Author: Mariah Craven

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Suffragettes,_New_York_Times,_1921On the eve of another Election Day, a look at the importance of remembering suffragists. | Why a Hyattsville mother ended up in legal trouble after calling the police for help. | A changing of the guard for the Washington Mystics.

— “They were willing to pay with their lives.”  A local suffragist expert says it’s important for women today to understand what suffragists were willing to sacrifice for the right to vote, reports WTOP.com. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women in the U.S. the right to vote.

— A Hyattsville woman who called police for help during a fight with her partner may be deported, according to The Washington Post. The 28-year-old woman is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who had a daughter after moving to the United States six years ago.  CASA de Maryland, a Women’s Foundation’s Grantee Partner, has been working to keep Maria Bolanos in the country.

— After their most successful season ever, the Washington Mystics have a new game plan.  Trudi Lacey will take over as the new general manager and head coach of Washington’s WNBA franchise.  Lacey replaces Angela Taylor as GM and Julie Plank as head coach.  Click here for more.

— A new survey from the United Kingdom found that Margaret Thatcher tops the list of women role models.  In addition to the former British Prime Minister, those surveyed also named Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Queen Elizabeth II and Oprah as top role models.

Photo credit: The New York Times

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: An election guide for local voters. | The gender gap in philanthropy. | The majority of large companies cut their charitable gifts in 2009. | Ways to increase the number of women in math and science careers.

— With just 5 days left until Election Day, The Washington Post has a rundown of the ballot questions local voters will face on November 2nd.

— Women give more to charities.  So why does it seem that most “philanthropists” are men?  The Huffington Post takes a look at the gender gap in philanthropy.

— Nearly 60 percent of big companies cut their giving last year, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy. 40 percent of big companies reduced their giving by at least 10 percent.

— To increase the number of women in math and science careers, studies show it’s important to influence both attitudes about math and beliefs about stereotypes, reports Jezebel.com.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Voted StickerIn today’s rundown: Early voting begins in Maryland. | Ahead of the midterm elections, the Obama Administration releases a new policy paper on women and the economy. | And food stamp usage among working families has skyrocketed.

— Early voting is underway in Maryland.  Voting centers throughout the state are open through October 28.  For details about times and locations visit the state board of elections website.

— “As one of its closing arguments before the midterm elections, the Obama administration is highlighting the impact its economic policies have had on women,” reports The New York Times. The article goes on to highlight some of the findings in the 32-page policy paper.

— Food stamp usage in the U.S. has jumped 70 percent since 2007, according to The Huffington Post. More than one in eight Americans uses food stamps.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: The NEC releases a new report on women and the economy. | A new study finds that women give significantly more to charity than men. | And you don’t have to have a car to feed the meters in Silver Spring. New parking meters will give MoCo residents a chance to help the homeless.

— Today, the National Economic Council released the report Jobs and Economic Security for America’s Women. The report “lays out the economic landscape facing women today and details some of the many ways the Administration is committed to making sure the government is working for all Americans and especially American women.”

— Women give significantly more to charity than men, according to a new study from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. The study says factors to women’s growing generosity may include: more women are working and their incomes have grown and the percentage of women who earn more than their husbands is about 26 percent.

— Five refurbished parking meters in downtown Silver Spring will give Montgomery County residents another opportunity to help the homeless in their community.  Donations to the meters will go to Shepherd’s Table, a nonprofit homeless center, The Washington Post reports. Advocates for the homeless warn, however, that the meters shouldn’t be expected to replace panhandling.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

CB101780In today’s rundown: The impact education has on local employment. | A new bill in the City Council could bring fresh fruits and vegetables to some of D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods. | And a look at how to address the under-representation of women in U.S. politics.

— In the Washington Examiner, Jonetta Rose Barras takes a look at why some D.C. residents don’t have an adequate education and the impact it’s having on their employment.  The Women’s Foundation’s new report, Portrait Project 2010, found that women in our region with degrees earn three times more than women without a high school diploma ($70,000 vs. $18,000).

— Some members of the D.C. Council are proposing legislation that would give subsidies to markets that carry fruits and vegetables.  The recipients of the subsidies would be in “food deserts,” areas of the city where it’s easier to buy junk food.  Currently, there are only three grocery stores available to the 140,000 residents who live in Wards 7 and 8.

— Is a “jump start” measure needed to ensure that more women serve in Congress?  About.com’s Women’s Issues blog takes a look at addressing the under-representation of women in U.S. politics.

Photo Credit: Spirit-Fire via Creative Commons

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

woman_working_out_debtIn today’s rundown: While the full-time employment rate in the region has been stable, part-time workers here have faced some of the worst pay losses in the country. | Why climbing out of poverty is nearly impossible for former inmates. | A large number of DCPS students are now getting three meals a day at school. | A new report finds that women are bearing most of the caretaking burden when it comes to Alzheimer’s, and it’s affecting their health.

— “Part-time workers in the Washington region suffered some of the worst pay losses in the nation during the recession,” reports The Washington Post. The median pay for women slipped from the highest in the country to fourth place.

— NPR reports that climbing out of poverty is nearly impossible for former inmates and explores the long-term effects of incarceration.  The U.S. has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with more than 2 million people in prison.

— D.C. Public Schools are now serving dinner to an estimated 10,000 students, according to The Washington Post. The $5.7 million dinner program is meant to help fight childhood hunger, reduce the rate of obesity among students, and get more children into after school programs.

— A new report on Alzheimer’s finds that women take on most of the caretaking burden.  The Shriver Report on Alzheimer’s finds that the majority of patients and caretakers are women.  More than half of them report serious emotional and physical stress.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Girl_at_ComputerIn today’s rundown: A look at education and neighborhoods in Montgomery County. | The impact of a new Early Childhood Center in Alexandria. | A decline in donations to the 400 largest charities in the nation. | And the new debate over the “culture of poverty.”

— A new Century Foundation report finds that sending students from low-income families to schools in wealthier neighborhoods may be better for student performance. The report, “Housing Policy is School Policy,” looks at Montgomery County’s inclusionary zoning rule, which says that housing developers have to set aside units for public housing.

— Early voting begins today in D.C.  For details on how District resident can cast their ballots before November 2nd, please click here.

— A new Early Childhood Center in Alexandria will give preschoolers a chance to go to class in the same building where they’ll be in Kindergarten and first grade.  The center is being offered by the public school system in Alexandria and is supposed to eliminate the achievement gap that some students face when they enter Kindergarten.  Click here for details.

— The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that there was an 11 percent drop last year in donations to the country’s biggest charities.  It was the worst decline the Chronicle has reported since it began ranking the 400 organizations that raise the most from private sources.

— What role does “culture” play in poverty?  According to The New York Times, some “scholars are… conceding that culture and persistent poverty are enmeshed.”  It’s an idea that has provoked emotional debate in the past.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

— This week, The Women’s Foundation President Nicky Goren previewed the upcoming release of Portrait Project 2010 on WAMU and in The Washington Post. The report on women and girls in the Washington metropolitan area will be released to the public on Thursday at the annual Community Briefing and Leadership Luncheon.

— About 70 percent of D.C. nonprofits say they don’t get paid on time by city agencies, reports the Washington Examiner. According to the paper, the District also has the most complicated and lengthy grant process in the country.

— A transitional home in D.C. is helping LGBT homeless youth get back on their feet, according to WAMU. It is estimated that 40 percent homeless youth are LGBT.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer

In today’s rundown: Local women politicians commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. | A look at food stamp recipients whose benefits barely last an entire month. | And one politician asks the federal government to bar food stamp recipients from being able to purchase one type of item.

— Today, D.C.’s Congressional representative Eleanor Holmes Norton will join the City Council’s three women members to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  “D.C. has the highest breast cancer rate in the country, and also has the highest cancer death rate,” reports WAMU.

— Today, WTOP features a story about food stamp recipients who go on late night grocery runs so that they can purchase much-needed items as soon as the benefits go into their accounts at midnight.

–And New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has requested federal permission to ban New Yorkers from using food stamps to buy sugary drinks like soda.  Some public health experts say that the ban could stigmatize people who use food stamps, reports The New York Times. The Agriculture Department denied a similar request from Minnesota in 2004.

The Daily Rundown — The Latest News Affecting Women & Girls in Our Region

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Affordable, green housing may be coming to D.C.’s Ward 8. | The deadline for Virginia residents to register to vote is approaching. | And a profile of a single mother who struggles to raise her family on a middle class income.

— The region’s first affordable, green housing may be built in D.C.’s Ward 8, if a coalition of developers, community activists and financial institutions have their way.  They want to renovate Wheeler Terrace by creating LEED Gold certified healthy living spaces while retaining Section 8 affordability, reports WAMU.

— Virginia residents who want to vote in next month’s election have until October 12 to register or update voter information. Voters can register at Department of Motor Vehicle centers or their local registrar’s office.  They can check their voter status or find polling places at www.sbe.virginia.gov. For further information they can call 1-800-552-9745.

— As part of a series on the struggling middle class, NPR profiles a single mother who says that raising her family on a middle class income is a “juggling act.”