Greater Washington region tops online giving rankings

April 12, 2013 By 1 Comment

GIVING | Another day, another list of rankings. According to Blackbaud, Alexandria, D.C., and Arlington rank 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, respectively, in online giving nationwide. (WaPo, 4/12) Watch out, Seattle.

EDUCATION
- Meet the incoming Fairfax schools superintendent, Karen Garza. (WaPo, 4/11) (And apologies to yesterday’s readers: we included this, but linked to the wrong article.)

- A 2009 memo has come to light that suggests that cheating on standardized tests in D.C. public schools may have been more rampant than previously supposed. (USA Today, 4/11)

ARTS
- Local arts advocates, including members of the D.C. Council, are calling for the council to maintain the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ budget at the current level. The mayor’s proposed 2014 budget slashes it to $7 million. (Examiner, 4/12)

- Maryland arts budget back to pre-recession levels (Baltimore Business Journal, 4/11)

YOUTH | The New York Times looks at how placing police officers in schools, ostensibly for security purposes, has led to an increase in criminal charges against students. (NY Times, 4/12)

Related: In case you missed it, the Post had a great piece last week on students participating in the Critical Exposure photography program are documenting similar issues.

TRANSIT
- WMATA has released images of proposed design changes to the interiors of Metro stations. (WaPo, 4/12) Notice there are no trains arriving in any of these pictures.

- Maryland looking at public-private partnerships for Purple Line (Examiner, 4/12)

HOUSING | In D.C., a public housing waiting list with no end (WaPo, 4/11)

EQUITY | Here’s a cool tool that shows the level of access and choice of amenities like groceries, restaurants, and transit across the District. (ChoiceMaps, via UrbanTurf, 4/11)

NONPROFITS | White House Seeks to Force Charities to File Tax Forms Electronically (Chronicle, 4/11)

I love D.C., but sometimes it does seem like everything is better in New York.

-Rebekah

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As the clock ticks down, a look at how sequestration would deeply hurt our region’s governments [News, 2.20.13]

February 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

SEQUESTRATION | If federal spending cuts happen on March 1, our region is in huge trouble. Local governments are struggling to plan their budgets with so much uncertainty about what is going to happen, but here’s a look at the potential chain reaction (WaPo, 2/20):

If the worst is realized and jobs disappear by the thousands, the flow of money through the local economy could be choked off, leading to more foreclosures, slower growth among businesses and less spending among households.

All of that would greatly affect local governments, where budgets are inextricably linked to the health of the economy.
…
States and localities hit hard by cuts could have their bond ratings lowered, making it more expensive to borrow money for capital projects.

What are the chances that the can gets kicked down the road a few more months, and we get to look forward to more fire and brimstone stories like this? If I had to guess, I’d say approximately 100%. How about you?

Related: President Obama and Congress are pointing fingers at each other about who will be to blame if the spending cuts are triggered. (WaPo, 2/20) Ooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter! I have the answer: Congress and President Obama! That was easy.

DATA | The Atlantic looks at the massive rise in government spending on low-income populations over the last 40 years and through the next ten. In 1972, spending was at $55 billion. Now it is $588 billion and in 2023 it will be $877 billion. Most of the increase is related to healthcare programs like Medicaid. (Atlantic, 2/20)

Obviously there are a lot of factors related to these numbers to consider. But here’s a question: are these spending increases helping, hurting, or doing nothing for their target populations? It’s the same sort of question Carlos Slim had about philanthropy.

GIVING | Last week, the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation announced more than $1.2 million in grants focused on empowering youth with disabilities. Foundation director Kevin Webb says:

The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation is proud to be part of this national effort. By investing in innovative projects designed to empower youth with disabilities, they have more promising employment prospects as they transition to adulthood.

