The Kansas CIty Chiefs outclassed the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, shutting out their AFC West rivals 31-0 at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs first shutout win in the regular season since 2011.

The last shutout win for the Chiefs in the regular season came on Oct. 23rd, 2011, coincidentally also against the, at the time, Oakland Raiders, nearly 14 years to the date. The shutout also happened to be the first regular season shutout win of head coach Andy Reid's career, adding to his Hall of Fame resume.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tight End Travis Kelce in disbelief Reid had never accomplished the feat

"Man I could have swore we had one, oh well, well shout out to Coach Reid," Kelce says in the locker room to reporters after the game.&nbsp; "Add it to the list of things that he's accomplished."

The Chiefs did have one shutout win under Reid in the 2015 AFC Wildcard game, beating the Houston Texans 30-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cornerback Trent McDuffie says this feels like one of the most complete games he's been a part of

"I've never been a part of a game where we even had a shutout, so I know I'm going to enjoy this one definitely and shoot hopefully we can stack a few more of these up," McDuffie says.

Kansas City took control of the game from the get go, forcing the Raiders to punt and then putting together a nine play drive that ended with a two yard touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, who was playing in his first game since returning from his six game suspension, celebrating by punting the ball into the stands.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The next Las Vegas drive again ended with a punt, and Kansas City drove the length of the field again to score, this time with a long 17 play drive that also included a tricky 4th and 1 conversion where Patrick Mahomes faked out the defense, handing the ball to Kareem Hunt for a three yard run.&nbsp; For the fourth time in as many games, Mahomes ended the drive connecting with Hollywood Brown for an eight yard touchdown pass.

Kansas City's long drive carried the game into the second quarter, and again after scoring the Chiefs forced the Raiders to punt on a three and out, and again used a long drive, this time just 16 plays, to score for a third consecutive drive, Mahomes finding Rice again, this time for a three yard touchdown pass after Kansas City drove 94 yards down the field.&nbsp; A six yard run by Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty ended the first half, with the Chiefs leading 21-0.

Mahomes ended the first half with 206 passing yards and three touchdowns.&nbsp; Since 2000, Mahomes is the only quarterback to have&nbsp;200 passing yards and three passing touchdowns on the first three drives of the game.

Brown says its nice to be out there when the offense is clicking the way it was

"It's hard to beat Pat by himself, and then you know you've got so many weapons on offense and so it's tough, it's tough," Brown explains.&nbsp; "So, we've just got to focus on what we're doing in the building, being there when he needs us to be, he's playing lights out so it's fun."

The start of the third quarter was no different from the rest of the game, as the Chiefs again used a long drive of 11 plays to score and extend their lead, just pushing the ball downfield on the Raiders for Isiah Pacheco to score his first rushing touchdown of the season, second touchdown overall.&nbsp; Then, after another Raiders punt, Kansas City put the cap on the scoring, driving down for a field goal, Harrison Butker knocking it through from 38 yards out.

Las Vegas turned the ball over on downs on their next drive, and to start the fourth quarter, it was backup quarterback Gardner Minshew who took the field for Kansas City.&nbsp; Both teams exchanged punts, albeit one drive that ended with defensive tackle Jerry Tillery recovering a fumble, until the end of the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Not only did Kansas City hold the Raiders to zero points on the day, the defense also held them to under 100 total yards of offense.&nbsp; The Chiefs have&nbsp; gotten better week to week, defensive end George Karlaftis says that's just what they do as the season goes

"If you look back it's kind of been a trend with us just kind of proving all we can every single week and trying to keep getting better as the season goes," Karlaftis says.&nbsp; "That's we have done and that's what we're going to do."

Mahomes ended the day going 26-of-35 through the air for 286 yards with three touchdowns, also adding four rushes for 28 yards.&nbsp; Pacheco had 15 carries for 57 yards with the score while rookie Brashard Smith had 14 carries for 39 yards.&nbsp; Travis Kelce had just three catches for 54 yards, most coming on a big 44 yard reception in the first quarter, while Rice had seven catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns.&nbsp; Smith also had 42 yards receiving on five catches.&nbsp;

Kansas City is now 4-3 on the season, next they have a Monday Night Football matchup with the Washington Commanders at Arrowhead Stadium.&nbsp; Kickoff is at 7:15pm, pregame will air at 6 on both KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.

Chiefs dominate Raiders for first regular season shutout since '11, first of Reid's career

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins says the summary of a proposed initiative petition seeking to repeal stadium subsidies was a ‘first bite at the apple’ that can later be refined in the courts. Critics say that’s just a strategy to bog down and derail citizen-led campaigns

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

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is warning voters that a repeal of Missouri’s $1.5 billion stadium subsidy could mean the Chiefs pack their bags and move to Kansas.&nbsp;

And what about the Royals, the other team state lawmakers were hoping to convince to stay in Missouri when they created the subsidy program?&nbsp; Crickets.&nbsp;

A ballot summary prepared by Hoskins’ office for a pair of proposed initiative petitions seeking to repeal the stadium funding law declares that voter approval could “likely cause the Kansas City Chiefs to move their stadium from Missouri to Kansas.”

