Downtrodden Detroit Can Rise Again, Green

Stunning bargain sale marks state's desperation

(NEWSER) - In a stunning sign of the imploding economy, Detroit is selling its $56 million sports dome for a bargain basement $580,000. The 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome, once home to the Detroit Lions, went for 1 percent of the cost to build it 35 years ago. The city of Pontiac owns the stadium, which was valued at $20 million just last year. Analysts say the price is a stark demonstration of the area's economic devastation. More»

Layoffs, property price plunge leaves middle-aged workers in limbo

(NEWSER) - Tens of thousands of middle-aged white-collar workers have been left jobless and stranded in Michigan by the recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. Auto industry veterans laid off by the Big Three are finding themselves competing against against younger people for a smattering of job openings. With property prices down 45% from their 2006 peak, people are unable or unwilling to sell their homes and seek work elsewhere. More»

(NEWSER) - The rumors of the “cash for clunkers” deal’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, the White House said today, promising that the trade-in program will continue even after consumers have used up its allotted $1 billion. “If you were planning on going to buy a car this weekend using this program, the program continues to run,” said spokesman Robert Gibbs. More»

(NEWSER) - General Motors plans to shut most of its US factories for 9 weeks this summer, the AP reports. The shutdown will include the normal 2-week stoppage in July to gear up for new models, two sources said, blaming the move on slumping sales and rising inventories. GM, which has received $13.4 billion in government loans, faces a June 1 deadline to restructure its debt or face bankruptcy. More»

Bailout collapse leaves state fretting over future

(NEWSER) - Detroit's bailout has crashed and burned, casting a pall on Michigan's future, the Detroit Free Press writes. The state knows the pain that comes with tough times in the auto industry all too well, and it's "incredible" that any American lawmaker "could want to watch these hard times turn so much harder for so many people," notes a Press editorial. More»