Economy

Thousands of Americans who have been receiving extended unemployment benefits will no longer receive that money, if they live in states that no longer qualify for the program. Under federal law, the rate of unemployment must be 10 percent higher than for the previous three years for extended benefits to remain in each state. States that no longer qualify, as of today, include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.  Officials in California say that state alone will see more than 90, 000 people lose their extended unemployment benefits today.

Eighth-graders in Kentucky are scoring higher than their national counterparts in science in what's known as the "nation's report card." The Kentucky Department of Education reports that for 2011, the state's average score was 157, compared with the national average of 151. The grading scale goes from 0 to 300.

Kentucky is reporting a decline in general government revenue in April after several months of growth. State Budget Director Mary Lassiter said today the nearly 1% drop in revenue isn't a sign that the economy has taken a step backward.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear this morning announced that Vermont Thread Gage is investing  $1.7 million in a growth project that will add to its workforce in Simpson County, Kentucky. The 35,000 square foot expansion will lead to fifteen additional jobs at a facility that already employs about one hundred people.