Another game, another strong start by St. Joseph's Noah Cameron and the Kansas City Royals backed up the rookie pitcher's performance on the mound to even up their series with the Minnesota Twins, winning 2-0 at Target Field on Saturday evening.&nbsp;

The Royals got the one run they needed for Cameron in the third inning, with two outs, as Kyle Isbel singled and then scored on a double by Maikel Garcia.&nbsp; Bobby Witt Jr grounded out to end the inning, leaving Kansas City up 1-0 at the end of the inning, as Cameron went on in the bottom half to get an inning ending double play after surrendering two singles to start the frame.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cameron pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and striking out four while walking two before being replaced by Angel Zerpa for the final out of the sixth inning.&nbsp; Hunter Harvey gave up two hits in the seventh, but escaped the inning unharmed, before handing the ball to Lucas Erceg for a scoreless, hitless eighth inning.&nbsp;

In the ninth inning, the Royals added one more run of insurance with a Jonathan India RBI single scoring pinch hitter Adam Frazier.&nbsp; Bringing no more runs across in the top half,&nbsp;Carlos Estévez was brought on in the bottom half of the inning and retired Minnesota 1-2-3, with two strikeouts, earning his 29th save in the shutout victory.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was the sixth win of the season for Cameron as he moved above .500 on the season, improving to 6-5 on the mound.&nbsp; At the plate, Garcia was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.&nbsp; Isbel was also 2-for-4 on the day with a run scored.&nbsp;

Kansas City and Minnesota wrap up their series tomorrow.&nbsp; Ryan Bergert (1-1, 2.83 ERA) makes his second start since being acquired by the Royals, while the Twins starter is currently listed as TBD.&nbsp; First pitch is at 12:05pm, pregame coverage will begin at 11:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another strong start by Cameron helps Royals even up series with Twins

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 5a.m. Sunday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway&nbsp; Patrol reported a 2021 Polaris RZR driven by a 22-year-old Jamesport man was westbound on Topper Avenue at 320th Street one mile west of Lock Springs. The driver failed to negotiate a curve. The driver overcorrected. The vehicle overturned and he was ejected.

A private vehicle transported the driver to Hedrick Medical Center. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP.

Missouri man injured after UTV overturns

Hospitals across Missouri are preparing for reduced revenue and increased costs under President Donald Trump’s new budget plan, which will slash more than $1 trillion from Medicaid spending over the next decade

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/megcunningham/">Meg Cunningham</a>

Missouri’s 67 rural hospitals are pondering a dramatically different future under President Donald Trump’s new budget plan.

The recently approved budget bill will slash federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. By some estimates, it could lead to 8.6 million people nationwide losing health coverage.

Various estimates conclude that between 130,000 and 170,000 Missourians could lose coverage under the&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/07/11/medicaid-mo-healthnet-kancare-changes-2025/" target="_blank">state’s Medicaid program, known as MO HealthNet</a>, over the next decade.

And even if you have commercial insurance, the impact on hospital operations and finances could still affect your health care. As people delay treatment for their health conditions due to a lack of insurance, they’ll start relying more on the emergency room as their primary form of health care, experts say.

That will lead to more crowded emergency departments. Moreover, the burden to pay for uninsured patients will shift onto the hospitals that provide the care, and eventually back to patients.

With the budget plan in motion and spending cuts materializing, Missouri’s hospitals are now taking a look at their finances and preparing for an uptick in costs.

For rural Missourians, even those who aren’t on Medicaid, it means the types of health care available to them in the form of obstetric units, primary care providers or specialty providers could be changing.

Or their nearby hospital could be gone altogether.

“We are likely going to see rural hospital closures,” said Sheldon Weisgrau, the vice president of health policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health, in a press briefing.

“We have not had any rural hospitals close since we expanded the Medicaid program,” he said. “We are likely to see rural hospitals close because they operate on the financial edge.”

What do worsening hospital finances under Medicaid cuts mean for you?&nbsp;

Mercy, which is based in the St. Louis area, operates 112 hospitals and emergency rooms across Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and has a large footprint in rural Missouri. Mercy estimates that the budget will lead to bigger revenue losses every year.

Five years from now, they estimate, they’ll lose $300 million in revenue annually.

“That’s going to mean we’re going to have to radically look at how we deliver care differently — that is still responsive to our communities,” said Cheryl Matejka, the executive vice president and chief financial officer at Mercy. “It’s going to be different for us to survive and thrive.”

Under the plan, Missouri stands to lose an estimated $23 billion in federal funding over the next decade, according to the Missouri Foundation for Health.* Much of Missouri’s federal money covers the cost of Medicaid for the Affordable Care Act expansion group, which voters approved coverage for with an amendment to the state constitution in 2020.

