Trump Declares Worth, Other Counties Federal Disaster Areas

On Tuesday, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri's request for a major disaster declaration for 34 Missouri counties heavily impacted by dangerous flash flooding, tornadoes, and intense straight-line winds from June 4-18, 2026.

“We thank President Trump for approving Missouri’s major disaster declaration for communities across the state – northwest, northeast, central, southwest and southeast Missouri – and greatly appreciate our congressional delegation’s support in securing this federal assistance in response to the June 4-18 storms, which will continue to support recovery efforts already underway,” Governor Kehoe said.

The President's action makes the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs in Adair, Andrew, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Dade, Daviess, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Hickory, Holt, Jasper, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Mercer, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Newton, Nodaway, Osage, Polk, Putnam, Scott, Shelby, Sullivan, Vernon, Webster, and Worth Counties.

Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on July 9, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local officials. These joint PDAs validated more than $32.3 million in emergency response costs and damage to public infrastructure.

 

Opinion -- Hawley Child Trafficking Bill Signed Into Law

President Trump has signed Senator Josh Hawley's (R-Mo.) measure to combat child exploitation into law as part of the broader reconciliation bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Now, DHS will have access to $108.5 million to hire 200 new child exploitation investigators and analysts. Prior to this measure being enacted, DHS only had 7 full-time specialists to identify these victims.

"My legislation with Tim Tebow to rescue thousands of kids from online child exploitation was just signed into law by President Trump. I want to thank the President for leading on this vital issue. This is the largest surge against child trafficking ever by the federal government,” said Senator Hawley. “Time is of the essence. Let’s rescue these children.”

“Right now, 89,000 unidentified image series of children being sexually abused have been seen by law enforcement — but these children have yet to be identified and are still waiting to be found due to resource and manpower shortages,” said Tebow, Founder and Chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation (TTF). “Every day we don’t act is another day they’re in harm’s way. Today, we acted. I am grateful to our congressional leaders for getting this lifesaving legislation over the finish line, and to the law enforcement who never stop fighting for these kids. My prayer is that hope is renewed for many more boys and girls, and that their stories will be different because of this legislation. When we come together, real change can happen — and this is just the beginning.”

DHS Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plays a critical role in combating child exploitation online, but currently lacks the resources to fully execute its mission. In a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing chaired by Senator Hawley in March, Tim Tebow—the Heisman Trophy winner who now leads the Tim Tebow Foundation and its work to end child exploitation—described how HSI’s lack of staff for these cases hampers its ability to identify and find the exploited children who appear in child abuse images. Tebow told the subcommittee that 338,000 unique IP addresses have downloaded, shared, or distributed child rape images in the United States in just a matter of months, and as many as 89,000 unidentified child victims appear in these horrific materials. However, DHS currently employs only 7 full-time specialists to identify these victims.

Senator Hawley’s provision, modeled on the Renewed Hope Act, will provide HSI with a generational investment to both identify and rescue these unidentified children. The provision allows HSI to:

—Hire 40 new forensic analysts at the Victim Identification Laboratory at the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI.

—Hire 30 new child exploitation investigators at the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI.

—Hire 130 additional forensic analysts and child exploitation investigators at the offices of the Special Agents in Charge.

—Establish a dedicated training program in victim identification for federal, state, and local law enforcement to better coordinate investigations.

President Invokes Defense Production Act on Energy Infrastructure, Including Data Centers

On April 20th, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act regarding the development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure, including data centers.

On January 20th, 2025, President Trump declared a national emergency with regard to what he saw as America’s inadequate energy production, transportation, refining, and generation. Mr. Trump said in that order that left us vulnerable to hostile foreign actors and poses an imminent and growing threat to national security.

On April 20th, the President found that domestic capability for the development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure cannot be met due to financing risks, regulatory delays, and market barriers.

The order declares:

—Development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure, including engineering, site acquisition and preparation, permitting, early-stage risk mitigation, domestic manufacturing capacity, and enabling infrastructure are items essential to the national defense;

—Without Presidential action under the Defense Production Act, US industry cannot be reasonably be expected to provide these capabilities in a timely manner;

—Purchases, purchase commitment, financial support for the development of production capabilities, or other action pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act are the most cost-effective, expedient, and practical method for meeting this need.

The President found that action to expand the domestic capability to undertake development, manufacturing, and deployment of large-scale energy and energy-related infrastructure is necessary to avert industrial and critical technology item shortfalls.

The order directed the Secretary of Energy to make necessary purchases, commitments, and financial instruments to enable these projects.

 

Opinion -- Resignation Letter by Joseph Kent

By Joseph Kent, Director, National Counterterrorism Center

President Trump,

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

I support the values and the foreign policies that you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, 2024, which you enacted in your first term. Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.

