Will new GM chief make trucks popular with girls?

Toy trucks aren’t considered the go-to Christmas gift for most little girls, but perhaps they should be. General Motors Co. has named Mary Barra as chief executive officer, making her the first female CEO of a global automaker. Barra, an engineer, is one of a growing number of female business executives with a background in science, math or technology.

Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter said Barra’s ascension is sure to inspire girls who have been steered away from predominantly male pursuits in the past. As Kanter encouraged: "It’s not too late to buy your daughter a (toy) truck for the holidays."

All-male Saint Louis School alumni to the rescue

In the spirit of giving back, alumni of Saint Louis School are helping their alma mater weather tough financial times.

The alumni association, which owns valuable Moiliili land, has agreed to co-sign a $7.2 million loan that will allow the school to consolidate its existing debt burden as well as provide operating funds. The money difficulties were brought on by needed facility repairs and declining enrollment — a 30 percent drop since an 820-student peak in 2007-08. Unlike other single-gender schools, Saint Louis has resisted going co-ed to help boost enrollment. That remains so — even as this fiscal bolster from the men of Saint Louis provides the school "kind of like a brand-new beginning," as an alumni association spokesman put it.