The new federal budget restricts how states and hospitals can pay for the services they provide by limiting the fees that states can collect from health care providers. It also puts limits on what states can pay hospitals to help them fill gaps in their finances for treating Medicaid patients.

Broken down by year, Missouri’s federal funding for Medicaid will drop about 20% annually as the plan moves forward, Weisgrau said.

“All of this is going to have a disproportionate impact in rural communities,” Weisgrau said.

The Missouri Foundation for Health analyzed the budget plan, he added, and found that rural health care providers could lose 21 cents of every dollar they currently get from Medicaid.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/key-facts-about-hospitals/?entry=rural-hospitals-rural-profit-margins" target="_blank">KFF</a>, hospitals overall had an operating margin of 5.2% in 2023. For rural hospitals, that margin was 3.1%.

The bulk of the concern stems from an expected rise in uncompensated care — hospitals treating patients even if they cannot pay.

“When folks lose their insurance coverage, it doesn’t mean they don’t continue to get sick,” Weisgrau said. “A lot of them stay out of the health care system because they know they can’t afford it.”

Once their health deteriorates to a certain point, they go to the emergency room, where they are required to be treated, even if they cannot pay for that care.

Mercy, for example, sets aside part of its budget to account for that cost.

“We give away about half a billion dollars of uncompensated or unreimbursed care,” said John Mohart, the executive vice president and chief operation officer for Mercy. “Some of that is for Medicaid patients already, because it doesn’t cover the costs that we have.”

But for smaller hospitals, the flexibility to provide that uncompensated care isn’t there. Fewer insured people will only increase costs.

“If you see an uninsured patient, then you probably have to assume that there is a pretty good chance you’re just going to have to eat those costs,” said Timothy McBride, a public health expert and economist at the Washington University School of Public Health.

As a result, even those covered by commercial insurance could see their premiums rise to help cover the care.

“These costs are passed on to the rest of us,” Weisgrau said. “We will see private insurance premiums going up. Even folks who have good coverage from their employers and think they might be immune from some of these Medicaid cuts&nbsp;&nbsp;will see impacts of this down the line.”

How far will the rural hospital fund go in saving at-risk hospitals?&nbsp;

To help offset some of the costs rural hospitals are taking on, senators in Washington lobbied for the inclusion of a rural hospital stabilization fund. The budget included $50 billion for rural hospitals over the next five years with the possibility of renewing the fund in the future.

Half of it will be distributed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, while the other half will flow to states to then send to hospitals.

But the fund won’t be enough to offset the losses rural hospitals are anticipating.

Medicaid spending in rural parts of the country is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-across-the-states-enacted-reconciliation-package" target="_blank">expected to fall by $137 billion</a>&nbsp;over the next decade — $87 billion more than was allocated to the rural hospital fund, according to KFF.

And even those estimates, KFF said, are modest because they don’t account for how states may change the way they fund Medicaid.

During negotiations surrounding the budget bill, senators asked the University of North Carolina Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/sheps_response.pdf" target="_blank">analyze</a>&nbsp;how many rural hospitals may be at risk under the plan.

Their report found that nearly 340 rural hospitals were at risk nationwide, based on the rate of Medicaid patients they serve and their consecutive years of financial losses.

In Missouri, four hospitals were considered at-risk, while in Kansas, six hospitals were listed.

One of those hospitals is Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia, the city’s largest employer with more than 1,000 employees.

In 2024, the hospital posted its first profit since 2018, Bothwell CEO Lori Wightman said in a press release in July. Notably, Medicare and Medicaid provided 78% of the payments for its patients.

“These programs pay well below the actual cost of providing care,” Wightman said in the release. “Commercial insurance alone cannot close the gap, and that is where subsidies available to rural hospitals are essential. Unfortunately, the cost of providing care, from personnel to technology, continues to rise making a difficult situation harder to stabilize.”

Other Missouri hospitals included on the list were Scotland County Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Parkland Health Center in Bonne Terre and Lafayette Regional Health Center in Lexington — Sen. Josh Hawley’s hometown.

<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-%20brief/a-look-at-rural-hospital-closures-and-implications-for-access-to-care/" target="_blank">Studies</a>&nbsp;show that after a rural hospital closure, low-income and elderly patients were more likely to defer or skip their health care altogether because of transportation challenges.

Rural hospital closures also lead to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00916" target="_blank">loss of physicians</a>. One study found that the closure of a rural hospital led to an 8.3% drop in primary care physicians and a 4.8% drop in obstetricians and gynecologists.

“Health care providers are big employers,” Weisgrau said. “They are big users of local supplies and commodities. All of that will have to be reduced. People will lose jobs. Economies will decline as a result of these cuts.”

