Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Donald Trump signs order to review ‘egregious abuse’ of national monument designations
Pledging to reverse an "egregious abuse of federal power" by the Obama administration, President Trump Wednesday morning directed the Interior Department to review national monument designations over the past two decades. Published April 26, 2017
Ryan Zinke to review national monuments including Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday will begin an in-depth review of major national monuments established over the past two decades, potentially setting the stage for President Trump to become the first commander in chief in history to rescind a monument designation. Published April 25, 2017
Ethanol-free fuel demand grows
Ethanol's rise over the past decade has given birth to an under-the-radar market: Americans who are willing to travel miles out of their way and pay significantly more per gallon for ethanol-free fuel. Published April 25, 2017
Democrats push bill to offer $200 million in ‘climate change bonds’
Top congressional Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would set up a government fund to pay for global warming adaptation projects and also would authorize up to $200 million annually in "climate change bonds" to be sold to the public. Published April 25, 2017
Donald Trump to order review of national monument designations: Report
President Trump this week will take the first steps toward possibly undoing national monument designations by his predecessors and may set off an unprecedented legal battle in the process, according to media reports. Published April 24, 2017
For first time, U.S. gasoline averaged more than 10% ethanol last year: Report
In what industry leaders heralded as proof that the "blend wall" is nothing more than a myth, a new study released Wednesday shows that U.S. gasoline contained more than 10 percent ethanol on average for the first time last year. Published April 19, 2017
EPA to reconsider rule on methane emissions from oil, gas wells
At the urging of the fossil fuels industry, the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday morning announced it's putting on hold an Obama-era rule aimed at limiting methane emissions from oil and gas wells. Published April 19, 2017
White House scraps meeting on Paris climate accord amid reports of deep disagreement
Conservatives on Tuesday launched an all-out assault on the Paris climate accord, pressuring President Trump to brush aside moderate voices in the White House -- including son-in-law Jared Kushner -- and keep his campaign promise to pull the U.S. out of the deal. Published April 18, 2017
Veterans’ attraction to ethanol industry raises energy independence debate
Military veterans play an outsized role in the corn ethanol industry, but exactly what drives them to the field has become a bone of contention between ethanol proponents and oil and gas industry leaders. Published April 17, 2017
John McCain hopes ‘establishment’ influences Donald Trump’s foreign policy
President Trump has been sucked into the abyss of the Washington "establishment" since his inauguration, prominent Republicans and Democrats charged Sunday morning, and whether that's a positive development depends entirely on one's political point of view. Published April 16, 2017
Renewable energy tax cut rewrite may be uphill battle for GOP
The past decade has brought about a monumental shift in how fuel sources benefit from the U.S. tax code, with renewable energy more than lapping its counterparts in the oil, gas, and coal sectors. Published April 16, 2017
Sen. John McCain: ‘I hope’ President Trump has been sucked in by Washington establishment
Sen. John McCain said he hopes that President Trump's shifting on key issues because the "Washington establishment" has sucked him in. Published April 16, 2017
K.T. McFarland, Trump’s deputy national security adviser, suggests she’s leaving post
President Trump's deputy national security adviser on Sunday seemed to confirm reports that she'll soon leave her post. Published April 16, 2017
Donald Trump says Tax Day protesters were paid
President Trump on Sunday suggested that the thousands of Tax Day protesters in cities across the country over the weekend were paid. Published April 16, 2017
Bernie Sanders: Airlines are ‘dysfunctional’; Congress must ‘take a hard look’ at reform
Calling U.S. airlines "dysfunctional," Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that Congress should examine the industry and consider requiring companies to be more respectful and responsive to their customers. Published April 16, 2017
North Korea’s behavior ‘a situation that just can’t continue,’ national security adviser says
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said North Korea's consistently antagonistic behavior "is a situation that just can't continue." Published April 16, 2017
Ryan Zinke revives Alaska’s King Cove road project killed under Obama
President Trump's Interior Department plans a fresh look at shelved plans to build a single-lane gravel road to King Cove, Alaska, breathing new life into a decades-long debate that has pitted the isolated community seeking a link to the outside world against environmentalists who say the project would wreak havoc on a federal wildlife refuge. Published April 13, 2017
China may take lead on fighting climate change
With climate change seemingly absent from the agenda, the weekend meeting between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping underscored that the U.S. has all but abandoned its status as the international leader on global warming and ceded that position to China. Published April 9, 2017
Ethanol industry, small-engine manufacturers clash over damage from fuel
Manufacturers of lawn mowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, and other small-engine equipment continue fueling a debate over the supposed dangers of ethanol, but the ethanol industry argues that they are merely looking for a scapegoat to mask operator error. Published April 9, 2017
Climate change rules rollback by Trump has Democrat AGs vowing lawsuits
Democratic attorneys general eager to defend the Obama administration's climate change policies are vowing a flurry of lawsuits to stop President Trump's regulatory rollback -- moves analysts say face an uphill legal battle and are unlikely to secure the same kinds of victories Republicans racked up over the last eight years. Published April 5, 2017
