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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang

bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com

Ben Wolfgang is a National Security Correspondent for The Washington Times. His reporting is regularly featured in the daily Threat Status newsletter.
Previously, he covered energy and the environment, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016, and also spent two years as a White House correspondent during the Obama administration.
Before coming to The Times in 2011, Ben worked as political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

In this Feb. 1, 2012 file photo, miles of pipe for the stalled Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline are stacked in a field near Ripley, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) — FILE

Keystone pipeline divides Congress as deadline nears

With a decision looming, both sides of the Keystone XL pipeline debate are making last-ditch appeals to President Obama, with opponents saying the project fails the White House's climate test and supporters arguing it's a no-brainer that will spur U.S. energy independence and economic growth.

July 1, 2015
The White House this week once again is zeroing in on climate change, a top priority for President Obama during his final 18 months in office. (Associated Press)

Obama climate change agenda faces legal, political resistance

With Barack Obama's legacy on health care seemingly secure after last week's landmark Supreme Court decision, the president's ambitious environmental agenda will come into sharper focus -- but a host of legal challenges and growing defiance across the country threaten his efforts to fight climate change.

June 30, 2015
FILE - In this April 3, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama walks through a solar array at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to speak about clean energy. The growth of renewable energy outpaced that of fossil fuels in the electricity sector last year, with a record 135 gigawatts of capacity added from wind, solar, hydropower and other natural sources, a new study shows. The annual report released early Thursday, June 18, 2015 in Europe by Paris-based REN21, a non-profit group that promotes renewable energy, underscored how China, the world’s top consumer of coal, has become a global leader in clean energy, too. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Obama vows U.S. will triple renewable energy by 2030

President Obama on Tuesday vowed that the U.S. will nearly triple the amount of electricity generated by renewable fuel sources by 2030, part of the White House's broader plan to phase out fossil fuels.

June 30, 2015
This Dec. 13, 2010, file photo shows CMS Energy Corp.'s B.C. Cobb Plant in Muskegon, Mich. (Jeffrey Ball, The Muskegon Chronicle via AP) ** FILE **

Supreme Court strikes down Obama power-plant regulations

President Obama's climate change agenda hit a roadblock at the Supreme Court on Monday, but the administration brushed aside the decision and declared victory anyway, saying most utilities already have made the pollution cuts that technically are no longer necessary in light of the high court's ruling.

June 29, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a plenary session of an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, June 19, 2015. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Vladimir Putin calls Obama; two discuss Islamic State, Ukraine

On a joyous day that saw the validation of Obamacare by the Supreme Court and the passage of key trade legislation, President Obama also received a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said Thursday night.

June 25, 2015
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act hold up signs as the opinion for health care is reported outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday June 25, 2015. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, in a ruling that preserves health insurance for millions of Americans. The justices said in a 6-3 ruling that the subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive to make insurance affordable do not depend on where they live, under the 2010 health care law. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Obama takes victory lap on health care, trade

President Obama boldly declared Thursday that his legacy largely has been secured, and political analysts say the president could find new political momentum following the Supreme Court's validation of his signature health care reform law.

June 25, 2015
Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 9, 2015. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ** FILE **

GAO hits Obama administration on renewable energy projects: audit

The Obama administration is feverishly pushing the U.S. to embrace wind and solar energy but isn't doing nearly enough to ensure the eventual cleanup of the sites it has leased for renewable power projects, a government watchdog said this week.

June 24, 2015
FILE - In this April 3, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama walks through a solar array at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to speak about clean energy. The growth of renewable energy outpaced that of fossil fuels in the electricity sector last year, with a record 135 gigawatts of capacity added from wind, solar, hydropower and other natural sources, a new study shows. The annual report released early Thursday, June 18, 2015 in Europe by Paris-based REN21, a non-profit group that promotes renewable energy, underscored how China, the world’s top consumer of coal, has become a global leader in clean energy, too. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Solar, wind projects could cost taxpayers millions: report

Lawmakers on Wednesday demanded accountability from the Obama administration after an investigation found the federal government routinely fails to secure proper bonding from wind and solar project developers, potentially leaving taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars.

June 24, 2015
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, disputing energy industry estimates, argues that average Americans ultimately will see lower electric bills as a result of regulations under President Obama's climate change agenda. (Associated Press)

Obama threatens veto of bill to limit EPA regulations

President Obama on Tuesday night threatened to veto legislation that would slow -- and potentially stop -- the administration's controversial plan to limit carbon emissions from existing power plants.

June 23, 2015
White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House, in Washington, Monday, June 22, 2015. Earnest discussed President Barack Obama's podcast interview with comedian Marc Maron and other topics. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

White House: Up to Republicans to deliver full trade package

White House officials Tuesday would not give a firm answer on whether President Obama would sign Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) without also receiving the other pieces of his trade agenda and said it's up to Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to get the full package past the finish line.

June 23, 2015
In this June 17, 2015, photo, President Barack Obama looks out as he sits on stage as Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks during her investiture ceremony at the Warner Theatre in Washington. Critics have long predicted that Obama’s policy to shift America’s focus toward Asia is doomed. The legislative battle over his trade agenda could prove the acid test. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Trade deal overcomes filibuster

Pro-trade senators surmounted yet another filibuster test Tuesday, setting a package of free-trade bills on the path to President Obama's desk by the end of this week -- unless House Democrats decide to embarrass their party leader once more.

June 23, 2015
In this Dec. 6, 2012, photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, soldiers assigned to 6th Engineer Battalion use snow shoes during Arctic Light Individual Training on the Bulldog Trail in sub-zero conditions at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. ALIT is the United States Army Alaska's Cold Weather Indoctrination program. It gives all soldiers, regardless of their job, the foundation to successfully work, train, and go to war in some of the harshest environments in the world. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Justin Connaher) **FILE**

Obama forcing military to measure Arctic ice levels

Though stretched thin by the aftermath of two wars and the current fight against the Islamic State, the Obama administration has enlisted the Pentagon to measure the shrinking ice in the Arctic in the latest example of the president's climate agenda being extended to the military.

June 22, 2015
Pope Francis wrote an encyclical this week saying that the use of fossil fuels is leading to an increase in worldwide global warming, which came as welcome news for President Obama and the environmental movement, however, Catholic politicians, especially Democrats, are left to walk a tight line on how to reconcile the pontiff's proclamations with voters. (associated press)

Republicans call Pope Francis’ climate stance anti-business

Pope Francis' stunning encyclical calling for a massive upheaval of the world economy to combat global warming provided fuel for President Obama and climate change activists but posed a tougher challenge for Catholic politicians who were left to grapple with the pontiff's stern call to arms.

June 18, 2015