*Meg Cunningham’s coverage of rural health is funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health.&nbsp;

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/08/08/rural-hospitals-missouri-medicaid-cuts-at-risk-2025-closures/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</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>.

Rural hospitals in Missouri struggle to turn a profit. Medicaid cuts could force some to close

CLINTON COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just after 3p.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State highway Patrol reported a 1997 Ford Ranger driven by a 27-year-old Breckenridge man was southbound on MO 33 nine miles north of Platttsburg. The pickup traveled off the west side of the road, returned to the road, traveled off the east side of the road, came back on the road and rolled onto its top

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Forensic Medical. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man dies after pickup rollover accident

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Ram 2500 driven by a 63-year-old Jamesport man was eastbound on U.S. 69 in Winston.

The pickup rear-ended a 2014 Kia Forte driven by a 16-year-old Gillman City boy who had slowed to make a left turn and a 2021 Ford Bronco driven by a 51-year-old Trenton man.&nbsp;

A private vehicle transported the teen driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; All three drivers were properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longe releases named of accident victims.

Missouri teen injured after 3-vehicle rear-end crash

HARRISON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just befor 4p.m. Friday in Harrison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Sea-Doo XP Limited driven by a 51-year-old Bethany man was on Harrison County Lake northeast of the old boat ramp.

The watercraft traveled into the path of a 1997 Sea-Doo XP driven by a 48-year-old Trenton man. The front of the 1997 watercraft struck the right side of the 1997 watercraft.

Harrison County EMS transported the 51-year-old to Liberty Hospital. There were not other injuries. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man injured after jet skis collide

GRUNDY COUNTY—A Missouri man died in an accident just before midnight Friday in Grundy County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Ford F150 driven by an 82-year-old Trenton man was southbound on U.S. 65 two miles south of Spickard. The driver attempted to pass a 2003 Toyota Tundra driven by a 25-year-old Gallatin man as the vehicles approached the crest of a hill. The Ford struck a northbound 2021 Ford Expedition driven by a 21-year-old Spickard woman head-on.

After impact, the F150 skidded back into the southbound lanes and struck the Toyota. The impact pushed the Toyota into a utility pole and a fence. The F150 skidded off the west side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned.

Grundy County ambulance transported the F150 driver and a 72-year-old female passenger to Wright Memorial where the 82-year-old was pronounced deceased. The 72-year-old was later transferred to St. Lukes's on the Plaza. Mercer County EMS transported the 21-year-old SUV driver to Wright Memorial.&nbsp; There were no other injuries. The 82-year-old was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri man dead after 3-vehicle head-on crash

DEKALB COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 10a.m. Saturday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2022 Harley Davidson Ultra driven by a North Judson, Indiana man was eastbound on U.S. 36 four miles west of Cameron.&nbsp; The driver attempted to change lanes, the vehicle hydroplaned.&nbsp; He lost control of the motorcycle and became separated from the vehicle.

Cameron EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Motorcyclist hospitalized in St. Joe after vehicle hydroplanes

KFEQ Week in Review

CLINTON COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 5:30a.m. Saturday in Clinton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Jeep Liberty driven by a 41-year-old Cameron man was southbound on U.S. 169 three miles east of Lathrop. The Jeep crossed the center line, traveled off the left side of thr road and overturned.

Tri-county ambulance transported the driver to Liberty Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases the names of accident victims.

Missouri man injured after Jeep overturns

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED FROM IT'S ORIGINAL POSTING

A truck driver
died after losing control of his rig exiting I-229 in downtown St. Joseph.

The truck went off
the I-229 ramp and plunged onto the railroad tracks near Main Street.

St.
Joseph police report the driver was traveling south on I-229 when he took the
Felix Street exit and lost control of the truck around six o’clock Thursday
evening. Emergency crews responded and rushed him to the hospital, but he died
of his injuries.

St. Joseph Police have identified the truck driver as 58 year old Kevin Miller, who was originally from Florida but resided in California.&nbsp; Police say Miller was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and sustained severe injuries.&nbsp; He was transported to Mosaic Life Care where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.&nbsp;

You can follow&nbsp;Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ

Truck driver dies in crash over I-229 exit in downtown St. Joseph

September corn closed down 1 3/4 cents and December corn was down 1 1/2 cents. September soybeans closed down 6 1/4 cents and November soybeans were down 6 1/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 3 1/4 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 3 3/4 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was up 2 3/4 cents.

September corn closed down 6 3/4 cents and December corn was down 5 1/4 cents. September soybeans closed down 1 3/4 cents and November soybeans were down 1 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 2 1/4 cents and September Minneapolis wheat was up 4 1/2 cents.

