Author: Mariah Craven

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Thousands of local residents will lose their jobless benefits by Friday.  |  Before the recession there was a skyrocketing number of women and minority-owned small businesses.  |  The government unveils a plan to combat HIV/AIDS.  |  A mother speaks to her son about domestic violence and the death of Yeardley Love.

— According to the National Employment Law Project, by the end of this week 7,600 people in D.C., 17,700 Maryland residents and 30,900 people in Virginia will lose their federal jobless benefits.  With five unemployed workers for every job opening in the U.S., NELP and others are calling for the Senate to restore extended unemployment insurance.  Lawrence Summers, the director of the National Economic Council, writes that extending these benefits is critical for the national economy.

— Census numbers show that in the years leading up to the recession, there was a boom in the number of minority and women entrepreneurs.  According to The Washington Post, “by 2007, minorities owned one in five small U.S. businesses, and women owned almost one in three.”

— The federal government has unveiled a new plan to combat HIV and AIDS.  The plan seeks to cut new infections by 25 percent over the next five years and will treat 85 percent of patients within three months of a diagnosis.  For details and local reaction, please click here.

— Doorways for Women and Families, one of our Grantee Partners, has a new entry on their blog by a volunteer who writes about being troubled by her 11-year-old son’s reaction to the death of University of Virginia senior Yeardley Love.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: New details about the first-ever national plan to combat new HIV and AIDS cases.  |  Long term unemployment benefits will not be extended.  |  News from our Grantee Partners.

— Later today, President Obama will lay out a plan to combat new cases of HIV and AIDS. The plan is expected to have three parts and will direct more money to states with higher numbers of HIV/AIDS infections. D.C. has one of the highest infection rates in the country. Click here to find out what D.C. Appleseed, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, has to say about the new plan.

— It appears that help for Americans who have been unemployed for at least 99 weeks will be off the table when the U.S. Senate resumes the debate about whether to extend emergency jobless benefits.  There are 1.4 million workers who have been jobless for so long that they’ve reached the limit for unemployment insurance.  According to The Washington Post, the number has grown sixfold in the past three years.

— And in its editorial pages, the Post calls the decision not to extend benefits “shortsighted,” arguing that unemployment benefits would be circulated back into the economy which “could benefit from more stimulus spending, not less.”

— If you’re planning on watching tonight’s MLB All-Star game, keep an eye out for the executive director of one of our Grantee Partners.  Mark Bergel from A Wider Circle is being honored at the game as an “All Star Among Us.”  Click here to learn more. And you can follow Mark’s experiences on A Wider Circle’s Twitter feed.

— Another Grantee Partner, ASHA for Women, is presenting a special screening of the film Bhool.  It’s the portrayal of a woman’s struggle to survive life’s unexpected curve balls.  Bhool was created by local artists.  Click here for details.


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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

World_Aids_Day_RibbonIn today’s rundown: The president prepares to reveal the first national AIDS strategy.  |  Emergency legislation could keep all District residents cool this summer — even those who are behind on their bills.  |  A new high-education reform panel is formed in Virginia to increase access to college.  |  DC’s only community college finds success less than a year after opening.

— Later this week, President Obama will reveal the first-ever national AIDS strategy.  The strategy will include plans to curb the AIDS epidemic by cutting the number of new HIV infections and increasing the number of people who get treatment.  Reporters at the New York Times have read a draft of the strategy.  Click here for details.

— Tomorrow, the D.C. Council will consider emergency legislation that would stop power and gas companies from shutting off utilities during extreme heat.  Council member Mary Cheh introduced the legislation to help residents who are behind on their utility bills.  If the legislation is passed, the emergency regulations would only be in effect for the rest of the summer.  Click here for more.

— Virginia’s new higher-education reform commission appointed by the governor will hold its first meeting today.  The Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment will look into ways to increase the number of degree recipients and ensure college access and affordability.

— In operation for less than a year, the only community college in the District is seeing rising enrollment as the demand for a post secondary education increases.  The Community College of the District of Columbia took over several programs from University of the District of Columbia 11 months ago.  Click here to find out about the “promising signs” the new college has shown so far.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Customers vs. philanthropists.  |  $25 million in federal money is earmarked for HIV and AIDS medications.  |  D.C.’s blood supply is critically low and the solution may be younger donors.

