Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Obama paid family-leave mandate runs into Republican opposition
President Obama on Thursday rolled out a new family leave policy for federal workers and called on Congress to make it law for private-sector workers as well, the latest executive action from Mr. Obama's pen designed both to pressure congressional Republicans and to demonstrate the president will to act on his own if necessary. Published January 15, 2015
YouTube personalities will interview Obama after State of the Union
President Obama will sit down with three YouTube creators following the State of the Union address next Tuesday, White House officials said. Published January 15, 2015
Canada disses Obama, postpones meeting with U.S. over Keystone pipeline: report
The White House confirmed Thursday that Canada has postponed the North American Leaders Summit scheduled for next month but would not say whether tension over the Keystone XL oil pipeline is the reason. Published January 15, 2015
Obama calls for expanding broadband Internet
President Obama bit the hand that helped to fund his re-election Wednesday, criticizing big cable companies for holding monopolies in many communities and calling for faster broadband Internet service across America. Published January 14, 2015
Obama targets oil and gas industry, demands massive reduction in methane emissions
Once again placing himself firmly on the side of environmentalists and opposite the oil and gas industry, President Obama on Wednesday rolled out long-awaited regulations to dramatically cut methane emissions over the next decade. Published January 14, 2015
House struggles to define, respond to recent cyberattacks
Lawmakers wrestled Tuesday with how to define and respond to cyberattacks on the U.S. after recent hacks by North Korea and supporters of the Islamic State terrorist movement, Published January 13, 2015
Congress leaders, Obama seek cooperation in White House meeting
President Obama and Republican leaders left a White House meeting Tuesday vowing to work together, but neither side revealed any major legislative breakthroughs and many years-old political fights still divide the camps. Published January 13, 2015
Mike Boots, top Obama environmental adviser, to leave
Mike Boots, director of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality, is stepping down, the Obama administration said Tuesday. Published January 13, 2015
White House: Inaccurate to use phrase ‘radical Islam’ to talk about terrorists
The White House tried to explain Tuesday why it has refused to use the term "radical Islam" in describing the Islamist terrorists responsible for last week's Paris attacks and other acts of violence across the globe. Published January 13, 2015
White House: No evidence of terrorism in D.C. Metro train death
White House officials do not believe terrorism is behind the incident at a D.C. Metro station Monday that claimed one life and injured 60 more. Published January 13, 2015
Obama: CENTCOM Twitter hack shows need for greater cybersecurity
It's the new way of doing business: President Obama huddles at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner. Published January 13, 2015
Obama to propose new cybersecurity bill, pushes cooperation between government, business
President Obama on Tuesday will push for new cybersecurity legislation designed to promote greater cooperation and information-sharing between the private sector and the federal government, the White House announced. Published January 13, 2015
Antonio Weiss withdraws from Treasury post consideration amid liberal backlash
A Wall Street banker picked by President Obama to serve in a top spot at Treasury has withdrawn from consideration, citing the "distraction" his Senate confirmation hearing would cause, White House officials said Monday. Published January 12, 2015
White House admits: We screwed up not sending higher-ranking officials to Paris
After being shown up on the world stage by Russia and the Palestinian Authority, among others, an embattled White House conceded Monday it erred by not sending more prominent U.S. officials to a historic unity rally in Paris over the weekend. Published January 12, 2015
U.S. Central Command Twitter account hacked: ‘ISIS is already here’
Hackers claiming to be with the Islamic State terror group infiltrated U.S. Central Command's official Twitter account Monday. Published January 12, 2015
Obama lays out new data-protection bills
Marching toward his State of the Union address later this month, President Obama on Monday laid out new privacy proposals to protect American consumers and students from identity theft and data breaches. Published January 12, 2015
Keystone XL pipeline: Pressure mounts on Obama as Nebraska ruling eliminates obstacle
President Obama is under fresh fire from both sides of the Keystone XL pipeline debate after a Nebraska court last week eliminated a major legal obstacle and once again put the project's fate in the hands of the White House. Published January 11, 2015
Obama stays home from Paris memorials
World leaders and top government officials from Israel, Germany, Russia and elsewhere gathered in Paris on Sunday to honor victims of last week's terrorist attacks, but the Obama administration has come under fire for dispatching only the U.S. ambassador to France as the nation's representative. Published January 11, 2015
Joint Chiefs chairman distances himself from Obama promise on Afghanistan
Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, doesn't entirely share President Obama's unbridled optimism about the future of Afghanistan. Published January 11, 2015
Obama officials missing at Paris unity rally
Heads of state from Europe to the Middle East marched in Paris Sunday to honor the victims of last week's terrorist attacks, but the U.S. was represented only by an ambassador as higher-ranking officials either stayed home or worked behind the scenes. Published January 11, 2015
