Desperate for Cash, People Sell Grave Sites

Father won't be buried next to sons he killed

(NEWSER) - Police in Washington state have made sure Josh Powell won't be buried next to the sons he murdered. The officers, using their own money and funds donated to Crimestoppers, have bought the plots next to the graves of 7-year-old Charlie and 5-year-old Braden, who were buried earlier this week , reports the Los Angeles Times . Powell, a suspect in his wife's disappearance, attacked the boys with an ax before killing them and himself by blowing up his house. More»

Columbus, Indiana, and Casper, Wyoming top employment list

(NEWSER) - Recession—that's a big-city thing, right? Several mid-size cities around the US are making an argument for their economic superiority, boasting job growth higher than the 1.5% national average in 2011. You may not know these cities well, but the Christian Science Monitor recommends them:

1. Columbus, Indiana: No, not Ohio's Columbus: Indiana's version had 10% growth from 2009 to 2010, making it the best economic rebounder during the Great Recession. Jobs are up 6.4%.

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.

Middle Village cemetery was site of surprising fall

(NEWSER) - Mourners at a funeral in New York were shocked to see a cemetery worker plunge into a grave today and break both his legs, DNAinfo reports. The 49-year-old "was removing the strap from the casket at that time," says a cemetery official who suspected the man only hurt a knee. But the FDNY says that the worker, who was taken to hospital, broke both legs in the fall. The 160-year-old Middle Village cemetery where the accident occurred is already scary enough: It's been featured on TV shows and movies including "The Sopranos" and "Rosemary's Baby." More»

And sure to surpass it soon: USA Today

(NEWSER) - It's official, at least according to USA Today : The national debt is as big as the country's entire economy, and sure to surpass it soon. The federal government owes more than $15.23 trillion to creditors and government programs like Social Security, which is more than the latest estimate for the value of all goods and services produced by the US economy in one year: $15.17 trillion. That number is as of September, and the economy probably grew to $15.3 trillion by last month, USA Today notes. More»