Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Senate will hear compromise plan on payroll-tax cuts
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is set to offer a "compromise plan" Monday to extend payroll tax cuts now scheduled to expire at the end of the month, a fellow Democratic senator said on "Fox News Sunday." Published December 4, 2011
Bachmann woos Cain’s former backers
With less than a month to go before the crucial Iowa caucuses, Republican presidential hopefuls hope to bolster their chances by picking up former supporters of Herman Cain, the former GOP front-runner who suspended his campaign Saturday. Published December 4, 2011
Business groups slam bid to trim truckers’ hours
A proposed Obama administration rule to reduce the number of hours big-rig drivers can spend behind the wheel each day would hurt truckers while also driving up the cost of food, clothing and other products, industry leaders told a House subcommittee on Wednesday. Published November 30, 2011
Poorer schools not getting fair share of funding
Loopholes in federal education law have allowed districts to funnel more state and local money to wealthy schools at the expense of their low-income counterparts, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Education Department. Published November 30, 2011
3 students from U.S. to be freed, Egypt court rules
Three young Americans held in Egypt since Sunday, including 19-year-old Georgetown University student Derrik Sweeney, are set to be released, and family and friends hope they're back in the U.S. within days. Published November 24, 2011
Alabama law takes bite out of pupil’s apple for teacher
That apple for the teacher is likely history in Alabama, where broad new ethics laws ban virtually all gifts for instructors and other public employees. Published November 23, 2011
Teachers union leader says battle’s just begun
The head of the nation's largest labor union says Republican efforts to restrain the power of unions has produced a middle-class backlash across the country that could cost Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and other GOP politicians their jobs. Published November 21, 2011
Ron Paul: U.S. military bases create enemies
Despite his recent surge in the polls, presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul won't back away from controversial positions that have in the past caused pundits and many Republicans to dismiss him as an unelectable fringe candidate. Published November 20, 2011
New Hampshire governor vows to veto any gaming legislation
As Massachusetts prepares for the legalization of casinos, the state's neighbor to the north, New Hampshire, is headed in the opposite direction. Published November 16, 2011
Budgeting woes could derail U.S. role in space exploration
The days of U.S. leadership in space exploration could be coming to an end, as lawmakers expressed growing fears at a Capitol hearing Tuesday that the nation's fiscal mess could derail two highly anticipated Mars missions. Published November 15, 2011
Education chief says Penn State might have ‘price to pay’
Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Monday said Penn State University will have "a price to pay" if a federal investigation concludes the school covered up allegations that former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted young boys on campus. Published November 14, 2011
China increases pace in foreign student contingent
More foreign students are studying at U.S. colleges and universities than ever before, as global competitors such as China export an increasing number of their young people for degrees. Published November 14, 2011
No cuts left behind as schools squeeze most out of budgets
For cash-strapped states and school districts, budget items that once seemed immune to cuts — including bus service and American flags — have become fair game. Published November 14, 2011
Federal inquiry spells more grief for Penn State
As federal investigators launch a probe of Penn State University, the school could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for its handling of alleged sexual abuse scandal involving former coach Jerry Sandusky. Published November 10, 2011
Obama again sidesteps Congress with Head Start order
President Obama unveiled the latest installment of his "we can't wait" campaign against Congress Tuesday, this time issuing new rules governing the early childhood education program Head Start. Published November 8, 2011
Overhaul of school policy in jeopardy
Key lawmakers and educators are growing increasingly pessimistic that a massive overhaul of federal school policy can get through Congress before the 2012 election-year battles could doom the hopes for major bipartisan legislation. Published November 6, 2011
New bill to target treatment of circus animals in traveling shows
Lions, tigers and elephants — staples of the American circus for more than a century — would be banned from the big top under new legislation proposed by House Democrats. Published November 2, 2011
U.S. students’ scores go up, but racial gaps persist
U.S. students are making progress in reading and math, but the advances continue to be clouded by stubbornly high gaps between scores for white children and their black and Hispanic counterparts, according to a major new survey Tuesday from the National Center for Education Statistics. Published November 1, 2011
‘Voucher’ a red-flag word for school-choice advocates
Lawmakers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and elsewhere are still proposing expanded voucher programs. They're just calling them something else. Published October 31, 2011
Democrats target Romney as GOP nominee
The first Republican presidential primary may be more than two months away, but some Democrats are convinced that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be the eventual GOP nominee — and they already are rolling out their general election attack strategy. Published October 30, 2011