PERSPECTIVES | Earlier this month, Tamara challenged us to read an article from a publication outside of our routine and comfort zone. Have you taken her up on the challenge? You can read her column about shifting our perspective here: When was the last time you read Ebony Magazine? (Daily 2/6)

ENVIRONMENT | Today, D.C. Mayor Gray released a 20 year plan called Sustainable DC that has a very specific goal: “In just one generation – 20 years – the District of Columbia will be the healthiest, greenest, and most livable city in the United States.” Read the full plan here.

FOOD | What Food Desert Maps Get Wrong About How People Eat (Atlantic, 2/20)

EVENT | On March 13th, the Student Support Center will honor the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation at the 2013 Successful Students Campaign awards reception. More information and tickets are available here.

YOUTH | Six students in Prince George’s County have been murdered during this school year in unrelated crimes – two during this week alone. The county is starting a task force to address the violence. (WaPo, 2/20) In the meantime, how much progress has been made on reducing gun violence?

I usually don’t post anything from BuzzFeed because the site is mostly mindless garbage. However, after re-reading Tamara’s great piece on perspectives, I did enjoy this neat list of 28 visuals that might change yours. Give the page a few seconds to load so that the animations work. And click around that site at your own risk – brain cells are a a precious commodity. 

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Foreclosures down across most of the region…$1.1 million in grants for youth job training…DCPS closures to be announced today [News, 1.17.13]

January 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

HOUSING | Over the last two years, the foreclosure rate has dropped significantly across the region – except in Maryland, where regulations meant to delay foreclosures led to an increase in the filings in 2012. (Examiner, 1/17)

YOUTH | Three local organizations have won $1.1 million in grants from the D.C. Workforce Investment Council to provide job training to high school students in the District, ending two years of contention over a 2010 contract. (WaPo, 1/15)

JOBS | City Paper looks at whether Mayor Gray’s One City One Hire workforce development program is really getting the results it is touting. (City Paper, 1/16)

COMMUNITY | Earlier this week, longtime WRAG member and former board chair Viki Betancourt was honored by her World Bank colleagues on the occasion of her retirement. Mayor Vincent Gray (pictured at left with Viki), Deputy Mayor BB Otero, and many of her World Bank colleagues and others from the region’s philanthropic and nonprofit community were on hand to express their deep appreciation for Viki’s service to the region during her 17 years at the World Bank. We’ll miss you, Viki!

EDUCATION
- D.C. principals, Georgetown launch leadership program (WaPo, 1/17)

- Final List Of DCPS Closures To Be Released Today (WAMU, 1/17)

PHILANTHROPY
- In response to the United Way of the National Capital Area‘s recent restructuring of workplace giving, Rick Cohen considers “what we lose when we lose workplace giving.” (NPQ, 1/13)

- Here’s the long-form version of how the charitable deduction fight before the fiscal cliff agreement went down. (Chronicle, 1/13)

TONIGHT | Everybody, stock up on candles and canned peaches, it might snow a little bit this evening. (WaPo, 1/17)

Speaking of majorly overreacting to minor weather events…

-Rebekah

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Charters expel far more students than traditional public schools…D.C.’s poverty gap compared to other cities…Many MoCo Latinos can’t afford healthcare [News, 1.7.13]

January 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

EDUCATION
- D.C.’s charter schools expelled 646 students over the last three years compared to only 24 in traditional public schools, according to data from the Washington Post. It’s a tricky comparison though – DCPS can’t technically expel students since it is mandated to serve all residents. Charters don’t have the same mandate.

The discrepancy has brewed a bit of a controversy. Some parents think that the publicly-funded charters shouldn’t have so much freedom to discipline while others argue that this freedom can improve the learning environment. (WaPo, 1/6)

Related: D.C. school closings push parents to charter schools (Examiner, 1/7)

- Must see TV! Tomorrow night, PBS’ Frontline will air an examination of whether or not the District has sufficiently addressed suspicions of test tampering during Michelle Rhee’s chancellorship. (WaPo, 1/7) What will they uncover? What is to become of Rhee’s legacy? Who shot J.R.?

EQUITY | City Paper’s Aaron Wiener used census data to map out the income gap in the District. Then he compared it to other cities. Not surprisingly, we have a pretty stark divide and it shows up very clearly on the map. Philadelphia is the only city with more concentrated poverty, it seems. (City Paper, 1/7)

Take a look at the Boston map. It looks like there is a huge concentration of low-income residents living in…the ocean. Living in the water would certainly dampen your outlook on life.

HEALTH | A recent survey finds that many of Montgomery County’s Latinos don’t get regular checkups because they can’t afford health care. (Examiner, 1/7)

TRANSIT | Here’s a really cool article about how Capital Bikeshare went from an idea to a huge success. (Slate, 1/7)

DAILY | Just a friendly reminder that the WG Daily will become The Daily WRAG starting next week. Here’s a little more info from an earlier post. We’ll have a transition post later this week with everything you need to know, which is basically that you’ll get some more content and things will look just a little different. No biggie!

Happy 2013, folks! I’m glad we all survived the Mayan apocalypse. My prediction that we wouldn’t go off the fiscal cliff didn’t quite come true. But hey, Congress reaching a deal at all, even a couple of days late, is a minor miracle. I think this cartoon lends amusing perspective to our current political environment.

I’m pretty bummed about the Redskins getting knocked out by the Seattle ratbirds, but at least the Capitals are finally on their way back to town. Anyhow, this seems like a good song to start off the year. I have no idea what Van Morrison is saying for most of the song (or really, most of the time in general), but the chorus is uplifting! 

- Christian

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Majority of District’s new jobs go to nonresidents…At Savoy Elementary, the arts aren’t ‘tacked-on extras’…Nonprofit advocacy and the fiscal cliff [News, 12.10.12]

December 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

WORKFORCE | Over the last five years, 62 percent of the jobs created in the District have been claimed by nonresidents. Experts attribute this gap to the fact that a lot of the new jobs require advanced education. The DC Chamber of Commerce’s Barbara Lang adds (Examiner, 12/10):

The city still has challenges around D.C. residents being prepared for the kinds of jobs that we have in the city…Businesses always want to hire the best person for the job, and we’ve got to ensure that D.C. residents are better prepared.

There’s a lot to be said about the nature of our region – particularly about the fluidity of our borders. What percentage of the jobs do you think should go to a jurisdiction’s own residents?

- Why is everything so complicated? November’s good national jobs report might actually lead to bad news for the long-term unemployed. NPR says that the new job creation takes away leverage that policymakers might have had around unemployment benefits. (NPR, 12/7)

ARTS | At Savoy Elementary in Anacostia, where math and reading proficiency is less than 20%, Principal Patrick Pope is focused on the transformative power of the arts (WaPo, 12/10):

As Pope sees it, song, dance, theater and visual arts aren’t tacked-on extras — they’re essential parts of creating a school where students and teachers thrive.

Amen! I hope educators around the country take note of this article.

- Opinion: The Arts Face Their Own Fiscal Cliff by Michael Kaiser (HuffPo, 12/10)

TRANSIT
- Back to the subject of commuters, here’s a look a where Metro riders get on and off the train during the morning rush hour. The big takeaway is that very few people are riding to stations east of the river. (GGW, 12/8)

- Finally! Here’s our big chance to vote on taxi colors in the District. (WTOP, 12/10) I vote for them to look like this.