Markets looked poised to extend their late-week rally into the weekend early Friday, but momentum waned as the session wore on as traders are likely awaiting the USDA next week to offer clues on price direction through the remaining weeks ahead of the 2025 U.S. harvest. In outside markets for Friday, equities are heading higher to round out a back-and-forth week as investors weigh the uncertainties of this week's latest tariff developments, while preparing for next week's inflation reading. Crude oil futures also bounced off daily lows and the lowest price since early June, prior to the Israel-Iran conflict, and if values hold will narrowly avoid lower trade for each day this week.

If today's action isn't evidence of what emotional volatility can look like, then I don't know what would be. The live cattle complex fronted a magnificent rally throughout the week, only to come crashing lower on Friday. Why, you ask? Good question. One could say that traders have exhausted their efforts, someone could say that tariff chatters are taking their toll, another could highlight that traders are anxious as they've yet to see what fed cash cattle prices are going to do, but more than anything, today's reverse action compared to the rest of the week simply comes as an emotion knee-jerk reaction as traders themselves don't know what else to do with the contracts at this point. On Thursday, the spot October contract closed at yet another new contract high, and although the market is currently seeing an unseasonal rally in boxed beef prices, traders are anxious to see what develops this week in the fed cash cattle market.

Following the live cattle market's direction, the feeder cattle complex traded sharply lower after scoring new all-time highs in the futures complex just yesterday afternoon. Today's action could have a slightly negative effect on the sale barns having sales today, but still, prices will remain high, as the fact isn't changing anytime soon that supplies are tight.

The lean hog complex traded mixed into Friday's closing bell, as the market has again seemed to establish some footing into the futures complex, and it's helpful that pork prices are higher, too. Given that today's trade was mixed in its nature, it's likely the contracts may be able to keep their somewhat higher trend into the early part of next week.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/08143703/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

Commodity markets daily recap

July runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was two million acre-feet, 62 percent of the average. The annual runoff forecast above Sioux City is 19.2 million acre-feet, 75 percent of the average. “Above-normal precipitation occurred in much of the basin, though areas of western Montana and Wyoming continue to be very dry,” said John Remus of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

“The dry soil moisture, below-normal rainfall in the mountains, and below-normal mountain snowpack runoff have led to well below-average reservoir inflows into the Fort Peck and Garrison reaches on the river.” The U.S. Drought Monitor indicated that 53 percent of the basin was not experiencing drought conditions, an improvement of 15 percent since July 1. System storage on August 1 was down only slightly from July. The Drought Outlook indicates drought conditions are expected to persist or expand throughout the basin through the end of October. 

Missouri River runoff in July was below average

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service recently released its 2025 Land Values Summary. The U.S. farm real estate value, a measurement of the value of all land and buildings on farms, averaged $4,350 per acre for 2025, up $180 per acre, or 4.3 percent, from 2024. California was the most expensive in the country, with farmland real estate valued at $13,700 per acre, up 2.2 percent from the previous year. 

The U.S. cropland value averaged $5,830 per acre, an increase of $260 per acre, or 4.7 percent, from the prior year. It’s up significantly from 2011, when the average cropland value was $2,980. California’s cropland value was $17,940, up 3.6 percent from the previous year, while Iowa’s cropland averaged $10,300 an acre, up 5.1 percent from 2024. The United States pasture value averaged $1,920 per acre, an increase of $90 per acre, or 4.9 percent, from 2024. 

Farm real estate values top $4,000 per acre

September corn closed up 4 3/4 cents and December corn was up 5 3/4 cents. September soybeans closed up 8 1/2 cents and November soybeans were up 9 1/4 cents. September KC wheat closed up 10 cents, September Chicago wheat was up 9 3/4 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was up 7 cents.

Ag markets were able to build off the late-session momentum seen Wednesday to trade higher Thursday in what was a widespread recovery session from a very bearish start to the week. Time will have to tell whether this is the start of a sustained bottoming attempt or simply another quick round of short-covering; but historical seasonality would suggest August or September is typically where corn and soy markets tend to look for a bottom. Traders will look to USDA to add to the recent yield forecast debate next Tuesday. In outside markets, crude oil futures are quickly back trading among the lowest prices seen since late June after five consecutive sessions lower, heading for a sixth on Thursday. Equities began Thursday higher before turning sharply lower by late morning as investors express uncertainty as the latest round of reciprocal tariffs officially go into effect Thursday following months of deals and deadline extensions.

