Steve Alexander fills in for Max Armstrong. 

One of the big issues across the Midwest is trade. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is encouraging farmers to be patient. The Farm Foundation has given president’s reboot of NAFTA mixed reviews. The USMCA restores ag trade to what it was. The gains are more than wiped out by steel and aluminum tariffs. Four times more tariff pain than tariff gain.

In Wisconsin, driver who gunned down three Girl Scouts and one of their mothers had been huffing just before the crash. The 21-year-old driver sped off. He later turned himself in.

In Highland Park, Illinois, there is a cold weather swim group. Sunday morning, 10 people went swimming. Eight made it back to shore. One missing and one died.

This is snake migration season in underway in southern Illinois.