Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
It’s year for ‘fracking’ to break up or break through
The natural gas industry and its opponents are readying their final arguments for what many think will be a critical year in the debate over "fracking" safety. Published January 8, 2012
Wisconsin Gov. Walker: Unions ‘want me dead’
With a June recall election all but certain, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker believes the debate is no longer just about collective bargaining rights for state workers. Union leaders and others, he said, have made it personal. Published January 5, 2012
‘Fracking’ waste disposal tied to Ohio earthquakes
The disposal of wastewater used in the booming practice known as "fracking" is responsible for a rash of recent earthquakes in Ohio, and critics have latched on to the seismic events as evidence that the popular natural gas extraction method is dangerous and should be banned. Published January 3, 2012
On teaching evolution: New year, old fight
It's a new year, but familiar debates continue to rage over God, evolution and exactly what the nation's students should learn about each. Published January 1, 2012
Colleges buying up .xxx websites to prevent porn
A growing number of universities are shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars to keep their names, logos and students off of the dark side of the Internet. Published December 28, 2011
Gary Johnson announces Libertarian bid for president
Presidential hopeful Gary E. Johnson announced Wednesday that he's bolting the Republican Party in favor of a long-shot Libertarian bid. Published December 28, 2011
Degree of frustration with cost of college
As tuition costs skyrocket and graduates walk away with ever-rising amounts of debt, American colleges now face a choice: Remain a part of the problem, or begin contributing to a solution. Published December 26, 2011
Run rogue bus operators off road, industry urges
The Obama administration's "relentless" war on unsafe bus companies has claimed at least a dozen victims over the past two years — and the industry wants to see more. Published December 25, 2011
Shift on trucker safety rules
The Obama administration on Thursday backed down from part of its plan to trim truckers' workdays, but the new regulations still left both the big-rig industry and its critics fuming. Published December 22, 2011
Charter schools must succeed or close
Unlike their traditional counterparts, charter schools aren't guaranteed an endless existence. And that, supporters say, is a good thing. Published December 21, 2011
States expand ‘disadvantaged’ category to address racial gap
A number of states struggling with vast racial achievement gaps in schools may have found a way around the problem: Lump blacks and Hispanics with handicapped and poor children. Published December 21, 2011
Fracking firm calls EPA move a threat to whole industry
The company at the center of a nationally watched battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over the safety of natural gas "fracking" fears the case could have a "chilling" effect on the development of a booming source of domestic energy. Published December 20, 2011
Schools race teaches states a hard lesson
Every race has losers, and the Obama administration's Race to the Top education grant competition is no exception. Published December 18, 2011
Record numbers fail to clear No Child bar
The numbers keep getting worse for the nation's education system. In the 2010-11 academic year, 48 percent of public schools — a record high — failed to meet the "adequate yearly progress" benchmarks established by the No Child Left Behind act, according to a new study by the Center on Education Policy, a nonpartisan think tank. Published December 15, 2011
More school hours don’t guarantee better test scores
Students who spend more hours in the classroom aren't guaranteed higher test scores, and many nations that outpace the U.S. on standardized reading and math assessments keep their children in school for much less time, according to a report from the National School Boards Association. Published December 13, 2011
NEA proposes criteria reform for teacher jobs
Performance, not seniority, would play the primary role in whether teachers keep their jobs under a broad reform plan released by the National Education Association last week. Published December 11, 2011
Bad water found at fracking site
Chemicals used to tap natural gas wells in the booming practice known as fracking may be responsible for groundwater contamination in a small town in Wyoming, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. Published December 8, 2011
D.C. schools’ test-score gap by race largest in U.S.
While students in other large urban school districts have made significant progress on standardized reading and math tests in recent years, achievement gaps between black and white students remain stubbornly high, with the most lopsided disparities of all coming in the nation's capital. Published December 7, 2011
Pearl Harbor veterans remember how paradise suddenly turned into hell
Edward Davis still can't believe he made it out alive. The 90-year-old Army veteran, who has Parkinson's disease and lives at D.C.'s Armed Forces Retirement Home, still can recall the attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago. Published December 6, 2011
Cain’s exit puts spotlight, target on Gingrich
With Herman Cain suspending his campaign over the weekend, the spotlight in the GOP presidential field is now focused squarely on Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House whose surprise front-runner status has made him the target of rivals and critics less than a month before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. Published December 4, 2011
