Marian Wang was a reporter for ProPublica, covering education and college debt. She joined ProPublica in 2010, first blogging about a variety of accountability issues. Her later stories focused on how rising college costs and the complexity of the student loan system affect students and their families. Prior to coming to ProPublica, she worked at Mother Jones magazine in San Francisco and freelanced for a number of Chicago-based publications, including The Chicago Reporter, an investigative magazine focused on issues of race and poverty.
Marian Wang
Reporter
Interior: Blowout Preventers on BP’s Relief Wells Also Had Problems
Buried in a memo about the drilling moratorium was a reminder of risks that go beyond BP's ruptured well in the Gulf. Even the relief wells have had problems needing repairs.
Gulf Seafood Gets Chemically Tested for Oil, Not Dispersant
Federal agencies, in a scramble for science, are developing tests to detect the presence of oil dispersants in fish. They are also trying to better understand what harm the chemicals may cause in seafood.
With Criticism Falling on BP, Well's Co-Owners Refuse to Pay Bills
As cleanup costs in the Gulf continue to stack up, BP is getting no financial help from the partners in its ruptured well, Anadarko Petroleum and MOEX Offshore. Anadarko has been public in its criticism of BP’s operating decisions.
Foreign Help in the Gulf: The Facts Are Murky
New articles have painted a sometimes inaccurate picture of a federal bureaucracy getting in the way of foreign help in the Gulf. The misinformation and an obsession with a few extra skimmers seem to be obscuring real questions about the oil cleanup.
Coast Guard Changes Its Mind About Media Access to Safety Zones
Journalists will no longer have to ask permission to get close to oil cleanup operations in the Gulf of Mexico.The 'safety zone' rule and its hefty penalties were never intended to restrict reporting, the Coast Guard says.
BofA on Accounting Maneuvers: Our Statement Stands (If Read Carefully)
Turns out, we were on the right track when we asked Bank of America about its balance sheet. In letters to the SEC, BofA has admitted making transactions that incorrectly hid billions in debt.
CEO of Alaska Pipeline, a Former BP Exec, Steps Down
As lawmakers take a closer look at oil operations in Alaska, the head of the company running BP's Alaska pipeline says he's retiring early. The pipeline has a spotty safety record.
BP's Unusual Alaska Project Gets Closer Scrutiny From Regulators
A BP project to drill on an artificial island off the coast of Alaska will likely be delayed. Several news reports have raised concerns about the plan, and state and federal regulators now want more information.
For BP, Multimillion-Dollar Fines Amount to a Day's Worth of Profit
OSHA and others have fined BP before, including an $87 million penalty last year for violations in Texas City. But does that punish a company that makes $2.8 million an hour?
BP’s New Illness and Injury Stats, Texas Tarballs, and More
BP's latest update on injuries and illnesses among Gulf cleanup workers shows a big rise in numbers. Meanwhile, help from another oil containment vessel is on the way.
As BP's Oil Changes the Gulf, Gas Seeps Into Economies Elsewhere
As energy companies ramp up drilling, the promise of natural gas has begun affecting economies in Pennsylvania and other states. Colleges are offering courses to prepare students for jobs in the industry.
1970s BP-Branded Board Game Turned Offshore Drilling Into Child's Play
BP's Gulf blowout turns an old offshore drilling board game into a coveted novelty item. The game, BP Offshore Oil Strike, has players race for profits, with dangers like damaged rigs and oil slicks in the way.
Reality Lags Behind BP's Promises About Oil Skimmers
BP has touted skimmers as a primary strategy for fighting the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but its claims about their potential appears overblown.
BP Shortchanging Safety Even After Deadly Texas Explosion
Since a 2005 disaster that killed 15 people, the culture at BP's Texas City refinery doesn't seem to have changed much. Production and profit have been the priorities, trumping safety and the environment.
Gulf 'Safety Zones' Could Mean Penalties for Press and Public
New rules from the Coast Guard could restrict the public and the media from coming within 65 feet of cleanup operations and protective boom. Violators could face hefty penalties.
Federal Agencies: Some Workers Should Wear Respirators
In a slight switch, two federal agencies have advised Gulf cleanup workers to wear respirators when "potentially excessive exposure" to toxic elements is anticipated or when symptoms are being reported.
Govt's Banned Trailers, Unsafe for Housing, Reappear in Gulf
Some formaldehyde-tainted FEMA trailers used after Hurricane Katrina are being resold to oil cleanup workers in the Gulf. Buyers are supposed to be warned that the trailers are not intended for housing, but a report says these rules aren’t always being followed by the middlemen who are selling the trailers.
Owners of Ruptured Well Feud Over Blame, Liability
Anadarko Petroleum owns one-fourth of the well spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and approved of the well's designs. But it says BP's recklessness is to blame for the disaster.
EPA's Initial Testing Finds Dispersants Roughly Equal, But Raises Questions
Tests by the EPA don't show significant differences in the toxicity of dispersants, but how they mix with oil is uncertain. An agency official says the regulation of the products may need to be reviewed after the BP disaster in the Gulf.