There is no mention of the Royals, an omission that sparked a flurry of questions — and criticism.&nbsp;

Does Hoskins have some reason to believe the Royals have already decided to leave the state or have no intention of using the stadium tax incentives?&nbsp;

Or, as critics allege, is Hoskins hoping to sink the measure by making predictions about the future plans of the Chiefs, who&nbsp;— unlike the Royals — have a statewide fanbase, three recent championships, and a star player in Patrick Mahomes who is the face of the sport?

The Secretary of State’s Office insists it has neither inside knowledge of the Royals’ intentions nor a desire to bias voters against the proposed repeal. In a statement, the office said it “does not have access to or knowledge of the private business decisions of any professional sports franchise,” and that the ballot summary must reflect the “clearest, most immediate potential consequence” of the law.

Besides, Hoskins’ office said, the current version of the summary is just the “first bite at the apple.” A recently approved state law gives the secretary of state up to three times to get the ballot language right — if proponents are upset enough about the first version to take the issue to court.&nbsp;

Brad Ketcher, a lawyer working with the group behind the ballot measure to repeal the subsidy, believes that’s the point. Writing an unfair ballot summary forces backers of initiative petitions to invest the time and money into legal challenges that could otherwise be dedicated to gathering signatures or engaging with voters.&nbsp;

“Hoskins is all but admitting,” Ketcher said, “that he drafted flawed language with an eye toward slowing the measure.”

Over the last month, Hoskins has found himself at the center of the political storm, facing criticism — and lawsuits — over his office’s role in the initiative petition and referendum process.&nbsp;

Hoskins has used his authority to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/16/lawsuit-threat-of-criminal-charges-part-of-gop-effort-to-block-vote-on-missouri-map/">pre-emptively reject 100,000 signatures for a proposed referendum</a>&nbsp;on Missouri’s new congressional map. He’s also come under fire for crafting what critics call “<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuits-challenge-deceptive-summaries-for-missouri-public-education-ballot-measures/">deceptive and prejudicial</a>” summary statements for two public‐education related constitutional amendments.&nbsp;

He was tasked with rewriting the ballot language for a proposal to reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban after a Cole County judge determined the initial wording by lawmakers failed to alert voters that the amendment would ban most abortions.&nbsp;

But his initial draft was rejected when the judge determined it was “insufficient and unfair.” Hoskins got the judge’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/10/07/missouri-abortion-ban-amendment-ballot-language-2026/">sign off on the summary</a>&nbsp;on his next attempt.&nbsp;

Sean Nicholson, a longtime progressive activist in Missouri, filed a lawsuit earlier this year asking a judge to strike down a new law that says any ballot language deemed insufficient or unfair by a court must be sent back to the secretary of state up to three times for revision. If, after three attempts, the courts still find the language unacceptable, a judge is then allowed to rewrite it themselves.

Nicholson said Hoskins’ behavior is exactly why the law is so dangerous and should be overturned.

“Denny Hoskins is required to write fair and impartial language,” Nicholson said. “But instead, he is reinforcing all the concerns people had when the legislature passed the law, that a bad-faith politician could use it to waste the people’s time and resources.”&nbsp;

As for the Chiefs and Royals, their future — in Missouri or Kansas — remains unresolved.&nbsp;

“We have heard nothing to indicate that the Royals have decided to leave the State of Missouri,” said Gabby Picard, a spokeswoman for Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, whose office plays no role in the intuitive petition process, when asked about the team’s omission from the ballot summary.

“In fact,” Picard said, “Gov. Kehoe and his team remain in frequent communication with the Royals and the Chiefs to ensure that both teams stay in Missouri — where they belong.”

The teams have expressed interest in leaving Missouri when the lease on their current stadiums in Jackson County expire in 2030. Kansas lawmakers put a deal on the table that would use state incentives to pay for up to 70% of the costs of new stadiums.

The Missouri plan would allocate state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties. The cost is estimated at close to $1.5 billion over 30 years.

A pair of Republican lawmakers<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-ag-general-assembly-seek-to-dismiss-lawsuit-against-stadium-funding-bill/">&nbsp;filed a lawsuit hoping to get the entire package thrown out</a>, arguing it violates the constitution by including multiple provisions and aid to private interests.&nbsp;

The initiative petitions aiming to repeal the stadium subsidy seek to direct any money saved toward preventing cuts to Medicaid&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/article_59f065f3-1e50-44a6-81ac-630fb5acd698.html" target="_blank">that could result from legislation passed this summer by Congress</a>.&nbsp;

Hoskins, Ketcher alleges, “has chosen to protect billions for billionaire sports team owners at the expense of everyday Missourians and their health care.”&nbsp;

For his part, Hoskins defended his work — and his team loyalties.&nbsp;

“Secretary Hoskins applauds the Royals on a hard-fought season and, like many Missourians, is cheering on the Chiefs this football season,” his office said in a statement. “Regardless of team colors, the goal remains the same: ensuring Missouri voters have the facts they need to make an informed decision at the ballot box.”