With the unseasonal rally in boxed beef prices, the live cattle complex continues to challenge the market's resistance threshold, which also happens to be its all-time market high, as the cattle complex's strong fundamental footing of limited supplies amid unfathomable demand continues to lend support beyond anyone's wildest belief. It will be especially interesting to see what develops this week in the fed cash cattle market as though packers were able to buy some supply last week and commit those cattle to the nearby delivery option, they still need to stay engaged enough in the market to avoid being short bought in the weeks ahead and feedlot managers haven't been easy for packers to deal with in recent weeks either. Asking prices are firm in the South at $238 to $240, but are still not established in the North.

The feeder cattle complex again pushed into the closing bell fully and significantly higher. The slight pullback in the August contract likely has more to do with the fact that traders are moving their positions from the August contract into the currently most actively traded September contract, and not because of any fundamental rhyme or reason, as demand is just robust in the countryside; there's no other way to describe it.

One would think that on a day when midday pork cutout values are up over $4.00, the lean hog market would be rejoicing. With traders battling resistance pressure and with the morning's export sales report weaker, the market traded lower into the closing bell on Thursday. More than anything, it seems as though the market's resistance pressure is affecting traders most. Although they thought they had enough support to drive the complex higher earlier this week, the market's fundamentals haven't been as collectively supportive as initially hoped for.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/07143716/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for Audio</a>

AccuWeather long-range experts say the transition to autumn will bring cooler air and sweater weather to millions of Americans. Others will be dealing with lingering summer heat, tropical storms, hurricanes, wildfires, or a smoky haze obscuring the sky. “Areas in the middle of the country, including Kansas to Wisconsin, will experience very pleasant and calm stretches of fall weather that will be perfect for fairs, festivals, and outdoor events like harvest,” said Long Range Expert Paul Pastelok. 

Some predictions says fall may bring warmth and fuel wildfires

Uncertainty surrounding U.S. biofuel policy and continued trade tensions pushed second-quarter profits to multi-year lows for multiple crop trading companies, including ADM and Bunge. Ag equipment manufacturers also warned customers that increasing trade tensions will cause increased equipment prices in the second half of 2025. Reports show ADM posted its lowest second-quarter profit in five years as trade challenges and uncertain biofuel policies slowed sales and hurt trading and crop processing margins. 

The company said that full-year 2025 adjusted earnings could drop to around $4 a share, the lowest since 2020. ADM, Bunge, and Cargill have reported eroding profits in recent quarters because of ample crop supplies and thinning margins. One report showed adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share for the three months ending in June, the lowest point since 2018. AGCO Corporation and CNH Industrial also say customers will soon feel the impact of tariffs due to higher prices.

Uncertainty hits agribusiness profits

Click <a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/06143944/web-closing-markets.mp3">HERE</a> to listen to the Wednesday closing markets.

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

The U.S. Dollar Index is down 0.59 at 98.19. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 130.0 points at 44,366.0. December gold is down $2.10 at $3,432.60, September silver is up $0.11 at $37.94 and September copper is up $0.0255. September crude oil is down $0.87 at $64.29, September ultra-low sulfur diesel is up $0.0075, September RBOB gasoline is down $0.0025 and September natural gas is up $0.073.

September corn futures dropped another 1 3/4 cents on Wednesday, closing at $3.79 3/4. December futures were also down 3/4 cents to $4.01 1/4. December futures bears appeared to be making easy work of the $4.00 mark early Wednesday, before late-session bargain buyers stepped in to send prices back above the key level at least for now. For reference, the December 2024 board traded to a low price of $3.85 last August before reversing on late-season dryness, which ultimately trimmed the top end off U.S. yields as well. Seasonally speaking, August and September is a period where markets tend to look for a low.

Wednesday's EIA Petroleum Status report showed ethanol production in the U.S. averaged 1.081 million barrels per day last week, a decline of 15,000 barrels per day from the prior week's average. Last Friday, USDA reported the June monthly corn grind for ethanol in the U.S. totaled just under 448 million bushels (mb), lower than I had anticipated. Corn usage for ethanol through the marketing season has steadily lost its lead over 2023-24 after a very hot start last fall and is now just a 0.2% lead over last year, with USDA forecasting a 0.4% year-over-year increase. July and August are always wild cards for ethanol production, but at this rate, it seems unlikely that the U.S. will hit the USDA goal of 5.5 billion bushels in 2024-25. In positive news, ethanol margins remain steady with this week's USDA coproducts report showing that a bushel of corn produces $6.64 worth of products value in the Eastern Corn Belt. Ethanol exports are also strong, with June exports setting a monthly record at 173.7 million gallons. Ethanol exports to date are up 10%.

Traders will likely begin to look ahead to next week's WASDE report, where an increase in the corn yield estimate seems likely given the growing conditions thus far. That being said, I don't expect as bearish a forecast as compared to some of the private estimates being released in recent days, as USDA tends to slow play these developments, especially ahead of harvest. Perhaps this will serve as an opportunity for traders and algorithms to reset and offer some support to sinking prices. The aspect of next week's report that does keep me somewhat nervous is what USDA will find for old crop stocks, with the old crop price and spread action through summer certainly pointing to more corn relative to demand than has been estimated in this year's WASDE reports thus far.

