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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The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $1 billion in cuts to COVID-era food programs supporting locally sourced food to charitable food banks and schools.
Harvesters Community Food Network is one of many organizations impacted by the cuts.
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Kansas City USDA food program cuts could leave some without enough food
“In our case, it was about $1 million we received in each round of funding,” CEO and President Stephen Davis said. “Over a period of two years, it gave us about $1.5 million in produce.”
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Stephen Davis
Harvesters Community Food Network serves 27 counties in and around the Kansas City metro area on both sides of the state line.
According to Davis, the organization only received funding for its services in Kansas, a partnership it created with the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
“This was a Kansas-based program and we were working with Kansas farmers to procure that food,” said Davis.
Out of the $1 billion slashed, $660 million funded the Local Food for Schools program (LFS) and the remaining $420 million funded the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA).
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LFPA Sign in Harvesters warehouse
Harvesters was in the LFPA program that provided funding that was paid directly to Kansas farmers for prodsuce, dairy, and protein.
“In many cases they were startups, they were small scale farmers, they were diverse farmers,” David said. “They were disadvantaged in some sort of way. This was really a lifeline program today to help give them a distant source of funding.”
Harvesters takes in nearly 30 millions pounds of food each year.
It’s relying on current donors to make up the deficit, while the organization remains concerned about the impact cuts have on local food growers.
“Our hope would have been that this would’ve been continued,” Davis said. “It’s been proven it works and the foundation was laid to continue to show the success of that program.”
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Government spending cuts across numerous sectors has the Missouri Farm Bureau reading between the lines.
“The new administration is taking a whole government look at spending,” said Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins. “Given that the interest on the debt exceeds the national defense budget, I think it behooves us that we take a look at government spending; I think including the US Department of Agriculture,” Hawkins said.
He’s and other Farm Bureau members are meeting with Missouri’s Congressional delegration on Capitol Hill this week to push for new legislation.
American Farm Bureau Federation
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Garrett Hawkins
“I think it’s important for viewers to know we are two years past the Food and Farm Bill,” Hawkins said. “That’s one of the key issues that our farmers are talking about this week on Capitol Hill, is the need to update and reauthorize the Farm Bill that impacts all Americans.”
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as The Farm Bill, is passed every five years in Congress.
The bipartisan piece of legislation is a safety net for producers, numerous programs that include crop insurance, conservation, and agriculture research programs.
The 2018 bill is $428 billion in total dollars; $325.8 million or 76%., funds nutrition programs like SNAP.
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“What you’re seeing now is a look at pandemic era spending and government officials taking a look and saying, ‘Okay, perhaps we should pause and take a look at these programs and figure out how to bring them in line, recognizing that resources are going to be needed to update all programs as part of a Farm Bill,’” added Hawkins. “Truly, for our members, we expect questions to be asked on all programs. We can be patient while advocating for a new, modern Farm Bill.”
The Farm Bill is typically passed every five years and is updated to reflect the current economy. The 2018 legislation expired in 2023. The same funding has been extended through orders of Congress to maintain 2018 funding.
“The world has changed since 2018,” Hawkins said. “We have lived through a pandemic, we saw supply chains upended in the pandemic, we saw the most rapid rise in inflation that we have seen in decades. “Everything we touch in agriculture costs much more, prices that we see at the farm gate are dramatically lower for the last couple of years. We have to update a farm safety net that reflects modern times.”
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
U.S. Capitol building at sunrise in Washington.
Hawkins says navigating the USDA cuts could push forward new legislation that could impact all Americans.
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Both Harvesters and the Farm Bureau understand a new Farm Bill is an important issue.
For Davis, the question is, at what cost must that be achieved and it shouldn’t come at the consequence of pulling back programs like LFPA or other programs.
Kansas Farmers Union President Donn Teske provided KSHB 41 with a statement regarding the recent USDA funding cuts:
Kansas Farmers Union is disappointed in the recent cuts to USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs. The abrupt cancellation now threatens to upend all of the progress that farms, food hubs, schools, and food banks had built through relationships, infrastructure, and increased production around these programs. We strongly urge the administration to refocus and promote farm policy that promotes local and regional markets for the well being of all producers and consumers.”
The Farm Bill will continue to make news and KSHB 41 will monitor any changes.
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 14, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
Midday: 9-9-6
Evening: 1-5-6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
Red Balls: 15-24, White Balls: 02-16
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 14 drawing
08-23-32-33-34, Lucky Ball: 15
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
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(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
ESPN | Live Scoring | Tickets – Sold Out | What Color Should I Wear?