In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Soleimani and by defeating ISIS.

Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.

As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.

I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for. The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.

It was an honor to serve in your administration and to serve our great nation.

 

Joseph Kent

Director, National Counterterrorism

Center

 

Governor Kehoe Calls Special Session

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe called a special session of the Missouri Legislature, the Missouri Independent reported Friday. 

The first measure would be to break up the Kansas City congressional district into three sections. It is currently held by Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, a Democrat. The objective is to create seven Republican held districts and one Democratic held district. The risk is that it would make current Republican-held districts, including the 6th district held by Rep. Sam Graves, more competitive since a lot more Kansas City voters would be voting in the 6th district under this plan.

The move is part of an arms race between Democratic governors and President Donald Trump in an effort to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the 2026 Congressional elections. The US House is currently narrowly held by Republicans. California, a Democratic state, and Texas, a Republican state, are pursuing similar measures.

The other measure being considered in the Missouri legislature is initiative petition reform. Currently, Constitutional Amendments placed on the ballot require a simple majority to pass. The legislature is seeking to put a Constitutional Amendment on the Missouri ballot for November 2026 requiring a majority vote in all eight congressional districts in order to change the Missouri Constitution in addition to a majority vote statewide. Propositions, such as the Minimum Wage law that passed in 2024, would still require a simple majority, but could be amended or repealed by the legislature.

Andrew Bailey Steps Down as Missouri Attorney General

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has stepped down to become a Co-Deputy Director of the FBI under President Donald Trump, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office announced Monday. His resignation will be effective September 8th.

Mr. Bailey has filed numerous lawsuits fighting former President Joe Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Programs, transgender surgery, and a lawsuit alleging Mr. Biden and social media companies were colluding to censor conservative speech. His office helped force St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner out of office and is now pursuing felony charges against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.

On Tuesday, Governor Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Catherine Hanaway as his successor. She is the first woman to become Missouri Attorney General. She has served as a US Attorney for Eastern Missouri, where she tried thousands of cases.

 

Opinion -- Hawley Bill Would Send $600+ Rebate Checks to Americans

By Sen. Josh Hawley’s Office

On Monday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the American Worker Rebate Act, legislation that would send rebate checks to working Americans following the historic revenue accrued through President Trump's tariff policy. 

“Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods. Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Senator Hawley said.

Senator Hawley announced this legislation last week after President Trump voiced support for this policy when he discussed record-breaking tariff revenue. 

The United States now has record monthly tariff revenue, which nearly reached $30 billion in June. Several projections suggest the United States could see over $150 billion in tariff revenue in 2025 alone. 

The American Worker Rebate Act would:

—Provide a tariff rebate check this year to American workers and families with similar parameters to the direct payments passed by Congress in 2020.

—Ensure the amount of the rebate is at least $600 per adult and dependent child (e.g. $2,400 for a family of four).

—Allow for a larger credit per person if tariff revenue exceeds current projections for 2025.

 

$11 Million for Food Stamp Education Axed; Worth County Extension to Get Own Youth Program Associate

Jennifer Osborn of University Extension told the Worth County Commission as well as Monday’s Extension meeting that $11 million worth of Food Stamp Education funding (SNAP) for the state was eliminated in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” recently signed by President Donald Trump. That means that plenty of specialist positions will be eliminated. University Extension will be able to keep the curriculum that they developed over the years; they will have to find another way to deliver it.

In better news for the area, Worth County will have its own Youth Program Associate. Funding for that position will come from the state, the Extension Council, and the Worth County Progress Organization. There are two applicants for the position, and the next step will be interviews.

The hope is that a Youth Program Associate will be able to revitalize 4-H around the county; in past years, there have been 40-50 kids involved in the county. But travel sports, school athletics becoming a year-round program just to stay competitive, and pressure on kids to work has hurt 4-H participation. The goal now for the state is for every county to have its own YPA.

The new Strategic Plan for Worth County has been put together; the next goal will be to identify and work with existing resources.

At Monday evening’s Extension meeting, Kyle Dignan reported that the Livestock Show that was held with Gentry County this year was a success. There were more participants involved, and chickens and rabbits were shown for the first time. The tentative plan is to have it at the same time next year.

Gwen Funk reported on All-America Selections, which researches and tests the best garden items that people can grow. They are one of the oldest such organizations, having started in 1932. They have 200 places around the US, including nine in Missouri, including at the Hundley-Whaley Farm in Albany.

There are many vegetables that have stood the test of time, such as the Imperator Carrot, which was given an award by the organization in 1933. But they are constantly looking to develop new food plants and flowers which will thrive today.