The DTN National Corn Index finished Tuesday at $3.65. Wednesday's futures close and implied corn basis of 16 cents under the September board would indicate the Index on Wednesday afternoon to be near $3.63.

September soybeans fell 6 cents on Wednesday to $9.65 1/2. November soybeans were down 6 1/4 cents to $9.84 1/2. An early attempt higher in the soybean market was again met with fierce selling, dropping prices closer to the bearish objective of the early April low in the mid $9.70s for the November board.

Early strength in the soybean market can likely be attributed to ongoing rumors that the U.S. and China are closing in on an agreement, although traders may be losing some faith in these assertions as the weeks keep coming and going with no confirmed soybean business with China for the new crop season. Soybean oil futures were also able to trade higher on Wednesday, primarily on wider energy market strength at mid-week. Late session selling can most likely be tied to early yield forecasts from private firms, all of which are coming in above USDA's official record 52.5 bpa forecast.

The next few weeks of weather will be important for the soybean crop. Temperatures are slated to be above average across the majority of key growing regions, while rainfall chances are certainly present but may be scattered in some regions. The good news is that soil moisture levels through the wet July should be adequate to allow crops to sustain through a period of dryness if it comes to that.

The DTN National Soybean Index finished Tuesday at $9.34. Wednesday's futures close and implied soybean basis of 57 cents under the November board would indicate the Index on Wednesday afternoon to be near $9.28.

September Kansas City futures closed up 7 cents to $5.11 1/2 on Wednesday. Chicago futures were quiet, trading 1/4 cents higher on September futures. While MIAX Minneapolis spring wheat futures continued to struggle to find upward momentum, with the September contract down 1 1/2 cents in a quiet, narrow session. September KC futures were able to rebound from ugly price action on Tuesday, which set the lowest close for the most active hard red contract in just under five years. The short-term bullish target would be a pullback towards the 20-day moving average near $5.22 3/4.

In world wheat news, harvest is progressing in Russia with mixed results. The weekly International Grains Council (IGC) write-up noted improved yield prospects as harvest moves to the central regions, but also the potential for quality issues, namely low test weight. Private group SovEcon lowered its production forecast to 83.3 million metric tons (mmt), just a touch below the USDA July estimate of 83.5 mmt. Overall, traders in the marketplace are viewing a steady Russian crop, improved EU crop and good early prospects for both Argentine and Australian crops due later in 2025 as reasons for little concern regarding wheat availability. In good news, U.S. wheat offers remain competitive, with IGC noting hard red Gulf offers last week at $228 per ton, lower than most competing offers in their weekly rundown.

The DTN National HRW Index finished Tuesday at $4.52, while the DTN National HRS Index was at $5.27. Wednesday's futures close an implied basis of 53 cents under the September board for HRW, and 43 cents under the September board for HRS, would indicate the indices for Wednesday afternoon to be near $4.59 and $5.25, respectively.

More than 1,600 Hormel workers have filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the meat processor violated Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law for 14 months by forcing workers to use vacation time if they called in sick. Tim Louris, the attorney representing the workers at the Austin, Minnesota, plant, said Hormel refused to give most of the production, maintenance, and quality control employees additional paid leave when the sick and safe time law took effect last year. 

The sick and safe time law requires employers to provide one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked – up to six days a year for a full-time employee. The workers’ union, challenged Hormel, and a labor arbitrator ruled earlier this year that the company couldn’t use paid vacation to comply with the state’s law. Hormel said in a statement that it will not comment on pending litigation. 

Workers sue Hormel Foods over sick leave

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined in July as farmer sentiment continued to weaken. The barometer fell 11 points from June to register at 135 in July, a reading that came from U.S. farmers’ weaker perceptions of both current conditions and future expectations. The July Current Conditions Index dropped 17 points from the previous month to 127.  The Future Expectations Index posted a smaller drop of seven points to 139. 

Driving the weaker income prospects for 2025 were farmers’ assessments of current conditions. Despite lower scores on the three principal farmer sentiment indexes, sentiment still remains notably higher than at the same time a year ago. Almost three-fourths of the July survey respondents reported that U.S. policy is headed in the right direction. The Farm Financial Performance Index reflected concerns about weak income prospects for 2025, falling 14 points from June to 90. The Farmland Value Expectations Index was also lower. 