NC State Game Notes | Kansas Game Notes
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men’s basketball team hosts 19th-ranked Kansas Saturday evening inside Lenovo Center.
The game will feature the first-ever attempt at Stripe Out in the Lenovo Center. Click this link and put your seat information in and it will tell you what color to wear.
Tipoff against the Jayhawks is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN. NC State fans can also listen to Matt Chazanow and Chucky Brown call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.
Pack Notes
NC State dominated Liberty, 85-45, Wednesday night. Liberty entered the game as one of the best offenses in the nation through the first five weeks of the season. They led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, were second in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game and field goal percentage, fourth in three-point field goal percentage and fifth in three-pointers per game. But the Pack’s defense stopped the Liberty attack from the beginning as the Flames made a season-low six three-pointers and shot season-lows in overall field goal percentage (35.3%) and three-point field goal percentage (21.4%). Liberty also had a season-high 17 turnovers in the loss.
The 45 points for Liberty are the fewest for an NC State opponent since the Pack held Jacksonville to 43 in a 79-43 win for the Pack on Nov. 20, 2014.
Ven-Allen Lubin and Matt Able tied for the team-high in scoring in the win over Liberty with each player scoring 13 points. After scoring in double figures just once in the Pack’s first three games this season, Lubin has now scored in double figures in seven consecutive games. He has shot over 50 percent from the field in every game this season and leads the ACC and ranks 10th in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 67.5 percent.
In the last four games, Lubin is averaging 17.8 points per game and is shooting 72.5 percent (29-of-40) from the field.
NC State ranks near the top in the ACC in scoring (3rd – 88.8 ppg), field goal percentage (2nd – 50.2%), 3-point percentage (1st – 40.0%) and free throw percentage (4th – 76.3%).
Pick Your Poison: NC State has had five different players score 20-plus points in a game this season, tied with Pitt for the most in the ACC. Four Wolfpack players (Quadir Copeland, Ven-Allen Lubin, Paul McNeil, Jr., and Darrion Williams) have reached the 20-point mark in multiple games—more than any other team in the conference.
Quadir Copeland was flirting with a triple-double on Wednesday as he finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. He checked out of the game with 9:57 to play and never came back in. Over his last four games, Copeland is averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 63.4 percent (26-of-41) from the field. The Philadelphia native has passed out 24 assists against just seven turnovers (3.43 asst-TO ratio) in the last four outings.
Saturday Storylines
– NC State’s 40-point victory over Liberty on Wednesday moved the Pack up 11 spots in the NET rankings to No. 30. NC State’s average opponent NET rank though 10 games is 133 which ranks as the best opponent NET ranking of any ACC team. Five of the Pack’s first 10 games this season are currently Q1 or Q2 games. NC State still has three non-conference games remaining and as of the current NET rankings will play one more Q1 game (Dec. 13 vs. Kansas) and one more Q2 game (neutral site game vs. Ole Miss on Dec. 21).
– Dating back to the 2016-17 season, NC State has a 72-3 (.960) record against non-conference opponents in regular season home games.
– Saturday’s game is the highest ranked non-conference opponent to visit Raleigh since seventh-ranked Auburn played at NC State on Dec. 19, 2018. The Pack defeated the eventual Final Four participant Tigers, 78-71, behind a then career-high 27 points from junior guard Markell Johnson. Saturday’s game against the Jayhawks is the Pack’s first home game against a ranked opponent since March 4, 2024 when NC State fell to ninth-ranked Duke, 79-64. That NC State team got revenge on Duke twice in the next three weeks, beating the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament 10 days later and then knocking off Duke again in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four.
– Familiar with the Jayhawks – Saturday’s game will mark the third consecutive season that Darrion Williams has faced Kansas and he helped lead Texas Tech to wins over the Jayhawks each time. Last season he scored 14 points as Texas Tech won in Allen Fieldhouse for just the second time in school history. In the 2023-24 season, Williams was named Associated Press National Player of the Week after shooting a perfect 12-of-12 from the field on his way to a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double. He tied the Texas Tech and Big 12 records for single-game field goal percentage, being the first in Tech history and second in Big 12 history to go 12-for-12 from the field. According to ESPN Stats and Info after the game, Williams was also the first player in the last 25 seasons to have 30 points, 10 or more rebounds and shoot 100% against a ranked team.