Chiefs in, Royals out: Missouri secretary of state once again catches flak over ballot summary

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just befoe 9a.m. Sunday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 68-year-old Gallatin man was westbound on Grand Street just east of Green Street in Gallatin.

The SUV's windshield was fogged over obstruction the driver's view.&nbsp; The vehicle traveled into a hole in the ground that was marked by orange fencing and cones.

Daviess County ambulance transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. He was properly restrained, at the time ofthe accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. man hospitalized after SUV traveled into a hole marked by cones

CALDWELL COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Ford F150 driven by a 58-year-old Smithville man was westbound on U.S. 36 just west of Center Road four miles east of Cameron. The pickup rear-ended&nbsp;a 2005 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by a 50-year-old Hamilton man.

&nbsp;After impact the F150 continued west in the driving lane and struck the drivers side rear wheel of&nbsp;a 2009 Case IH combine driven by a 53-year-old Hamilton man.&nbsp; The pickup then began to slide and roll. The driver was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Caldwell County ambulance transported an 8-year-old male passenger in the pickup to Children's Mercy.&nbsp; There were no other injuries reported. The occupants of the Ford were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. man dead, 8-year-old injured after crash involving trucks, combine

DEKALB COUNTY —Three juveniles were injured in an accident just after 7:30a.m. Saturday in DeKalb County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Freightliner Straight Truck driven by a 42-year-old Wichita man was southbound on MO 33 one mile north of Osborn. The driver attempted to travel through the intersection at U.S. 36 and continue southbound on Route M. The driver failed to yield to an eastbound 2018 School bus driven by a 64-year-old Burlington Junction woman.

The bus struck the rear passenger side of the truck. Three girls on the bus were transported for treatment of minor injuries.

A private vehicle transported a 15-year-old Maryville girl to Mosaic in St. Joseph and a 16-year-old Maryville girl to Cameron Regional Medical Center. DeKalb-Clinton Ambulance transported a 17-year-old Maryville girl to Mosaic in St. Joseph. The drivers were both properly restrained and not injured according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

3 Mo. girls injured after truck, school bus accident

ANDREW COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Saturday in Andrew County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Hyundia Elantra driven by a 23-year-old St. Joseph man was eastbound on U.S. 59 at Business Loop 29 in Country Cub. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign. The car crossed both north and southbound lanes of Business Loop 29, traveled off the east side of the road, struck an embankment and several trees. The car came to rest on a fence

Andrew County EMS transported the driver to Mosaic Life Care. He was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

St. Joe man injured after car strikes trees and came to rest on a fence

HOLT COUNTY —Two people were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. Friday in Holt County.&nbsp;

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Toyota Avalon driven by a 29-year-old Pittsburg, Kansas, woman was turning south onto U.S. 59 from Route B five miles south of Oregon. The driver failed to yield to a 2010 Chevy Avalanche driven by a 61-year-old Oregon man. The Chevy struck the front passenger side of the Toyota

Atchison Holt ambulance transported both drivers to Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. They were both properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

2 hospitalized in St. Joe after pickup, car crash

CALDWELL COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 6a.m. Friday in Caldwell County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 51-year-old Braymer woman was northbound on Route A five miles north of Braymer.&nbsp;The driver attempted to maneuver around a deer in the road. The Jeep traveled off the east side of the road and struck a barbed wire fence.

Caldwell County EMS transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center. She was properly restrained, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri woman injured after Jeep strikes a barbed wire fence

Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map faces a referendum campaign seeking to repeal it. Republican officials are using procedural roadblocks and litigation to protect the new districts

As the campaign to repeal Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map approaches the 106,000 signatures needed to put the issue on the 2026 ballot, Republicans are pulling out all the stops to block it.&nbsp;

Secretary of State Denny Hoskins announced Wednesday that roughly 100,000 signatures gathered so far for the referendum won’t count — and that gathering them before his office approved “constitutes a misdemeanor election offense.”

Later in the day, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit arguing that holding a referendum on the congressional map is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to stop it.&nbsp;

“Missouri politicians continue to try to confuse, intimidate and, frankly, silence us,” Richard Von Glahn of People Not Politicians, the committee behind the referendum campaign, told reporters Thursday.&nbsp;

People Not Politicians is already in court challenging Hoskins’ decision to reject its initial referendum petitions because they were filed in September before the governor signed the redistricting bill. &nbsp;If those petitions aren’t valid, neither are the 100,000 signatures already gathered for the referendum.&nbsp;

Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green set the case for a trial on Nov. 4.&nbsp;

“This office remains committed to transparency, accuracy and protecting Missouri voters’ trust in the democratic process,” Hoskins said Wednesday.&nbsp;

At the heart of the debate is Missouri’s congressional map, which has eight districts with six currently represented by Republicans.&nbsp;

Lawmakers returned to the Capitol last month to gerrymander one of the Democratic seats in a way that would adhere to President Donal Trump’s instructions to create a new GOP district before the 2026 midterms.