Farmer sentiment grows weaker

September corn closed down 5 1/2 cents and December corn was down 5 cents. September soybeans closed down 3 3/4 cents and November soybeans were down 3 3/4 cents. September KC wheat closed down 12 1/2 cents, September Chicago wheat was down 8 1/2 cents, September Minneapolis wheat was down 2 3/4 cents.

What bullish spark there was in the soybean market early Tuesday was quick to fade by midmorning as prices turned lower amid bearish influence from surrounding ag markets. Corn futures fell once again to new lows as there is just little bullish news to be found to break traders' focus on recent unveiling of a number of private yield estimates which are all coming in well above the USDA trendline forecast. For wheat markets, a fresh burst of harvest pressure sank winter wheat varieties Tuesday, as traders see little reason for concern regarding available wheat supplies in the immediate future. Outside markets for Tuesday also leaned negatively on ag interests, with crude oil markets still feeling the weight of heightened production from OPEC+. Meanwhile equities turned lower as well by midmorning, caught between growth prospects from an assumed impending interest rate cut in the next FOMC meeting in September and lingering uncertainty regarding the next step in the tariff/trade war.

The live cattle complex was off to a sporty rally throughout the day, as traders seem to be more confident in the market's fundamental footing than they were on Monday. There are a few asking prices now noted in the South at $238 to $240, but the North continues to remain quiet. It's unlikely that any cash cattle trade will develop until Thursday or Friday. The market still has some upward room to trade as the resistance plane sits at $230.

The feeder cattle complex had an aggressive rally for the day as all of the contracts traded $5.00 and more higher for the bulk of the session. More than anything, it seems as though traders have shaken the jitters they possessed on Monday and are now back to believing in the market's robust fundamental position. Feeder cattle demand in the countryside hasn't wavered whatsoever, and doesn't seem to care what the board is doing, as buyers know that supplies are thin and that that isn't going to change any time soon.

The lean hog complex continued to trade higher into Tuesday's closing bell as traders have found enough support in the marketplace to blow past the market's previous resistance at $91.00. It's difficult to say where traders are getting this extra momentum from, as we can't see what pork demand is doing because of packers' failure to submit data this morning, but the slight improvement in the cash market is surely helping.

<a href="https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/356/2025/08/05142825/web-closing-markets.mp3">Click HERE for audio</a>

'No Mr. Nice Guy': Trump set to clean up Washington, D.C.

NEOSHO COUNTY&nbsp;– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Neosho County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a murder that occurred in Stark, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

Just before 7p.m. on Saturday, a 911 call reported a disturbance at a residence in Stark, and Neosho County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to 307 S Washington.

When deputies arrived, they observed blood on the front porch. They later found the victim, Scott Stevens, 65, of Stark, deceased. The investigation led to identifying the suspect as Luke Shepard, 45, of Uniontown. Shepard had fled the scene and was later arrested by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office at his home without incident.

Shepard was transported to the Neosho County Sheriff’s Office jail and booked on a requested charge of first-degree murder.

KBI: Deputies track down Kansas murder suspect 

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating two suspects on drug&nbsp; and theft allegations. Just after 2p.m. August 7,&nbsp; the Osage County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotic search warrant in the 200 block of North 4th Street in Carbondale, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

 Illegal narcotics and a vehicle that had been stolen from Topeka were located. Two subjects were taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on suspicion of request charges:

Sophia D. Munoz, 31, of Topeka: Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana and Possession of stolen property

Paden B. Guthrie, 20, of Topeka, Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas couple caught with drugs and stolen vehicle

JASPER COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10p.m. Saturday in Jasper County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Honda Accord driven by a 20-year-old Galena, Kansas woman was westbound on Route 66 one and one half miles west of Joplin. The car struck a westbound bicycle driven by a 63-year-old Joplin man.&nbsp; 

He was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the county coroner's office.&nbsp; The Honda driver was properly restrained and not injured. The bicyclist was not wearing a helmet, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releasees names of accident victims.

Missouri bicyclist killed after struck by a car

WICHITA&nbsp;– The search for a missing Kansas man is over. Wichita Police reported Roosevelt Sims was located in Mississippi and is safe.

On Saturday, Wichita Police requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for Sims.

Sims was first reported missing to the WPD on July 25, 2025, by his wife. He was last seen in Wichita at the Wesley Medical Center, 550 N Hillside St,&nbsp;on August 2, 2025. Sims was seen for minor discomfort and discharged the same day.

Sims is a black male who is 6 feet tall and weighs around 170 pounds. He has long white hair in a ponytail, and was last seen wearing a black ballcap with "chicken chasing" written on the side, a dark blue t-shirt, blue jeans and white shoes. Sims has dementia.

If you see Roosevelt Sims, please call 911 immediately. If you have other information about his whereabouts, call the Wichita Police Department at (316) 268-4111.

