A new movie from director Jason Hudson is premiering this weekend at the historic Missouri Theatre.  

Hudson, known for movies filmed in St. Joseph such as Christmas at the Chateau and Accidental Family, has now made a Christmas movie for kids, the Gingerbread Men. 

Steve Marks with Marks Media, the production company that helped make the movie, says the film is a laugh out loud adventure 

"It’s mischief and heart and a reminder that the greatest gift isn’t what we sometimes wish for, because these little boys wish to be big, that’s their wish “Marks says on the KFEQmunnity show. “It’s kind of like the movie, if you’ve ever seen the movie with Tom Hanks called Big, or you saw the movie Elf with Will Ferrell, those two movies it’s like mixing them together with a G rating basically and putting a Christmas twist on it.” 

Marks says the movie was entirely filmed in St. Joseph, with many of the cast and crew from the St. Joseph area. 

"You’ll probably see about three or four hundred people, you’ll go I know that person, because they’re people from St. Joseph, Savannah, and the surrounding area in the film,” Marks explains.  “And of course you’ll recognize all of the beautiful St. Joseph and surrounding area, all the different things we filmed, it’s a lot of fun, but yeah it was definitely filmed here in St. Joseph and created here in St. Joseph.” 

Marks says people who come see the film should expect to have a lot of laughs 

"Kids love it, now you as an adult might think well that was just a little strange here and there, but hey come and see it and you be the judge yourself,” Marks says.  “What we hope will be the takeaway is they’ll walk away with a smile on their face, enjoy it, have some family time and let their hair down.” 

Showings will be held at 2, 5, and 6:30pm at the Missouri Theatre, and you can meet the cast and crew at each show. <a href="https://jomotickets.com/event/gingerbread-men-movie-premiere">Tickets can be purchased online</a>.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

New movie from St. Joseph based production company premiering today

KFEQ Week in Review

The state is asking U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone to block People Not Politicians from turning in petitions by Dec. 11. People Not Politicians asked him to dismiss the case

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

ST. LOUIS — A federal judge promised Tuesday that he would decide whether or not to block a referendum on Missouri’s gerrymandered redistricting map before petitions to force a vote are submitted.

The state is asking U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone, a recent Trump appointee, to declare the U.S. Constitution precludes any popular effort to overturn the new map that was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">muscled through by Republicans</a>&nbsp;in a September special session. People Not Politicians, a political action committee that has until Dec. 11 to submit enough signatures to force a vote on the map, wants Bluestone to dismiss the case and leave it to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/25/let-the-courts-decide-kehoe-says-he-will-sign-gerrymandered-missouri-congressional-map/">state courts to sort out</a>.

Told in court that the signatures would be turned in Dec. 9, Bluestone said he would have a decision by that date.

Using the new map, Republicans hope to win seven of the state’s eight congressional seats by adding enough GOP votes to flip the 5th District, currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City. It is part of a national battle over drawing new lines begun when President Donald Trump pushed Texas to redistrict to win five new GOP seats in the narrowly divided Congress.

The case is one of eight — two in federal court and six in state court — that wrap the redistricting plan in multiple layers of litigation. One,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/12/judge-hears-arguments-over-legality-of-gerrymandered-missouri-congressional-map/">argued Nov. 12 in Cole County</a>&nbsp;and challenging the constitutionality of redistricting when there is no new census data, is awaiting a decision from Circuit Judge Christopher LImbaugh.

The latest lawsuit was filed Nov. 11 by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/11/21/lawsuit-details-alleged-scheme-to-sabotage-referendum-on-gerrymandered-missouri-congressional-map/">Advanced Micro Targeting</a>, the company gathering signatures for People Not Politicians, accusing competitors of “poaching” employees and “gathering intelligence” on its operations.

In the case before Bluestone, the state argues the federal constitution directs state legislatures to determine the boundaries of congressional districts. And without a clear statement in the Missouri Constitution’s&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++52(a)&amp;bid=31810&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">referendum clause</a>&nbsp;allowing votes on redistricting&nbsp; plans, it is prohibited.

Lou Capozzi, state solicitor general, told Bluestone that he should intervene because the people are trying to infringe on the prerogatives of the General Assembly and it is costing the state money and employee time to process the referendum.

“From start to finish, the defendants’ actions impose significant burdens,” he said.

Jessica Amunson, representing People Not Politicians, said the costs are just employees in three state offices — secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor — doing their jobs. And future costs, for verifying signatures and an election, are speculative because the petitions have not been submitted yet.

The case, she said, is unprecedented. The plaintiffs — the General Assembly and Secretary of State Denny Hoskins — “are suing their own citizens to prevent them from petitioning their government.”