The target was the 5th District, based in Kansas City and represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver since 2005. It is carved up under the new map with portions attached to the 4th and 6th Districts. Heavily Republican areas stretching along the Missouri River to Boone County were added to the remaining Kansas City portions.

Hours after the map won legislative approval, People Not Politicians filed for a referendum to put it on the ballot. Under the Missouri Constitution, if the group gathers 106,000 signatures before Dec. 11, the map will not go into effect until after a statewide vote.&nbsp;

The referendum poses a real threat to the new map. Of the 27 times a referendum has been placed on the Missouri ballot, voters have rejected actions by the General Assembly all but twice. That includes 1922, when&nbsp;<a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Missouri_Proposition_17,_Congressional_Redistricting_Referendum_%281922%29" target="_blank">voters rejected a new congressional map</a>&nbsp;drawn by the legislature.&nbsp;

A referendum was last deployed in Missouri seven years ago, when labor unions collected 300,000 signatures in 90 days to put a question on the statewide ballot repealing a GOP-backed right-to-work law.

A year later, the secretary of state’s office used procedural maneuvers to derail a referendum campaign that sought to overturn newly-passed restrictions on abortion.&nbsp;

That 2019 referendum never got off the ground because of the secretary of state’s actions. But it sparked a 2022 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that determined the laws the secretary of state used to obstruct the citizen-initiated referendum process were unconstitutional.

“We’ve been here before,” said Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing People Not Politicians. “The Secretary of State knows better.”

People Not Politicians has raised $2.6 million in six-figure donations since the campaign began last month. According to disclosure reports filed with the state ethics commission, more than $1.2 million of that has gone directly towards signature gathering.&nbsp;

Most of the group’s money has come from out-of-state nonprofits who are not obligated to disclose their donors. Last week, Kansas City-based Health Forward Foundation donated $750,000.&nbsp;

Hanaway pointed to People Not Politicians out-of-state donors in announcing her federal lawsuit seeking to block the referendum.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Missouri’s redistricting process cannot be dictated by out-of-state special interests,” Hanaway said. “We will not allow dark money groups to silence Missouri voices or hijack the work of the General Assembly.”

Hatfield called the actions of Hanaway and Hoskins “outrageous” and a “full on tantrum about the right of the people to overrule these congressional districts, which is a right the people are guaranteed in the constitution.”

In particular, he called the accusation that gathering signatures could ever be considered a crime “totally ridiculous.”

“This is nothing,” Hatfield said, “but an attempt to intimidate and deny people the right to petition their government.”

Lawsuit, threat of criminal charges part of GOP effort to block vote on Missouri map

Gov. Mike Kehoe has repeatedly said the plan was drafted in his office. A filing by the attorney general’s office says only that ‘various governmental actors’ worked on the plan to give a seat to the GOP

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>

A filing in one of the many lawsuits challenging Missouri’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/12/gerrymandered-congressional-map-initiative-petitions-limits-sent-to-missouri-governor/">gerrymandered redistricting plan</a>&nbsp;appears to cast uncertainty on Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s statements that the map was prepared by staff in his office.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC07128&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19" target="_blank">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;filed by the committee seeking to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/22/missouri-voters-likely-to-deliver-final-verdict-on-congressional-map-initiative-changes/">force a referendum</a>&nbsp;on the map states: “Governor Kehoe prepared and provided to the General Assembly the new congressional districts and accompanying map.”

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Answer%20and%20Affirmative%20Defenses%20of%20Defendant%20to%20First%20Amended%20Petition%20for%20Declaratory%20Judgment%20and%20Injunctive%20Relief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3696163" target="_blank">an answer</a>&nbsp;filed Tuesday, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office wrote:&nbsp;“State Defendant admits that various governmental actors participated in the State’s 2025 congressional reapportionment. To the extent further response is required, State Defendant denies the allegations…”

The lawsuit was filed by a political action committee called People not Politicians against Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins after he rejected three proposed referendum petitions because they were filed before Kehoe signed the bill. &nbsp;The answer also denies that Hoskins made any error and asserts that People not Politicians filed suit in the wrong court and against the wrong defendant.

Missouri Democrats have publicly questioned the governor’s public statements that his office crafted the new map, arguing instead that it most likely came from President Donald Trump’s White House.&nbsp;

The phrasing used by the state’s attorneys is revealing, state Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democrat from Kansas City, said in an interview with The Independent.

