Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Biden to attend socialist Chilean president’s inauguration
Michelle Bachelet — who, like President Obama and Mr. Biden, has focused much of her attention on the income gap between the rich and poor — was elected Chile's leader for the second time in December. She previously served as president from 2006 to 2010. Published February 13, 2014
Obama names Chu to head arts endowment
President Obama on Wednesday named his choice to lead the National Endowment for the Arts, which has been without a chairman for more than a year. Published February 12, 2014
Some details still fuzzy on Obama’s minimum wage for federal contractors
President Obama will sign an executive order Wednesday raising the minimum wage for all federal contractors, but questions still surround how many workers will benefit from the move and how departments and agencies can comply without budget increases. Published February 12, 2014
Netanyahu to again visit Washington
For the second time in six months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington and meet with President Obama. Published February 12, 2014
Obama raises minimum wage to $10.10 per hour for federal contractors
President Obama's latest executive action boosted the minimum wage for federal contractors, but the White House struggled to answer specific questions about how many employees will be affected and how government agencies can implement the pay raise without busting their budgets. Published February 12, 2014
Vice presidents stick together: Biden seated alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus at state dinner
The nation's most entertaining vice president crossed paths with her real-world counterpart again on Tuesday as actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of the HBO series "Veep," sat beside the nation's actual second-in-command during a state dinner at the White House. Published February 11, 2014
Obamas welcome French President Hollande to celebrity-studded state dinner
The rich and powerful from across the nation descended on the White House Tuesday night for an extravagant state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande, who was one of the only guests to arrive without a date. Published February 11, 2014
Obama, Hollande not picking favorites
President Obama on Tuesday dodged a question about whether France has taken Britain's place as America's closest ally. Published February 11, 2014
Obama, Hollande hit Moscow over Syria
President Obama and French counterpart Francois Hollande Tuesday had harsh words for Russia, saying the nation is partly to blame for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria. Published February 11, 2014
Obama praises French aid in hot spots
President Obama on Tuesday lauded French President Francois Hollande for taking a more active role on the world stage, helping facilitate agreements with Iran and Syria and confronting extremists in other spots around the globe. Published February 11, 2014
White House: GOP hypocritical on Obamacare
A top White House official on Tuesday accused Republicans of hypocrisy for their criticism of the most recent Obamacare delay. Published February 11, 2014
Hollande, Obama renew nations’ historical bond at Jefferson’s Monticello
More than a decade after Congress served up "freedom fries" as a not-so-subtle dig at French unwillingness to fight in Iraq, analysts say there has been a "role reversal" on the global stage as France leads the way in international hot spots while the U.S. sometimes assumes the unusual role of reluctant superpower. Published February 10, 2014
Obama: ‘I can do whatever I want’
President Obama has taken heat recently for working around Congress whenever he thinks it necessary to, among other things, delay Obamacare mandates and trim immigration enforcement. But the commander-in-chief on Monday boasted of how, as president, "I can do whatever I want." Published February 10, 2014
White House: Obama isn’t at fault for Republican immigration stance
If the House doesn't take action on immigration, the chamber's Republican leadership shouldn't use a lack of trust in President Obama as an excuse, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday. Published February 10, 2014
Obamas, Biden all praise gay Missouri lineman
The White House on Monday praised Michael Sam, the NFL prospect and All-American defensive lineman at the University of Missouri who announced Sunday evening that he's gay. Published February 10, 2014
Obama, France’s Hollande tour Jefferson’s famed Monticello
President Obama and French President Francois Hollande on Monday afternoon will tour Monticello, the estate of former president and Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson. Published February 10, 2014
To distance themselves from Obama, 2016 Democrats will move to the left
The 2016 Democratic presidential field is likely to run to the left of President Obama, partly because candidates will try to distance themselves from his political baggage while jockeying for an increasingly liberal base of voters, analysts predict. Published February 9, 2014
White House locked down after man attempts to jump fence
The White House was locked down for at least an hour Friday afternoon after a man tried to scale the complex's north fence. Published February 7, 2014
Obama signs farm bill, hailing bipartisanship
President Obama on Friday used his pen for something other than executive orders, signing into law a $100 billion-a-year farm bill that he said represents a bipartisan breakthrough and is evidence Republicans and Democrats still can work together on meaningful legislation. Published February 7, 2014
Biden praises unions, dreams of drag racing
Vice President Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday delivered an impassioned speech to an organized labor convention in Washington but also yearned for the day he can ditch the Secret Service and drag race his friends. Published February 5, 2014