There are very few court precedents on the question of whether citizen referendum power extends to congressional district maps. Missouri voters rejected a redistricting plan in a 1922 referendum but that vote produced no guiding legal cases.

The attorneys did argue over the meaning of a&nbsp;<a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/241/565/" target="_blank">1916 U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in an Ohio case that found a referendum on a redistricting plan was a constitutional use of the power.&nbsp;

Capozzi said the courts found the Ohio Constitution had a “clear statement” granting the power.&nbsp;

Amunson disagreed. The Ohio referendum power is essentially the same as Missouri, allowing “any law” to be subject to a vote while Missouri says “any act” passed by lawmakers can be sent to a vote.

“In none of those cases was there a clear statement rule required,” she said.

Bluestone seemed more skeptical of Amunson’s arguments at times than Capozzi, but directed pointed questioning to both.

While he promised a decision by Dec. 9, at the beginning of the hearing he said the decision may be to hold the case without acting while other lawsuits play out in state court.&nbsp;

In state court, Missouri is defending the redistricting plan by arguing the inverse of the argument in federal court —&nbsp; the absence of words granting or barring lawmakers authority to revise district lines between census reports means it is allowed. Before Bluestone, the state is arguing that the absence of words granting or barring petitioners from seeking a referendum means it is not allowed.&nbsp;

Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians, said after the hearing that he’s not surprised by the apparent contradiction.

“What I saw in the hearing was, frankly, clarity from the state about how afraid they are of voters getting the final say on this,” von Glahn said. “If you think what you did is a good thing, you have nothing to fear from a referendum.”

Federal ruling on Missouri gerrymandered redistricting plan to come in early December

President Trump plans to pay bonuses to
air traffic controllers who had perfect attendance during the federal
government shutdown and has threatened docking the pay of those who didn’t.

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves,
the House Transportation Committee chair, says he understands the president’s
frustration, but is hesitant to endorse punishing controllers who called in
sick during the shutdown.

“The problem with something like that is
that you really don’t know the circumstances, the folks, that may not be
eligible for these bonuses,” Graves tells KFEQ. “They may have
actually been sick.”

Graves says air traffic controllers have
a high-stress job and not getting paid during the shutdown didn’t help.

“You know, we’ve got to be careful,
because you just don’t know what the circumstances are,” Graves says.

Graves says a high stress job became even
more stressful during the federal government shutdown as air traffic
controllers had to come to work without getting a paycheck.

“You also can’t fault somebody who’s
trying to make a car payment and a mortgage payment. You don’t know what the
personal circumstance is and they had to go out and get another job for the
time being to try to make ends meet,” Graves says. “I can see both sides of
this to be quite honest with you. I can absolutely see both sides of this.”

Graves says you cannot dismiss the
worries that pile up when the bills come due.

“Whether that’s a car payment or a
mortgage payment or whatever your obligation may be and not getting paid for
two pay cycles. That creates even more stress and more hardship and it just
makes it worse,” according to Graves. “ I think it’s very hard for most folks
to really understand the true gravity of what took place.”

The Trump administration has announced it
will give a bonus to air traffic controllers who had perfect attendance during
the shutdown. Those who came to work each day of the shutdown will receive $10,000
bonuses.

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Congressman Graves hesitant on plan to punish some air traffic controllers

KFEQ Morning Sports

KFEQ Morning News

As people celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, many will also begin their shopping to get ready for Christmas, taking advantage of deals.  

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says be sure when you leave your car to go into a store, to keep any items you purchase out of sight while you shop 

"If you go back to your car, put them in your trunk or somewhere where they’re out of sight,” Luster says on the KFEQmunnity.  “Don't put that $800 iPad in your passenger seat and leave it to go into the next store, you could just be inviting trouble, you’ll see a lot of people that engage in these thefts it’s a crime of opportunity.” 

Luster says these criminals will walk through parking lots looking for cars with items in plain view to steal from with how crowded lots are during holiday shopping.  

Luster advises shoppers to stay as alert as possible while out doing that holiday shopping 

"Always try to park in well-lit areas, be aware of your surroundings when you’re out there shopping in the holiday season, I think those are very, very important,” Luster says. 

Luster also reminds drivers that during the holiday weekend roads are going to be even busier than normal, so to be cautious and alert while going back and forth this Thanksgiving. 

St. Joseph Police advise to hide gifts as you shop during the holiday's 

HOLT COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 10:30a.m. Thursday in Holt County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 GMC Yukon driven by a 30-year-old Grain Valley man was northbound on Interstate 29 at Mound City. The SUV traveled off the east side of the road. The undercarriage struck the ground. The vehicle continued northeast, struck an embankment, became airborne and the undercarriage struck the ground a second time. The SUV continued into a field, crossed an airfield, struck a combine, rotated clockwise and struck an aircraft hangar. The impact with the aircraft hangar door caused the door to impact a stationary airplane.

Atchison Holt ambulance transported the driver and a 10-year-old passenger to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. Both were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. man, boy injured after violent SUV crash into aircraft hangar

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo.—One person died in an accident just before 4a.m. Thursday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Toyota MR2 driven by a 44-year-old Union, Missouri, woman was northbound on Interstate 29 one mile north of Watson. The car began to skid. It crossed the center of the road, traveled off the west side of the northbound lanes, rolled into the southbound lanes and the driver was ejected.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Minter Funeral Home in Rock Port. She was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman killed in rollover crash on Thanksgiving 

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/squinn/">Steph Quinn</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri has been working on updating its computer systems to improve how it administers social safety net programs since 2013. New federal rules mean that work will wait until at least 2028

Missouri’s social services department has in recent years been&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/05/07/missouri-is-still-illegally-denying-food-assistance-despite-court-order/">reprimanded</a>&nbsp;by a judge for illegally denying food assistance and&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/17/feds-to-scrutinize-missouris-worst-in-the-nation-medicaid-application-delays/">scrutinized</a>&nbsp;by the federal government for massive Medicaid application&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/17/feds-to-scrutinize-missouris-worst-in-the-nation-medicaid-application-delays/">backlogs</a>.

And for more than a decade, the agency has vowed to tackle these problems by overhauling the computer systems that help determine whether people qualify for social safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income people.

But needed technology changes are once again on hold, thanks to a barrage of deadlines mandated by Congress this summer as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” —&nbsp; most notably work requirements and more frequent renewals for Medicaid.

Instead of moving forward with a long-promised modernization of its eligibility software, the Missouri Department of Social Services must focus its time and staff toward meeting sweeping federal deadlines in Trump’s new law. And that means the integrated SNAP-Medicaid system won’t arrive anytime soon.

Plans to combine eligibility software for SNAP and Medicaid into a single, updated system will have to wait until at least 2028, said Toi Wilde, chief information officer for the Missouri Department of Social Services.

“You don’t want this type of huge, major policy shift that you have going,” Wilde said. “Going into a full implementation of a new system would be extremely challenging [during this shift].”

News of the delay inspired dismay among those who have been battling with the department for years to ensure eligible Missourians get access to benefits they are entitled to receive. What’s worse, advocates say, is that delays come as the department is trying to appeal the 2024 federal court&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/09/federal-court-rules-missourians-were-illegally-denied-food-aid-by-the-state/">decision</a>&nbsp;that found its administration of the SNAP program illegally denied food benefits to Missourians.

Katherine Holley, an attorney for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri who assisted plaintiffs in that lawsuit, said her organization’s clients are still struggling to get department staff on the phone to complete required eligibility interviews.

Clients call the department trying to complete their interview, she said, only to hear that there are hundreds of people in front of them in the queue. One client was recently terminated from SNAP, she said, when a document he submitted to the department online got lost.

“I reached out to the agency, and then they found it, and they opened his benefits back up,” Holley said. “But if he hadn’t reached out to us, he would just be without benefits.”

The department’s attempt to combine its systems in 2013 ended earlier this year after a decade-long&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/01/14/appeals-court-upholds-23m-judgment-against-missouri-dss-in-contract-dispute/">legal battle</a>&nbsp;that cost the state&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/04/29/cost-balloons-for-missouri-taxpayers-in-medicaid-contract-dispute/">$92.7 million</a>, including interest.

The department contracted with the software company EngagePoint in June 2013 to build a system to meet requirements in the Affordable Care Act and handle eligibility and enrollment for SNAP and Medicaid.

Missouri didn’t expand Medicaid until 2021, but the 2010 federal law required states to make other changes. States had to start using a new method to measure income to determine Medicaid eligibility for most adults, and they had to update their eligibility and enrollment systems to exchange information with the federal marketplace.

The department had big ambitions for its tech upgrades: “a comprehensive, fully integrated, state-of-the-art automated human services eligibility, enrollment and case management system,” according to its January 2013&nbsp;<a href="http://bids.centerdigitalgov.com/docs/2013/02/Bid_Document__469647400.pdf?id=134847" target="_blank">request for proposals</a>.

But the state terminated the contract three years early, with the new system partially built. Missourians’ SNAP cases stayed in the old system, alongside Medicaid for elderly or disabled Missourians. Only the Medicaid cases subject to new federal income measurement were migrated to the newer system.

Advocates and experts say separate systems can cause problems.

