School closures mostly impact primarily-minority neighborhoods

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION | City Paper’s Aaron Weiner writes about the planned DCPS school closures,  all but two of which are in majority black/Hispanic neighborhoods. The other two schools have student populations that are majority black/Hispanic. However, there is a reasonable explanation (CP, 5/15):

Parents in the poorer, eastern neighborhoods of the city—which tend to be overwhelmingly black—are more likely to want to send their kids to charter or out-of-boundary schools, to get them away from rougher schools or rougher streets on the way to school or both. This doesn’t happen as much at schools in richer parts of town…So schools in poorer (and, yes, blacker and more Hispanic) neighborhoods get depopulated and close down.

While the explanation makes sense, it also implies a self-perpetuating cycle of disadvantage. Students have to commute further. Parents face the added stress of seeking out less convenient education options for their kids. And neighborhoods become less attractive to prospective residents. Not good.

LOCAL | DCist mapped out public sector employment in the Greater Washington region by neighborhood. The results are interesting and give us a really great sense of the employment diversity in our region. (DCist, 5/15)

HOUSING | The Nonprofit Roundtable retweeted an interesting report that asks a great question – are student loans causing home and auto sales to decline? (Federal Reserve, 4/17) Yes, they are. Believe you me.

Related: Young Americans are driving less and buying fewer cars. (NYT, 5/14)

Event: This Saturday, the Communications Action Network (CAN), is sponsoring its Parade of Homes. The event features open houses at 20 affordable housing communities across the region. It’s a great opportunity to see the many types of local affordable housing options and how they are impacting the region. [Learn more.]

WORKFORCE | A proposal in front of the D.C. Council would require “big box” stores to set a higher minimum wage ($11.25 hr) than other local businesses. (WAMU, 5/14)

Here are couple of thoughts on this. The minimum wage should be higher across the board. Singling out one type of business over another seems unfair and arbitrary. And “higher” and “hire” are homophones.

PHILANTHROPY | Charities Want More Insight Into Grant-Making Decisions, Says Study (Chronicle, 5/15)

DEMOCRACY | In hopes of building the levels of civic engagement, Takoma Park will now allow most 16 and 17 year-olds to vote in local elections. (WAMU, 5/15) One might argue that a 16 year-old isn’t informed enough to vote. I would respond by laughing heartily and pointing out that many adults aren’t either.

Imagine looking up on a sunny day and seeing this! That’s pretty darn funny.

Also, here’s a fun comparison – biopic actors and the real people they play. Part one and part two.

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Focusing on literacy to meet the demands of the workforce

May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Funding for adult literacy in the District has been declining steadily, but the need remains incredibly high. More than 80 percent of D.C. jobs are projected to require at least a high school degree within the next five years, but more than 64,000 residents don’t have a high school credential.

Terri Lee Freeman, president of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and chair of the WRAG board, co-authored an op-ed for the Post that outlines the importance of increased literacy funding (WaPo, 5/11):

With limited basic math, reading and digital literacy skills, these residents have difficulty following written instructions, completing paperwork, communicating effectively with colleagues or helping their children with homework. This undermines the job security of workers, the economic viability of local businesses and the well-being of families.

Related: Business startup program aims to reduce unemployment in DC (Elevation, 5/14)

AGING | With the number of elderly immigrants having doubled over the last two decades, there is a growing trend of senior facilities catering to specific nationalities and cultures. As Berkeley professor Andrew Scharlach puts it (WaPo, 5/14):

In our fast-paced society, people with old languages and old customs often find they don’t have a place…Having a place where their knowledge, wisdom and skills are recognized is important.”

ARTS
- Rebekah reflects on creative strategies for advocating for increased philanthropic support of the local arts sector. (Daily, 5/14)

- Painting a path of hope for homeless youth through art education (WTOP, 5/14)

EDUCATION | The D.C. Council is pushing for parents to be given at least one year’s notice before school boundaries are changed. That would delay Chancellor Henderson’s plan for boundary changes by an entire year. (WaPo, 5/14)

GIVING | Rockefeller Pledges $100-Million to Help 100 Cities Cope With Crises (Chronicle, 5/14) Do political crises count? Speaking of which…

NONPROFITS | With the news that the nonpartisan IRS is actually quite partisan, there is concern that the impending fallout will impact the agency’s ability to regulate nonprofit organizations. (Chronicle, 5/14) And the IRS was doing such a great job before this whole thing broke!

Well, it’s been about five months since the last time we experienced what it means to be Washington sports fans. I guess the Caps thought we were overdue for a reminder.

Anyway, the recipe for Coca-Cola is a highly-guarded secret. However, a “treasure hunter” in Georgia thinks he found the secret recipe in a box of old letters. I wonder what other mysteries are hidden in forgotten places?

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Getting creative to support the arts

May 14, 2013 By 1 Comment

By Rebekah Seder, Program Manager

Without a doubt, one of the greatest aspects of our region is the rich and diverse nonprofit arts sector. A recent discussion among WRAG members who fund in the arts and humanities sphere really drove this home. But, as vibrant as this sector is, and as much as it contributes to our quality of life, the recession has had a significant impact on the philanthropic dollars flowing to these organizations.

Funders in our community are committed to supporting, and advocating for the sector, and there were several ideas that came out of this conversation that we thought were worth sharing.

Find creative ways to leverage funding: In our region there is great wealth, and a great number of small, locally focused nonprofit arts organizations. Being home to some of the country’s premier cultural institutions,   however, can make it hard for local groups to compete for philanthropic dollars. Locally- focused funders can find ways to leverage their own grantmaking by helping their grantees build relationships in the donor community, or by getting creative in their grantmaking with strategies like matching grants that encourage organizations to seek individual donations.

Make the economic case: It’s a given in the urban planning field that a vibrant arts scene can help spur economic growth and neighborhood revitalization. Advocates and funders of the arts need to hammer this idea home, especially to policymakers controlling government purse strings. With the rapid growth and expansion of the Cultural Data Project – the D.C. version of which a number of WRAG members helped launch in 2011 – researchers have access to a vast trove of data to help advocates make the case for greater arts funding.

Work at the intersections: While funding art “for arts sake” is always important, taking a cross-sector approach can help break down silos between different kinds of funders.  Recent research has highlighted the benefits of incorporating the arts into health programs and services for older adults. Likewise, arts education is essential for all young people, and there are any number of innovative programs that engage at-risk youth through the arts. Highlighting the impact of the arts and humanities on the full spectrum of life can help bring different, and perhaps unexpected, funders to the table.

A small group of WRAG members plan to meet to strategize ways to more deeply engage the funding community around the arts and humanities in our region. WRAG members: if you’re interested in getting involved in this effort, contact Rebekah Seder.

Filed Under: arts, philanthropy Tagged With: , , ,

Uneven pay among the region’s teachers threatens the stability of some school systems

May 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION | There are an incredible number of factors that influence the success of the public education systems in our regions. One of the leading ones is teacher effectiveness. Unfortunately, some local jurisdictions are struggling to retain their best educators as other jurisdictions offer higher wages (WaPo, 5/12):

Discrepancies in teacher pay across the region are large, and the recession has sharpened the divide, sending some teachers looking for better deals. Beginning teachers in the Washington area make between $42,800 and $51,500 — a difference of 20 percent — and average salaries range from $58,500 to $77,500, a 32 percent difference. Parents and school officials worry that if such disparities in teacher pay deepen, districts that are already struggling to stay competitive will fall further behind as their best teaching talent moves elsewhere.

- Every year, a huge number of school-aged teens drop out and take the GED rather than finishing high school. In Prince George’s County, for example, a third of GED test takers are under 18. This loophole is generating calls for stricter access to the test, which was designed to give adults a pathway to higher education. (WaPo, 5/13)

- Here’s an interview with Fight for Children’s Skip McKoy, who is the newly elected chairman of the DC Public School Charter Board. (Examiner, 5/13)

WRAG | We live in hectic times in a very busy region, so it’s easy to rush past important things that are right in front of us. In her latest column, Tamara reflects on something she’s rushed past for the last six years – a quilt in WRAG’s office commemorating the life of Reggie Blaxton. Who was he? Find out! (Daily, 5/13)

