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Donations pour in for Detroit man who walks 21
miles for his daily commute
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There 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.
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In 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.