Integrated systems allow people to take fewer steps to apply for and maintain SNAP and Medicaid benefits, which reduces the chance that they’ll be wrongly denied benefits. Well-integrated systems are also better at handling the complexity of overlapping but distinct federal eligibility rules for SNAP and Medicaid so state employees bear less of that burden.

Jennifer Wagner, director of Medicaid eligibility and enrollment at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said integrated systems make it easier for states to offer combined applications for Medicaid and SNAP and for information to carry over across programs when people complete annual renewals or submit changes.

Combined systems streamline state employees’ work, and the savings gets passed down to people accessing the programs.

“From a caseworker perspective, because so much of the eligibility determination keys off each other and uses the same information, you can touch a case much less often,” Wagner said.&nbsp;

Holley said a lack of coordination between Missouri’s SNAP and Medicaid systems has caused clients to lose benefits, partly because annual renewals for Medicaid and SNAP happen on different timelines.&nbsp;

A past client updated their address while renewing their Medicaid coverage, Holley said. The address didn’t transfer to the other system, so that when it was time for the client to recertify their SNAP eligibility, the paperwork was sent to their old address. The client lost their benefits.

“Those systems don’t talk,” Holley said.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the federal SNAP lawsuit said continuing challenges completing annual renewals are part of the reason it’s so important for the court not to let the department off the hook.&nbsp;

While the department argued in its request for an appeal that it had already addressed the harms to the individual plaintiffs in the case by granting them interviews and benefits, the attorneys said plaintiffs are likely to encounter the same denials for failure to interview.

“All of these people want to keep their benefits and are trying their hardest,” Holley said.

One of the plaintiffs, Mary Holmes, lost SNAP benefits during the lawsuit because the department said she incorrectly filled out recertification paperwork, Holley said.

Data the department is court-ordered to submit to the court each month suggest improvements in the number of times people get disconnected when the call center is overloaded. It also shows fewer SNAP applications are being rejected only due to failure to complete an interview.

But Katie Deabler, an attorney from the National Center for Law and Economic Justice who is also representing plaintiffs in the case, said the department hasn’t been submitting data long enough to demonstrate improvements will last.

Deabler, who has worked on SNAP cases in multiple states, said application volumes often vary with the seasons. Applications tend to pick up in the summer and over the winter holidays, when kids can’t receive food in school.

Though the average time someone spends on hold waiting for an interview has decreased from 57 minutes in February to 23 minutes in October, average wait times were slightly up in July, August, September and October from a year ago. That’s in four of the six months where there are two years of data.&nbsp;

The department has fallen short of a benchmark U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Harpool set in May of 90% of all callers spending no more than 20 minutes on hold. In October, that was true of 62% of people waiting for a SNAP interview. The longest anyone spent on hold that month, the department reported, was 2 hours and 22 minutes, down from a peak of 6 hours and 3 minutes in March.

“Agencies that are trying to fix these sorts of big, systemic problems,” Deabler said, “they really can’t just sit back and take a break just because there’s a few months that looked okay.”

Wagner, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the “Big Beautiful Bill” has created “a perfect storm in a terrible way.”

The law requires states next year to begin implementing sweeping policy changes to Medicaid with sharply reduced administrative funding for SNAP and under intense pressure to minimize errors in SNAP payments.

“That means less resources and a ton more work and a lot more severe consequences if the work is not done perfectly,” Wagner said.

Beginning in October 2027, states with SNAP error rates of 6% or higher will have to pay 5 to 15% of the cost of the food benefits they issue. States’ current performance will be used to determine if and how much they must pay.

“So states have not a short timeframe, but a negative timeframe, to affect the error rate that will determine whether the state can maintain the program or not,” Wagner said.

Missouri’s error rate was 9.42% in fiscal year 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/snap-fy24QC-PER.pdf" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Wilde, the state social services department’s chief information officer, said that while the department focuses on implementing the federal law, it’s making changes to streamline staffers’ workflow while planning for the eventual replacement of its systems.

The department has developed a process to automatically transfer some information from SNAP applications into the eligibility system, Wilde said, without requiring “a bunch of manual touches” from staffers, saving about 400 hours of work so far.

“What we’ve been doing,” she said, “is reimagining, in the intermediacy, til different systems…are put in place, what are some low tech solutions that still have big, really good [impacts] and that can help the process?”

Wilde said the department has also upgraded its automated call center technology so Missourians can get more information about their SNAP and Medicaid cases without having to wait on hold.&nbsp;

The department has also started work to allow its call center technology to feed more information to its eligibility systems, Wilde said, in anticipation of more frequent Medicaid recertifications next year.

For Missourians struggling to access needed assistance, the stakes are high.&nbsp;

Deabler said that regardless of pressures from the federal government, the state has a legal responsibility to provide SNAP benefits to people who are eligible.

“States owe the same duty to the people who rely on this program to feed their families that they always did,” Deabler said.

Holley said she and others at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, “keep see[ing] people cycling back through, needing our help again and again.”

“In theory, all of these systems should work to keep people who qualify for benefits…in receipt of them,” Holley said. “They should continue to receive benefits. They’re doing what they need to do. It’s frustrating.”

Federal changes delay long-overdue overhaul of Missouri’s troubled safety net systems

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

Less than 2% of MOScholars students are funded through donations this school year. The rest depend on general revenue from the state budget

More than 98% of scholarships administered by the MOScholars program this school year are funded by Missouri taxpayers. And though there are strict eligibility requirements for private-school scholarships, eligibility isn’t checked after the initial scholarship is awarded or for siblings of students who received a scholarship.

The revelations about the inner workings of Missouri’s private school voucher program came to light over the course of a two-day trial in Cole County Circuit Court this week.

The focus of the arguments Monday and Tuesday were over whether the state can use general revenue for private school tuition, with the attorney general’s office defending state funds as transformative for the program and Missouri’s largest teacher’s union saying the funding is unlawful.

But witness testimony pulled back the curtain on certain details about the MOScholars program that have stayed largely out of the public consciousness.

MOScholars, which is in its fourth year of operation, awards scholarships to K-12 students who meet certain criteria.

When state lawmakers created the program in a 2021 bill, they set it up to run on donations that are eligible for a 100% tax credit up to half of a donor’s tax liability. In the first three years of the program, donations totaled $33.8 million.

Gov. Mike Kehoe announced in January that he intended to bring a major infusion of funding to the program through a $50 million appropriation of general revenue. This windfall for MOScholars has allowed the state to nearly triple the amount of scholarships awarded this fall.

“If not for general revenue, would many of (the new) scholars be able to receive a scholarship?” Assistant Attorney General Peter Donahue asked the treasurer’s director of programs, Trent Blair.

Of 6,418 scholarships awarded this school year, only 111 are funded through tax credits. That includes the 2,405 students who were in the program last year. So if MOScholars did not receive the state appropriation, the funding would cover less than 5% of the renewal students going into the school year.

The State Treasurer’s Office, which oversees MOScholars, has previously admitted to problems with the timing of funding. The bulk of donations hit the accounts of educational assistance organizations — intermediary nonprofits that connect students with the funding — in December.

With tuition due in August, MOScholars had to either wait eight months to award the funds or put stress on the system. Blair testified that the educational assistance organizations largely chose the latter and that the organizations themselves choose when to use donated funds.&nbsp;

In 2023, two of the six educational assistance organizations acknowledged they used&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/21/funding-lag-creates-barrier-for-missouri-private-school-tax-credit-program/">their private funds to pay tuition</a>&nbsp;in the fall and paid themselves back once they received donations.&nbsp;In October, two organizations&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/13/nearly-all-state-funding-for-missouri-school-vouchers-used-for-religious-schools/">told The Independent</a>&nbsp;that they were able to fund scholarships for all their renewal students and clear their waitlists with the new state funds.

The state money “stabilizes the program,” Blair testified Tuesday.

Representing the Missouri National Education Association, attorney Loretta Haggard unearthed issues with the administration of the program as she cross-examined Blair.

She honed in on MOScholars’ eligibility requirements. State law limits the program to students with an individualized education plan or those whose family makes at or below 300% of the income standard used to qualify for free and reduced price lunches.

The treasurer’s office uses an education management system called FACTS to review applications and determine eligibility. Haggard asked if the software checks if renewal students still meet eligibility requirements.&nbsp;

“So a student can receive a scholarship even though they don’t meet the IEP or income requirements?” Haggard then asked.

When a student is eligible one year, the system presumes that they retain eligibility. The siblings of renewal students are also deemed eligible.

The treasurer’s office has faced criticism before over how it has administered MOScholars, including&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/10/missouri-treasurer-vivek-malek-transparency-moscholars/">complaints from Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck</a>&nbsp;that the office wasn’t transparent about program data. And in July, a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/16/missouri-auditor-says-treasurer-put-35-million-into-wrong-state-fund/">report from the State Auditor</a>&nbsp;found the treasurer’s office didn’t conduct annual audits of the MOScholars program required by state law.

But Tuesday’s testimony was the first time the state has admitted to not rechecking eligibility, something that is routine for other state-funded programs like food assistance or Medicaid.&nbsp;

Any questions about the administration of the program don’t impact the legality of the appropriation, said Bryan Cleveland, an attorney with Indiana-based advocacy group EdChoice, who intervened in the case on behalf of three parents whose children have received assistance through MOScholars.

“The case does not depend on whether any one treasurer is doing a good job but rather on interpretation of statutory provisions,” he told the judge. “The rest of the discussion of what the treasurer or the educational assistance organizations do after (the appropriation) is not relevant.”

Blair, stepping off the witness stand Tuesday, sighed, head tucked as he walked back to his seat. The trial marked one of the few occasions the treasurer’s office has answered questions publicly, apart from occasional statements to the media.

When Cole County Judge Brian Stumpe denied a request for a temporary restraining order, which would have blocked the spending of the general revenue during the trial, the treasurer’s office held a joint press conference with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office but did not take any questions.

On Monday, attorneys argued over whether the Missouri NEA or its individual members had standing to challenge the state appropriation to MOScholars.&nbsp;

A decision on the case is not expected until after Dec. 8, when attorneys’ post-trial filings are due.

Trial reveals inner workings of Missouri private school voucher program

Corn futures were higher Friday. Soybean futures were also higher; wheat futures were mixed at best on the session. The U.S. stock market was firmer, with the S&amp;P higher. The U.S. Dollar Index was slightly lower. The interest rate products were flat. Energy trade was firmer with crude oil and natural gas both trading higher. Precious metals were firmer with gold up 37.00.

The live cattle complex was still sporting a fruitful rally into Friday's close, as traders seem to be again believing in the market's bullish long-term fundamentals despite plenty of volatility over the last month. There was some light cash cattle trade reported in the South at $220, which is roughly $5.00 higher than the business that developed earlier in the week, but still $2.00 to $4.00 lower than last week's weighted average. No new dressed cattle trade has developed at this point. Earlier in the week, Northern dressed cattle were trading at mostly $330, which is $13.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Boxed beef prices are lower: choice down $1.39 ($366.89) and select down $5.13 ($350.38) with a movement of 60 loads (46.58 loads of choice, 2.89 loads of select, 5.35 loads of trim and 4.79 loads of ground beef).

The feeder cattle contracts saw the biggest day of gains as some of the contracts were up their daily trading limit, up $9.25. Helping spur this positive momentum was the interview shared with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, where she discussed several important issues, such as the border. The main points she stated about the border's reopening (when it does happen) are that not all of the ports will reopen at once, and that it will be a slow and methodical process, and the market will not see a million imported cattle show up overnight, which was a major relief to hear.

The lean hog complex traded along both sides of steady as the market looks for continued reassurance following Wednesday's dramatic rally. There's been very little interest this week in the cash hog market, but pork cutout values are again up slightly.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/28124311/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

As the holidays are here, bird flu is once again infecting commercial and backyard poultry flocks. Civil Eats reports that the flu has infected and killed more than 8.9 million turkeys, chickens, and ducks in the U.S. since September. The report said consumers are unlikely to feel a price squeeze during the holidays. For example, a 50-state survey from the American Farm Bureau found retail prices for frozen turkeys were down by 16 percent compared to last year. That’s even though wholesale prices are up 40 percent, with retailers often selling turkeys as loss-leaders. 

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reports that 93 flocks have been tested and confirmed with HPAI infection. That includes 43 commercial flocks, 50 backyard flocks, and has affected 1.67 million birds across all the infected premises. Reuters reported that the risk of infection in the public remains low.

More bird flu ahead of the holiday season

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said her agency intends to purchase up to $30 million in fresh fruit from American farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. These purchases are being made through Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will assist producers and communities in need. “Certain commodities are experiencing a surplus, and USDA is ensuring these crops do not go to waste and instead go to Americans in need across the country,” Rollins said. “These fresh fruits will reach those in need, boosting healthier options for Americans at food banks across the country, all while benefiting American farmers facing unfair actions from foreign competitors.”

 The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will purchase $15 million in fresh oranges, $10 million in grapefruit, and $5 million worth of mandarins. The AMS purchases a variety of domestically-produced agricultural products on an ongoing basis.&nbsp;

USDA announces $30 million food purchase

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

Row-crop futures posted respectable gains in a breakout session from what had been a narrow range for prices through the holiday week. Seasonality is certainly on the side of the bulls for now as traders also are anticipating U.S. production estimates will fall again from November figures when USDA revisits the supply side of the balance sheet in January. Meanwhile, strong demand ideas are working to keep a floor under prices as well. Outside markets for Wednesday saw firmer equities as indices are heading toward a retracement of last week's AI bubble fear induced selloff. Energy prices were mixed with crude oil futures higher but among 2025 lows, and diesel prices continuing to fall sharply from last week's highs.

