Closing Market Report

The September 2, 2026 edition of Illinois Public Media's Closing Market Report, hosted by Todd Gleason, examines commodity market trends, local environmental policy, and global agricultural weather patterns. Following the opening commodity market settlements, Greg Johnson of Total Grain Marketing analyzes multi-year highs in corn and soybean futures, the psychological dynamics of farmer selling, early harvest expectations driven by late-summer heat, and updated crop budget estimates from the University of Illinois farmdoc team. The broadcast then highlights civic discourse in Champaign County, featuring University of Illinois environmental science student Bruce Beem, who details public testimony regarding proposed hyperscale data centers—specifically emphasizing concerns over long-term site remediation, and inadequate human-centric noise metrics and artificial light disruption along avian migratory corridors. Finally, meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather Incorporated delivers a regional and global forecast, evaluating persistent drought conditions across the U.S. hard red winter wheat belt, planting moisture outlooks in central Brazil, and international El Niño impacts spanning Indonesian wildfires and drenching rainfall in the Philippines.

01:21 Ag Markets with Greg Johnson, TGM
08:28 Data Centers, Civic Engagement, and University Educations
14:38 Ag Weather with Drew Lerner, World Weather Inc