“I am not surprised at all to see the attorney general use this language,” she said. “Obviously now we are entering the court of law and facts matter.”

All along, Nurrenbern said, she has been convinced “this map was just a copy and paste from Washington, D.C.”&nbsp;

Discovering the map’s author has been frustrating, she said, and it was never adequately answered during the special session.&nbsp;Lawmakers were not fully trained on mapping software, she said, and no map was produced by legislative staff.

“The day that the governor called the extraordinary session, the map was already done,” Nurrenbern said, “and so that’s why I could say with absolute certainty that this map was not drawn in the state.”

Throughout the special session and after, Kehoe’s office has been adamant that it was done by the governor’s staff without assistance from Washington.

Chuck Hatfield, an attorney representing People Not Politicians in its lawsuit, said he was surprised by the state’s response. It could mean, he said, that Kehoe didn’t personally make the map. But he said “various governmental actors” is certainly broad enough to include federal employees at the White House.

&nbsp;“Why are people embarrassed about taking credit for this bill?” Hatfield said.&nbsp;

Hanaway’s office did not respond immediately to requests for clarification. A spokeswoman for the governor’s office said Tuesday that&nbsp;the original filing “does not specifically say ‘Governor Kehoe’s office’” prepared and provided the map.

On Wednesday morning, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green set the case for a trial on Nov. 4.&nbsp;Green is being asked to decide whether a referendum can be launched as soon as lawmakers take the final vote on a bill or if petitioners must wait until a bill is signed.

In a news release Wednesday, Hoskins said he had approved a new version of the referendum petition and that signature gathering could begin. Any signatures already gathered, Hoskins said, are not valid and gathering them before his approval of the petition form is a misdemeanor.

People Not Politicians said last week that it had collected more than 50,000 signatures from registered voters. The campaign needs at least 106,384 signatures spread over six of the state’s eight congressional districts to put it on a ballot.

The referendum campaign has until Dec. 11 to turn in signatures.

Nurrenbern said she has personally been collecting signatures to put the new map on the ballot next year. She sees Hoskins’ warning about signatures gathered before his approval as a personal threat that she may be prosecuted.

“It is incredibly frustrating that we have a secretary of state using the office to intimidate voters and threaten democracy,” Nurrenbern said.

The new Missouri map targets the Kansas-City based 5th District, held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, with the goal of winning seven of Missouri’s congressional seats for the GOP.

Lawmakers approved the new map after Trump started&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/07/25/trump-white-house-pressing-missouri-republicans-to-redraw-congressional-map/">pressuring Misouri Republicans in July</a>&nbsp;to redraw the districts. A special session in Texas was preparing to revise that state’s 34 districts to provide as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/10/texas-redistricting-congressional-districts-past-mistakes-overreach/" target="_blank">many as five</a>&nbsp;new safe GOP districts. In retaliation, California lawmakers put a new district map on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/14/obama-california-prop-50-redistricting-texas" target="_blank">that state’s ballot</a>&nbsp;with the aim to shift five seats to Democrats.&nbsp;

In a lawsuit currently underway in Texas, Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, testified Oct. 7 that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chron.com/politics/article/texas-redistricting-map-court-21090265.php" target="_blank">he prepared the map</a>&nbsp;passed by the Texas legislature.

According to records obtained by The Independent, Kincaid produced a memo used by the map’s legislative sponsor in Missouri explaining the details of the new districts. In a September interview with The Independent, he insisted that is not evidence that he had a hand in creating the map.

In an interview Tuesday, Kincaid said he would not discuss whether he had a role in the Missouri map.

“I am going to defer to the governor’s office and the AG’s office on that,” he said.

Along with the lawsuit over referendum rules, there are four other lawsuits in various stages where opponents of the new map seek to have it declared unconstitutional. One,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/15/judge-hears-arguments-in-case-seeking-to-toss-missouris-new-congressional-maps/">filed by the NAACP of Missouri</a>, argues Kehoe had no authority to call lawmakers into special session and have all actions of the special session declared void.

The case was argued Sept. 15 before Cole County Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh, who has yet to make a ruling.

There is one other case in Cole County that directly challenges the redistricting plan and two more filed in Jackson County.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/cnet/cases/newHeader.do?inputVO.caseNumber=25AC-CC06964&amp;inputVO.courtId=SMPDB0004_CT19#header" target="_blank">Cole County case</a>&nbsp;is set for a trial on Nov. 12, also before Limbaugh. In the lawsuit, which also has Hatfield as the lead attorney, the plaintiffs argue the&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++45&amp;bid=31801&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">Missouri Constitution</a>&nbsp;only allows redistricting to occur immediately after the state receives a new census report.

“All we’ve got to do is look at the Constitution, take a look and see whether they can do redistricting,” Hatfield said. “The answer to that is no, they can’t do it at all.”

