Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Obama: Late Harold Ramis taught us to question authority
President Obama on Tuesday paid tribute to the late Harold Ramis, the Chicago-born actor, writer and director who was famous for films such as "Caddyshack," "Ghostbusters," "Animal House" and others. Published February 25, 2014
Obama to establish new manufacturing hubs
President Obama on Tuesday will unveil two new “manufacturing innovation institutes,” public-private partnerships established through executive authority. Published February 25, 2014
White House: Obama, Boehner to meet Tuesday
President Obama will meet with House Speaker John A. Boehner on Tuesday morning in the Oval Office, according to the White House. Published February 24, 2014
Oklahoma governor announces Obama’s Keystone timetable; White House won’t confirm
A leading Republican governor claimed Monday that President Obama will make a decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline within “a couple of months,” but the White House refused to confirm the story and added even more uncertainty to the already murky future of the $7 billion project. Published February 24, 2014
Partisan bickering torpedoes bipartisan governors’ meeting
A bipartisan group of governors appeared outside the White House on Monday to present a united front on economic growth and other issues, but the press conference deteriorated into bickering between Republicans and Democrats. Published February 24, 2014
Obama: Unlike Congress, governors get things done
President Obama on Monday told the nation's governors they could teach Congress a thing or two about working together to tackle tough issues. Published February 24, 2014
Ruling by Nebraska judge lets Obama drag feet on Keystone XL pipeline
President Obama appears willing to put off a decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline at least until the midterm elections have passed, and a Nebraska judge now has given him the ability to do that. Published February 23, 2014
Obama doubles down on minimum wage; GOP still zeroed in on Obamacare
For the second week in a row, President Obama used his weekly address to push for a hike in the nation's minimum wage while Republicans tried to keep Obamacare — and the negative effects of it — front and center. Published February 22, 2014
Obama, Putin discuss Ukraine violence
President Obama spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Friday afternoon to discuss the violence in Ukraine and the recent deal to begin de-escalating the situation there. Published February 21, 2014
Feeling pressure from the left, Obama backs off of Social Security cuts in budget
Bowing to pressure from its left flank, the White House revealed Thursday that it won't again propose Social Security cuts when President Obama releases his budget early next month, saying Republicans squandered chances for a deal last year. Published February 20, 2014
Nebraska law that allowed Keystone XL struck down
A Nebraska judge threw a major hurdle in front of the Keystone XL oil pipeline Wednesday, setting into motion yet another review of the $7 billion project and pushing President Obama’s eventual final decision even further down the road. Published February 19, 2014
White House hosts Clooney, Murray and Damon for “Monuments Men” screening
Published February 18, 2014
Obama orders up new mileage standards for big rigs
President Obama's visit to suburban Maryland on Tuesday to announce new fuel-efficiency standards for trucks was anything but efficient, as the commander-in-chief took a 15-vehicle caravan on an hour-long round trip just to deliver a 17-minute speech at a local Safeway distribution center. Published February 18, 2014
Catching up to Clinton no easy feat for 2016 rivals
In a 2016 presidential contest that can be summed up as Hillary Rodham Clinton versus everybody else, early signs show the race isn't even close. Published February 16, 2014
Obama eyes $10.10 minimum wage; GOP focuses on those with zero insurance after Obamacare
Saturday brought more evidence of how differently President Obama and congressional Republicans will approach this crucial election year, with the White House turning attention to its economic and income-equality agenda while the GOP remains focused on the health-care reform law and its fallout across the country. Published February 15, 2014
Obama offers $1B loan to Jordan for refugees: It’s important to be ‘supportive of the kingdom’
President Obama announced late Friday night that the U.S. will provide a $1 billion loan guarantee to Jordan, money meant to help the nation deal with the flood of refugees that have crossed over from Syria to escape a bloody civil war. Published February 15, 2014
In drought-ravaged California, Obama sounds alarm on climate change
Mr. Obama and many Democrats, along with their supporters in the environmental community, have held up extreme weather events such as California's drought, Hurricane Sandy and others as proof that global warming is wreaking havoc all across the planet. Published February 14, 2014
Obama on ‘House of Cards:’ No spoilers
President Obama has more power than anyone in America, but he wants to watch one of his favorite TV shows just like everybody else. On Twitter late Thursday, the president noted that season two of the hit Netflix series “House of Cards” premiers Friday and added a request. “No spoilers, please,” Mr. Obama said. Published February 14, 2014
‘Community’ star McHale to headline correspondents dinner
Joel McHale, star of the NBC series "Community," will headline this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner, joining the long list of comedians and entertainers who have poked fun at the president and the news media at the annual event. Published February 14, 2014
Obama to launch $1 billion ‘climate resilience’ fund
As part of a broader effort to fight global warming, President Obama will propose in his 2015 budget a new $1 billion "climate resilience" fund, the White House said. Published February 14, 2014
