JIM SUHR, AP Business Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A U.S. government report says the nation’s corn growers should have banner production this year despite lesser acreage devoted to the grain. But corn prices later in the year may suffer a bit.

(AP)  Chrysler Group is recalling 780,000 minivans to replace window switches that can short-circuit and overheat if exposed to moisture.

The company said Friday that it knows of 36 incidents related to the faulty switches, but is unaware of any related injuries or accidents.

Chrysler says the switches, located on the driver-side door, can short circuit due to moisture from rain, snow or when the car is washed, as well as from beverages spilled on the switch.

The company will pay to replace the switch. Consumers can have it disconnected in the meantime and are asked to call 1-800-853-1403.

Chrysler says the recall involves certain 2010 through 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

JOPLIN (AP) – Three Joplin home invasion suspects are taken into custody after one of them accidentally dialed 911 from a bank parking lot.

The Joplin Globe reports police were called at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday to a home where a 44-year-old woman said her front door was kicked open and several people burst inside.

She says one intruder threw her down while the others rummaged through the house. She recognized some of the intruders and thinks they may have been looking for her daughter.

Someone accidentally called 911 from a cell phone at 12:15 a.m. Thursday, and the dispatcher could hear voices in the background talking about going to a bank.

An officer found a pickup truck in a bank parking lot and detained three people for questioning in the home invasion.

JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A Missouri lawmaker says she’s “thrilled” that Gov. Jay Nixon won’t veto a massive overhaul of the state’s criminal code.

The legislation was sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Jolie Justus, a Kansas City Democrat. Justus said Nixon’s chief-of-staff and legal counsel indicated at a meeting Friday that the governor won’t veto the measure.

Nixon had expressed concerns that the bill tried to do too much at one time and said there was “no room for error” when overhauling the criminal code for the first time since 1979. The governor had faced a deadline next Tuesday to veto the bill or let it become law.

Supporters say the bill has been thoroughly vetted with dozens of public hearings and input from multiple organizations. Its provisions take effect in 2017.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A proposed transportation sales tax increase is in jeopardy in the Missouri House because some Democrats are upset about an income tax cut.
The three-quarters cent sales tax already has passed the Senate and needs just one more House vote to be referred to this year’s ballot. But lawmakers have just five working days before their session ends May 16, and support for the transportation tax is waning.

When the House approved an earlier version of the bill in April, 33 Democrats joined 63 Republicans to exceed the 82 votes needed to pass legislation.
But House Minority Leader Jake Hummel says Democrats are now reconsidering their support for the sales tax, after Republicans enacted an income tax cut this week by overriding the veto of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The owner of the Kansas City Power & Light District has filed a defamation lawsuit against attorneys who claimed in an earlier lawsuit that the district discriminated against minority customers.

Cordish Cos. and two related entities filed a defamation suit this week against two attorneys who filed the earlier lawsuit on behalf of Glen Cusimano. Cordish claims that Cusimano’s attorneys knowingly made false statements to the news media that damaged the district’s reputation.

Cordish denies it used that tactic.

The Kansas City Star reports Cusimano’s lead attorney, Linda Dickens, reaffirmed the allegations against Cordish on Thursday.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill met this week with the Missouri Hospital Association to discuss ways to improve healthcare in Missouri, including ways to protect Medicare and help hospitals.

McCaskill met with Herb B. Kuhn, President and CEO of the Missouri Hospital Association, along with hospital leaders from across the state.

“These folks are working hard every day to maintain strong hospitals across Missouri,” McCaskill said. “The patients at our state’s hospitals deserve the best healthcare this country can offer, and I’m confident that by working together we can make that happen.”

McCaskill joined the Senate in 2007 pledging to Missouri’s families to finally tackle the country’s broken health care system – a system that was contributing to budget-busting deficits, leaving millions of Americans without access to quality care, and subjecting millions more to the abusive practices of big insurance companies. In the years since, McCaskill made good on that promise, voting to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to offer coverage to more Missouri kids, and helping pass the Affordable Care Act that is already working to protect families from insurance industry abuses, slow the growth of health care costs, and expand coverage to millions of Americans.

SMITHVILLE (AP) – Authorities are investigating after an 18-year-old high school student said she was shot while turkey hunting at a northwest Missouri lake, and the shooter left without helping.

The Missouri Department of Conservation and Clinton County Sheriff’s Office are investigating Wednesday’s shooting at Smithville Lake.

The woman told authorities told authorities she was hunting turkeys at the lake by herself when she was shot. KCTV-TV reports that she yelled for help but the shooter left. The girl was shot in the leg but was able to drive herself to the hospital, where she might need to have surgery.

It is the first hunting-related shooting reported at Smit