DCentric

Good morning, DCentric readers! Ready for some morning links?

D.C., region show disturbing rises in childhood poverty “The poverty rates in the District, where use of food stamps went up by about a third in two years, exceeded every other jurisdiction and even surpassed the rate in Mississippi. “Child care is very expensive,” said Jenny Reed, an analyst at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, which researches budget and tax issues in the District. “A lot of families in D.C. are in low-wage jobs, so even though they’re working, they’re not earning enough to live above poverty.”" (The Washington Post)

Share and Share Alike “I would like to propose that we have one rude-free transportation day in DC. And not just for the types of things that happen to me personally – the jostling, the nasty comments, the seat hoggers – but for everybody who has to get somewhere. I would like a rude-free day for every commuter, car driver, biker, walker, bus rider, and train rider alike. Even if we don’t like, surely we could all pretend to be nice, at least for one day?” (emilyhaha.wordpress.com)

Men like Bishop Eddie Long are fouling the legacy of the civil rights movement. “What concerns me isn’t even the laughable obviousness of his cupidity: the jewels and gold chains and limos and bodyguards. This is all a familiar part of the tawdry business of “Churchianity” now finding loopholes for the rich and venal at a well-upholstered religious establishment somewhere near you. No, what offends me is that Long was able to get four presidents of the United States to attend his opulent circus for the funeral of Coretta Scott King in 2006. What a steep and awful decline from the mule cart that carried her husband’s coffin in 1968.” (Slate)

Parcel 42 tent city occupants ordered to clear out “The decision comes more than two months after protesters first occupied the plot of land. The non-profit ONE DC originally organized a tent city there in an attempt to draw attention to a proposal to reduce the amount of low-income housing planned for the site. Due to financing issues, developers had proposed reducing the size of the Parcel 42 project from eight floors to five, providing only about half of the number of affordable apartments that had originally been planned.” (tbd.com)

Arlington County to withdraw from ICE program “The board voted unanimously Tuesday, saying the program promotes a “culture of fear and distrust of law enforcement that threatens public safety and makes communities less safe.”" (WTOP News)

Banning texting while driving leads to…more danger? The Highway Loss Data Institute study compared crash rates in four states before and after texting bans, and found that collisions increased in three states after the bans. Researchers speculate that the laws could be encouraging drivers to lower their phones while texting, “increasing the risk by taking their eyes even further from the road and for a longer time.” (slatest.slate.com)