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.

In 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.”

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.

In today’s rundown: The Supreme Court/Elena Kagan confirmation hearings are underway.  |  HIV testing is up and the new AIDS cases are down in the District.

— You can watch live coverage of Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing on the Washington Post website.

–HIV testing is up and new AIDS cases are down in Washington, DC, but the HIV/AIDS rate in the District remains nearly 10 times the national rate.  Click here for more from a new report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In today’s rundown: A Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner turns 25.  |  And enrollment at local two-year colleges is on the rise.

— Casa de Maryland, a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner, celebrated its 25th anniversary by opening a new multicultural center in Langley Park.  Casa is the largest immigrant advocacy organization in Maryland.

— As the cost of attending a four-year traditional college continues to rise, community colleges in Maryland and Virginia are seeing an increase in enrollment, according to WAMU.  Virginia community colleges have seen a 7.2 percent increase in enrollment over last year.  And in Maryland there was an 11.7 percent jump between 2008 and 2009.

In today’s rundown: Improved unemployment numbers could mask D.C.’s poverty problems.  |  Local pregnant teens could soon get more help completing their educations.  |  On Tuesday, we’ll see the first-ever national plan to end homelessness.

— Analysts say that when the District’s latest unemployment figures are released today, the numbers will likely show a city-wide improvement. But, they add, the improved jobless rate could mask D.C.’s poverty problems.  Click here for details.

— A proposal to help pregnant and parenting teens graduate from school could help D.C. and other states.  The legislation, which would provide grants to help teen parents continue their education, is set to be introduced next month.  Click here for more.

— After a newly-released government report showed that 170,000 families visited homeless shelters last year, the Obama administration is  planning to unveil a first-ever national plan to end homelessness.  Details will be made public next week.  Click here for a preview.