HOUSING | Urban Turf looks at what the fiscal cliff could mean for our region’s homeowners. (UT, 12/7)

HEALTH | A local pediatrician wrote a piece for the Huffington Post about the importance of Medicaid, especially for children. (HuffPo, 12/10)

POLITICS | The Chronicle of Philanthropy has two articles (by the same author) about opposing perspectives on nonprofit advocacy and the fiscal cliff:

- White House Urges Nonprofits to Push for Higher Taxes on the Wealthy (Chronicle, 12/7)

- White House Accused of Bullying Nonprofits on Tax Hikes (Chronicle, 12/7)

GENIUS IDEA | The Atlantic reports on rumors that District officials are testing the waters about a possible “trade” with Prince George’s County officials – the FBI for the Redskins. The trade is apparently unlikely because Prince George’s officials think they will get the FBI regardless. (Atlantic, 12/10) As a die-hard Skins fan, I’ve turned down game tickets because FedEx Field is such a pain to negotiate. I can’t imagine turning down tickets to a game in D.C. though.

Happy Monday, friends. I’m wearing my Redskins tie and a huge grin today!

I’ve got two fun things to share with you. First, courtesy of my iPhone’s shuffle function, I rediscovered Rod Stewart’s totally awesome rock song Stay With Me. The intro is epic. Feel free to get up and dance.

Second, here’s a trailer for a new Tom Cruise sci-fi film called Oblivion. I’m excited that it is an original script (and not a reboot, sequel, or remake) – and I was tremendously impressed by the visual scope of director Joseph Kosinski’s last movie, Tron Legacy.

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Obesity is a problem for baby boomers…MoCo introduces new grading system for elementary school…New hope for D.C. budget autonomy [News, 10.2.12]

October 2, 2012 By

AGING/HEALTH | New research finds that riders of the Silver Tsunami are going to need bigger surfboards (CBS, 10/1):

Obesity among baby boomers is more than double the rate of their parents at the same age, and boomers with three or more chronic conditions was 700 percent greater than the previous generation.

EDUCATION | Montgomery County is restructuring its grading system for kindergarten through third grade. Replacing the traditional A-F scale is a new one that includes “ES” for exceptional, “P” for proficient, “I” for in progress, and “N” for failing. Basically, a kid can get an “ESPN” on a report card, which will really confuse fathers. (WTOP, 10/2)

YOUTH | Opinion: Helping Children Soar With Educational Advocacy by Judith Sandalow (HuffPo, 10/1)

ECONOMY | More great news as we barrel toward the “fiscal cliff”! Not only will sequestration ruin our local economy, but tax rates would go up for a whopping 90% of Americans. The Tax Policy Center says that the country’s lowest earners would be hit the hardest. (WaPo, 10/2)

To mine the metaphor a bit, maybe we could send some Congress members “bungee jumping” off the “fiscal cliff” so that they can test out how it feels?

DEMOCRACY | Speaking of Congress, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has introduced legislation that would “authorize a vote in the next citywide election on changing the District charter to remove Congress’s power over most local spending.” (WaPo, 10/2)

PHILANTHROPY
- The New York Times looks at impact investing. (NY Times, 9/28)

Related: WRAG is hosting an  ”innovation in philanthropy” event as part of our Brightest Minds series on October 4, with economist Susan Raymond. All funders and nonprofits are invited.  More information and registration here.

- The MacArthur Foundation has announced its newest round of “genius” grant winners. Two winners – David Finkel and Dinaw Mengestu – are from our region. (LA Times, 10/2)

LOCAL | Congratulations to our hometown Washington Nationals for winning the National League East! It’s crazy to think of how far they’ve come in the last year. The playoffs will certainly be exciting.

Related shameless plug: WRAG’s 2012 annual meeting is going to be a lot of fun this year – in part, because it will be at Nationals Park! Paul Schmitz of Public Allies is the keynote. Click here for more info.

It’s a rainy day, so let’s talk about the weather. Apparently the Weather Channel will begin naming winter storms starting this year. You can read their reasoning – and it makes sense – but I’m more concerned with how awesome the 2012-13 storm names are. In particular, we are really setting ourselves up for some trouble with the wrath of “Khan” and the untrustworthiness of “Brutus.”

Special Tuesday bonus – here’s a neat song by the 80s synthpop duo Yaz. It was featured in an unexpectedly poignant scene on the great sci-fi show Fringe last week.

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Bill Conway announces $1 billion give away strategy, including $55 million in initial grants [News, 9.27.12]

September 27, 2012 By

Almost exactly a year ago, Bill Conway announced plans to give away $1 billion or more, and he asked the Post’s Robert McCartney to help solicit ideas about where to donate. He got 2,500 suggestions and initially leaned towards a job creation strategy for low-income individuals.

Bill Conway

Today, McCartney reports that Conway has decided on a new strategy and he’s chosen the first round of grant recipients (WaPo, 9/27):

Conway has concluded that he can do the most good, over the long haul, by helping low-income people get the education and training they need to land jobs that are already available.

He has announced $55 million in initial grants:

Most will go to scholarships and other tuition assistance to help nursing students at area universities and children at Catholic schools, and to fund a job training program in Anacostia.

By way of comparison, only one foundation (The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region) posted more than $55 million in total giving in WRAG’s last giving report. Chuck Bean, president of the Nonprofit Roundtable, says that the volume of Conway’s giving is game-changing:

This is huge. It’s unprecedented. I’ve got goose bumps…I’ve only seen big, seven-figure grants go to large cultural institutions, not to on-the-ground direct service organizations like these…This is good not only for the direct recipients, but I think Mr. Conway’s first tranche of grants will make his home town better for all of us.

YOUTH | This is perhaps an unusual study, but Johns Hopkins finds that young African Americans are disproportionately exposed to alcohol ads compared to the general youth population. The lead researcher on the study says that the consequences of this exposure are particularly bad for this population. (WAMU, 9/27)

HEALTH | Maryland’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene writes in the Sun about what must happen in order for healthcare expansion to be sustainable in Maryland. (Sun, 9/27)

SEQUESTRATION | Two new stories that allow me to type “sequestration”:

- From George Mason’s Center for Regional Analysis, here’s a breakdown of the 10 states expected to lose the most jobs due to budget cuts. We are three of the top five, totaling about 450,000 jobs. (Examiner, 9/26)

- And we don’t have to wait until next year to feel the pain. Many of the region’s employers are already changing their strategies in anticipation of the budget cuts. (Examiner, 9/27)

Today is Randy Bachman’s 69th birthday. In honor of both that and Bill Conway’s philanthropy, here’s one of my favorite BTO songs – Givin’ It All Away. The chorus is a perfect fit…just ignore the entire rest of the lyrics, which are about a break up.

Rebekah will guide you into the weekend tomorrow, so see you on Monday.

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District is among states setting student achievement goals based on race, income…Nonprofit presence linked to lower unemployment…Teacher expectations affect student performance [News, 9.19.12]

September 19, 2012 By

EDUCATION | Critics of No Child Left Behind accuse that policy of setting the bar too high. So, new policies in the District and many other states are setting achievement goals in a very controversial way (WaPo, 9/19):

Now, in the District and many states, goals over the next five years tend to be lower for black, Hispanic and poor children than they are for white and Asian students, and in the District, they tend to be higher at schools in affluent areas than in poor neighborhoods. It’s a policy shift that strikes some parents as a form of prejudice.

The different goals are designed to allow black, Hispanic, and low-income students to close the achievement gap faster. By making goals for those students easier to reach, however, can that actually be called “closing the gap”? One Ward 7 parent makes a sharp point:

It’s disgraceful…It’s ridiculous to even believe that if you expect less from someone, you’re going to get more.

Related: Considering the article above, this one is a must-read. NPR’s Morning Edition takes a look at research showing that “expectations affect teachers’ moment-to-moment interactions with the children they teach in a thousand almost invisible ways.” Teachers who expect more from their students can get more (including higher IQs), and vice versa. (NPR, 9/18)

NONPROFITS | A recent study from the National Conference on Citizenship – where DC Vote’s Ilir Zherka is headed – finds links between the presence of an organized nonprofit community and lower unemployment rates. (NPQ, 9/12)

PHILANTHROPY | The Giving Pledge has recruited eleven new members. (Chronicle, 9/19)

LOCAL | Today is Phil Mendelson’s first day as acting chairman of the D.C. Council, following the resignation of Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown and then a summer hiatus for the council. (WAMU, 9/19)

HEALTH | A new study out of Toronto reinforces the theory that a person’s health is related to where one lives. The study found a huge link between diabetes and walkable neighborhoods. (Atlantic, 9/19)

TRANSIT | Streetcar Advocates See A Walkable Community For Columbia Pike (WAMU, 9/19) Then why do they want street cars? Just kidding.

Today is Adam West’s 84th birthday, which is exactly the excuse I was looking for to link to this. By the way, the actor’s real name is William West Anderson. Holy Unncessary Name Changes, Batman! William Anderson sounds like he’d be a movie star anyway. West (or Anderson) says he used “Adam” just because he liked the way it looked.

Also, here’s a brand new trailer for the first installment of The Hobbit. Can’t wait for it!

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BoardSource appoints Rick Moyers to board…Tavis Smiley on youth and aging neglect…Region’s jobs growth is uneven between jurisdictions [News, 9.11.12]

September 11, 2012 By

COMMUNITY | Congratulations to the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation’s Rick Moyers on his appointment to the BoardSource Board of Directors! As you all know from reading the Daily, Rick is an expert on building strong boards – he writes a column for the Chronicle of Philanthropy and has published a book on the subject, and he sits on WRAG’s board – so the appointment is a perfect fit.

Related: Rick’s latest column was coincidentally published today and looks at the leadership at Susan G. Komen for the Cure. (Chronicle, 9/11)

POVERTY | PBS’ Tavis Smiley cites the Capital Kids report (D.C. has a higher childhood poverty rate than Mexico) and the debate on care for the aging in the context of American politics and asks (HuffPo, 9/11):

I have never quite understood how a nation of advanced citizenship can so easily render invisible the weak and the vulnerable? In other words, “we got your back,” unless you’re too young to vote or too old to matter.

I get asked all the time when discussing the issue of poverty, why it is that the poor don’t matter? We all know why: because the poor aren’t “likely voters” and the poor aren’t big campaign donors. It’s really that simple. And that’s sickening.

EQUITY | GQ isn’t usually a Daily source, but interspersed between their photoshoots of scantily clad models and self-obsessed male fashionistas are some very thoughtful articles. One that is particularly worth reading looks at America’s massive income gap by profiling a diverse group of men. On one end is a dishwasher making $200 a week. On the other is a billionaire living on $625,000 a week. (GQ, July 2012)

REGIONALISM | The Post’s Robert McCartney wrote a must-read piece on the region’s job growth over the weekend and how uneven distribution in growth is harming the region as a whole (WaPo, 9/9):

The politics are complicated, but the geography is clear. Northern Virginia and the District have churned out new jobs at a respectable pace in the past year, while suburban Maryland is lagging far behind.

The imbalance harms the area in numerous ways, particularly by worsening our highway congestion…

EDUCATION
- Like many states, the Commonwealth of Virginia allows parents to opt their kids out of public schools for religious reasons. Unlike any other state, however, Virginia doesn’t require these parents to prove that their kids are getting an education elsewhere. (WaPo, 9/11)

- As the District gives parents more options about where their kids go to school, a side-effect is that thousands of kids shuffle between waitlists and different schools for the first few weeks of the academic year. (WaPo, 9/9)

URBANISM | A new study out of George Washington University finds a strong connection between economic growth and walkable urban places (WalkUPs) in our region. At the same time, WalkUPs generally aren’t very diverse or equitable. (GGW, 9/10) WalkUPs also remind me of my apartment – a fourth floor walk-up.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | Arlington Adds 111 Affordable Housing Units (WAMU, 9/10)

Not to wade too deeply into a political controversy, but it seems utterly absurd that Chicago teachers have the leverage to just abandon 400,000 kids until their demands are met. To me, it speaks volumes about the union’s commitment to education. It’s a total failure of leadership of both the city and union.

