Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Joe Biden: We’ll need to take care of the ‘hard-working losers’ in the coal industry
Vice President Joseph R. Biden conceded Wednesday that the administration's climate change agenda will result in winners and losers in the economy, and he said the nation must commit to ensuring the "hard-working losers" in the coal sector industry can find employment elsewhere after their mines shut down. Published September 16, 2015
‘Ahmed’s teachers failed him,’ White House says of arrest of Muslim student
The White House on Wednesday said the arrest of a 14-year-old Muslim student in Texas must be a "teachable moment" for the nation and that the boy's teachers "failed him" after mistaking his homemade clock for a bomb. Published September 16, 2015
Netanyahu to meet with Obama Nov. 9
As the White House moves ahead with its nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House Nov. 9 and meet with President Obama face to face. Published September 16, 2015
Obama announces new round of taxpayer money for solar power projects
The Obama administration on Wednesday announced $120 million in funding for solar power projects across the country, continuing its policy of using taxpayer dollars to fund the nation's transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Published September 16, 2015
Obama set to push on with climate agenda
Despite bitter opposition in Congress, a series of legal setbacks and data showing its environmental regulations will drive up electricity rates, the Obama administration this week is moving full-speed ahead with its climate change agenda, prodding U.S. cities into new policies to reduce carbon emissions. Published September 15, 2015
Obama: Putin largely to blame for Syrian crisis, says Russian strategy is ‘doomed to failure’
President Obama said Friday that he warned his Russian counterpart years ago that continuing to back Bashar Assad's Syrian regime would destabilize the region and lead to the kind of chaos and humanitarian crises now unfolding. Published September 11, 2015
Benjamin Netanyahu to visit White House in November
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the chief critic of President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, will visit the White House in November, administration officials said Friday. Published September 11, 2015
Obama won’t stay at Chinese-owned hotel in New York, White House confirms
President Obama will break with tradition and will not stay at the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel when the White House delegation visits New York City later this year for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting, administration officials said Friday, fueling speculation that concerns over Chinese spying drove the change. Published September 11, 2015
Obamas mark 9/11 with moment of silence
Exactly 14 years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, began, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama held a moment of silence Friday to honor those who died that day. Published September 11, 2015
Obama mounts all-out push to sell Iran nuclear deal to Jews, skeptical public
President Obama found enough support in Congress to ensure survival of his nuclear deal with Iran, but he still has a steep hill to climb in convincing a skeptical American public -- and Jewish voters in particular -- that the agreement is in the best interests of both the U.S. and Israel. Published September 10, 2015
Obama ramps up sales pitch on Iran nuclear deal, sells agreement to Gold Star Mothers
With enough votes in Congress to ensure the survival of his landmark nuclear deal with Iran, President Obama on Thursday turned his attention to other constituencies as the White House ramps up efforts to sell the agreement to a skeptical public. Published September 10, 2015
Obama renews push for free higher education
President Obama on Wednesday renewed his push for two years of free community college for all Americans, saying the issue should be one that can bring Republicans and Democrats together at a time when the two sides are locked in a bitter budget showdown. Published September 9, 2015
Jill Biden botches name of Michigan community college, corrected by students
Gaffes must run in the Biden family. While introducing President Obama, Jill Biden on Wednesday botched the name of Macomb Community College and had to be corrected by students in the audience. Published September 9, 2015
Obama’s Syria policy led directly to refugee crisis, Republican critics charge
The White House acknowledged Tuesday that the U.S., along with other nations across the Middle East and Europe, must do more to alleviate the worsening Syrian refugee crisis -- but that admission highlights how the administration often has seemed several steps behind as Syria sunk into chaos, a fact Republican critics, fellow Democrats and international leaders have pointed to in recent days and weeks. Published September 8, 2015
Obama visits with top newspaper executives raise questions about fairness of news media
Nearly seven years into his tenure, President Obama remains on friendly terms with some powerful figures in the media. In recent weeks, the president has gotten cozy with top executives at major U.S. newspapers, headlining a Democratic Party fundraiser at the home of Las Vegas Sun owner Brian Greenspun and dining at the Anchorage home of Alaska Dispatch News publisher Alice Rogoff during a three-day trek across the state last week. Published September 7, 2015
Obama bashes trickle-down economics, Scott Walker, Chris Christie at Labor Day rally
President Obama on Monday launched an all-out assault against the Republican party and its economic philosophy, and specifically called out several GOP presidential candidates for their recent comments about unions. Published September 7, 2015
Obama to sign sick leave executive order for federal employees
President Obama on Monday will sign an executive order requiring all federal contractors to offer their employees at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, the White House announced Sunday. Published September 7, 2015
Joe Biden not fazed by polls, doubters
Political analysts say he has a chance and polls show an opening for him, but Vice President Joseph R. Biden made clear last week that his decision to enter or skip the 2016 Democratic presidential primary is an emotional and moral one, and not dependent on his fundraising prowess or whether he can assemble a winning campaign. Published September 6, 2015
Obama already blaming Republicans for potential government shutdown
A possible federal government shutdown is still nearly a month away, but President Obama on Saturday began to lay the blame for such a shutdown at the feet of Republican leaders in Congress. Published September 5, 2015
Joe Biden on 2016 bid: Not sure I have ‘emotional energy to run’
Joseph R. Biden said Thursday night he would be able to raise money, assemble a campaign staff and take other necessary steps to become a formidable candidate in the 2016 presidential race -- but the vice president may lack the "emotional energy" to enter the contest. Published September 3, 2015