– Ven has been unstoppable in second half of games this season: A missed shot midway through the second half against Liberty on Wednesday snapped a streak of 24 consecutive made second half field goals for Ven-Allen Lubin. His streak started with two makes against Boise State in the second half on Nov. 25, the next day he was 6-6 against Texas in the second half, he then went 3-3 at Auburn, 9-9 against UNC Asheville and made his first four second half field goal attempts against Liberty before finally missing a second half shot. In 10 games this season, Lubin is shooting 82.1 percent (32-of-39) from the field in the second half. He’s also made 14-of-his-15 free throw attempts in the final 20 minutes of games this season which means his second half shooting splits are 82.1/50/93.3.
– Second Half Pack: NC State is averaging 48.8 points and shooting 55 percent from the field in the second half of its 10 games this season. In addition to Lubin’s second half efforts mentioned above, Quadir Copeland has also been fantastic in the second half as he’s shot 69.4 percent (25-of-36) in the second half of games this season. Overall the Pack’s top five scorers in the second half (Quadir Copeland, Darrion Williams, Ven-Allen Lubin, Paul McNeil, Jr., and Tre Holloman) combine to shoot 60.8 percent from the field in the second half, including 51.2 percent (44-of-86) from three-point range.
– Pack’s starting unit is giving NC State a lethal offensive punch through the first 10 games. NC State’s normal starting lineup (Quadir Copeland, Tre Holloman, Ven-Allen Lubin, Paul McNeil, Jr., and Darrion Williams) are combining to average 66.2 points per game and shooting an efficient 53.9 percent (226-of-419) from the field, including 45 percent (76-of-169) from three-point range. Four of the Pack’s starters are shooting 50.7 percent or better from the field.
– Watch the foul trouble – NC State ranks last in the ACC and 309th nationally in fouls, averaging 19.9 per game. In the Pack’s seven wins, they’ve outscored opponents by a combined 29 points at the free throw line. But in their three losses, they’ve been outscored by 20 at the line and have lost those games by a combined 26 points.
– NC State outrebounded Liberty by 11 in the win on Wednesday and is now 6-0 when it outrebounds its opponent and just 1-3 when it doesn’t this season.
– NC State outscored Liberty, 42-24, in the paint on Wednesday and has now scored 40 or more paint points in half of its games this season. For the season, NC State is averaging 35.6 paint points per game and only once this season (vs. Seton Hall) has the Pack been outscored in the paint.
– Overall through 10 games, the Pack is +112 over its opponents in paint points.
NC State series with Kansas
– Saturday will be the 15th all-time meeting between NC State and Kansas. Kansas has a 13-1 advantage all-time against the Pack and have won the last 13 games between the two programs.
– Last Meeting (December 14, 2024): NC State dug itself into an early hole and never was able to fully recover in falling to Kansas, 75-60, in Lawrence last season. NC State had battled back from an early 19-3 deficit to trail by just seven, 48-41, on a Ben Middlebrooks lay-up with 14:04 to go in the game. On the ensuing possession the Pack got a steal and had a chance to cut further into the Jayhawks’ lead, but Middlebrooks jumper was off the mark and Kansas made a three-pointer on its next possession to push the lead back into double digits and the Pack never got within single digits again.
The NC State Wolfpack (7-3) face the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (7-3) on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET. The matchup airs on ESPN.
How to watch Kansas Jayhawks vs. NC State Wolfpack
Kansas vs. NC State odds
Odds provided by BetMGM.
Stats to know
NC State has a +161 scoring differential, topping opponents by 16.1 points per game. It is putting up 88.8 points per game to rank 23rd in college basketball and is giving up 72.7 per outing to rank 173rd in college basketball.
NC State hits 10.6 three-pointers per game (35th in college basketball) while shooting 40.0% from deep (14th in college basketball). It is making 1.4 more threes per outing than its opponents, who drain 9.2 per game while shooting 33.8%.
Kansas has a +109 scoring differential, topping opponents by 10.9 points per game. It is putting up 74.6 points per game, 243rd in college basketball, and is allowing 63.7 per contest to rank 16th in college basketball.
Kansas knocks down 7.1 three-pointers per game (250th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 6.6. It shoots 34.0% from deep, and its opponents shoot 24.9%.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
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Photo: Patrick Smith, Andy Lyons, Steph Chambers, Jamie Squire / Getty Images
