Elderly Man Freezes to Death Over Unpaid Bill

Estate may be worth more than $500K

(NEWSER) - The 93-year-old Michigan man who froze to death last month after his electricity was cut off was a World War II medic who left his estate—possibly more than $500,000—to a local hospital, CNN reports. Despite the savings, Martin Schur was $1,000 behind on his utility bill. “He loved his community,” says his nephew, who hopes the tragedy reminds others to “look out for their neighbor.” More»

Michigan approves plan to cut $327M deficit

(NEWSER) - Michigan has approved a plan to close roughly half of Detroit’s public schools, pushing the average high-school class size in the struggling city to roughly 60 students, the Wall Street Journal reports. The plan is designed to eliminate the district’s $327 million deficit, but even its creator, district emergency financial manager Robert Bobb, thinks it’s a bad idea, since it could drive more students away, depriving the school of enrollment-based funds from the state. More»

California, Michigan, South Carolina and Rhode Island lead jobless statistics

(AP) - Four states—California, South Carolina, Michigan, and Rhode Island—registered unemployment rates above 10% in January, and the national rate is expected to hit double digits by year-end. The US Labor Department's report on state unemployment, released today, showed the increasing damage inflicted on workers and companies from a recession now in its second year. More»

(NEWSER) - The recession is hitting elderly workers much harder than in the past, thanks to an increase in the number of older workers—especially those over 75—and a severe shortage of jobs, the Wall Street Journal reports. In past recessions, these workers just retired; now, they're scrambling to find a way to pay their medical bills and mortgages. "Who is going to hire an 81-year-old man?" asked one unemployed bartender. More»

Eight days of triple-digit temperatures hits hard

(NEWSER) - Southern California's heat wave finally seems to be breaking after killing at least 27 people in crushing temperatures. The deaths include an elderly couple who told neighbors they were turning off their air conditioning to save money. Several victims died while illegally crossing the US-Mexico border in searing heat. More»