I, like many in the region, sat down to watch the President’s State of the Union speech last night.  It’s an annual event that always engenders much anticipation (at least among the media pundits, political junkies, and those living in and around our nation’s capital), and this year was no exception.  Many called it “the” campaign speech, kicking off the 2012 election cycle.  Just a day before the speech, the White House said that the President would “outline his vision for an America where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, where everyone does their fair share, and where everyone is held accountable for what they do.”  Economic fairness was lauded as this year’s theme.

In this week’s roundup of news affecting women and girls in our community: We wonder what Dr. King might say about the high rate of poverty among women and girls in the DC area.  The top five findings of 2011 from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.  The impact of Pre-K on the achievement gap.  Is it time for a poverty revolution?  Plus, a young, aspiring scientist is headed for a national competition as her family deals with homelessness.

Last month, The Women’s Foundation was among a group of organizations and individuals invited to an important discussion about women and the economy held by the White House Council on Women and Girls.  Created by President Obama in 2009, the Council works to ensure that federal agencies are taking the needs of women and girls into account as they draft policies and create programs.

In today’s rundown: The new poverty measurement finds Latinos to be the poorest group in the U.S.  It’s going to cost an additional $5 to feed your family at Thanksgiving this year.  And discounted broadband services for low income families starting next summer.

Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau released the new report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010. The report found that in 2010, the median household income declined 2.3 percent to $49,445; the poverty rate rose to 15.1 percent, with 46.2 million people living in poverty; and the percentage of people without health insurance remained steady from 2009.

After a holiday hiatus, your headline hungry daily rundowner is back and ready to bring you the most important women and girls’ news in 2011.  In today’s rundown: The posse that goes to college together. | Tax season volunteer opportunities. | Recognition for those who advance human rights in northern Virginia.

In today’s rundown: The expanding income gap in D.C. | Economic insecurity may be affecting a majority of Americans. | And tea time provides valuable lessons for local teen girls.

Today’s rundown is all about breaking through the glass ceiling… Plus, the homeless man who is an activist for the homeless.

– Today, Good Morning America aired a segment on why women are having trouble breaking through the “glass ceiling.”  The answer — according to GMA — is that women need more mentors or professional sponsors.  Here’s the video explaining why mentors could make a $10,000 difference in salary:

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner) has released the top five findings that their rigorous data analysis has revealed in the past year.

This weekend, U.S. Representative-elect Allen West (R-FL) made some comments on Meet the Press that were incredibly frustrating in their inaccuracy and divisiveness.  He was responding to a question from anchor David Gregory about Bush-era tax cuts.  Here’s part of the transcript from NBC: