Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Johnson’s political fate hangs in balance as ‘Partygate’ report looms, opponents seize on scandal
Boris Johnson mounted a last-ditch defense Wednesday against outraged and energized political enemies who say that a string of COVID-19 lockdown-breaching parties ought to be the final straw in what has been a tumultuous 2 1/2 -year reign for the colorful British prime minister. Published January 26, 2022
As Russia-Ukraine fight escalates, some question the U.S. role
Why does the U.S. care about Ukraine and a fight over obscure Soviet-era borders? Why is President Biden willing to risk World War III to stop Russia from invading? Published January 25, 2022
Putin bides time on Ukraine, banks on U.S., NATO divisions
Time may be on Vladimir Putin's side when it comes to Ukraine. Foreign policy analysts say the Russian president gains a strategic edge by dragging out the military standoff. Published January 24, 2022
Why wait? Biden pressured to hit Russia with sanctions before Ukraine invasion
Republicans said Sunday that President Biden must revamp his Russia strategy and impose crippling sanctions on Moscow right now. Published January 23, 2022
West slams reports of Russian plan for puppet government in Ukraine
Moscow plans to force out Ukraine's political leaders and install a pro-Russian puppet regime in Kyiv, British officials said over the weekend, as the West desperately tries to stave off war in Eastern Europe at a moment when Russian action against its neighbor seems all but inevitable. Published January 23, 2022
Risk of U.S.-Iran shadow conflict in Iraq grows as Tehran-backed militias lash out, lose allies
The nearly 2-decade-old U.S. military mission in Iraq has entered a dangerous new phase, with critics warning that the Biden administration has allowed it to carry on without clear parameters or a straightforward endgame and with increased attacks by volatile Iranian proxies. Published January 15, 2022
Two Marines become first U.S. troops granted religious waivers from Pentagon’s COVID vaccine mandate
Two Marines will be exempt from the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate because of their religious beliefs, the Marine Corps said Thursday, making it the first service to grant such waivers on the basis of religion. Published January 13, 2022
U.S., Russia dig in as talks continue on military standoff along Ukraine’s border
The U.S. and its European partners have ruled out Russian security proposals that would limit NATO's expansion, top Biden administration officials said Tuesday, as the two sides dig in ahead of a second round of meetings to resolve the military standoff in Ukraine and tensions all along Russia's borders from the Baltics to the Black Sea. Published January 11, 2022
Little sign of progress on Ukraine standoff after first U.S.-Russia talks
A nearly six-hour "businesslike" conversation between American and Russian diplomats on Monday outwardly did little to resolve the dangerous military standoff along the Russia-Ukraine border and rising tensions across Eastern Europe, with top officials from both nations publicly downplaying the talks and insisting that the other side had to make the first move. Published January 10, 2022
Biden faces key test, major opportunity ahead of Russia talks on Ukraine
The slow-burning military standoff along the Russia-Ukraine border could reach a tipping point next week as the Biden administration enters a series of high-stakes diplomatic meetings with Moscow, and analysts say the U.S. and its NATO allies must seize a golden opportunity to turn the tables and extract their own concessions from the Kremlin. Published January 6, 2022
Expanding the Quad? Opening seen to boost pro-democracy alliance against China
America's intensifying pro-democracy alignment with Japan, Australia and India has room to grow as other nations seek ways to push back on an aggressive China that is eager to dominate Asia and beyond in the 21st century, former top U.S. officials and regional experts said Tuesday. Published January 4, 2022
Russian threats, China’s rise, Afghanistan’s collapse: Biden enters 2022 facing crises around world
Tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine's border have sparked fear of a potentially imminent war in Eastern Europe, while U.S.-China tension simultaneously soars amid warnings from Beijing that Washington will pay an 'unbearable price' for supporting Taiwan. Published December 31, 2021
Biden-Putin phone call doesn’t cool tensions over Ukraine; leaders trade threats of retaliation
President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for nearly an hour Thursday but neither backed down from an escalating standoff over Ukraine, where Moscow is massing troops along the border and demanding major concessions from the West to avoid a war. Published December 30, 2021
Oklahoma weighs next move after court upholds COVID-19 vaccine mandate for National Guard
Oklahoma officials say they are weighing their options after a federal judge rejected their challenge to the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for National Guard troops, the first major decision in a high-stakes legal battle Republican governors are waging against the Biden administration's military mandate. Published December 29, 2021
Congo attacks show Islamic State’s expansion across Africa
The Islamic State's foothold across Africa is expanding amid a recent spate of gruesome attacks and there are growing fears in Washington that the terror group, as well as other extremist outfits like it will use the continent as a staging ground for future jihadist strikes against the West. Published December 28, 2021
Pentagon goes to court to defend COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops
The Defense Department is facing multiple high-stakes legal fights rife with national security implications. This includes clashes with Republican governors who claim full control over National Guard forces and the Pentagon's hard line against troops seeking COVID-19 vaccine waivers on religious grounds. Published December 27, 2021
Tattoos, clothes, car stickers: Pentagon’s anti-extremism push targets more than just social media
The Pentagon's new anti-extremism crackdown on troops' social media activity is also targeting what the brass considers unacceptable elsewhere in a service member's life -- such as the T-shirts a soldier wears, the bumper stickers plastered on the soldier's car and the tattooed slogans and symbols inked on the soldier's body. Published December 27, 2021
Russia warns of military action as fears mount of Christmas invasion of Ukraine
Russia upped the ante Monday in its dangerous standoff with Ukraine, openly warning of military action if President Biden and America's NATO allies ignore a list of demands Moscow unveiled late last week -- a far-reaching list that some key U.S. lawmakers have dubbed a "pretext to war." Published December 20, 2021
Pentagon anti-extremism rules target service members on social media
The Defense Department on Monday issued long-awaited rules to identify and root out political extremism in the armed forces, specifically zeroing in on social media and giving new guidance to commanders who will be responsible for policing their units. Published December 20, 2021
Two rockets strike Baghdad’s Green Zone near U.S. Embassy
Two rockets hit Baghdad's Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy on Sunday, Iraqi military officials said. Published December 19, 2021