Many of the new items they selected include varieties such as the Black Forest Ridge Dahlia, which can handle both drought and flooding. Hundley-Whaley has experienced both this year. Despite that, nearly all of theirs germinated.

Among other vegetables and flowers Ms. Funk highlighted that got awards were the Konstance Kohlrabi, a purple kohlrabi, the Purple Magic Broccoli, which is purple as its name implies, the Captain Magnifica Dianthus Carnation, the Dekka Maxx Pink Petunia, the Bauer Lettuce, which can grow in almost any setting, the Yellow Red Heart Snapdragon, and the 1984 Tomato Celebrity, which has stood the test of time for 40 years.

A new regional mental health task force was formed a few years ago by Judge Robert Rice, and there is a lot of interest in improving peoples’ mental health in the area. Research has shown a lot of mental health benefits from gardening, including stress and anxiety reduction, mood enhancement, mindfulness, focus, improved attention span, especially for people with ADHD, memory retention, self-esteem, connection, belonging, exercise benefits, improved Vitamin D exposure from being in the sunlight, and improved sleep cycles.

 

 

Trump Administration Releases $7 Billion in Frozen School Funds

The Trump Administration announced Friday that it was releasing $7 billion worth of funds that it had frozen June 30th, citing what it said was the need to align it with President Donald Trump’s policies, the Washington Post reported.

The Trump Administration had released $1.3 billion of the funding last week for after-school programs.

Lawmakers from both parties, including Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), had lobbied the Trump Administration to release the funds after meeting with school superintendents.

The funds in question are related to English language learning programs, teacher training, support for children of migrant workers, and academic enrichment programs.

Without the release of funds, school boards and administrators would have had to choose between eliminating needed programs or paying for them out of their general funds.

The effect on area schools depended on the district. North Harrison would have taken a $20,000 hit from their budget, while Ridgeway and Cainsville had after-school programs that would have been affected. North Nodaway would have taken a $7,000 hit.

 

 

Trump Administration Unveils Farm Security Action Plan

On Tuesday, July 8th, the USDA unveiled the Trump Administration’s plan for stopping agroterrorism and implementing a national farm security action plan. The USDA says that last month, the US Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with attempting to smuggle a noxious fungus into the US, which could have caused billions of dollars in crop losses. While we could not find that particular case on the US Department of Justice’s website, they listed 39 cases just since January 20th, 2025 involving China or Chinese nationals. Most cases involved smuggling, espionage, evasion of US sanctions, money laundering, and other criminal activities.

The late Worth County Emergency Management Director Pat Kobbe constantly focused on agro-terrorism during her time. A few years ago, Chinese seed companies attempted to smuggle sample seeds into the US to various farmers in the hopes that they would plant them. One person that we know, who is from Northwest Missouri, got such a sample. The danger in planting such seeds is that they are invasive and could choke out native grasses and trees and damage gardens and crops.

The following is a news release from the USDA. Elsewhere, we print a news release from Senator Josh Hawley calling for banning of Chinese ownership of US farmland. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sheridan Express, the Board of Directors of the Sheridan Express Cooperative, or the membership:

USDA — Trump Administration Takes Bold Action to Elevate American Agriculture in National Security

Today (July 8th, 2025), U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the next pillar of her Make Agriculture Great Again initiative: USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan. This historic plan elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation’s national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation’s food and agricultural systems.

"We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods," said Secretary Rollins. "This Action Plan puts America’s farmers, families, and future first—exactly where they belong. Under President Trump’s leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers.”

A Real Threat, a Real Response

Recent events highlight the critical need for this action. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with smuggling a noxious fungus into the United States—a potential agroterrorism weapon responsible for billions in global crop losses. The scheme involved a U.S. research lab and highlighted a disturbing trend: America’s enemies are playing the long game—infiltrating our research, buying up our farmland, stealing our technology, and launching cyberattacks on our food systems. These actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America’s food and agriculture supply chain.

Enough is enough.

Protecting the homeland begins with protecting our farmland and the National Farm Security Action Plan puts American farmers and ranchers first by safeguarding our food supply, strengthening critical infrastructure, and defending U.S. agricultural innovation from foreign adversaries.

 A Comprehensive Action Plan for Agriculture Security

The National Farm Security Action Plan takes aggressive action across seven critical areas.

—Secure and Protect American Farmland – Address U.S. foreign farmland ownership from adversaries head on. Total transparency. Tougher penalties.

—Enhance Agricultural Supply Chain Resilience – Refocus domestic investment into key manufacturing sectors and identify non-adversarial partners to work with when domestic production is not available. Plan for contingencies.

—Protect U.S. Nutrition Safety Net from Fraud and Foreign Exploitation – Billions have been stolen by foreign crime rings. That ends now.

