Title:
1Donations pour in for Detroit man who walks 21
miles for his daily commute
2There are tiring commutes. And then there's James
Robertson's commute. The 56-year-old Detroit man
walks 21 miles every weekday as part of his
journey to and from the factory where he works.
Robertson takes a bus only some of the way. But
for the past decade, ever since his car broke
down, he has trudged the better part of a
marathon each workday. Rain, snow or shine. After
reading the Detroit Free Press article, some
people felt moved to set up online fundraising
efforts to buy Robertson a new car. The donations
have come flooding in. A fundraiser on GoFundMe
has blown past its original goal of 5,000,
reaching a total of more than 125,000, as of
early Tuesday. Comments on the page from people
donating money suggested that the story of
Robertson's dedication to getting to work had
tapped into a deep well of public feeling. The
Detroit Free Press reported that Robertson had
been surprised and flattered by the generosity of
strangers. Robertson is portrayed as a quiet man
with a work ethic that would put anyone to shame.
Robertson apparently has perfect attendance
record. "I can't imagine not working," Robertson
said. He earns 10.55 an hour -- not enough to
save up to buy, insure and run a car in the city.
3In Other News
- The rash of measles cases across the country has
affected some states more than others. And, not
surprisingly, the rules for vaccinating vary
wildly from coast to coast. Take California, for
example, where more than 90 people have already
been infected with measles this year. As in many
states, parents in California don't have to
vaccinate their children before kindergarten if
they claim a religious or philosophical
exemption. Then there's Mississippi, which allows
parents to opt out of vaccines only for medical
reasons -- no other exceptions. That state has a
99.7 vaccination rate -- and not a single case
of measles this year. - Groundhog bites mayor, then predicts an early
springhttp//www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/02/03/pkg
-jimmy-the-groundhog-bites-mayor.wisc - Your guide to the best new children's and young
adult literature is here. The winners of the 2015
Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, Coretta Scott King
and other prestigious youth media awards were
announced Monday morning by the American Library
Association. In addition to books, these awards
highlight videos and other creative materials
produced for children over the past year. The
Caldecott Medal went to "The Adventures of
Beekle The Unimaginary Friend," illustrated and
written by Dan Santat, which follows the journey
of an imaginary friend in search of his perfect
match. The Newbery Medal was awarded to "The
Crossover" by Kwame Alexander, a story about
family and brotherhood told through verse by
12-year-old twin basketball players Josh and
Jordan Bell. - The deepening of the shipping channel in
Savannah, Georgia, won't be dredging up just mud
and sand. It will be raising up a link to the
past an ironclad that protected the city during
the Civil War until the vessel met its
undignified demise. For about the next nine
months, divers will be working to bring up the
CSS Georgia, piece by rusted piece, from nearly
40 feet down in the Savannah River. The 706
million harbor deepening officially began
Thursday with speeches and the firing of an old
cannon at Old Fort Jackson near the wreck site.
The removal of the CSS Georgia is necessary for
the state and federal project, which will see the
channel go from 42 to 47 feet so massive cargo
container ships can use the port without relying
on the tide. - Best Jobs in America http//money.cnn.com/gallery
/pf/2015/01/27/best-jobs-2015/index.html - President Obama is calling for tens of billions
of dollars in new government spending, setting up
a clear contrast with the new Republican
Congress. All told, the president wants to spend
37 billion more than the caps allow on domestic
programs. That would pay for things like an
expanded child care tax credit and subsidies to
help students attend community college at no
cost. Obama is also proposing an extra 38
billion in defense spending. The White House says
that money would help pay for the ongoing fight
against the militant group calling itself the
Islamic State, as well as military support for
NATO allies rattled by Russian aggression in
Ukraine.