Violence on the job, suicides and immigrant deaths on the rise

But a new report highlights some disturbing trends in workplace fatalities, including increasing instances of violence, suicides and deaths among immigrant workers.

Violence on the job: Overall, the number of workers who died as a result of violence, such as assault, rose to 773 in 2013, up from 765 in 2012.

That's according to a study of Labor Department data by the AFL-CIO labor union.

For women, homicide was the second leading cause of death on the job, and female workers suffered 70% of the injuries related from workplace violence.

Related: Bumble Bee charged in gruesome worker oven death

Supervisors in the retail industry and professional drivers were the most vulnerable to being murdered on the job. The retail trade had the highest number of homicides, with 95 deaths.

Co-workers were responsible for 74 killings on the job, though most workers were killed by an outsider.

Related: America's most dangerous jobs

Suicides at work: The number of people taking their own lives at work is on the rise.

In 2013, there were 282 workplace suicides. That's up from about 250 in the previous two years.

"Toxic work environments that include workplace bullying and increased work pressures are most likely to have contributed to this growing problem," the report states.

Related: The death of the 40 hour work week

Immigrants and Latinos are most at risk: Immigrants were most at risk of dying on the job: overall, 66% of workplace related deaths were among workers born outside the United States.

The job fatality rate for Latino workers is 18% higher than for overall workers. In 2013, 817 Latino workers died on the job, up from 748 in 2012.

Most of the deaths occured in the construction industry. But there was a sharp rise in the number of deaths among Latino maintenance workers who trim trees.

Despite these alarming trends, the overall number of workers killed on the job fell slightly to 4,585 in 2013, down from 4,628 in 2012.

Related: Stressful jobs that pay badly

Related: The 4-day workweek is real ... for employees at these companies

Related: What do employees want most? R-E-S-P-E-C-T

CNNMoney (New York) May 1, 2015: 3:20 PM ET

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Tesla home battery: Worth the cost? Depends where you live

The answer depends on where you live -- and how you use it.

If you live in the South and already own solar panels, it could take you just under three years to make up the cost of the $3,000 Tesla Powerwall battery.

But if you live in the Pacific Northwest and don't have solar panels, it could take you at least 16 years to make up the cost of buying Tesla's new home battery.

There are a lot of variables and some tricky math involved to figure out whether the Tesla Powerwall battery makes sense for you. For example, your power utility company might offer a subsidy. Then again, those savings might disappear when you hire an electrician to install it.

The biggest variable is how you plan on using it. You can hook it up to solar panels, then recharge it using free energy from the sun.

Or -- if your power company charges more for electricity during peak hours -- you can charge up the battery during cheaper hours, then go all-battery when electricity costs are higher.

To keep it simple, let's tackle one at a time.

Playing the "peak rate" game

In some places, power companies charge less for "off peak" electricity use. The smart battery owner would stock up on energy and only pay lower fees.

This one's hard to calculate. It depends entirely on the difference in fees.

One example is conEdison in New York. It charges 7¢ per kilowatt-hours for "peak hours" in the morning and afternoon. Night time is only 1¢.

The average New Yorker would save maybe $40.38 a month -- and pay off the battery in about six years.

Then again, consider Pacific Power, which serves parts of California, Oregon and Washington State. "Off peak" hours are only 2¢ cheaper there.

At best, the average person in that region would save maybe $15.50 a month -- and pay off the battery in 16 years. But keep in mind, the Powerwall only has a 10-year warranty.

Using solar panels

Right now, solar panels are used to lower electricity bills. They feed back into the power grid, so a utility company pays you for that. But the Tesla battery lets you store the energy at home -- and potentially go completely off the grid.

The average U.S. household uses 943 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a month and pays 12¢ per kWh, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The average bill? $115.89. With average sunlight, 3kW solar panels cut that bill in half.

It would take the average American a little over four years to pay off the Powerwall -- if they rely solely on solar panels.

People in the hot, humid South use 29% more electricity than the average American, so the savings could pay off the battery in just under three years. People in the Northeast tend to use less electricity, so the battery could theoretically pay for itself in five-and-a-half years there.

The best deals go to people in sunny states where electricity is wickedly expensive: California and Hawaii.

Realistically, though, clouds ruin everything. And according to Tesla, the $3,000 version of the Powerwall can only hold onto 7 kWh of energy at a time. It's not enough. The average American home uses 31 kWh each day. A single battery probably won't last all night.

So, it'll be difficult to totally unplug from the grid.

Plus, you'd need to buy expensive solar panels too. A medium-sized set of 3kW panels goes for $15,000 or so.

Correction: A previous version of this story said the Powerwall has a 10-year life. It's a 10-year warranty.