— Should nonprofits focus on selling goods to generate revenue in addition to bringing in charitable gifts?  While some say this is the model will work, Simone Joyaux at The Nonprofit Quarterly warns that there’s a big difference between a customer and a philanthropist.

— The Department of Health and Human Services will provide $25 million more to help states buy medications for people with HIV and AIDS.  Waiting lists for the medications have reached record levels due to the large number of Americans without health insurance right now.  Advocates for these patients say the $25 million will not be enough.

— Washington D.C.’s blood supply is critically low.  Because of the shortage, the D.C. Council is considering legislation that would allow 16-year-olds to donate blood with parental permission.  Click here for more.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

Community Foundation LogoIn today’s rundown: Several Women’s Foundation Grantee Partners receive new grants for the mental health services they provide.  |  HUD grants $190 million for homeless assistance around the country.  |  Why marriage may not be the panacea to poverty.

— Several of our Grantee Partners were among the recipients of $973,000 in grants from the Community Foundation’s Neighbors in Need fund.  Among the 51 safety-net and mental health service providers that received the grants were Ascensions Community Services, Inc., Northern Virginia Family Service, So Others Might Eat, Calvary Women’s Services, Doorways for Women and Families, and Thrive DC.  Congratulations!

— The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced nearly $190 million in new grants for homeless assistance programs across the country.  Funding to this area will include more than $270,000 to the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, over $90,000 to Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network and $933,000 for the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness in the District.

— The Bush administration pushed marriage as one method for fighting poverty but a new study confirms the views of skeptics who say financial issues should be addressed first.  Click here for details.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: Where local residents can stay cool.  |  One D.C. mayoral candidate discusses HIV, AIDS and government responsibility.

— With the blistering heat continuing, cooling centers throughout the region remain open (check out the full list here), while outdoor public pools and libraries in the District extend their hours to 9 p.m.  The 100+ degree weather is particularly hard on the homeless.  The United Planning Organization is transporting some of the homeless to cooling centers.  They can be reached at 1-800-535-7252.

— The Examiner.com has posted a two-part interview with D.C. mayoral candidate Vincent Gray.  The interview focuses mostly on dealing with HIV and AIDS.  Click here to read the first part.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

heatIn today’s rundown: It’s gettin’ hot everywhere — a look at where cooling centers have opened up across the region.  |  Thousands of Virginia residents may lose out on free dental care this summer.  |  Honoring women in Virginia.  |  Why this can’t be the “year of the woman.”

— With a heat advisory in effect through tomorrow, cooling centers are opening up to help residents beat the heat throughout the metro area.  Click here for a full list broken down by county and the District.

— “Advocates for uninsured Virginians say slow action from state and federal officials means that thousands of residents who could have received free dental care this summer will go unserved unless Congress intervenes,” according to this article in the Washington Post.

— The achievements of women who were involved in voting rights efforts, the civil rights movement and the nation’s first women pilots will be memorialized by new historical markers approved for roads and highways in Virginia.  Four of 10 new markers honor the contributions of women and women-founded organizations that helped shape history.

— Is it the year of the woman?  This Washington Post opinion piece cautions against that label at a time when the “areas where the real money and power reside are occupied almost exclusively by men.”

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A Grantee Partner discusses immigration reform with the president.  |  The Senate rejects extended benefits for the long-term unemployed for the fourth time, leaving more than two million people without unemployment checks.  |  The economy and unemployment have caused an explosion in the number of people with HIV or AIDS who need antiretrovirals but cannot afford them.  |  Local girls get hands-on experience in science labs.

— Gustavo Torres, executive director of Casa de Maryland, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, met with President Obama earlier this week to talk about immigration reform.  Later today, the president will speak at American University about the need for reform.  Torres hopes the president addresses several issues.  Click here to find out what he doesn’t want the president to consider.

— Yesterday, the Senate rejected a bill that would have reauthorized extended benefits for the long-term unemployed.  This is the fourth time the Senate has rejected the bill and Democrats won’t make another effort to break the Republican filibuster until after the July 4 recess.  By that time, more than two million people will have missed checks.  Click here for details.

