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Kansas City area cattle ranchers see beef marketing opportunity in trade war

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Kansas City area cattle ranchers see beef marketing opportunity in trade war


BUTLER, Mo. — Kansas City area livestock producers are closely watching the economy as the United States navigates an international trade war.

“We’ve got to keep the economy strong to keep our beef prices going good,” explained Tim Clifton, a field representative and cattle rancher with MoKan Livestock Market.

Brian Luton/KSHB

Tim Clifton

The announcement of retaliatory tariffs on international trade partners rocked the stock market during the early stages of implementation. Missouri and Kansas livestock growers rely on a strong stock market to keep their prices high. When the market took a plunge a few weeks ago, so did cattle prices.

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“When the stock market recovered, the cattle markets are back pretty much 100% to what they were three weeks ago,” said Clifton.

MoKan Livestock Auction

Brian Luton/KSHB

MoKan Livestock Auction

While a big focus is the economy, Clifton tells KSHB 41, there is an opportunity knocking at their door.

“We’re importing all kinds of Australian beef, and Australia doesn’t take any of our beef,” he explained. “We were taking their beef in, and they’re not taking any of ours. So that tariff is good for us.”

In the last five years, the U.S. cattle population declined due to drought.

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American cattlemen were forced to cull herds to keep up with the cost of production.

MoKan Livestock Auction

Brian Luton/KSHB

MoKan Livestock Auction

The U.S. livestock head count has decreased by 1% in the last year since Jan. 1, 2025, to a total of 86.7 million.

The lowest head count since 1951, according to a report from AGDAILY.

American beef exports have only increased in billions of pounds since 2020.

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Beef Trade 1990-2022

USDA

USDA Beef Trade 1990-2022

Clifton tells KSHB 41 that implementing tariffs on trade competitors like Brazil could make his business more competitive.

“We get all this Brazilian beef coming in, and little goes back to Brazil of our beef,” he explained.

In the United States, four companies control 85% of America’s meat-packing industry: Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef.

Tim Clifton

Brian Luton/KSHB

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Tim Clifton and KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa

JBS and National Beef are Brazilian-based companies.

“We import all this lean beef that we don’t know how it’s handled, what kind of regulations, what kind of antibiotics regulations they’re given. We import all this beef, the big four packers import it here,” Clifton expressed. “They cut it, they can mix it with our beef, do whatever they want, and the consumer doesn’t know. That’s where it could be beneficial for us, stopping some of that beef coming in that we don’t really need.”

Canada leads in exports of beef to the United States at 29% of U.S. product. Mexico and Brazil aren’t far behind.

MoKan Livestock Auction

Brian Luton/KSHB

MoKan Livestock Auction

Last year, Reuters reported on a positive case of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or more commonly referred to as “Mad Cow Disease”.

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“We need to stop importing so much of this beef. We could process ourselves,” Clifton said.

Clifton says that engaging in stricter trade practices should create greater food independence in the United States.

Tim Clifton

Brian Luton/KSHB

“We’re relying on people that we don’t really need to be relying on,” he added. “We need to be relying on ourselves first.”

As long as the economy remains strong, Clifton sees positives for the American cattlemen and, more importantly, consumers.

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“We’re really at an opportunity here to try to lower some of our input costs… If we can lower some of our input costs and keep our market strong, we’re set up for a good spot here,” Clifton said. “It would be a benefit to try and get more U.S. beef to a U.S. consumer. If this could all work out in our favor.”

KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.





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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

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On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.



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Deadly 4-car crash kills 2 people, injures others in Kansas City

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Deadly 4-car crash kills 2 people, injures others in Kansas City


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A crash near a busy highway killed two people and injured two others.

Emergency crews responded to the crash at U.S. 71 Highway and Meyer Boulevard around 12:40 p.m. on Monday, March 2.

When crews arrived they determined four cars were involved in the crash.

Police are investigating how the crash happened.

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Homegrown Jayhawk stars ready to shine at Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City

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Homegrown Jayhawk stars ready to shine at Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City


LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) – As Kansas women’s basketball prepares to enter the postseason at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, they’ll be led by two Overland Park natives who have been two of the most electrifying players to watch in the country this year.

Junior guard S’Mya Nichols and freshman forward Jaliya Davis have played integral roles in the recent growth of the program. Both cite the desire to help grow the Jayhawks into something special as reasons for committing there.

“Where we wanted to take Kansas women’s basketball, I wanted to be a part of that growing evolution,” Nichols told KCTV5.

“We [my family] were also really big Jayhawk fans. We came to a lot of games,” Davis said about her childhood.

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The two were both 5-star recruits in high school, and their commitments marked historic recruiting victories for the KU women’s basketball program.

First came Nichols in the Class of 2023, picking KU over Tennessee and Oklahoma.

“I genuinely wanted to go to Kansas,” she said.

Then Davis became the highest-rated player to ever commit to KU as part of the Class of 2025.

“When you go back to S’Mya Nichols being a local, Kansas City, Overland Park product, a nationally respected player, Jaliya was really the next one that was very important for the Jayhawks to keep home,” said head coach Brandon Schneider.

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Now as a junior, Nichols has established herself as one of the most consistent scorers and physical guards in the nation.

But it’s the Shawnee Mission West’s alum’s leadership that defines her legacy in Lawrence.

“The team leader, the quarterback,” Coach Schneider described Nichols. “I think oftentimes the player that everybody looks up to off the court.”

“I mean it means everything. Knowing that I’m important to the team, and that they see me as that as well,” said Nichols with a smile.

Both Nichols and Davis were recruited by the Jayhawks for years, going all the way back to seventh grade.

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“Well, we offered her in middle school,’ Coach Schneider said with a laugh about Davis.

“Oh he put in a lot of work,” laughed Davis. “I mean, obviously, seventh grade, that’s a long time.”

It was that dedication from Coach Schneider that led her to choose the Jayhawks over Texas, South Carolina, Baylor, and Oklahoma – where he dad played ball.

“I think it really was the relationship we had and grew. He was always there, every single one of my games,” Davis said about Schneider.

After just one practice as teammates, Nichols voiced a big belief about Davis into existence – and it’s probably going to come true.

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The Jayhawks are the 11-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and will face 14-seed UCF in the first round on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.(KCTV5)

“I saw her first practice, and I sent her a text, and I’m like ‘I think you can win Freshman of the Year’, and I still stand by that,”

Davis is averaging 21.0 points per game, and has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for eight weeks in a row. That sets a power conference all-time record.

“I think it’s really cool. I mean obviously it’s a team effort, they’re always looking for me,” Davis said about her historic accomplishment.

“Just a phenomenal stretch of basketball for her, and so well deserving,” said Coach Schneider.

Now these two homegrown stars are at the forefront of a late-season push to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Right now, CBS Sports bracketology has them as a ‘First Four Out’ team.

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But a few wins in the Big 12 Tournament could certainly help seal their invite to the big dance.

“Obviously we’re not in the position that we were hoping to be in, but I think we can make the most out of it, and get to where we want to be,” Davis said about the opportunity at hand in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

The Overland Park kids are especially fired up about starting the postseason in their own backyard.

“I have a big support system. So I bet my family will take a big chunk of that area during that tournament,” Davis laughed.

“I remember being younger, and the College Basketball Experience is right next door. So I felt like at one moment that was the big stage, when I got to play my little AAU tournaments in there. And then all of a sudden I’m literally in T-Mobile Center on the actual big stage, so it’s pretty cool,” said Nichols.

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The Jayhawks are the 11-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and will face 14-seed UCF in the first round on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.



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