agricultural exports, but as the mississippi runs dry, barges can't move as fast or carry as many goods, which is making essential items more expensive for all of us, which is why we should care. to give you a sense of the real impact, the arkansas bureau says the cost to move soybeans has skyrocketed 300% since july. soybeans are used in a wide variety ofans and an mer. jennifer carpenter is the president of the american waterways. good morning to you. as i understand it, the water levels are so low you can't move a barge down the river if it's hitting the dry bed down there. can you start by telling us how vital it is to the u.s. economy and the cargo that's being transported a i long the mississippi every year? >> absolutely. good morning, amara. thanks so much for having me.