Wednesday's rally in the live cattle complex could be in part due to the interview that Lonesome Lands shared with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. A couple of major points were discussed in the interview: Rollins stated that when the U.S.-Mexico border reopens, not all ports will reopen at once and that "you will not see 1 million head of cattle show up overnight, it's going to be a slow and gradual process." Rollins also stated the port in Arizona is likely to reopen first as it's furthest away from any detected New World screwworm. Rollins also stated there's not an ag industry that she's more bullish about than cattle. No new cash cattle trade has been reported, but bids are on the table in Kansas at $215. On Tuesday, some trade developed in the North at $330, which is $15.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Although there have not been many cattle traded in the South, a handful of deals were marked at $215, which is $7.00 to $9.00 lower than last week's weighted average. Boxed beef prices are mixed: choice down $1.45 ($368.64) and select up $2.55 ($358.48) with a movement of 115 loads (76.90 loads of choice, 10.97 loads of select, 12.76 loads of trim and 14.74 loads of ground beef).

The feeder cattle complex also traded notably higher (mostly $7.00 to $8.00 higher) as the market is pleased to hear positive news from Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins. So long as the live cattle contracts continue to trade higher through Wednesday's close, it's likely feeder cattle contracts will as well.

The lean hog complex also traded higher as the market is pleased to note a slight bump in pork demand and is likely receiving a little extra spill-over support from the cattle complex. Packers have made it bluntly clear that they don't need many hogs this week.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/26140616/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Data from the USDA said that inspections of soybeans and corn for offshore delivery declined week to week, while wheat assessments increased during the week ending on November 20. Soybean inspections were reported at almost 800,000 metric tons, down from the 1.21 million tons inspected during the previous week. That’s also well below the 2.12 million tons assessed during the same week last year. 

Examinations of corn for overseas delivery dropped to 1.63 million metric tons, down from 2.97 million tons the previous week, but up from 1.01 million tons at the same point during the prior year. Wheat inspections rose to 474,530 metric tons, up from 246,533 tons the previous week and the 366,000 tons a year earlier. Since the marketing year began, the government has inspected 17.5 million metric tons of corn, and soybean assessments are at 10.9 million metric tons. Marketing-year wheat inspections reached 10.7 million tons.

Weekly exports of soybeans and corn decline

For the eighth time this year, the overall Rural Mainstreet Index sank below a growth-neutral score of 50.0. That’s according to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a ten-state region dependent on agriculture and energy. The region’s overall reading was 34.6 in October, the lowest level since May 2020. That’s down from 38.5 in September. “Weak agriculture commodity prices for grain producers continue to dampen economic activity in the ten-state region,” said Ernie Goss of Creighton University. “While tariffs are producing higher economic volatility, 72 percent of bank CEOs say President Trump’s approach toward Chinese trade is ‘about right.’” 

For the 17th time in the past 18 months, farmland prices slumped below growth-neutral. The region’s farmland price index dropped to 37.0 from 45.8 in September. Farm loan delinquency rates rose from a very low 1.1 percent in June of this year to 1.6 percent this month. 

Rural Mainstreet Index stays below growth neutral

December corn closed down 1/4 cent and March corn was up 1 1/2 cents. January soybeans closed up 1 1/2 cents and March soybeans were up 2 3/4 cents. March KC wheat closed up 5 3/4 cents, March Chicago wheat was up 4 1/2 cents, March Minneapolis wheat was up 4 3/4 cents.

As expected for Thanksgiving week, grain and oilseed markets have been very quiet and more or less directionless thus far, struggling to gain breakout momentum in either direction with many traders likely on the sidelines and taking an extended holiday break from the action. The trade, albeit thin, does exhibit the characteristic of at least a short-term bottom in accordance to technical guidelines. Outside markets for Tuesday were mixed with higher equities, but weaker energy markets with crude oil futures working their way back toward 2025 lows.

It was technically a mixed session, but mostly lower morning for the live cattle complex. Although most of the deferred contracts were traded higher, spot and nearby contracts are trading slightly lower. There's even been some trade already in the fed cash cattle market. There was light movement of dressed trade this morning in Nebraska, where cattle are trading anywhere from $325 to $330, but mostly at $330, which is a $15.00 decline from last week's weighted average. Still no trade has developed yet in the South, and asking prices are still not known in that region. Delivery dates for the cattle that have traded have been set for mostly the week of Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. Boxed beef prices are higher: choice up $1.56 ($372.05) and select up $3.46 ($358.97) with a movement of 74 loads (55.78 loads of choice, 8.21 loads of select, 4.08 loads of trim and 5.76 loads of ground beef).

The feeder cattle complex traded higher following Monday's sharp decline. Traders seem to be recovering some position that was lost on Monday, but it's more a technical reaction than a decision being made because more confidence has truly been established in the marketplace.