On a lighter note…or maybe not so much, after a listen…I highly recommend Bob Dylan’s newest album, Tempest. It was released today and is phenomenal. Here’s a sample track – Duquesne Whistle. This track reminds me of Louie Armstrong.

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Promoting a new vision for affordable housing…How Romney and Obama compare on nonprofit issues…District has worst black/white student achievement gap in the country [News, 9.10.12]

September 10, 2012 By

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | As Enterprise Community Partners works on renovations of nearly 400 affordable housing units near H Street, NE, the nonprofit’s local leader, David Bowers, sees the project as an opportunity to highlight a new vision for affordable housing (WaPo, 9/10):

[Enterprise] has grown its focus from just creating and preserving low-income housing to addressing transportation and energy costs for poor and working class residents…In Washington — where real estate near Metro stations fetches a steep premium — Bowers has a goal of preserving 1,000 units within a half-mile walk of transit stations, giving residents easier and more affordable access to job centers.

David Bowers is also a member of WRAG’s Affordable Housing Task Force which has spent the past few months exploring possibilities for philanthropy’s role in supporting affordable housing. We’ll have some exciting developments to share with you soon.

EDUCATION
- The Post takes a look at the student achievement gap both locally and across the country. Among the findings (WaPo, 9/10):

According to 2011 national testing data, the gap between white and black students is wider in Washington, D.C., public schools than in any other urban district…The persistent gap in the District reflects on the questionable nature of some of the “reforms” that have been implemented locally and elsewhere around the country — which too often ignore the outside-of-school influences that affect how well a student does in class.

- The closure of 23 District schools in 2008 ended up costing more than four-times as much as projected. This happened under the previous administration, but the Examiner points out that the Gray administration is on track to close more schools and should keep the cost in mind. (Examiner, 9/10)

- DCPS Aims To Grow Leaders From Within (WAMU, 9/10) Doesn’t it seem like the opposite of “within” should be “without”? That would make no sense in a sentence though. English is confusing.

BUDGETS | The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has a big budget gap for social services programs in FY2013 and their appeals to the state for funding assistance have been denied. (Examiner, 9/10)

NONPROFITS | More election coverage from the Chronicle – how Obama and Romney compare on (some) nonprofit issues. (Chronicle, 9/8)

HEALTH | Opinion: Greater Greater Washington’s Dave Alpert penned a piece for the Post that discusses the importance of putting Prince George’s County’s new hospital near a Metro station (WaPo, 9/8):

A hospital near a Metro station would draw more economic activity to the county and provide accessible health care to more residents, while saving the state countless transportation dollars and minimizing the negative health effects of the pollution produced by those driving to the site.

- Americans spending more on prescription drugs (WTOP, 9/10)

TRANSIT | Finally, we have somebody to properly channel the rage caused by Metro – WMATA Hulk! Some genius is operating a Twitter handle that sees the Incredible Hulk, uh, hulking out over various transit related issues. My favorite so far was tweeted this morning:

HULK DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO SMASHING LOUD CELLPHONE WOMAN ON GREEN LINE. #WMATA

If you’re on Twitter, you should follow WMATA Hulk so he continues to tweet! (Express via GGW, 9/7)

LOCAL | Who knows what will happen over the next few weeks, but for the moment we have a new hometown hero – Robert Griffin III. The Nats are in first place and the Redskins knocked out one of the best teams in the NFL. Strange things are afoot in our region…but it sure feels good! (WaPo, 9/10)

Thanks so much to Rebekah for filling in while I was out.  I haven’t had enough time to filter through the fun things I missed on the internet while I was gone, but here is one that jumped out – a photo essay of the natural beauty in the Pacific Northwest. The shots of the night sky make me utterly resent all of the light pollution we have around here!

- Christian

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