—Defend Agricultural Research and Innovation – No more sweetheart deals or secret pacts with hostile nations. American ideas stay in America.

—Put America First in Every USDA Program – From farm loans to food safety, every program will reflect the America First agenda.

—Safeguard Plant and Animal Health – Crack down on bio-threats before they ever reach our soil.

—Protect Critical Infrastructure – Farms, food, and supply chains are national security assets—and will be treated as such.

A United Front Against Foreign Threats

This National Farm Security Action Plan will serve as the launch point for USDA to work in further unison with governors, state legislators, and federal partners to further integrate agriculture into the broader national security efforts over the coming months and years reaffirming the critical nature of agriculture and the need for a cross governmental approach. Defending access to American abundance and preserving the American experiment is the essence of agriculture security - and it is why farm security is national security.

“Foreign ownership of land near strategic bases and US military installations poses a serious threat to our national security. The Farm Security Plan will put America First and keep our bases across the homeland secure,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

“Farm security is national security. The Department of Justice will continue working to prosecute those who threaten American agriculture, investigate cases of potential agro-terrorism, and protect America’s farmers from illegal threats at home and abroad,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“Food policy is national security policy. A country who cannot feed itself, cannot take care of itself, and cannot provide for itself is not secure. We have to be able to feed ourselves to make sure that no other country ever controls us…We will never let any other country control our food supply or control our people because we will always be the great United States of America,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

"Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rollins for putting America first with this bold USDA Action Plan to protect our food supply, our economy, and our freedom.”

“Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children's heritage. The National Farm Security Action Plan puts America First by defending our farmland from foreign adversaries and protecting our food supply, and I thank the Trump Administration for its bold leadership,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.

“Farm Security = Food Security = National Security. Thanks to these actions taken by President Trump and his team, we can further protect the backbone of Nebraska’s economy from foreign adversaries like China. Homeland security starts at home, and we will continue to do our part in Nebraska,” said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen.

“Foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are trying to get their foot in the door by buying up our farmland,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville. “In my state of Alabama, we have the fourth-highest amount of foreign-owned land in the U.S. with 2.2 million acres. Not only is this dangerous for our farmers, but it’s disastrous for our national security. Thankfully, the Trump administration is taking action to secure our farmland and keep us safe from bad foreign actors.”

“Farm security is national security, and it is imperative that we start recognizing this before it is too late,” said Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. “President Trump understands this, and I applaud the work his administration has done to partner with Kansas agriculture and the biodefense industry to ensure that plant and animal diseases do not compromise our food supply.”

“President Trump is using every tool at his disposal to keep our nation safe, and that includes securing our food supply. This historic USDA effort reflects his clear understanding that food security is national security, and under his leadership, America’s farmers and families are safer and stronger,” said House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson.

“Under Governor Sanders' leadership, Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick China off our farmland. Thank you President Trump, Secretary Rollins, and Secretary Hegseth for what you are doing to stop our adversaries from destroying our country and for protecting the way of life that provides the food, fiber, fuel, and shelter that we all depend on every single day,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.

“Agriculture is national security, period. A nation that cannot feed itself, cannot defend itself, and I’m excited to work together with Sec. Rollins and Sec. Hegseth to champion policies that will strengthen US farm security and protect our nation’s farmers, farmland, and food supply,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper.

“I am grateful for Secretary Brooke Rollins’ bold leadership in advancing USDA’s Ag Security Agenda, which prioritizes safeguarding American agriculture and farmland from those who seek to undermine our nation’s food and energy security. Iowa’s multi-generation family farms are the backbone of our state’s economy and way of life. For decades, Iowa has banned the foreign ownership of farmland, a law we strengthened in 2024, to preserve our agricultural integrity and security while balancing the need for foreign business investment in our state. I fully support Secretary Rollins’ and the Trump Administration’s efforts to bolster enforcement, increase reporting, and enhance transparency of land ownership laws at the national level to guarantee that our American farmland remains in the hands of Americans,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

“The USDA’s leadership in developing this comprehensive Plan shows a clear commitment to putting American farmers and ranchers first,” said Commissioner Shell. “Protecting our farmland and food systems from foreign influence and biosecurity threats is critical not only to our agricultural economy but to the national security of the United States. I’m proud to join colleagues from across the nation in supporting this important work,” said Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell.

“Agriculture is truly the backbone of our nation, and protecting the U.S. now and into the future means protecting our food supply. I applaud the foresight and leadership of Secretary Rollins and her colleagues to defend and strengthen American agriculture. I look forward to supporting these efforts on behalf of our Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and all Americans who count on the safe, reliable, and nutritious food we produce in the United States,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur.