The Associated Press

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rethink proposed greenhouse gas regulations that he said would effectively ban new coal-fired power plants. Beshear made the request in a letter to the EPA last week. The Kentucky Democrat asked the EPA to drop the proposal that would require coal-fired power plants to meet the same emission standards as those that use natural gas or oil.

Tennessee's annual free fishing day is coming up this weekend. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will allow fishing without a license in the public waters on Saturday. The annual event is part of an effort aimed primarily at youngsters to increase interest in fishing in the state. Children ages 13 through 15 will able to fish without a license through June 14.

The United Mine Workers of America will stage a protest in Henderson Tuesday over Patriot Coal’s move to end its contract and reduce wages and benefits for active union members.

The UMWA will bring more than 30 busloads of supporters from around the Midwest and Appalachia to the Henderson County Courthouse in western Kentucky. A ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge last week authorized Patriot to make a variety of financial moves during reorganization.

A federal judge has dismissed a Madisonville woman's lawsuit regarding her daughter's 17-year-old unsolved kidnapping case.

U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell ruled that Sarah Teague  brought her case to court too late to be prosecuted and that her allegations lack merit.

Heavy rains brought flash flooding to parts of western Kentucky this weekend, closing roads in several counties that officials say have not flooded before.  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd says highway crews in McCracken and Carlisle counties had difficulty getting signs up because water was over so many roads.

Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator Rand Paul says Republicans can win in heavily Democratic states like California by appealing to a more diverse group of voters and people who don't always agree. Paul told a crowd at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California that the GOP is consistently losing on the West Coast and in New England and there's a need for what he calls a bigger, more inclusive party.

A Paducah elementary school has won a grant for a new, environmentally friendly playground. Morgan Elementary School received the $5,000 grant last week. The 400-student school is in an urban area and principal Vicki Conyer says the grant will help them develop more green space. Morgan won the grant through a nationwide contest sponsored by Discovery Education and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute's Education Foundation.

The Illinois Legislature's failure to act on the pension crisis could cause problems for Gov. Pat Quinn's re-election bid.  Quinn has said fixing Illinois' nearly $100 billion pension shortfall is his top priority. He also wanted lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage and approve restrictions on high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The timing of a special legislative session for the Kentucky General Assembly remains uncertain, though Gov. Steve Beshear and top lawmakers have been tossing around potential dates. Beshear wants lawmakers back in Frankfort before the end of the year to resolve the lingering issue of legislative redistricting, a politically divisive issue that tends to overshadow all other matters when it's up for consideration.

The Illinois House has given final approval to a new state budget for education.

The legislation avoids cuts to elementary and secondary education and colleges and universities for the first time in several years. It also maintains funding for bilingual education, early childhood and transportation. But elementary and secondary school districts still will receive only 89 percent of what a state statute says they should get in general state aid.