The Jackson County cases are not scheduled for trial. One includes accusations that the map approved by lawmakers is flawed and therefore not valid because it uses the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/18/court-battle-looms-over-kc-precinct-listed-twice-in-missouris-new-congressional-map/">same precinct</a>&nbsp;in two different districts.

The other, filed the day&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2025/09/29/4th-lawsuit-challenges-missouris-new-congressional-maps-just-as-kehoe-signs-them-into-law/">Kehoe signed the bill</a>, includes the argument that no authority exists in the Constitution allowing lawmakers to revise congressional districts in the absence of new census data. It also argues that the districts are not legal because they are not compact and stretch for hundreds of miles across the state.

Hatfield said he would like clarification on the statement denying Kehoe prepared the map as well as other statements in the answer that deny statements of fact, such as that the legislature passed the redistricting bill.

“It’s them being difficult,” Hatfield said, “but it’s just lawyer games.”

Court filing raises questions about source of gerrymandered Missouri congressional map

DAVIESS COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 7p.m. Wednesday in Daviess County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford Escape driven by a 45-year-old Cameron woman was southbound on U.S. 69 one mile east of Winston. The car struck a deer.

Daviess County EMS transported the driver to Cameron Regional Medical Center.&nbsp; She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Mo. woman injured after car strikes a deer

December corn closed up 3/4 of a cent and March corn was up 1 cent. November soybeans closed up 8 3/4 cents and January soybeans were up 8 1/4 cents. December KC wheat closed up 2 3/4 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 1 1/4 cents, December Minneapolis wheat was down 1 cent.

December corn closed up 9 1/2 cents and March corn was up 7 1/2 cents. November soybeans closed up 12 3/4 cents and January soybeans were up 13 1/2 cents. December KC wheat closed up 8 1/2 cents, December Chicago wheat was up 5 1/4 cents and December Minneapolis wheat was down 3 1/4 cents.

Corn, soy, and wheat markets continued their weekly recovery efforts, gaining back losses from last week's trade-war-induced selloff. President Trump said early Friday he still plans to meet with China's President Xi in South Korea at the end of the month, ahead of a Nov. 1 target date to potentially raise tariffs against China in response to recent restrictions imposed on rare-earth exports by China. This is providing some optimism to traders that, as was the case through the summer, an extension of the previous "trade truce" will be achieved, although how soybeans and other key ag exports will fare in any such agreement remains in the balance. Stock indices were higher following the president's comments, while higher gasoline and diesel prices for Friday also supported corn and soy futures.

It was a tumultuous session for the live cattle complex, as the market opened in a panicked manner, as on Thursday afternoon, President Trump shared that the administration is going to do something about beef prices being too high. Although no specific details have been shared just yet, there's a belief that some sort of deal could have been done with Argentina, as President Trump just met with their President, Javier Milei, at the White House. This comes at such an un-opportunistic time as the fed cash cattle market is trading anywhere from $5.00 to $9.00 higher, which should have a bolstering effect on the market, but this looming news has clouded that positive fundamental achievement. This news development has been gut-wrenching for the market as the cattle complex was just in the middle of adding another record-breaking high to the complex's already impressive rally, but this development has completely shaken the complex.

It comes as no real surprise that the news from President Trump about a potential fix on beef prices being too high sent the feeder cattle complex limit lower in all of its contracts except the soon-to-expire October 2025 contract. This news development has been gut-wrenching for the market as the cattle complex was just in the middle of adding another record-breaking high to the complex's already impressive rally, but this development has completely shaken the complex.

The lean hog complex traded mostly higher, although a couple of the nearby contracts traded slightly lower. The market's positive turn could be partly because of the uptick in pork cutout prices, but it could also be that traders believe the market has traded lower enough for the time being.

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Commodity markets daily recap

High premiums on Brazilian cargoes are discouraging soybean buyers in China, which means the country has yet to secure much of its needed soybean supply for December and January. Reuters says the development could prompt the Chinese government to tap state reserves to meet the near-term needs. China covered its needs through November with hefty buys from Argentina in recent weeks, but still needs eight to nine million metric tons for December and January. 

Escalating Washington-Beijing trade tensions continue to shut American soybeans from the market. “China isn’t buying U.S. beans because of the trade war, and Brazilian beans have become too expensive,” one oilseed trader at an international trading company that supplies agricultural products to China told Reuters anonymously. “China might end up using its own reserves for its year-end needs and into early next year, and will wait until the new South American harvest comes in.” 

China holding off on Brazil soybean purchases

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City launched the Center for Agriculture and the Economy. This initiative underscores the Bank’s ongoing commitment to including perspectives from agriculture and rural areas in discussions on the national economy. “For many years, the Kansas City Fed has provided critical insights into one of the nation’s most vital industries, which is agriculture,” said Jeff Schmid, president and CEO of the Kansas City Fed. “The establishment of the Center formally recognizes our District’s investment in the area and highlights the vital importance that we place on gathering insights from all of those who have a role in the ag economy.” 

