Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Border wall foes lobby judges to halt construction
President Trump's border wall proposal has sent his opponents rushing to courthouses as powerful environmental groups and Democrats in Congress and the states demand federal judges step in to try to derail any new construction. Published October 1, 2017
Ryan Zinke calls flap over private travel ‘BS,’ says he did nothing wrong
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday afternoon fired back against charges he wasted taxpayer money on private flights, calling the accusations "BS" and stressing he did nothing wrong. Published September 29, 2017
Ryan Zinke spent thousands in taxpayer dollars for private, military flights: Report
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is the latest member of President Trump's Cabinet to come under fire for spending taxpayer dollars on expensive charter and military flights, according to reports, including one trip that cost over $12,000. Published September 29, 2017
Analysts: Democrats have opportunity to push for carbon tax with GOP reform effort
The reform plan released this week by President Trump and congressional leaders doesn't mention the highly controversial idea of a carbon tax, but analysts believe there's a real opportunity for Democrats to push for fees on emissions as part of a broader, once-in-a-generation compromise on taxes. Published September 28, 2017
Larry Hogan, Maryland governor, sues EPA over failure to control power plant emissions
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday said his state will sue the Environmental Protection Agency over a failure to regulate power-plant pollution that Mr. Hogan says directly impacts the people in his state. Published September 27, 2017
Alan Wilson: Law that allowed ‘NukeGate’ to happen is unconstitutional
A law that dumped billions of dollars in taxpayer money down the drain to fund ill-fated nuclear reactors looks to be unconstitutional, South Carolina's attorney general said Tuesday in a blistering legal opinion that comes as federal and state authorities probe an unprecedented energy debacle that's become known as "NukeGate." Published September 26, 2017
Donald Trump ends Barack Obama’s U.N. policy
NEWS ANALYSIS: President Obama ended his first speech to the United Nations with a call to respect universal rights and the U.N. itself, saying all nations owed an obligation to the international body. Published September 19, 2017
Hillary Clinton slams Donald Trump, Russian influence during appearance at Warner Theatre
Hours after saying she may still formally challenge the results of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton returned to Washington on Monday night and said a "brilliant" psychological campaign by the Russians -- perhaps in direct concert with the Trump campaign -- had a major impact on the outcome last November. Published September 18, 2017
Hillary Clinton mulls challenging legitimacy of 2016 election, cites Russian influence
Hillary Clinton on Monday would not rule out the possibility of challenging the results of the 2016 presidential election, saying it's clear the Russians influenced the outcome and that the legitimacy of President Trump's victory could be called into question as congressional and independent probes into Russian involvement move forward. Published September 18, 2017
Ethanol advocates push for summer gas blend to be sold year-round
In the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, the ethanol lobby has seized on the Trump administration's decision to prematurely lift a ban on summer sales of E15 gasoline — a move made to thwart potential gas shortages due to the two massive storms — as further proof the policy is outdated and should be scrapped by Congress. Published September 14, 2017
Hillary Clinton calls for end to Electoral College
Nearly a year after gaining 3 million more votes than Donald Trump but still losing the election, Hillary Clinton says it's time to get rid of the Electoral College and award the presidency based simply on who gets the most votes. Published September 14, 2017
Donald Trump push on Keystone Pipeline upsets those concerned about safety of transport
President Trump recently declared that pipelines are "environmentally better" than other methods of moving oil and gas, reigniting an ongoing debate about the safest way to move the nation's abundant energy supply — but data show the truth is somewhat murky and depends largely on one's perspective. Published September 13, 2017
Hillary Clinton takes ‘What Happened’ book on tour
At a time when her public approval is as low as ever, Hillary Clinton this week will re-enter the public arena with a book that blames everyone including Bernard Sanders and Barack Obama for her election loss -- and analysts say it will only further tarnish her legacy and ensure she has little, if any, future influence in politics. Published September 10, 2017
Hurricane Irma won’t damage nuclear power plants, say officials
Two nuclear power plants stand directly in the path of Hurricane Irma, further complicating the government's efforts to prepare for the massive storm and leading state officials to say they'll shut the facilities down if the hurricane barrels down on south Florida as predicted. Published September 7, 2017
Washington National Cathedral to remove windows honoring Confederate generals
The Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday said it will remove stained glass windows honoring Confederate generals, saying they act as "a barrier to our important work on racial justice and racial reconciliation." Published September 6, 2017
Harvey drives up gas prices nationwide; East Coast cities see 35-cent spike, government data show
The effects of Hurricane Harvey are still being felt across the country in the form of steeper prices at the pump, with the average cost of a gallon of gas 28 cents higher on average than a week ago, according to federal data. Published September 6, 2017
EPA to hold hearing on Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards
The Trump administration this week may move closer to undoing yet another of President Obama's signature environmental achievements as it weighs whether to weaken vehicle fuel economy standards. Published September 5, 2017
Hillary Clinton book: Bernie Sanders caused ‘lasting damage’ to her campaign, helped Trump win
In a blistering takedown of her 2016 Democratic presidential primary rival, Hillary Clinton in her new book claims that Sen. Bernard Sanders did "lasting damage" to her campaign and paved the way for President Trump's eventual victory in the general election. Published September 5, 2017
China, Brazil spark global trade war over biofuels
Throughout his campaign, President Trump voiced unwavering support for U.S. ethanol. Now that he's in the White House, industry leaders say it's time for Mr. Trump to back up his words with action by returning fire against Brazil and China in what increasingly looks like a global trade war over biofuels. Published September 4, 2017
Harvey relief begins at $6 billion from federal government
The White House said Thursday that it is preparing a multibillion-dollar spending bill to speed relief to victims of Hurricane Harvey, as agencies at all levels of government struggled to ease the pain of those displaced by the massive floods and to limit damage to the U.S. economy. Published August 31, 2017