legislation compels the Justice Department to publicly disclose “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in its possession that relate to Epstein or Maxwell.” They include records related to Epstein’s detention and death; flight logs from Epstein’s planes; names of those connected with Epstein’s alleged crimes; records of civil settlements, and sealed and unsealed immunity deals and plea bargains; records pertaining to entities with ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks; and internal DOJ communications “concerning decisions to investigate or charge Epstein or his associates.”&nbsp;

The bill carves out exceptions for records containing victims’ identities, images of death or physical abuse, and information that could jeopardize a federal investigation.&nbsp;

The bill also notes that the “DOJ may not withhold or redact records on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed the House effort to release the files until this week.

Johnson said Tuesday morning that he will vote for the measure that has been forced to the floor after Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., gathered enough signatures on a discharge petition to override leadership.

The Louisiana Republican told reporters at his regular House leadership press conference that the “forcing mechanism here prevents the very deliberate, professional, careful manner in which Congress is supposed to do this.”

“But having now forced the vote, none of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency,” Johnson&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/house-republican-leaders-hold-news-conference/669234" target="_blank">said</a>.

The vote comes less than a week after lawmakers on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-dems-say-newly-released-epstein-emails-show-trump-knew-about-abuse" target="_blank">released</a>&nbsp;some 20,000 pages of emails from Epstein’s estate that repeatedly mentioned Trump’s name.&nbsp;

In one email from Epstein to convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier and sex offender claimed Trump “knew about the girls.”

Trump denies any involvement with Epstein’s alleged crimes, and has said that he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/politics/epstein-trump-falling-out-analysis" target="_blank">kicked Epstein out</a>&nbsp;of his private Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, because he alleged the financier had poached young female staffers from the club. Epstein was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/us/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury" target="_blank">convicted</a>&nbsp;in Florida of soliciting minors for sex in 2008.&nbsp;

During a press conference in the Oval Office Tuesday alongside the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump told reporters, “As far as the Epstein files, I have nothing to do with Jeffery Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.”

Trump added, as he has repeatedly said before, that the files are a “Democratic hoax.”

Women who told stories of being abused by Epstein as teens rallied outside the U.S. Capitol Tuesday morning, alongside Massie, Khanna and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., whom Trump attacked online this weekend, nicknaming her a “traitor.”

Robson told the crowd that as a Republican herself, the advocacy from Massie and Greene is “unbelievable to watch, and we are so grateful.”

“And to the president of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you: While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files, and I’m grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can’t help to be skeptical of what the agenda is,” Robson said.

In a Sunday night post on his own social media platform, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-about-face-urges-us-house-republicans-vote-release-epstein-files" target="_blank">told Republicans</a>&nbsp;to vote in favor of the bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/581" target="_blank">legislation</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, which lawmakers have named the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Greene, who also spoke at the press conference, said the administration’s refusal to release what are collectively referred to as the Epstein files “has ripped MAGA apart.”

“The only thing that will speak to the powerful, courageous women behind me is when action is actually taken to release these files, and the American people won’t tolerate any other b- – – -t,” Greene said.

GOP Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the other Republicans to join Massie, Greene and all Democrats to sign the petition.

In a second press conference outside the Capitol later Tuesday morning, the House’s newest Democratic member, Arizona’s Adelita Grijalva, spoke alongside sexual abuse prevention advocates.&nbsp;

“The momentum behind this did not come from politicians. It came from survivors and the public who demanded answers. This is why the discharge petition crossed 218 signatures, despite Speaker Johnson doing everything in his power to prevent this from happening, including calling an early summer release, and delaying myself my swearing in for seven weeks,” Grijalva said.

Grijalva became the petition’s 218th signature on Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/arizonas-adelita-grijalva-sworn-us-house-signs-epstein-petition" target="_blank">immediately after</a>&nbsp;her swearing-in ceremony.&nbsp;

Johnson refused to swear in Grijalva, who won her seat on Sept. 23, during the government shutdown despite precedent of other representatives swearing an oath while the House is out of session.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., also spoke at the press conference, warning that Senate leadership should not “delay this any further.”

“They need to schedule a vote on this so this can get passed into law,” Kelly said.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-congress-jeffrey-epstein-files-venezuela-maduro-live-updates-rcna244133" target="_blank">told</a>&nbsp;NBC News Monday he would sign the legislation.

Roughly a dozen public protesters stood outside the police barricade surrounding the press conference, holding signs demanding the release of the Epstein files.

Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, held a sign protesting Johnson’s refusal to allow an earlier floor vote to disclose the files.

“These survivors deserve justice. And you know, all women and girls deserve justice,” Galbraith told States Newsroom in an interview. “Like when you have the richest people in the world trafficking girls, I mean, as somebody who has daughters and sons, we all want to see that children are not victims like this anymore.”

In July, the FBI issued a memo stating the department would not publicly release any further information on the Epstein case.

The sudden reversal, after Trump and his supporters campaigned on releasing the files, sparked upheaval among the president’s base and trained a magnifying glass on Trump’s well-documented friendship with Epstein.

The president sued The Wall Street Journal for reporting on a 50th&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=Searchresults_pos1&amp;page=1" target="_blank">birthday card</a>&nbsp;Trump allegedly gave to Epstein. The card featured a cryptic message and a doodle of a naked woman with Trump’s apparent signature mimicking pubic hair. Trump denies that he created and signed the birthday doodle.

The Journal also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/justice-department-told-trump-name-in-epstein-files-727a8038?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed the president in May that his name appeared in the Epstein case files. The context in which his name appeared is unclear.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article221404845.html" target="_blank">series</a>&nbsp;in the Miami Herald in 2018 by journalist Julie K. Brown drew wide attention to Epstein’s crimes and Trump’s appointment in 2017 of former Miami federal prosecutor Alex Acosta, who cut a deal in 2008 to end a federal investigation into Epstein, as the secretary of Labor.

Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

US Senate agrees with overwhelming House vote to force release of Epstein files

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

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