Related: Tesla's new product is a battery for your home

Related: Tesla battery to save consumers 25% on electric bills

Related: Tesla's Elon Musk didn't take a salary in 2014

CNNMoney (New York) May 1, 2015: 7:12 PM ET

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Dave Goldberg, husband of Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg, dies suddenly

Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg, shown here at a media business conference last year, married in 2004.

"We are heartbroken by this news," a Facebook (FB, Tech30) spokesperson said in an email to CNNMoney on Saturday.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a Facebook post, said Goldberg died Friday evening while the couple was on vacation abroad. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Sandberg, one of the most prominent women executives in tech, flew back to the U.S. on Saturday morning, according to the post.

"Sheryl is a very strong person and knows we're all thinking of her," Zuckerberg wrote. "She is requesting privacy for now and will update us when she's ready."

Goldberg, 47, joined SurveyMonkey in 2009. He had earlier founded online music startup Launch Media, which was acquired by Yahoo in 2001.

"Dave's genius, courage and leadership were overshadowed only by his compassion, friendship and heart," SurveyMonkey said in a statement. "We are all heartbroken.

Goldberg and Sandberg, who have two young children, married in 2004. At the time, Goldberg was vice president of Yahoo Music and Sandberg was a VP at Google, where she worked from 2001 to 2008.

Sandberg, who joined Facebook as chief operating officer in 2009, is the author of the best-selling book "Lean In." She has since become an advocate for equality between women and men -- on the job and at home -- through her organization LeanIn.org and op/eds and public appearances.

Sandberg has been very vocal about the importance of her marriage. In her book, she wrote about how a "lack of spousal support" can hurt a woman's career. "My career and marriage are inextricably intertwined," she wrote, calling Goldberg "a true partner."

News of Goldberg's death drew a swift outpouring of statements from around the tech world Saturday.

Dick Costolo, the chief executive of Twitter, wrote: "Heartbreaking. One of the truly great people on the planet, Dave was of almost unimaginably remarkable character."

Goldberg's brother, Robert, set up a memorial page on Facebook, which quickly filled up with condolences.

"We mourn his passing and remember what an amazing husband, father, brother, son and friend he was," Robert Goldberg wrote. "No words can express the depth of loss we feel, but we want his children to learn how much he meant to all of you."

--CNN's Emanuella Grinberg contributed to this report.

CNNMoney (New York) May 2, 2015: 3:30 PM ET

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Judge throws out United Airlines lawsuit against 22-year-old

Aktarer Zaman, founder of website Skiplagged.com that helps people buy cheap plane tickets.

United Airlines (UAL) and Orbitz (OWW) had filed a civil lawsuit in November against Aktarer Zaman, a young computer whiz from New York City, who launched a website called Skiplagged.com to help people buy cheap plane tickets.

Chicago Judge John Robert Blakey of the Northern District Court of Illinois said the court didn't have jurisdiction over the case because Zaman didn't live or do business in that city.

The dismissal "is definitely a victory," Zaman told CNNMoney. "It is pretty amazing...the court just shut them off."

Related: Why is United Airlines suing a 22-year-old?

Zaman's Skiplagged.com uses a little-known secret among frequent fliers to help people find cheaper plane tickets.

The basic idea behind Skiplagged is that it takes advantage of something called "hidden city" fares, where it might be cheaper to book a flight with a connection, and then never actually take the second leg of the trip.

For example, if you want to fly from New York to Chicago, it might be cheaper to book a flight from New York to San Francisco with a layover in Chicago, but never go to San Francisco. Hidden-city travelers can't check bags (they would go to San Francisco), and you can only book a one-way ticket.

The site is wildly popular. Last month the site had over 1 million visitors.

Related: Airlines saved $3.4 billion. You saved 66 cents

United and Orbitz sued Zaman for "unfair competition" and "deceptive behavior," alleging that the site promoted "strictly prohibited" travel. They wanted to recoup $75,000 in lost revenue from Zaman.

Orbitz and Zaman settled their portion of the lawsuit in February, but United kept fighting.

On Friday, United spokeswoman Christen David said "the decision was a ruling on procedural grounds and not on the merits of the case."

The spokesperson did not comment on whether United would continue to pursue legal action.

"We remain troubled that Mr. Zaman continues to openly encourage customers to violate our contract of carriage by purchasing hidden-city tickets," she said.

Related: Game is not over in United Airlines vs. 22-year-old

After CNNMoney profiled Zaman in December, he left his job at a computer software company in New York -- which he declined to name -- and committed all his time to Skiplagged.

Since he makes no money from the website yet, Zaman raised $79,000 on a crowdfunding site to help pay for lawyers to defend him. Zaman supports himself through savings and loans, but says he might turn to investors once the legal dispute is done for good.

Despite the case's dismissal in Chicago, Zaman says he anticipates the airline to come back with another lawsuit in another jurisdiction.

"The cynic in me says this is an uphill battle," says Zaman. "I'm not going to let my guard down."

Related: United flies Sam the lost dog home in First Class -- for free!

CNNMoney (New York) May 1, 2015: 1:04 PM ET

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Buffett fans splurge on ice cream, ketchup and bras

Thousands of Warren Buffett fans flocked to the CenturyLink Center in Omaha the day before the meeting for a chance to purchase Berkshire-themed trinkets from subsidiaries Heinz, Fruit of the Loom and Oriental Trading.

And eat Dilly Bars from Dairy Queen. Just about everyone was walking around with one.

The CenturyLink was open a day earlier than usual to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Buffett taking control of Berkshire (BRKA). Dairy Queen had a gigantic ice cream cake for the event.

Doug Dentler, who was attending the meeting for the first time and had his wife and two kids with him, said he decided to come this year since he just moved to Wisconsin. So it's not that far of a trip.

When I spoke to him, he was buying commemorative bottles of Heinz ketchup and mustard featuring cartoon drawings of Buffett and Berkshire (BRKB)vice chairman Charlie Munger.

Dentler also bought some investing books. He said his wife was shopping at the Pampered Chef booth.

"I'm sure we'll get everything," he said, joking that he hoped there would be some Buffett and Munger mac and cheese at next year's meeting now that Heinz is merging with Kraft. (KRFT)

Elizabeth Billings, a 15-year-old from Omaha, is a Berkshire meeting veteran. She said she's been a shareholder since she was 1 thanks to a gift from her grandparents.

Billings, waiting on line for See's Candies, was also planning to buy the ketchup and mustard combo and head to the Fruit of the Loom booth. Like Dentler, she bought a bunch of investing books as well.

ConAgra (CAG) and Disney (DIS) are two other stocks she owns. But she said she wants to own Berkshire "forever."

Related: Buffett must really love mac & cheese

Ken and Darlene Blair made the trip from Alberta, Canada. They've only owned the stock for about a year and bought it mainly so they could come to the meeting.

"Seeing Warren will be the highlight of our trip," Darlene Blair said.

They too were buying investing books and also purchased chocolates from See's, pens from jeweler Borsheims and ... you guessed it ... the Warren and Charlie mustard and ketchup.

Brothers Brendan and Cameron Harrington traveled even further to get to the meeting. They are from Australia.

The two run an investment fund and described their investment strategy as similar to Buffett's. They look for value stocks. Brendan said he had spent about $350 on books.

The brothers were leaving Fruit of the Loom and on their way to shop for things from running apparel maker Brooks. I told Cameron, who was wearing a T-shirt from rival Under Armour (UA), that he may want to quickly find another shirt.

"Maybe Brendan will just go," he quipped.

Related: Berkshire's top stock picks off to a cold start

Sheila Nelson, an Omaha native and longtime shareholder, was shocked to see such a big crowd.

"I was hoping nobody would be here," Nelson said while looking at the Warren and Charlie rubber ducks from Oriental Trading. Ernie from Sesame Street might like these toys: They make investing lots of fun!

But Kathy Soula, also from Omaha, said that she was expecting a big turnout. This is Warren Buffett after all.

Soula had a tote bag from Burlington Northern Santa Fe that showed Warren and Charlie on top of a train.

She also bought a 50th anniversary book of Buffett's famous shareholder letters, M&M's (M&M owner Mars co-owns Wrigley with Berkshire). She also had items of Fruit of the Loom that she didn't want to talk about.

I was happy to not pry. The Berky Boxers from Fruit of the Loom have long been a top seller at the Berkshire event. This year, Fruit of the Loom also had a Berky sport bra with the letters BRK in gold on them.

Now that brings the term shareholder support to a whole new level.

Related: Buffett doesn't see many bargains in the stock market

Related: 9 companies Warren Buffett should consider buying

CNNMoney (Omaha) May 2, 2015: 9:18 AM ET

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Betting 'unprecedented' on Mayweather-Pacquiao fight

You can bet on it.

Experts expect that between $60 and $80 million worth of bets will be placed on the match in the state of Nevada by the time the fighters touch gloves Saturday night.

That's double the amount of money ever been wagered on any previous boxing match, said Jay Rood, the VP of Race and Sports at MGM Grand, where the fight will be held.

"The number of wagers we've seen is just unprecedented. We haven't seen this before on any fight," said Jay Kornegay, the VP of Race and Sports Operations at the Westgate Las Vegas Casino.

And the bets are coming in big -- MGM Grand received a $500,000 wager on Manny Pacquiao Friday afternoon.

More wagers are being placed on Pacquiao winning, but more money is on Mayweather.

Related: Saturday may be the biggest day ever for sports TV in U.S.

