Boardroom Brawl
Forbes
The magazine looks at the battles at the Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation since Carl Schramm became CEO in 2002. The story credits Schramm with transforming the foundation “into an entrepreneurial business” and largely dismisses the views of board members who tried to oust Schramm for allegedly violating the wishes of foundation founder Ewing Kaufmann. Feb. 2. www.forbes.com, search for headline; registration required. (See also “Newsmakers,” Youth Today, November 2003.)
Sexual Abusers of Children Often Get Deals, No Convictions
The Miami Herald
A Herald examination found that most adults arrested for Internet sex crimes in Florida receive “withholds of adjudication” rather than convictions. The state’s point-based criminal punishment code often scores the crimes too low to merit prison time, hindering prosecutors’ attempts to keep offenders from continuing to reach children. Jan. 25. www.herald.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
Assets on Loan
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
A six-month investigation by The Chronicle found that nonprofits make thousands of loans to their executives or officers for personal use. Those seeking to curb such lending say it puts the nonprofits at risk of losing assets and might harm future donations by undercutting public confidence in charities. Feb. 5. www.philanthropy.com, search for headline; registration required.
The Loss of Innocents
The Denver Post
An eight-month investigation by The Denver Post finds that children in Colorado are dying from abuse and neglect, even after social service agencies are repeatedly notified about their dangerous home environments. The report says incomplete records, along with inadequate funding and staffing, contribute to a fatally flawed child welfare system. Jan. 18. www.denverpost.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
Teen’s Appeal to Attack Sentencing Guidelines
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Marcus Dixon is serving a 10-year prison sentence for having sex with a 15-year-old classmate when he was 18. Although the sex was consensual, Dixon is serving the same minimum term as convicted rapists. Dixon’s lawyer plans to argue that the state sentencing guidelines afford no leniency and constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Jan. 20. www.ajc.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
Too Young to Vote, Old Enough to Donate
The New York Times
The Times looks at the issue of letting teens donate money to political candidates, even when those teens are too young to vote. Banning such donations appears to violate their free speech rights, but allowing such donations has helped some adults sidestep legal limits on political contributions by donating money in their children’s names. Feb. 10. www.nytimes.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
Mentoring Swells into ‘A Movement’
USA Today
More and more adults around the country are stepping up to mentor children and youth, as exemplified by the record number of volunteers going to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The trend comes as Congress considers more than doubling federal funding for mentoring. Jan. 26. www.usatoday.com, go to archives and search for headline; registration required.