YOUTH | Ed Davies, president of the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, outlines the 2013 DC One City Summer Initiative. The initiative will build on successes from the past two years, which have included a major reduction in violence (WashTimes, 5/10):

One of the most tangible successes of the summer initiative so far is that we have seen a reduction in crime in some of the neighborhoods targeted during the summer for intensive programming. We believe if we increase programming, and not just police presence, youth will opt to engage in constructive activities, and not crime. Violent crimes declined in the target areas with homicide down 70%, robbery down 15% and armed burglary down 25%. Juvenile arrests for select violent crimes decreased by an average of 40% in the target areas. That is a true summer success story.

AGING | Here’s a look at how house call programs can help seniors age in place. (WAMU, 5/13)

EQUITY | Income Inequality: It’s Not Just for Older People Anymore (Time, 5/13) This knight perfectly articulates how I feel about the findings in this article.

Though I frequently refer to my office as a cave, it has nothing on these super cool houses that are built into real caves. Then again…my office does have two action figures from Tron and an electric stapler. So my cave wins after all!

On another note, LET’S GO CAPS! The Washington Capitals, not capital letters. Sorry, I can see how that might have been confusing.

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News"

A Voice from Philanthropy: The Invisible

May 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

By Tamara Copeland
President
Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers

We charge into every day ready to tackle the next challenge. We are virtually on auto-pilot as our cars almost drive us to work or as we automatically walk down the same streets. We never stop for a conversation with the homeless man who is always beside the escalator at the Metro nor do we really notice the message handsomely engraved on the plaque at the corner as we turn toward our offices.

Earlier this week, I suddenly noticed something that I have walked by literally thousands of times. On the wall in the WRAG office is a quilt commemorating the life of Reggie Blaxton, who lived from 1953 until 2001. It is probably about 7’ X 5’. It is colorful, decorated with poignant quotes, a photograph of a stylish man, and assorted memorabilia recognizing his African roots. It is majestic and not easy to overlook, but somehow I had. After more than six years at WRAG, I finally asked, “Who was Reggie Blaxton?”

I assumed that he had died from AIDS because of the vehicle of a quilt to commemorate his life and because of our work with the Washington AIDS Partnership, but I hadn’t taken the time to learn anything about the man. This week I did.

Reggie Blaxton was a founding member of the Washington AIDS Partnership. He was a native Washingtonian who had graduated from DC public schools before going on to college in Maine, then to Oxford, and then to divinity school to become an Episcopal priest. He was the religious affairs advisor to then-Mayor Marion Barry and author of HIV: Dis-ease of the Church, an essay published in the anthology Dangerous Liaisons: Blacks, Gays, & the Struggle for Equality. Reggie Blaxton was one of the people who pushed us to address the problem that took his life.

Every day we walk a little too quickly by important testaments – living and symbolic – to the issues that we are rushing to address. Behind the issue of homelessness is that homeless man at the top of the escalator. I haven’t taken the time to learn his name, share mine, or begin to know his story. I should. I know that the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS became even more moving to me once they were within the context of Reggie Blaxton’s life. Let’s remember to take a moment to read the plaque, to talk with the homeless man, and to ground ourselves in the real people who populate the challenges that we work to address.

Just a thought.

Filed Under: A Voice from Philanthropy Tagged With: , , , ,

Matching board diversity with real world demographics

May 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EQUITY | Yanique Redwood, CEO of the Consumer Health Foundation, has a powerful op-ed in the current issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy about the importance of diversity on foundation boards, and the need to overcome our unconscious biases in order to create “equitable social institutions and structures.” She writes about her own experience interviewing before the very diverse CHF board (Chronicle, 5/5):

Unlike token diversity measures that seek to fill quotas, I was experiencing game-changing diversity. This was diversity aimed at ensuring that there were people on the board who come from the communities served by the nonprofits we support. This was diversity that would necessarily change our priorities and enhance our work because diverse perspectives create better ideas.

