* Many Triangle schools were cautious about airing President Barack Obama's education speech Tuesday, requiring written parental permission for students to watch a taped version later this week.
Other schools convened hundreds of students to watch the speech and discuss the president's exhortation to try hard despite obstacles.
Obama's speech had created an outcry from some parents and commentators, who accused the president of trying to push a political agenda with his back-to-school message. In the end, the short speech was a conventional pep talk to students about setting goals, learning from their failures and taking responsibility for their education.
The message hit home in Durham for Southern High School sophomore Anthony Peaks, who admits to slacking off at school.
Peaks, whose father died when he was 8 and who has spent time in foster care, related to a story Obama told about a student from Chicago who bounced from foster home to foster home but is on track to go to college.
"I'm going to try to do better on my work, and I know now I didn't take my education real seriously," Peaks said after Obama's pep talk. The speech "was just a motivation for me to stay in school."
Outside Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va., where Obama spoke, a small group of protesters gathered, including one with a sign that said, "Mr. President, stay away from our kids." (N&O)
* Twenty years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new rule for cities with dirty air, such as Charlotte: Show that your road-building plans will complement efforts to clean the air — or risk losing critical highway construction dollars.
But today the federal process is full of loopholes, the Observer has found.
City transportation planners changed data, made overly optimistic projections and insisted that more roads would help people drive less. Those questionable projections have helped keep highway dollars flowing to Charlotte. (Char-O)
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