— “The weak economy is crippling the government program that provides life-sustaining antiretroviral drugs to people with HIV or AIDS who cannot afford them,” according to the New York Times.  The rapidly expanding waiting lists are caused by reductions in government resources and ballooning demand caused by unemployment and the loss of health insurance.

— Girls in Loudoun County have spent part of their summer getting hands-on experience with molecular biology and genomics.  The high school students are participating in the free five day workshop called the Genomic Opportunities for Girls in Research Labs (GO GIRL).  Click here to find out what they’ve learned.

Makin' the Law: Women, Girls and the New Laws That Go Into Effect on July 1 in Maryland and Virginia

Posted on by Mariah Craven

On July 1, hundreds of new laws go into effect in Maryland and Virginia.  While most of the attention during the last legislative session was on laws concerning carrying weapons and speed limits, there are a number that will directly impact the women and girls in both states.  Read on for some of the highlights…

maryland flagMaryland

Homeownership

*A new foreclosure law will keep more families in their homes by requiring lenders to try to negotiate new payment plans.  Governor Martin O’Malley (D) told the Washington Post that the law will put families on “more equal footing with mortgage companies that too often can’t be bothered to pick up a phone before beginning a foreclosure proceeding.”

Children

*The “Kids First Express Lane Eligibility Act” will allow the Maryland Comptroller to use tax returns to identify families with children who may be eligible for Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Program.  The comptroller will share that information with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which will then send application materials to the families.  The new legislation builds on the “Kids First Act of 2008.”

Education

*The state has established a Tuition Stabilization Trust Account in the Higher Education Investment Fund that will help stabilize tuition for resident students at public universities and colleges.  The legislation also limits tuition increases to a “percent not to exceed the increase in the 3-year rolling average of the state’s median family income.”  The bill was written, in part, because “Maryland has fallen from the 6th highest public tuition state in the nation to a current ranking of 17th.

*The state cut funding to programs for disruptive children in Maryland public schools.

state-flag-virginiaVirginia

Safety

*Domestic violence victims will be able to extend protective orders obtained in cases of family abuse or stalking.  Protective orders can be extended for two years and there is no limit on the number of extensions that can be requested.

Public Supports

*New legislation allows Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants to continue to receive financial support payments to which they are entitled, either on their own behalf or on behalf of a family member, prior to beginning to receive TANF.

Children

*Residents convicted of nonpayment of child support will need certification from the Department of Social Services to renew a driver’s license or end the suspension of a license that was suspended because of nonpayment.  The law also establishes the option of home or electronic incarceration of a person convicted of nonpayment of support.

*Courts will now be able to appoint vocational experts to conduct evaluations in child and spousal support cases where the earning capacity, unemployment or underemployment of an individual is being disputed.

Healthcare

*Virginia residents will not be required to obtain or maintain individual health coverage with certain exceptions.

Licenses

*A special license plate law authorizes the issuance of a number of plates, including one that reads “Trust Women / Respect Choice.”  Last year, “Choose Life” plates became available to drivers in Virginia.

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

Posted on by Mariah Craven

In today’s rundown: A Grantee Partner will be featured during the MLB All-Star game.  |  Foundation giving was down nearly 10 percent last year.  |  It takes more than money to become an effective philanthropist.  |  One writer declares Obama the first female president.

— If you watch Major League Baseball’s All-Star game in a couple of weeks, you may see the executive director of a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner!  Dr. Mark Bergel of A Wider Circle has been named a People Magazine and MLB All-Star Among Us.  Mark and the other All Stars will be recognized at the game on July 13th.

— Tomorrow the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers will release a study that found that area foundations’ giving dropped nearly 10 percent last year.  Click here for details.

— Warren Buffett recently kicked off the biggest public fundraising drive in history, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which advises donors to make smart, well-informed and educated decisions when they give.

— Dude communicates like a lady?  According to the Washington Post‘s Kathleen Parker, President Barack Obama is “our first female president.”  Parker argues that the president is rhetorical-testosterone deficient when it comes to dealing with crises.  Click here to find out why.