HOMELESSNESS | Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments released the results from its 2013 point-in-time survey that measures homelessness across the region. The report shows a 2.4 percent decrease from 2012, but some jurisdictions, including Arlington, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties, saw increases. (COG, 5/8)

Related: The blog ARLNow digs into the data about Arlington County. (ARLNow, 5/9)

FOOD | Yesterday, D.C. launched a project to build a 100,000 square foot hydroponic greenhouse in Ward 8. The greenhouse, located in an area with limited fresh food options, will have the capacity to grow up to a million pounds of produce a year – enough to feed 5,000 people. When it opens in early 2014, it is expected to create 25 full-time jobs. (DC.gov, 8/9)

AGING | WAMU looks at how a home visiting program run by a D.C. hospital enables older adults, often with complicated medical issues, to live in their own homes. The program reduces medical costs while also addressing and preventing elder abuse. (WAMU, 5/10)

HEALTHCARE | Virginia is getting $2.5 million in federal funds to help community health centers enroll uninsured clients in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. (WTOP, 5/10)

EDUCATION | D.C. Officials And Community Group Go To Court Over D.C. School Closings (WAMU, 5/9)

HOUSING | Median home price hits record highs in Arlington, the District (WaPo, 5/10)

NONPROFITS | ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms (Chronicle, 5/9)

Here’s a nice distraction for the afternoon: Yesterday TIME and Google released a tool that lets you look at time-lapse videos of satellite images of any point on Earth since 1984. Some of the changes that have happened over time are stunning – and disturbing.

- Rebekah

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Using technology to combat senior isolation

May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

People often lament the fact that technology is deteriorating human relationships. But for seniors, the opposite might be true. A new pilot program funded by the AARP Foundation is building technological connections for seniors as a way of combating isolation. The program provides iPads to seniors, as well as classes on how to use the Internet, social media, Skype, and more (WaPo, 5/9):

In the District, the program selected low-income seniors at high risk of being disconnected from friends and family, said Najeeb Uddin, the AARP Foundation’s vice president of technology.

“We’re targeting people on the verge of being isolated and depressed. Their spouse might have passed away,” he said. “It’s about connecting to the community. It just happens to be that we’re using technology to do it.”

YOUTH | The Children’s Law Center has released its 2013 Children’s Mental Health Report Card. This year’s marks for the District are mixed, but hopeful (WAMU, 5/9):

Judith Sandalow is the executive director of Children’s Law Center, a nonprofit in D.C. She says there are “promising beginnings” when it comes to how the District serves children with mental health needs.
…
But Sandalow says there is still a long way to go. She says there are too many agencies involved leading to what she calls “bureaucratic fragmentation.” And Sandalow says how soon a child gets treatment is also a problem.

Read the report here.

Related: Pushing for More Progress in the District’s Children’s Mental Health System (HuffPo, 5/9)

HEALTH | Jacqueline Bowens has been named to succeed Sharon Baskerville as the CEO of the D.C. Primary Care Coalition. (WBJ, 5/9)

Related: The D.C. Primary Care Coalition is one of the key players in our Beyond Dollars story on expanding the health care safety net. You can check out the report here.

EDUCATION
- The District is set to open a “hybrid traditional-charter” school in Southeast. Chancellor Kaya Henderson says, “It’s an animal that we’ve never seen before.” (WaPo, 5/9) Is it a unicorn? I bet it’s a unicorn. I knew they existed!

- Putting Inner City Students on a Path to High-Paying Jobs, For Real (Atlantic, 5/9)

HOUSING
- In case the economic collapse didn’t do it already, Richard Florida has deflated the American dream of homeownership. He digs into a report about the relationship between unemployment and homeownership and says, “Higher rates of homeownership lead to higher rates of unemployment.” (Atlantic, 5/9)

Related: Florida discusses the relationship between housing and commuting. We looked at the same issue in our recent report on housing affordability.

- Greater Greater Washington’s Dave Aplert explains how the increased production of high-end rental units in our region could trigger drops in rent through a process called “filtering.” (GGW, 5/9) Contrary to my initial expectation, this does not mean refraining from swearing at leasing agents to get better rates.

