Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Fischer returns Nebraska Senate seat to GOP fold
In an election filled with disappointments for Republicans, the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Nebraska provided a rare bright spot. Published November 8, 2012
Keystone pipeline pushed to forefront
With a second term now in hand, President Obama no longer can delay a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline and must either side with environmentalists within his party or greenlight a major step toward North American energy independence. Published November 7, 2012
ELECTION 2012: Some Pennsylvanians snubbed by not-in-effect I.D. law
Pennsylvania's controversial photo identification law isn't yet in effect, but voters told state officials on Election Day that they were turned away from the polls because they didn't comply with it. Published November 6, 2012
Obama backers put carbon tax and other global warming efforts atop re-election agenda
While even he admits disappointment in his first-term record on the fight against climate change, President Obama continues to enjoy strong support from environmentalists who say they are confident he can deliver a carbon tax and other far-reaching measures against global warming in a second term. Published November 1, 2012
Auto workers hit Romney on China jobs remark
Mitt Romney is making a late-campaign play to win over Rust Belt voters by trying to dent President Obama's credentials on his federal auto bailout — but the claims he is making about Chrysler creating jobs in China are drawing return fire from Democrats and the auto workers union. Published October 30, 2012
Kerrey making a race of it in Nebraska
Once thought to be a lock, Republican Deb Fischer is losing her edge in the race to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate. Published October 30, 2012
W.Va. Democrats unload on Obama EPA over new layoffs in coal industry
West Virginia Democrats are "outraged" with President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency, which has now cost the jobs of nearly 150 coal miners in the state. Published October 30, 2012
Rust Belt finding no shining knight in White House joust
Scott Dressel has risked his life savings to help rescue this struggling old steel town that is still plagued by double-digit unemployment and banking on a natural gas boom that has yet to materialize. Published October 29, 2012
Rivals let barbs fly during Ohio Senate debate
With the race tightening less than two weeks before Election Day, the candidates for U.S. Senate in the swing state of Ohio squared off Thursday night in their final debate. Published October 25, 2012
Obama auto-bailout strategy running on fumes in Ohio
The Obama campaign is counting on the auto-industry bailout to carry the president to a victory in Ohio, but it ultimately may hold little sway with voters across the state who are still out of work and struggling to stay solvent. Published October 25, 2012
Obama’s ‘war on coal’ puts Pennsylvania in play
If Republican Mitt Romney scores an upset and snatches Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes away from President Obama, it will largely be because of voters like Norma Fae Morris. Published October 23, 2012
Once havens for jobless, for-profit colleges now face own downsizing
Already under constant fire from Capitol Hill Democrats screaming for tighter regulations, the for-profit college sector now has bigger problems on its hands. Published October 18, 2012
Obama, Romney at odds on energy
The most confrontational moments of Tuesday night's presidential debate revolved around energy, with Mitt Romney again blasting President Obama for failing to take full advantage of American oil, natural gas and coal. Published October 17, 2012
Suit says California hasn’t looked at fracking’s risks
A coalition of environmental advocacy groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit charging that the California's Department of Conservation "has failed to consider or evaluate the risks of fracking" and therefore is in violation of state law, the latest state-level clash over the booming new technique for obtaining oil and natural gas. Published October 16, 2012
Kerrey bets ranch on Nebraska race
The Senate race in Nebraska has taken a nasty turn. Published October 15, 2012
GOP: Libya shows Obama is ‘incompetent’
As criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the deadly Sept. 11 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, continues to grow, top Republicans on Sunday ripped the White House and accused the president's team of putting politics ahead of the safety of American diplomats. Published October 14, 2012
Biden, Dems enlisted by energy company to win billion-dollar loan deal, emails show
The White House contends that all energy loan guarantees are awarded solely on the merits of the project, with no political influence from President Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden or other administration officials. But a series of emails from solar power giant BrightSource Energy Inc. show how the company applied political pressure and used behind-the-scenes cajoling to win a $1.6 billion loan guarantee in April 2011. Published October 10, 2012
Supreme Court weighs race-based college admissions in Texas case
The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday morning in a highly watched, controversial affirmative action case that could forever change race-based college admissions and may reverberate far beyond the campus. Published October 10, 2012
High court to again consider racial quotas
For the first time in nearly a decade, the issue of race as a factor in college admissions comes before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, thrusting affirmative action back into the national spotlight. Published October 9, 2012
Romney debate attack on green energy, says Obama picks ‘losers’
President Obama's unwavering support for taxpayer-funded "green" energy projects came under fire at Wednesday night's presidential debate, with Republican Mitt Romney on the attack, accusing the incumbent of picking "losers" in the energy sector while turning his back on American fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal. Published October 4, 2012
