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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang

bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com

Ben Wolfgang is a national security correspondent at The Washington Times, a senior member of its Threat Status team, and the host and producer of the award-winning Threat Status Podcast. Ben covers national security, foreign policy, military affairs, the defense industry and the rapidly evolving landscape of military technology.
A Pennsylvania native, he joined The Washington Times in 2011 after serving as a political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa. Over the course of his career, Ben has covered the White House, Congress, and four presidential campaigns.
His reporting has earned recognition from some of journalism's most respected organizations, including the Virginia Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists' Washington, D.C. Chapter, among other honors.
Ben has interviewed heads of state, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior military commanders, cabinet secretaries, senior government officials, and the CEOs of many of the nation's largest and most influential defense companies.
Ben is a frequent guest on broadcast media, with appearances on C-SPAN, the Sirius XM POTUS channel, and other outlets.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

President Obama's My Brother's Keeper Alliance is an outgrowth of his year-old My Brother's Keeper initiative, which has focused on federal government policies and grants designed to increase access to education and jobs. Mr. Obama has spoken out on recent events in Baltimore, which he says highlights the need for greater relations between the police and communities of color. (The Daily News via Associated Press)

Obama likely to focus on race relations post-presidency

President Obama still has 20 months left in the Oval Office, but he appears to be laying the groundwork for his post-presidential career — a focus on racial reconciliation and improving economic opportunity for young blacks and Latinos.

May 4, 2015
President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks at Lehman College in the Bronx borough of New York, Monday, May 4, 2015. Obama announced the creation of an independent nonprofit organization that is a spin off his "My Brother's Keeper" program, which works to give young men of color more opportunities through mentoring and business partnerships. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama blasts media coverage of Baltimore riots

President Obama on Monday took a shot at the media for its coverage of last week's violence in Baltimore, saying news outlets too often focus only on looters and rioters rather than on those who are trying to solve the complex problems plaguing America's cities.

May 4, 2015
FBI crime scene investigators document the area around two deceased gunmen and their vehicle outside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, Monday, May 4, 2015. Police shot and killed the men after they opened fire on a security officer outside the suburban Dallas venue, which was hosting provocative contest for Prophet Muhammad cartoons Sunday night, authorities said. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

Obama condemns shooting at Muhammad cartoon contest

The White House on Monday condemned a shooting at a controversial cartoon contest in Texas, saying that while Muslims may have found the event offensive there is no justification for violence.

May 4, 2015
President Barack Obama hosts a lunch with My Brother's Keeper mentees in the Map Room of the White House in Washington int his Feb. 27, 2015, file photo. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Obama to expand My Brother’s Keeper program

Days after racial tensions bubbled to the surface and led to violence on the streets of Baltimore, President Obama on Monday will speak about the educational and economic challenges facing young men of color and also will announce an expansion of his signature My Brother's Keeper initiative.

May 4, 2015
State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby faces challenges in prosecuting the police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. (Associated Press)

Baltimore riots: Democrats, Republicans blame each other for mayhem

As Baltimore moves on from a week that saw riots, curfews and charges against six police officers, a new political fight erupted Sunday, with Republicans and Democrats trading shots over who is responsible for the extreme poverty gripping America's inner cities.

May 3, 2015
** FILE ** President Obama points to a member of the audience at a meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, May 14, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Obama veto threats irk GOP

President Obama this year has taken veto threats to unprecedented heights, setting a new record while vowing to block a host of GOP-backed bills that span the political spectrum.

May 3, 2015
This July 8, 2013, file photo provided by Surete du Quebec, shows debris from a runaway train in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada. (AP Photo/Surete du Quebec, The Canadian Press, File)

U.S., Canada beef up rail car safety

In response to a rash of recent crashes, U.S. and Canadian officials Friday announced new safety standards for rail cars transporting flammable liquids, including crude oil.

May 1, 2015
Some of Mr. Obama's most ardent supporters say they simply cannot go along with the administration's increasingly ambitious program to combat global warming. (Associated Press)

Obama climate change agenda rejected by blacks, Hispanics over concerns about poor

The very same voters who helped put Barack Obama in the White House increasingly are turning against the president's climate change agenda, with influential black and Hispanic leaders warning that stiff regulations to limit carbon emissions will have a devastating effect on the poor and will further stifle economic opportunity for minorities.

April 30, 2015
Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan, left, with Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz, talks about President Barack Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, during a news conference in the White House complex in Washington, Monday, Feb. 2, 2015. Obama sent Congress a record $4 trillion budget Monday that would boost taxes on higher-income Americans and corporations and eliminate tight federal spending caps to shower more money on both domestic and military programs. It would provide middle-class tax relief and fund an ambitious public works effort to rebuild aging roads and bridges. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

House Republican budgets ripped by Obama over spending limits

With House Republicans set to move two key appropriations bills this week, the White House has come out swinging with a public relations offensive picking apart the Republican budget line by line — an indication that President Obama will take a tougher stance on spending this time and could be cracking the door to another government shutdown fight.

April 27, 2015
President Obama's job approval rating of 46.4 percent puts him in the company of President Reagan, whose approval rating also hovered around 46 percent at the same point in his presidency. (Associated Press)

Obama equals Ronald Reagan popularity as economy, gas prices boost job approval

President Obama has reached Reagan-like levels of popularity in the twilight of his tenure, but analysts say his bounce can be attributed largely to the fact that he is fading into the political background as the next presidential race kicks into high gear and as Congress claims a surprising number of concrete legislative accomplishments.

April 26, 2015
President Barack Obama pauses while speaking at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) 10th anniversary at ODNI headquarters in McLean, Va., Friday, April 24, 2015. The president told members of the intelligence community that he appreciates their service and understands they don't take their work lightly. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

White House weighs new panel to oversee U.S. hostage situations

A day after President Obama apologized for the death of an American citizen during a Pakistan drone strike in January, the administration says it may form a so-called "fusion cell" that would oversee all communication with the families of hostages being held overseas.

April 24, 2015