LOCAL
- Arlington’s population is expected to continue booming, thanks especially to the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan. (WTOP, 5/9)

- Robert McCartney writes about how impressed he is about regional collaboration to clean sewage. (WaPo, 5/9)

- Lots of great stuff from The Atlantic today. Here’s a look at how highway construction ruined Southwest D.C. – and how new development could resurrect it. (Atlantic, 5/9)

I forgot to post this yesterday, but Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski (from The Office) had a hilarious lip syncing competition. It’s pretty funny. (Note: I downgraded my sentiment and didn’t even notice when I published.)

And, here’s an amusing connection between autocomplete and the platypus.

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Freddie Mac Foundation announces wind-down plan

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Today, the Freddie Mac Foundation announced its plan to complete the spend-down of its assets and to complete its activities. The plan focuses on continuing to serve current grantees as it gradually reduces funding. Starting next year, the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region will administer the remaining grants.

When the financial crisis hit, it was unclear how the Freddie Mac Foundation’s giving might be affected. The 8 Neighbors group, of which WRAG is a part, worked with the foundation to identify ways to maximize the impact of their changing funding strategies. In the Daily today, Tamara looks back on how the uncertainty was reshaped and how continued giving by the foundation since 2008 has been a major success story. (Daily, 5/8)

COMMUNITY
- It is with very mixed emotions that we share the news that Rachel Wick, director of policy, planning, and special projects at the Consumer Health Foundation, will be heading to the San Francisco Bay Area to work for the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

As most of you already know, Rachel is a rock star in our community. She’s been a key leader around health advocacy and health justice in our region, and she’s helped lead WRAG’s Health Working Group and Working Group on Aging to a great many successes. Plus, she’s been WRAG’s neighbor down the hall for the past eight years.

So, while we’re quite sad that she’s leaving, we’re also very excited for her new opportunity. California is incredibly lucky! We wish Rachel all the best on her new adventure.

- The board of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation has elected Joshua Bernstein as its new chair. In addition to serving as CEO of the Bernstein Management Corporation, Joshua is the vice president of the Diane and Norman Bernstein Foundation. The board also elected Deborah Ratner Salzberg, President of Forest City Washington, as its vice chair and Barbara Lang, CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce, as secretary-treasurer. [Read more.]

YOUTH | Mayor Gray has released an FY 2014 Children’s Budget Report, detailing his plans for spending $2.1 billion on children, youth, and families. (DC.gov, 5/3)

Related: D.C. summer school expanded in passage of $241m supplemental budget (Examiner, 5/8)

ARTS | The Kennedy Center’s Michael Kaiser shares an article from across the pond about the effect that arts and culture events have on tourism. He uses the example as further proof that our government should be spending a lot more on the arts. (HuffPo, 5/6)

LOCAL
- D.C. sets tourism record with 19m visitors in 2012 (Examiner, 5/8)

- But nobody is going to come back once they find out that our ground tries to devour things. (WaPo, 5/8)

GIVING | Eleven more people have signed the Giving Pledge. (Chronicle, 5/8)

PHILANTHROPY/NONPROFITS | Wondering what it’s like on the “other side?” Well go to a seance then. We don’t do that here! Just kidding, check out this National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy piece written by someone who has worked both as a grantseeker and a grantmaker. (NCRP, 5/6)

CNN has become the laughing stock of the news industry, which is especially impressive considering that it occupies the same industry as MSNBC and Fox News. Sure, you could point to reporting 100% false news about tiny things like the Supreme Court’s healthcare decision or the Boston bombings. But the real reason that CNN is at the bottom because they do absurd things like this.

I probably write a little too much about nerdy things, but big whoop, here’s something else – a hilarious Audi commercial feature two Spocks, Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Celebrating the successful transition of the Freddie Mac Foundation

May 8, 2013 By 1 Comment

By Tamara Copeland
President, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers

Today, the Freddie Mac Foundation announced its plan to continue giving in our region through 2016. Is this a success? Yes, it sure is!

In September 2008, we didn’t know what the future might hold for the Freddie Mac Foundation. An announcement had been made by the federal government that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (the “conservator”) would control how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac operated and how they spent their resources. At risk was $47M that was invested by these two entities in about 400 nonprofit organizations across our region. If those investments were discontinued, people were going to suffer.