Silver Alert canceled: Missing Kan. man found out of state

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/laurencross/">Lauren Cross</a>

If you live in a small town, you probably have fewer grocery stores than you did 30 years ago — and fewer choices inside them.

Independent grocers have disappeared, replaced by big national chains that now decide what’s on the shelves, how much it costs, and who gets to profit.

In 1990, the top four grocery chains controlled just 13% of nationwide sales. By 2019, the top four retailers — Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Ahold Delhaize — controlled 34% of U.S. grocery sales,&nbsp;<a href="https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/106795/EIB-256.pdf?v=40605" target="_blank">according to the USDA</a>.

That concentration hasn’t gone unnoticed. Just last year, the Federal Trade Commission and nine states&nbsp;<a href="https://hpj.com/2024/02/26/ftc-sues-to-block-supermarket-merger/" target="_blank">sued to block a $25 billion merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons</a>, arguing that the deal would harm both shoppers and workers by reducing competition, increasing prices, and consolidating power into fewer hands. The merger has since unraveled, but only after a court battle and mounting public pressure.

In rural counties, market concentration more than doubled between 1990 and 2019, according to USDA data.

One way to measure concentration is the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), a tool used to track monopoly risk. In rural areas, HHI scores jumped from 3,104 to 5,584 — more than twice the threshold where federal antitrust regulators start to worry about competition. According to a 2023 USDA report, the USDA considers anything above 2,500 is considered highly concentrated.

Now that trend may speed up. The White House has proposed nearly $7 billion in USDA budget cuts, including $721 million from&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/05/14/trump-says-he-loves-farmers-hes-dismantlintheg-the-agency-helping-their-communities-survive/" target="_blank">Rural Development programs</a>&nbsp;— the ones that help small towns open grocery stores and other local businesses. One program on the chopping block is the Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Loan funding for community facilities and rural businesses would also drop by 45%, with no new grant dollars offered.

At the same time, the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative discusses improving nutrition, but proposes cuts to the very programs that help people buy food, including Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meal equipment, and farm-to-school efforts.

The bottom line? Rural communities already hit hardest by grocery consolidation are now facing even more roadblocks.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/06/18/usda-data-highlights-monopoly-risk-in-rural-grocery-markets/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</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>.

USDA data highlights monopoly risk in rural grocery market

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting in 3600 block of Norton in Kansas City, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

On arrival officers were led inside a residence where they located a juvenile teen shooting victim unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS to the scene who transported the girl to the hospital. She was declared deceased by medical personnel at the hospital. 

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and are investigating.

Preliminary investigation indicates the victim was inside a residence at the location when gunfire from an unknown suspect or suspects came from outside the residence to the inside, striking her.&nbsp; Police have no known suspect information.

KCPD: Girl injured from shots fired outside her home has died

The 17th annual Congressional Women's softball game was played at Audi Field in Washington DC on July 16. Members of Congress took on the Bad News Babes in a friendly showdown to raise awareness and support for the unique challenges young adults face after a breast cancer diagnosis.

On Saturday, Kansas 3rd District Representative Sharice Davids used her social media account to finally share just how well she played in the game.

Due to the threat of severe weather the game was not completed but the Congressional team had a 5-3 lead and claimed victory

The game raised over $650,000 for Young Survival Coalition to ensure no one faces breast cancer alone. "And, that right there is what it’s all about!"

Kan. Congresswoman shines at Congressional softball game

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">Shauneen Miranda</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

WASHINGTON — Fueled by President Donald Trump’s aims to bolster the U.S. House’s razor-thin GOP majority in the 2026 midterm elections, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/04/texas-redistricting-democrats-quorum-break-what-need-know/" target="_blank">rare mid-decade redistricting fight</a>&nbsp;in Texas grew increasingly bitter in recent days and engulfed other states.

As Democratic legislators in the Lone Star State fled to block a new congressional map, a handful of both blue and red states eyed their own redistricting plans, lawsuits cropped up and members of Congress pledged bills to curb redistricting wars.

While Texas is the only state that has so far taken formal action to redraw its U.S. House lines, a full-blown arms race could be imminent.

Here’s a breakdown on the redistricting battle as the drama unfolds:

How did all of this interest in redistricting kick off?

Republicans in Texas drew a new congressional map at the urging of Trump that could give the GOP five crucial new congressional seats in 2026.

Midterm elections typically lead to the loss of congressional seats for a president’s party.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank">currently holds</a>&nbsp;219 seats in the House, while Democrats hold 212 spots, with four vacancies. That extremely narrow majority has created immense challenges for U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, as he tries to enact Trump’s sweeping agenda and cater to the president’s demands as well as factions in the GOP conference.

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