Kansas
Kansas City USDA food program cuts could leave some without enough food
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.
—
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.
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.”
Jack McCormick/KSHB
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).
Jack McCormick/KSHB
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.”
Jack McCormick/KSHB
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
“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.
Jack McCormick/KSHB
“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
Hawkins says navigating the USDA cuts could push forward new legislation that could impact all Americans.
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.
Kansas
Child killed after being struck by Amazon delivery vehicle in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A child is dead after being struck by an Amazon delivery vehicle Monday night in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Police Department responded to the incident just before 6:30 p.m. in the area of East Missouri Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhood.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a marked Amazon delivery vehicle had just completed a package delivery in the area. Police said after the delivery, the driver of the vehicle began traveling westbound on East 3rd Terrace toward Woodland Avenue.
Police said at the same time, a child, under the age of 5, was playing in a grassy area of a nearby public park. The child entered the roadway and was struck by the Amazon delivery vehicle.
The Amazon driver initially stopped at the scene but left before officers arrived, according to police.
Police said a family member attempted to follow the Amazon vehicle and inform the driver of what had happened. The driver denied involvement and left the area.
The child was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries, according to police.
Kansas City police said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Kansas
Defiance also draw in Kansas City
The Tacoma Defiance continued a weekend of Seattle vs Kansas soccer with a draw against Sporting Kansas City II. The Sporting second team has not been immune to the struggles in Kansas City, as they have started the season with six points through 9 games and a -15 goal difference. With a Defiance starting lineup featuring six players on first-team contracts, taking home three points should have been the expectation.
The first half was eerily similar to Saturday with Defiance dominating the run of play but entering the locker room with a 1-1 draw. They conceded the opening goal in the 40th minute where Charlie Gaffney and Cody Baker did not organize themselves well to cover the cross from the left side. That cross found an unmarked Shane Donovan who was able to score off a header to the near post, past academy goalkeeper Noah Newman in his first start of 2026.
Five minutes later, Baker equalized with a golazo from 25 yards out that was ripped into the upper right corner. This shot came off a clearance but the sequence right before was representative of how dangerous the left side of the team was. Peter Kingston found a cross-field ball to Sebastian Gomez, his combination play with Codey Phoenix and ability to create space on the dribble led to the cross.
The second half was more evenly played throughout but ended the same as the first with a goal apiece. The Defiance first-teamers came through in the 57th minute when Gomez received the ball on the left touchline, dribbled and centered for Osaze De Rosario. He made a nice move around the defender and slotted the ball in the corner from the top of the box.
SKC II scored in the 63rd minute on a corner after the initial ball wasn’t cleared. It bounced around before landing to previous goal scorer Donovan whose shot was on target but got a slight touch from Tega Ikoba.
With regulation ending in a draw, the teams went to a PK shootout where Defiance won 4–2 after Newman made two saves. Edson Carli converted the winning spot kick.
Overview
Lineup

Stats
xG

Shots

Key performers
Sebastian Gomez
Gomez is making the left winger position his own, consistently being a dangerous outlet and getting an assist in his second straight game. His dribbling and passing ability make him a creative machine out wide and he is finding dangerous passes forward illustrated by his four key passes on the evening. He also finds the pass before the pass, like in the 46th minute when he finds a little through ball from top of the box to Tsukanome on the right side of the box. This led to a dangerous cross to De Rosario but was really kickstarted by Gomez. He has grown throughout the year thus far and looks to be hitting a strong run of form.
Peter Kingston
Kingston returned to the double-pivot in this one and showed why this is probably his best position moving forward. He set the tempo for the team, keeping possession with 86% passing on 58 attempts. However, he also knew when to take the chance and had two key passes of his own. His best pass of the evening was in the 11th minute when he broke two lines on a through ball to Mark O’Neill. His versatility is a key factor in getting as many minutes as he has with the first team but performances like tonight make the case on where he should be long term.
Osaze De Rosario
De Rosario got a run out a day earlier with the first team and followed that up with a start for Defiance. He wasn’t quite as involved as is ideal with only 3 total shots but he was also in the right positions and close to finishing in the 2nd and 46th minute. He did ultimately find the back of the net in the 57th minute after receiving the ball at the top of the box, beating his defender to open up space and placing his shot in the corner. The longer run out and seeing the ball hit the back of the net will hopefully get him some rhythm for his next appearance at the first team.
Highlights
Replay
Kansas
Three Potential Bench Pieces Bill Self Can Bolster Kansas’ Roster With
The Kansas basketball program has made several notable additions since the transfer portal opened, landing three newcomers to round out the starting five. More importantly, the Jayhawks were able to secure top-ranked 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes, one of the most talented high school recruits Bill Self has ever acquired.
It has been an eventful offseason for the coaching staff, but its work in the portal is not done yet. KU still has four scholarships to fill out and will need to use one or two to add impact players off the bench.
Even if KU doesn’t land another starting-caliber transfer, it will need significantly more help on the second unit, especially in the backcourt. These are three players the Jayhawks have been in contact with and are considered strong options for the team next year.
3. James White (New Orleans)
A former Ole Miss, UAB, and New Orleans guard, James White has endured a tumultuous collegiate career, but averaged 19.2 points and 7.0 rebounds at his last stop. He is a 6-foot-5 wing who can get downhill with ease and would provide instant offense on the second unit.
White has become somewhat of a forgotten name since being involved in a sports gambling investigation two seasons ago, but he is reportedly drawing interest from top programs like Kansas and has likely been cleared by the NCAA. If KU is willing to take a chance on his controversial background, White would be an excellent rim-running guard for the staff to pursue.
2. Vyctorius Miller (Oklahoma State)
Miller took a visit to Kansas last month and hasn’t been closely linked to the program since. However, he remains one of the Jayhawks’ top targets as they look to add another bench piece.
The former Oklahoma State guard averaged 10.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 32 games (26 starts) for the Cowboys this past season. If he is willing to take on a smaller role at KU, he could help replace the departures of Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell in the backcourt.
1. Abdi Bashir Jr. (Kansas State)
Bashir Jr. completed a Zoom call with the KU coaching staff last week and has been on the radar of Jayhawk fans since. His skill set would fit perfectly as a sixth man off KU’s bench.
After playing two years at Monmouth, where he earned All-CAA honors as a sophomore, Bashir transferred to Kansas State for his junior campaign. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 44.4% from 3-point range on 8.4 attempts per game.
It has been a while since the Jayhawks have had a 3-point shooter as prolific as Bashir. The rest of his game, including his defense, may be a question mark, but Kansas could desperately use a flamethrower who can swing a game instantly with his outside shooting.
Follow
-
Iowa3 minutes agoIowa’s Senate Democratic primary is getting messy
-
Kansas9 minutes agoChild killed after being struck by Amazon delivery vehicle in Kansas City
-
Kentucky15 minutes ago
Here’s where, when you can vote early in Kentucky’s primary election
-
Louisiana21 minutes ago42,000 Louisianians voted absentee before Gov. Landry suspended US House primaries
-
Maine27 minutes agoNirav Shah is the best choice for Maine’s environment | Opinion
-
Maryland33 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for May 4, 2026
-
Michigan39 minutes agoTrump’s retribution? What to watch in Tuesday’s elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan
-
Massachusetts45 minutes agoMassachusetts rowing in the middle of the pack at Eastern Sprints