TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is adding 750 workers to a Missouri factory in anticipation of high demand for two new small pickup trucks.

JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Several Kansas Supreme Court justices are questioning why a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate who wants his name off the ballot should be prevented from doing so by the state’s chief election officer.

The court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that has national implications because it could affect the battle for control of the Senate.

Democrat Chad Taylor’s withdrawal could help independent candidate Greg Orman’s chances to unseat vulnerable Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts.

Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach ruled that Taylor’s name must remain on the ballot because he didn’t comply with state election law.

Taylor has not explained why he withdrew, but several justices asked whether it was sufficient for the Democrat to simply cite the relevant law in his withdrawal letter.

JIM SALTER, Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A judge has extended into January the term of the grand jury considering whether Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson should be charged in the shooting death of Michael Brown.

The grand jury was due to have its four-month term expire Sept. 10, the same day St. Louis County Circuit Judge Carolyn Whittington extended the term to Jan. 7. St. Louis County Court Administrator Paul Fox says it’s the longest extension allowed under Missouri law.

The extension does not mean the grand jury will meet until January, but Fox says it gives jurors that window. Prosecutor Bob McCulloch has said previously that the investigation is expected to last into mid-October.

Fox says the grand jury is focused strictly on the shooting death of Brown and is not considering any other cases.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A man who filed a brief asking the Kansas Supreme Court to keep Democrat Chad Taylor on the ballot in the U.S. Senate race is the father of a staffer for Gov. Sam Brownback.

David Orel, of Kansas City, Kansas, on Monday filed a brief with court opposing Taylor’s efforts to withdraw from the race against Sen. Pat Roberts. He argued that Taylor’s withdraw would deprive Orel, a Democrat, of the right to vote for his preferred candidate.

The Wichita Eagle reports Orel’s son, Alexander Orel, is regional field director in the Kansas City area for Brownback’s re-election campaign.

The state Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on a petition Taylor filed after Secretary of State Kris Kobach refused to remove Taylor’s name from the ballot.

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — More than 1,000 Pittsburg State University students are unable to take laboratory classes so far this semester because of delays in a renovation project.

Crews have been working to replace heating, air-conditioning and exhaust systems at Heckert-Wells Hall. The project was supposed to be completed by Aug. 29.

University officials say Corvus, a subcontractor doing mechanical work, walked off the job the Friday of Labor Day weekend and never returned. Pittsburg State officials say it’s unclear why the workers left.

The Joplin Globe reports two mechanical contractors have taken over the project. It is now expected to be completed by Sept. 29. In response, faculty members are working to design their lab classes so the material is compressed into a shorter time frame.

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — A volunteer cleanup of Lake Taneycomo shoreline turned up nearly 4 tons of trash, including broken docks, tires and several fishing poles.

The volunteers swept over 10 miles of the shoreline on the lake near Branson in an annual cleanup effort. They worked between a park near Forsyth to near the Branson Lakeside RV Park.

The Springfield News-Leader reports the next major area cleanup will focus on the Table Rock Lake shoreline next April. It will be the 14th annual Table Rock Lake cleanup.

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A nonpartisan report to Congress is raising new questions about a key provision of federal health care law: a compromise on abortion that allowed the legislation to pass in 2010.

The Government Accountability Office said in a report released late Monday that only 1 of 18 insurers it reviewed was separately itemizing a charge for coverage of elective abortions on enrollees’ bills.

The 2010 compromise that President Barack Obama sealed with conservative Democrats stipulated that no federal funds would be used to pay for elective abortions.

The GAO review did not address the fundamental issue of whether federal subsidies are being used for elective abortions, but abortion opponents said the findings underscore their view that the compromise is an accounting gimmick.

The administration says the policy may require additional clarification.

JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in an election-law case that could have big implications for GOP hopes of capturing control of the U.S. Senate in November.

The court will hear arguments Tuesday over whether Democrat Chad Taylor must stay on the ballot despite his announced exit from the race. Taylor threw the race into chaos when he announced he wanted to be taken off the ballot, without giving an explanation.

Taylor’s exit seemed to set up a clear two-person race between the three-term incumbent, Republican Pat Roberts, and wealthy independent Greg Orman, who many believe has a chance to unseat Roberts head to head.

Republicans say Taylor didn’t follow state law limiting when nominees can withdraw. Taylor took the case to the high court.

By U.S. Senator Clair McCaskill

Even as we’re kicking off football season, we can all recognize that one area in which we shouldn’t just be tossing the ball back and forth is policy-making. Unfortunately, instead of putting the necessary policies into place to keep boosting jobs and businesses, some members of Congress have once against turned a traditionally nonpartisan issue into the next controversial political football.

As I traveled around Missouri in recent weeks, I saw signs of our country’s economic recovery everywhere. Businesses are thriving, companies are hiring, and construction is booming.

But we have more work to do. To keep us on this path to recovery, we’ve got to make sure we’re using every available resource at our disposal to continue boosting jobs and growing our businesses.

One of the most import tools in that toolkit is the Export-Import Bank, which helps Missouri businesses boost jobs and gives them a competitive edge to succeed internationally. This should be something that everyone, regardless of party, can get behind.

But, the Export-Import Bank has become the latest victim in an unfortunate trend of usually bipartisan efforts being turned into a political football by Tea Party Republicans.

Congress is scheduled to vote this week on whether to renew the charter of the Export-Import Bank, which is set to expire on September 30. In years past, this vote has been nonpartisan, and noncontroversial. In fact, former President Ronald Reagan once said that exports “create and sustain jobs for millions of American workers and contribute to the growth and strength of the United States economy. The Export-Import Bank contributes in a significant way to our nation’s export sales.”

But this year, it’s deeply disappointing that some extreme lawmakers are putting this vote in jeopardy.

These leaders should travel around their states as I did, listening to employees and meeting with executives at some of the 96 Missouri businesses that benefit from the Export-Import Bank. Nearly everyone at these companies agreed that the job-creating benefits the Export-Import Bank provides are critical to keeping their businesses strong and competitive, allowing them to succeed in the increasingly competitive global market.

Everywhere I went, folks told me the Export-Import Bank is one of the most important tools they have—helping them sell their goods and services to customers across the globe, and supports jobs for thousands of Missourians.

Export-Import Bank’s work is simple and incredibly valuable to American business. The Bank supports American jobs by helping to finance foreign sales of U.S. products through loan guarantees, direct loans, and credit insurance, all at no cost to taxpayers. The bank actually earns revenue for the Treasury, including more than $1 billion in 2013 alone. Since 2009, the Export-Import Bank has supported $188 billion in U.S. exports and 1.2 million American jobs. More than 3,400 small businesses rely on the bank to finance export deals

In Missouri, the Export-Import Bank has supported $1 billion in exports from 96 Missouri companies since 2007. And nearly 85 percent of businesses supported by the Export-Import Bank are small and medium-sized businesses.

Missouri’s businesses need this competitive edge to grow and thrive.

That’s why it’s critical that Congress take bipartisan action to renew the Export-Import Bank—and keep this valuable tool in the hands of Missouri businesses.

Claire McCaskill is the senior U.S. Senator from Missouri.