Antitrust Official Gets Stampeded By Big Beef
Dudley Butler is quitting his job tomorrow. Never heard of him? He's President Obama's appointee to run the division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that governs antitrust issues in the meat...
View ArticleRecord-High Food Prices Boost Farmers' Bottom Lines
Part of a series Thanks to high commodity prices and surging productivity, U.S. farmers earned a net income of nearly $98 billion last year — a record, according to the Food and Agricultural Policy...
View ArticleConfusion Wins In Missouri's 'Chaotic' Caucus Process
Cassville, Mo., is a little town on the edge of the Ozark Mountains. During the Civil War, the Confederate state Legislature convened here. Tuesday, the Republican presidential caucus was the big draw....
View ArticleDrought Brings Misery To Arkansas River Basin
Drought has set in early and hard across the Midwest, parching the Arkansas River basin. The river trickling out of the mountains is dry before it reaches some of the major agricultural uses...
View ArticleSome In Mo. Still Back Rep. Akin Despite Comments
Many people in Missouri are still backing GOP Rep. Todd Akin — some more strongly than before — after his controversial remarks about rape and pregnancy. Akin was polling ahead of the incumbent,...
View ArticleDespite Record Drought, Farmers Expect Banner Year
After one of the driest summers on record, recent rains have helped in some parts of the country. But overall, the drought has still intensified. The latest tracking classifies more than a fifth of the...
View ArticleDrought-Stricken Plains Farmers 'Giddy' Over Heavy Snow
Two rapid-fire snowstorms belted Kansas with more than 2 feet of snow this week. They caused thousands of accidents and all kinds of hardships — but they also produced very broad smiles from some...
View ArticleAfter Years Of Struggle, Veteran Chooses To End His Life
After a dozen years at war, an estimated 2 million active-duty service members will have returned home by the end of 2013. Some reintegrate without much struggle, but for others it's not so easy. The...
View ArticleCities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms
On a normal day, Kansas City, Mo., processes more than 70 million gallons of raw sewage. This sewage used to be a nuisance, but Kansas City, and a lot of municipalities around the country, are now...
View ArticleTwinkies' Return Is Mostly Sweet News For Kansas Town
The news of Hostess' return to Emporia, Kan., sparked an ecstatic response in this beleaguered town — even though there will be only half as many jobs. The new company, formed when investors bought...
View ArticleInjured Veteran Keeps Up His Fight, Deciding To Live
A spinal injury left Iraq War veteran Tomas Young paralyzed below the waist in 2004. Further medical complications a few years later made him quadriplegic. Although Young had enlisted two days after...
View ArticleFederal Plan To Save Prairie Chickens Ruffles State Feathers
It's prairie chicken mating season! Still, it's tough being a lesser prairie chicken these days. This type of grouse once spanned an enormous area, though now they survive mainly in pockets of Oklahoma...
View ArticleKansas City Catholics Divided Over Vatican Investigation Of Bishop
A Catholic bishop normally governs pretty much unchecked in his diocese — only the pope can dislodge a bishop. And each time Catholics celebrate Mass in Kansas City, Mo., they pray for Bishop Robert...
View ArticleAs Cities Push For Their Own Broadband, Cable Firms Say Not So Fast
Americans increasingly see decently fast Internet as more like a functioning sewer line than a luxury. And a number of cities are trying to get into the Internet provider business, but laws in 19...
View ArticleIn Kansas City, Superfast Internet And A Digital Divide
Kansas City has some of the Internet's best service anywhere. Providers there jostle for customers who can now expect broadband that's about 100 times faster than the national average. But, four years...
View ArticleSuicides By Missouri Politicians Raise Questions About State Ethics
In Missouri, two political suicides have stunned the Republican Party. In February, state Auditor Tom Schweich, a leading candidate for the party's nomination for governor, shot himself. Then just last...
View ArticleHelp Wanted: Must Like Heights And High Voltage
Looking for a job? How about working way up in the air, in all kinds of weather, with thousands of volts of electricity? Working on high-voltage lines pays well and doesn't require a degree, but...
View ArticleTrucking Shortage: Drivers Aren't Always In It For The Long Haul
Almost all of the goods we buy spend time in a truck before they get to us. And because store shelves are full and sales are strong, you might assume that the trucking industry is doing great. But...
View ArticleReady For A Road Trip? RVs Are Rolling Back Into Fashion
Near record numbers of Americans are buying second homes — the kind on wheels, that is. The Great Recession almost totaled the RV industry, but now camper trailers and motor homes are popular again....
View ArticleAs Rural Towns Lose Population, They Can Learn To 'Shrink Smart'
Just outside tiny Sheffield, Iowa, a modern steel and glass office building has sprung up next to a cornfield. Behind it, there's a plant that employs almost 700 workers making Sukup brand steel grain...
View Article