The new Center will serve as a resource within the Federal Reserve System by providing timely analysis of industry developments and conducting ongoing research on the agricultural economy and the rural regions where production predominates. Production agriculture is central to the Tenth District’s overall economy. 

Kansas City Fed launches Center for Agriculture and the Economy

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

Corn, soybean and (for the most part) wheat markets were higher on Thursday as traders continue to speculate how far production in 2025 could fall from prior estimates amid talk of lower-than-expected yields. Compounding that effect were reminders this week that the demand for U.S. grains and oilseeds remains very strong, especially within the U.S. Outside markets were mixed on Thursday as renewed trade war concerns are weighing on equities, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down for the seventh time in the past ten session. Energy markets are also lower, closing in on May lows for crude oil futures.

With the anticipation that fed cash cattle prices will trade higher again this week; traders continued to push the live cattle contracts at least softly higher into Thursday's closing bell. Again, today it's the market's deferred contacts that are seeing the biggest day-over-day gains as everyone in the industry is clearly recognizing that although supplies are thin now, they're going to become even thinner before the cowherd is rebuilt. A few bids are now on the table in the North, where packers are offering $370 for dressed cattle. But at this point, still no cash cattle have traded. Asking prices are set in the South at $240 plus, and in eastern Nebraska at $380.

The feeder cattle complex also traded higher into Thursday's close as traders continue to believe in the market's positive long-term fundamentals. Demand has been utterly incredible this week in sales across the countryside, as shown by the CME feeder cattle index's rally, which reached a new all-time high Wednesday afternoon at $374.47.

The lean hog complex was again trading lower as the market simply isn't seeing the fundamental support it needs to give traders enough confidence that the contracts should trade steady to somewhat higher. Yes, pork cutout values may be a tick stronger, but overall demand has been volatile, and traders want steadfast confidence.

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Representatives Elise Stefanik and Rick Crawford have reintroduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act that will protect U.S. national security by prohibiting foreign adversaries from purchasing or controlling American agricultural land and businesses. “Food security is national security, and I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that will stand up against our foreign adversaries as they attempt to control our agriculture industry,” Stefanik said. “The U.S. cannot allow ownership bids of assets by communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to undermine the efforts of our farmers, who work hard to feed and fuel our communities.” 

The PASS Act will ensure that the USDA is involved in reviewing foreign acquisitions of American agricultural land and businesses, and blacklists America’s foreign adversaries from controlling U.S. agricultural land. Representative Crawford added, “U.S. agriculture is a critical industry with real and significant impacts on our national security.”   

Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act reintroduced in congress

The National Farmers Union recently sent letters to President Trump and Congressional leaders urging immediate action to provide economic relief to family farmers and ranchers facing deteriorating economic conditions. NFU emphasized that aid should reach the family farm operations that need it most. The group also asked for parallel efforts to rebuild fair markets and curb corporate consolidation in agriculture. “Family farmers and ranchers face severe economic challenges and a deepening crisis if they don’t receive assistance,” said NFU President Rob Larew. 

Larew emphasized that aid payments must be directed to family agricultural operations and balanced among regions and crops. The payments must be paired with efforts to investigate monopolies in the agriculture industry and their resulting impacts on the farm economy. Resources must also be dedicated to developing new and enhanced domestic markets for American crops while enhancing existing markets, including markets at the local and regional level. 

Farmers union asking for relief for family farms and ranches

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

For the most part, grains and oilseed markets were steady to slightly higher at midweek as traders continue to form price opinions without input from USDA and other government agency reports. The latest development in the U.S.-China trade war was President Trump's comments late Tuesday that the U.S. is preparing to restrict Chinese imports on goods such as cooking oil in retaliation to the boycott of U.S. soybeans, which supported U.S. soybean oil futures on Wednesday. Meanwhile, equity markets were higher, more-or-less recovering losses from last week's trade scare as investors continue to shrug off greater trade war concerns. Energy markets were lower again Wednesday, with crude oil futures closing in once again on May lows which were at the time the lowest price in over four years.

Following the tremendous gains seen earlier this week, the live cattle complex traded mixed as traders appear more cautious, seeming to need more fundamental support to develop before they'll advance the contracts any higher. Still no cash cattle trade has developed, but it is assumed that feedlot managers are going to aim for higher prices again this week. No bids have surfaced yet, and it's assumed that the market won't see some trade develop until Thursday or Friday. Asking prices are noted at $240 plus in the South.

The feeder cattle complex has been one of the biggest driving factors in the cattle market's recent rally, but it also traded mixed into Wednesday's closing bell, as traders have seemed to notice the immense gains the market has seen recently and want to see more fundamental support arise before they push the market any higher.

The lean hog complex traded higher as the futures seemed to find some footing in the marketplace after plummeting lower on Wednesday. Thankfully, the market is trading further away from its support plane at $82.00, which was a concern heading into the day as traders haven't been overly supportive of the market this week. But with a little improvement in the cash market, traders feel as though the market has traded lower enough for the near term.

