Latest news with #WestPhiladelphia
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Firefighters battle flames, heavy smoke at 4-story apartment building in West Philly
The Brief Firefighters worked hours Saturday morning to extinguish a four-alarm blaze at a vacant West Philadelphia apartment building. Crews on scene reported that as hot spots were put down, other flare-ups continued to break out, prompting fire officials to call 4-alarms for additional backup. WEST PHILADELPHIA - A four-alarm fire at an abandoned four-story West Philadelphia apartment building put firefighters to the test as hot spots were doused, new ones leapt from the building. What we know Fire crews got the call for a fire burning in a four-story apartment building on the 200 block of South 48th Street early Saturday morning, just after 5 a.m. Once on site, firefighters quickly escalated the alarm from 2nd to fourth, as smoke and flames just poured from the very large, vacant building. As two hours passed, as crews were tamping down hot spots, new flare-ups occurred, complicating the efforts in bringing it under control. They were able to eventually bring it under control, though crews were expected to remain at the scene to continue to douse hot spots. The building has been vacant for some time, according to neighbors. No injuries were reported. What we don't know A cause of the fire is under investigation.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Flames and smoke seen after 3-alarm fire breaks out at West Philadelphia apartment building
Multiple Philadelphia fire trucks are on the scene of a three-alarm blaze at an apartment building in West Philadelphia early Saturday morning. The building is in the area of 47th and Walnut streets. Citizen App The fire broke out just after 5 a.m., the Philadelphia Fire Department said. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Philadelphia woman's life turned upside down after Social Security deems her dead — and she's not the only one
Renee Williams was very much alive and living in West Philadelphia when she discovered a serious problem. Her bank accounts, health insurance and retirement benefits had all been cut off. The reason? She'd been placed in the "Death Master File" maintained by the Social Security Administration. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Williams has spent more than six months trying to ensure everything is restored and lives in fear she'll lose it all again due to a clerical error. "I go to sleep at night and think about if they're going to cut me off again, not knowing day-to-day what's going to happen to my benefits," Williams told CBS News Philadelphia. It's a reasonable concern. Her benefit payments are still inconsistent, credit and banking issues remain and the whole experience has been 'a pain in the behind.' Worse still, she's not the only American in this situation. Sadly, such problems may only get worse as the Trump administration culls government jobs and overhauls agencies — with the Social Security Administration (SSA) a top target. In April, an estimated 2,500 SSA workers accepted buyouts as part of the government's efforts to eliminate 7,000 jobs in the agency, AARP reports. According to the Social Security Administration, less than 1% of the three million deaths the SSA records annually are incorrect. That works out to about 10,000 people a year whom the SSA deems dead, but who are actually alive. That's not good. But Elon Musk has inadvertently made the problem worse. Ironically, that's because he's more concerned about benefits going out to people who are dead, claiming rampant fraud. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it That's one reason he overhauled the Social Security Administration database as part of the Department of Government Efficiency DOGE — to eliminate such errors. Unfortunately, as the Daily Beast reports, that overhaul is now cutting off benefits to a growing number of people who, like Williams, are alive and well but who are declared dead. According to ABC News, experts believe Musk may have misread the records by reading the wrong databases. Rennie Glasgow, a Social Security claims technical analyst who has worked in the Social Security Administration's Schenectady field office for 15 years, told the Daily Beast that 4 million people have been marked dead on the database as a result of the DOGE overhaul — even though many are alive. 'We have people who did not receive benefits come in every day with their ID and say, 'I'm not dead, I'm alive!'' he said, noting it can take three to four days to 'resurrect' them. "When they mark someone dead on the Social Security record, it stops their life,' Glasgow said. 'It stops their car payments, it stops their credit, it stops their ability to do anything. One Philadelphia consumer protection attorney, Jim Francis, is helping these victims fight back. "These are all people who are going about their normal lives, and all of the sudden, they lose access to all of their benefits, their pension, their medical insurance and they become financially paralyzed," Jim Francis told CBS News. Francis is representing a Baltimore family in Baltimore that is trying to initiate a class action against Social Security after their relative, Joyce Evans, was improperly reported dead in 2023. The family claims the mistake caused financial and health problems, leading Joyce Evans to actually die months after the error occurred. "It's a really serious problem and in the world of data being misreported, this is almost as bad as it gets, if not the worst,' Francis said. If you have been improperly marked as being deceased, make an appointment with your local Social Security Administration field office as soon as possible. You'll need to bring valid ID with you, which can include one of the following documents: Passport Driver's license Employee ID Military record School ID Marriage, divorce or adoption record Health insurance card or medical record Life insurance policy Court order for name change Church membership The original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency, must be presented to the Social Security Administration. No photocopies are accepted. Once Social Security corrects your record, they will provide an 'Erroneous Death Case - Third Party Contact" Notice that you can show to banks, doctors and others to get your accounts back and your life restored. Hopefully, field offices will be responsive in preparing this document, despite staff shortages and a growing number of the 'undead' fighting to restore their lives. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Video shows 3 juveniles wanted for throwing "possibly battery acid" on woman in West Philadelphia, police say
Philadelphia police are searching for three juveniles accused of throwing a caustic substance – possibly battery acid – on a woman, who then had to be taken to the hospital. Police released surveillance video that shows a woman walking on South 51st Street in West Philadelphia Sunday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. According to police, the woman said she was walking down the street when a chemical was thrown on her, severely burning her face and body. Authorities described the chemical as a caustic substance. The woman was brought to the hospital for further evaluation, however, her current status is not known. After the assault, investigators said the juveniles shown in the video then got on the El at 52nd Street and got off at 60th Street. The video released by police doesn't show the assault itself, but rather captures the juveniles after the incident. Anyone who was in the area on Sunday when the attack happened or knows any information about the incident is asked to call police at 215-686-8477.
CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Man shot near hotel before crashing car in West Philadelphia, police say
A man was shot in a car outside a hotel in West Philadelphia Wednesday evening, police said. The man was shot just before 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on the 4100 block of Presidential Boulevard, police said. The man then drove onto City Avenue, where he crashed into another car near the I-76 overpass. A man and woman who were inside the car he hit were injured and are in stable condition, Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. The man shot at the hotel was taken to the hospital with a graze wound on his hip, according to police. He's been released. Police said the shooting appears to be targeted, and about 40 shots were fired. Philadelphia police are investigating the shooting.