The announcement about the conservator was made on a Sunday. By Friday of that same week, the 8 Neighbors group was born. 8 Neighbors was, and is, a partnership of eight regional organizations: the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Leadership Greater Washington, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Nonprofit Roundtable, the United Way of the National Capital Area and the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, all committed to improving the lives of people who live in our region.

This group developed a media strategy, a legislative strategy, and a community engagement strategy. Over the next couple of months, our advocacy contributed to an announcement in December 2008 that both Freddie and Fannie would continue their philanthropic investments in the region. We celebrated, though we also knew that impending structural changes to both organizations would permanently impact their giving in the future.

In 2011, the Freddie Mac Foundation announced that like its sister organization, the Fannie Mae Foundation, it would be closing its doors. They slated 2014 as an endpoint. Following the announcement, 8 Neighbors continued behind the scenes outreach to the leaders of the Freddie Mac Foundation to offer perspectives on how the foundation’s plans to spend down would impact our region.

Today, the foundation announced how it will manage its closure – with a plan that carefully winds down giving to soften the impact on its grantees. Beginning next year and lasting through 2016, the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region will administer remaining grants. Would we have wanted the foundation to continue in perpetuity? Of course. But given the current reality, this is a successful outcome.

Our hats are off to the leaders of the Freddie Mac Foundation for all that they have done for the region over their decades-long existence and for their strategy for the near future.

Related information:
- Mortgage Giants’ Fall May Hurt Nonprofits (WaPo, Sept. 2008)

- Who will step up to fill Freddie’s and Fannie’s pullback on giving? by Tamara Copeland and Chuck Bean (WaPo, Sept. 2011)

- New report from 8 Neighbors on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s giving in the Greater Washington region (Daily, Oct. 2011)

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , ,

A progress report on philanthropy and big change

May 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

A lot can change in a few years. That’s why WRAG is excited to release Beyond Dollars: Philanthropy and BIG Change in the Greater Washington Region. The new release is a 2013 progress report on our earlier publication, Beyond Dollars: Investing in BIG Change from 2009.

The earlier report chronicled and celebrated the unrecognized benefits of philanthropy in our region while also elevating what we saw as the common elements that led to change of great magnitude. Now, almost five years later, we want to check in on this work. Is the change lasting? If so, what factors have been critical? If not, what lessons have been learned?

The impact of philanthropy is especially important to consider in light of potential changes to the charitable deduction. As Beyond Dollars shows, philanthropic investments continue to make an important difference in our region.

HOMELESSNESS | The Senate has approved legislation for an Internet sales tax. It might not make it through the House, but if it does, D.C. Councilmembers Jim Graham and Mary Cheh think that the new revenue could end homelessness. As Aaron Wiener points out, this idealism is rooted in the belief that we could beat homelessness if we just had the money. (CP, 5/7)

If they really believe this, then it’s unsettling that better attempts haven’t been made to secure the necessary funds in the past.

HOUSING | ElevationDC interviews Michael Diamond, director of the Harrison Institute for Housing and Community Development, about affordable housing, gentrification, and policy solutions in our region. (Elevation, 5/7)

WORKFORCE | Over the weekend, New York Times bureau chief Dave Leonhardt wrote about the very high nonemployment rates of 25 to 34 year old Americans and the “grim shift” that has landed our country in a much worse position than most of Europe.

In a follow up, Leonhardt looks at the geography of the problem. Fortunately, our region is one of three spots in the country bucking the trend. (NYT, 5/7) Leonhardt is a great writer – very literary. The opening paragraph of the first article is fantastic.

HEALTH | Slowdown in Health Costs’ Rise May Last as Economy Revives (NYT, 5/6) Well, that’s a confusing headline.

Have you ever wondered what the subjects of abstract paintings might look like if they were real people? Me neither – but I found out the answer anyway. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Internet, somebody updated famous portraits for modern times.

And since there’s so much rain, how about the Belle Stars’ version of Iko Iko from Rain Man? If ever there was a movie that needed a music video…this was definitely not it. Good song though!

Filed Under: WRAG's "In the News" Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 35 other followers