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The U.S. has traditionally had a healthy agricultural trade surplus for years. As global dynamics change due to multiple political and economic factors, U.S. agricultural imports now exceed exports. A new study says the deficit is likely to get worse in the years ahead. University of Illinois and Texas Tech University researchers say the U.S. is importing much more than it exports. 

From 2017 to 2018, the dispute between the U.S. and China resulted in export values dropping by $9 billion (73 percent) for soybeans, $432 million (67 percent) for wheat, $93 million (61 percent) for corn, and $313 million (37 percent) for sorghum. The total value of lost agricultural exports amounted to approximately $14 billion. At the same time, the U.S. is losing export markets to other large grain producers like Brazil, Canada, Australia, and Ukraine. The only good news is that the U.S. is actively working on new trade agreements. 

Study shows agriculture exports faltering

The National FFA Organization is one of six national organizations to receive a $10 million grant from Lily Endowment, Inc. The grants are being awarded through the latest round of Lily Endowment’s initiative, called the “Character Through Youth Programs,” which helps youth-serving organizations with a nationwide reach create, test, implement, and sustain strategies that support character development in young people ages five to 18. 

“The organizations like National FFA have a long history of supporting young people and helping them grow into healthy, resilient adults,” said Ted Maple, Lily Endowment’s vice president for education and youth programs. “With their distinctive missions and programs, they are embarking on new creative and strategic approaches to support youth-serving organizations through the first round of the initiative.” Ambra Tennery, director of education programs in the programs and events division for the National FFA Organization, said, “We are honored to receive this support from Lily Endowment.”

FFA receives a $10 million grant

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

Row-crop futures were mixed Tuesday with grains trading higher while soybean futures fell on the most recent escalation of the U.S.-China trade war as China hit U.S. subsidiaries of a South Korean shipbuilding company with sanctions. Data out from the Brazilian National Supply Company also served as a reminder to traders of record soybean supplies in Brazil and subsequently what have been record-setting exports as well that have sustained into the typical U.S. sales window due to the ongoing dispute with China. Outside markets were mixed with the U.S. dollar seemingly feeling for a momentary ceiling near 2-month highs which aided wheat markets Tuesday. Meanwhile, energy markets were lower on the China-U.S. shipping news but did manage to bounce off daily lows following a speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell which hinted at a slowing of the 3-year effort by the Federal Reserve to reduce its asset holdings, a move which would work to effectively pressure interest rates and stimulate growth. Stock indices reversed from early losses following Powell's comments.

Although the live cattle complex started the day off weaker, the market turned its direction and traded fully higher into the closing bell as traders were pleased to see morning boxed beef prices higher again. Again today, the uptick in the futures complex has pushed most of the nearby contracts to new contract highs. Still no developments have surfaced in the fed cash cattle market, and it's likely that with feedlot managers able to push prices higher last week, they'll again try to advance the market and wait to trade any of their pens until late in the week.

Once again leading the charge, the feeder cattle complex traded fully higher into Tuesday's close, with a snappy $4.00 to $5.00 rally being the theme throughout the complex. With strong equity markets, cheap feed and incredible demand, it's been almost easy for the feeder cattle market to push the contracts higher as demand continues to be wildly strong.

The lean hog complex hasn't been as fortunate today as its contracts traded lower and are nearing support thresholds in the spot December contract. One would hope that the support plane around $82.00 would hold strong and not be broken through, but with demand being fickle in the hog sector right now, it's anyone's guess how low traders are going to send this thing. Yes, pork cutout values were up a bit this morning, but traders are going to need to see more than a midday report's worth of higher prices before they'll say that demand is truly shining through in the market.

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RILEY COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of fire at a home in Manhattan.

On Sunday, crews&nbsp;responded to 326 Vattier Street in Manhattan, according to a social media report from the Manhattan Fire Department.

Crews found fire showing from the front of the home.  The building was quickly searched and the fire was extinguished.  No injuries were reported.  The occupants of the home were displaced.&nbsp; The fire department released no additional details early Monday.

Family displaced after Kansas house fire 

Trump responds after Colombian leader accuses US of murder in strike on drug boat

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City, Missouri

Just before 3a.m. Sunday police&nbsp;in the area of Westport and Mill Street in Kansas City, Missoui when they heard the sound of gunfire to the north of that intersection, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

Officers immediately responded to the area to investigate and located a man unresponsive, to the north and west of Westport and Mill in the restaurant parking lot.

Officers rendered aid and called for EMS. EMS transported the victim to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Preliminary indication is the victim was at the location in the business parking lot when he had an interaction with one or more suspect(s) that led to gunfire and the victim was struck.

KCPD: Man shot, killed in restaurant parking lot

OSAGE COUNTY –Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas couple on multiple drug allegations.

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