Prior to this, a 2013 fight between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez in 2013 was the biggest in terms of bets, with about $25 million riding on that bout, Rood said.

Casinos aren't just taking bets as to who'll win. There's a lot more action.

Gamblers can bet on whether the fight will end by the judges' decision or by knockout. They can bet on how many rounds the fight will go, or whether either fighter will be knocked down at any point.

Related: In Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, Uncle Sam is the big winner

Some bets even combine the Kentucky Derby, which is also on Saturday. You can bet on whether the finishing position of American Pharoah (the favorite horse) will be higher or lower than the number of rounds in the fight.

While the fight is at the MGM Grand, other casinos like the Westgate are taking bets on it, too. Nevada is the only place in the U.S. you can legally bet on the fight.

"It will be the largest handle we've ever taken on a fight, not just for Westgate, but for the entire state of Nevada," Kornegay said.

Related: Pay per view police will be on the hunt during Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

CNNMoney (New York) May 1, 2015: 6:52 PM ET

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These 5 drugs are costing the government billions

The federal government and Medicare beneficiaries are spending billions of dollars a year on these drugs.

The data show that 14 drugs cost the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries more than $1 billion each, accounting for nearly a quarter of Medicare prescription drug spending in 2013. Most of those drugs are used to treat chronic conditions that plague the elderly, including diabetes, depression, high cholesterol and blood pressure, dementia and asthma.

The brand drug Nexium, used to treat heartburn, acid reflux and related stomach ailments, cost the most: $2.5 billion for 1.5 million Medicare patients, who filled 8 million prescriptions and refills.

The total cost included what was paid by Medicare, beneficiaries and third-party groups, such as supplemental health plans. The cost covered not just the drug but also sales tax and dispensing fees. It did not, however, include sometimes substantial manufacturer rebates, and the drug makers' trade group warned that omission distorted the actual cost.

The most frequently prescribed drug was Lisinopril, a generic used to treat high blood pressure and help patients survive after heart attacks. The drug was prescribed or refilled nearly 37 million times by more than 7 million Medicare beneficiaries at a cost of $307 million.

Federal officials said they hoped that disseminating the data would lead to new revelations about the prescribing patterns of doctors and for particular drugs. The database also identifies doctors by name.

The database tracked 3,450 different drugs prescribed by a million doctors, nurse practitioners, medical students, dentists and other providers.

The most expensive drug per prescription was Carbaglu, a man made enzyme used to treat people with high ammonia levels in the blood caused by a rare disorder, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis of the data. The drug was dispensed only 24 times, but at nearly $60,000 per claim, it cost the government $1.4 million.

Related: Even insured consumers get hit with surprisingly large medical bills

Among drugs dispensed to at least 10,000 beneficiaries, the most expensive was Revlimid, a cancer drug, Kaiser Health News found. Dispensed for 24,637 patients, Revlimid cost $8,778 per claim. That totaled more than $1.3 billion.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America called the data misleading.

"Significant price negotiation exists in Part D and results in rebates of as high as 20% to 30% for branded medicines," the association's president, John Castellani, said in a written statement. "These savings are not reflected in the data. Rebates have been a significant factor in keeping Part D program costs hundreds of billions of dollars below original estimates, while still offering beneficiaries steady premiums and a robust choice of plans."

The American Medical Association also cautioned that the data could be misinterpreted.

"The data does not account for varying strengths or dosage levels of the medications or varying patient needs," the association said in a written statement. "For example, a physician could prescribe a low dose of a medication and at a later time need to prescribe another, stronger dosage for the same patient if the low dose isn't meeting their need or if the patient has an adverse react."

The government noted that the top 10 most commonly prescribed drugs were generic and the 10 most expensive drugs were all brand name. The finding is not surprising since some brand name drugs are protected from competition by their patents.

Related: Medicare's outlook improves as health spending slows

Federal officials calculated how prescription patterns varied among medical specialties. Family practice doctors prescribed the most drugs, followed by internal medicine doctors.

Among the biggest medical specialties, psychiatrists prescribed the most expensive drugs, averaging $104 for a prescription or refill. While hematologists and oncologists were not among the top prescribers, their drugs averaged $550 per claim. The average cost of all prescriptions or refills was $75.

The data does not present a complete picture of physician prescribing. Most notably, it includes only those drugs for 36 million beneficiaries that were billed to Medicare's Part D program, which make up 68% of all the people on Medicare. It does not reflect the prescriptions doctors wrote for privately insured patients or those on other government programs, such as Medicaid. The data also omit drugs administered in doctors' offices and billed to Medicare's Part B program.

To ensure that people could not identify beneficiaries, Medicare omitted prescriptions that were based on 10 or fewer claims per drug. That excluded 13% of claims.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

CNNMoney (New York) May 1, 2015: 6:18 PM ET

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