The lean hog contracts continued to trade slightly higher as the market crosses its fingers that the uncertainty in the cattle sector could be gained opportunity for the hog complex. The market still hasn't gained a strong fundamental foothold, as pork cutout values are lower.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/11/25142053/web-closing-markets-2.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Last week, the American Carbon Alliance submitted a formal letter of support for the bipartisan SPEED Act — legislation designed to bring long-overdue clarity, accountability, and timeliness to federal environmental reviews. The bill establishes firm review deadlines, streamlines agency coordination, and prevents the kind of regulatory delay that regularly stalls energy, carbon-capture, biofuels, and rural-infrastructure projects. 

For ethanol producers, rural communities, and carbon capture developers, predictable permitting isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. Investments stall when timelines slip, and rural economies lose opportunities when critical infrastructure gets caught in bureaucratic gridlock. The SPEED Act is a major step toward ensuring the U.S. can actually build the projects needed for lower emissions, stronger energy security, and new economic growth across the Midwest. As of Friday morning, the SPEED Act passed committee markup with a bipartisan vote. 

ACA supports the SPEED Act to deliver real permitting reform

A new report released this week reveals that severe agricultural labor shortages are accelerating the financial strain facing America’s family farms and contributing to rising prices for traditional Thanksgiving foods. According to the findings, farms across the country are struggling to secure the skilled, reliable workforce needed to harvest crops, care for livestock, and maintain year-round operations. 

As labor shortages worsen, growers are facing higher production costs, reduced yields, and in some cases, the difficult decision to scale back or abandon crops altogether. The result of these significant disruptions: domestic food production instability and higher prices for U.S. consumers. The report calls for urgent policy action to modernize the agricultural workforce system and protect the long-term viability of U.S. food producers. Without meaningful reform, consumers will face continued price increases and local farming communities will bear deepening economic consequences.

Higher holiday food prices and crisis for American family farms

Missouri Gov. Mike
Kehoe has appointed Andrea Fischer of St. Joseph to the Missouri Veterinary
Medical Board.

Fischer is a
senior therapeutic specialist for Gilead Sciences. Fischer previously worked as
an executive oncology account specialist for AstraZeneca.

Fischer is a
member of several organizations, including the Missouri Cattlemen's Association
and the American Simmental Association. Fischer earned her bachelor's degree in
animal science from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Gov. Kehoe appoints Fischer to Missouri Veterinary Medical Board

President Donald Trump said Friday he will try to reverse any law, pardon or still-in-effect executive order that former President Joe Biden signed with an autopen, though it wasn’t immediately clear how that would work or whether it would be legal.&nbsp;

Trump declared in&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115629010097815862" target="_blank">a social media post</a>&nbsp;that any documents Biden signed with the autopen are “hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.”

“I am hereby cancelling all Executive Orders, and anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally,” Trump alleged. “Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The White House press office didn’t immediately respond to a request for the list of documents Trump believes he has the ability to rescind based on the manner they were signed.

States Newsroom also asked the Trump administration if officials believe the president would need to sign an executive order in order to implement his social media post.&nbsp;

Experts dismissed earlier autopen challenge&nbsp;

The post was similar to one&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/legal-experts-quash-trump-argument-biden-pardons-signed-autopen-are-void" target="_blank">Trump published in March</a>&nbsp;when he claimed any pardons Biden signed with the autopen were void, something legal experts said at the time was “absurd” and a “red herring.”

Trump brought up his frustration with autopen use again in June&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-opens-investigation-biden-autopen-use" target="_blank">when he ordered</a>&nbsp;the White House legal counsel and U.S. attorney general to investigate when and why Biden administration staff used an autopen.&nbsp;

Trump said during an Oval Office appearance at the time he hadn’t found any evidence Biden aides violated the law.

“No, but I’ve uncovered the human mind,” Trump said. “I was in a debate with the human mind and I didn’t think he knew what the hell he was doing. So it’s one of those things, one of those problems. We can’t ever allow that to happen to our country.”

Biden and spokespeople working for him have repeatedly said he knew what official documents were being signed in his name and rejected claims that White House staff used the autopen without his authorization or knowledge.&nbsp;

Biden released a statement in June following the Trump memorandum, saying the investigation “is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.”

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations,” Biden wrote at the time. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

While presidents have regularly rescinded their predecessors executive orders, usually within their first few days or weeks in office, Congress would very likely need to act in order to alter or eliminate any laws that Biden signed with an autopen. Trump seeking to overturn a law, or part of a law, unilaterally would likely lead to a lawsuit over whether he holds that power.&nbsp;

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