Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Energy Secretary Moniz leaves dirty work on coal to others
If the Obama administration is indeed waging a "war on coal," as its critics contend, then newly minted Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz aims to build a bridge between the opposing camps. Published August 10, 2013
Grassley’s patience with Delaware wears thin in O’Donnell tax snooping case
Charging that Delaware officials have stopped cooperating with his investigation, Sen. Chuck Grassley has sent a pointed letter to the state's Division of Revenue in which he outlines specific, outstanding questions about the handling of former U.S. Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell's tax records. Published August 9, 2013
As N.Y. fracking ban drags on, leading energy company backs out
In a possible sign that New York State won't be allowing fracking anytime soon, drilling giant Chesapeake Energy reportedly has abandoned its fight to retain land leases in portions of the state sitting atop vast natural gas reserves. Published August 7, 2013
Drone-hunting permits on hold — Colorado town to let voters decide in November
With its elected leaders deadlocked, the residents of Deer Trail, Colo., now will vote on whether to legalize the nation's first "drone-hunting" statute. Published August 7, 2013
Colo. town poised to declare open season on drones, issue drone-hunting licenses
Deer Trail, Colo., is poised to fire a warning shot at the domestic drone industry. Published August 6, 2013
Report: Racial divide still exists on college admissions
For many American college students, the nation's higher education system increasingly is defined by two distinct paths. The first, taken primarily by white students, leads to the top U.S. institutions, while the other — taken mostly by blacks and Hispanic students — leads to community colleges and less prestigious open-access schools, according to a major study of college enrollment patterns over the past 20 years. Published August 5, 2013
Al Qaeda haunts August as State Dept. issues worldwide travel alert, closes embassies
Citing a potential al Qaeda attack, the State Department on Friday issued a worldwide travel alert and warned American citizens that the terrorist group may be plotting a strike in the Middle East, North Africa or elsewhere. Published August 2, 2013
Energy secretary: Keystone pipeline not my call
Newly minted Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on Thursday downplayed his role in deciding whether the Keystone XL oil pipeline will be built. Published August 1, 2013
House Republicans see pseudo-science in Obama’s ‘cost of carbon’ metrics
House Republicans launched an all-out attack Wednesday on what they say are the secretive, pseudo-scientific "cost of carbon" metrics that the Obama administration is using to justify increasingly harsh environmental regulations. Published July 31, 2013
New EPA chief promises jobs, pulls no punches to fight climate change
In her first speech since taking over the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy came out swinging Tuesday and promised to ramp up the aggressive climate change agenda laid out by President Obama. Published July 30, 2013
New EPA chief promises jobs, pulls no punches in climate change fight
In her first speech since taking over the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy came out swinging Tuesday and promised to ramp up the aggressive climate change agenda laid out by President Obama. Published July 30, 2013
Keystone pipeline supporters slam Obama’s skeptical comments on economic impact
TransCanada, the company proposing the 1,600-mile Keystone XL pipeline, and officials in the U.S. and Canada reacted furiously Monday to skeptical comments from President Obama on the economic impact for jobs and U.S. gas prices from the long-delayed project. Published July 29, 2013
Funding schemes in Congress could ground drones; FAA pressured over privacy
The lagging federal effort to fully integrate drones into U.S. airspace is in danger of falling even further behind schedule. A funding bill now before the Senate essentially would stop the process in its tracks by prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration from moving forward until it completes a detailed report on drones' potential privacy impact. Published July 28, 2013
House trims EPA’s powers over coal ash
With bipartisan support, the House on Thursday passed legislation giving states the lead role in regulating coal ash and stopping the Environmental Protection Agency from labeling the material as hazardous. Published July 25, 2013
Coons denies knowledge of or involvement with O’Donnell tax breach
As unanswered questions swirl around Christine O'Donnell and the breach of her personal tax records, the other key figure in Delaware's 2010 U.S. Senate race said neither he nor his campaign had anything to do with it. Published July 24, 2013
Fracking’s safety gets boost from federal research
The leading federal research effort into the controversial drilling method known as fracking has turned up no evidence so far linking the process to water contamination — a connection continually drawn by many environmentalist critics along with some Democrats in Congress. Published July 21, 2013
Fracking’s safety gets boost from federal research
The leading federal research effort into the controversial drilling method known as fracking has turned up no evidence so far linking the process to water contamination — a connection continually drawn by many environmentalist critics along with some Democrats in Congress. Published July 21, 2013
House clears bill to replace No Child Left Behind
The House of Representatives has advanced its latest attempt to replace the unpopular, 12-year-old No Child Left Behind law, but deep divisions in Congress and in the education community mean comprehensive school reform almost surely will be put on hold once again. Published July 19, 2013
Rep. Peter King aims to save GOP from Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz
If he ultimately decides to run for president in 2016, Rep. Peter King will do it for one reason: to save the Republican party from the "isolationist" policies of Sen. Rand Paul and others. Published July 19, 2013
Bipartisan group of senators reaches deal on student loans
The nation's college students may soon have certainty about their student loan interest rates after a bipartisan group of eight senators Thursday came to a long-awaited agreement. Published July 18, 2013
