EPA Head Scott Pruitt lives in a condo provided by an oil company lobbyist.

[masterhorus8]

Ten?! That means he gets a free ice cream cone. That's awesome!

But only 1 scoop.

[Dontrike]

But only 1 scoop.

And a bulletproof cone.

[Breccia]

While Pruitt sets up to testify tomorrow, it's worth pointing out that a new study shows the Chinese plan to cut emissions in half will pay for itself.

"Oh, that's just a Chinese hoax."

Actually, the study was done by MIT scholars.

[Dontrike]

While Pruitt sets up to testify tomorrow, it's worth pointing out that a new study shows the Chinese plan to cut emissions in half will pay for itself.

"Oh, that's just a Chinese hoax."

Actually, the study was done by MIT scholars.

That's the biggest part of those kinds of things I hate when people say it doesn't work out. My step-dad literally told me that electricity is more expensive than gasoline when it came to a conversation on electric cars. I know that had nothing to do with anything, but just enough for my tastes.

Regulations like these that actually make money in the end is a wonder why people, like Trump and his Trumplestiltskins, fight so hard against them.

[Masark]

My step-dad literally told me that electricity is more expensive than gasoline when it came to a conversation on electric cars.

Technically correct. A GGE of electricity (33.4kWhr) costs about $4 on average (12 cents per kWhr), compared to the national average of $2.78 for a gallon of gas.

However, the electric car is 3-4x as efficient and doesn't require a lot of the maintenance (oil change? What oil?) the conventional car does.

[Dontrike]

Technically correct. A GGE of electricity (33.4kWhr) costs about $4 on average (12 cents per kWhr), compared to the national average of $2.78 for a gallon of gas.

However, the electric car is 3-4x as efficient and doesn't require a lot of the maintenance (oil change? What oil?) the conventional car does.

This was at the time though that gas was nearing $4 a gallon near where I was. I should have made that part clear.

[Stormspark]

I think we should take ALL of these corrupt EPA people (hell, include the entire Trump administration if you like, I'd be for that), stick them in a rocket, and ship the lot of them off to Venus. They'd like it there.

The longest anything human-built has survived on the surface is 57 minutes. The temperature is 465C, the air pressure is 94x what it is on Earth, and the "air" is mostly CO2 and sulfuric acid. Basically what this planet will look like if humans have their way with it.

[Breccia]

I think we should take ALL of these corrupt EPA people (hell, include the entire Trump administration if you like, I'd be for that), stick them in a rocket, and ship the lot of them off to Venus. They'd like it there.

"It's a Chinese hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooax..." pfft

- - - Updated - - -

Pruitt is to testify tomorrow (checks clock) later today. The NYTimes obtained some of his talking points, which suggest he's going to spend hours blaming other people.

Spoiler alert: if you throw all your staffers you appointed under the bus, not only do you ruin morale with the few that don't quit, at best, people will see your defense is "everyone I hire is incompetent or unethical". That's a really dangerous defense to hide behind.

[Dontrike]

Spoiler alert: if you throw all your staffers you appointed under the bus, not only do you ruin morale with the few that don't quit, at best, people will see your defense is "everyone I hire is incompetent or unethical". That's a really dangerous defense to hide behind.

That sounds like Trump's motto. "Oh no, I hire the best, it's not my fault everyone I support, hire, or nominate are crooks, it's their fault. I only hire the best people."

[Lenonis]

How is this guy still employed? I mean....c'mon.

[Kujako]

How is this guy still employed? I mean....c'mon.

Because he does what his employer wants him to.

[Dontrike]

How is this guy still employed? I mean....c'mon.

Trump or Pruitt? In either case it's because the American people love corruption so much.

[Breccia]

How is this guy still employed?

I'm still 95% confident that Pruitt is around, because Trump needs him to replace Rosenstein and/or Sessions.

"He can't replace both."

Look at his admin and say that with a straight face. Anyhow, firing Pruitt/letting Pruitt resign, then re-hiring him, will be seen as a bigger batch of bullshit than a "lateral move", with or without confirmation hearings.

- - - Updated - - -

Pruitt faces down Congress today. Already, he's dipped into the "it's okay because I said so" well. Specifically, the EPA buying that soundproof phone booth was okay, because the EPA said so.

[DarkTZeratul]

Pruitt faces down Congress today. Already, he's dipped into the "it's okay because I said so" well. Specifically, the EPA buying that soundproof phone booth was okay, because the EPA said so.

Unsurprisingly, the Republicans in Congress are completely ignoring all of his flagrant ethical and financial violations and framing him as the victim in this, pretty much explicitly because they like that he's dismantling the EPA:
https://www.motherjones.com/environm...were-with-him/

The hearings followed a pattern. Democrats grilled Pruitt on the ethical problems surrounding his administration—or spent their remaining time with monologues about his actions. Republicans were less interested in getting answers from Pruitt on what subcommittee chair Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) called his “stewardship” of the agency, and spent more time focusing on the “policy” they agreed with. Despite Pruitt’s innumerable and well-documented ethical violations and questionable spending patterns, many Republicans in the hearing used their time to offer support for the embattled EPA head.

[Breccia]

Pruitt: "As I told FOX News, I did not know about the raises given to two of my top aides until after the story broke."
Congress: "Well, now you are under oath."
Pruitt: "Oh you mean THOSE raises. Yes, I knew about them ahead of time."
EPA "Oh shit!"

[Dontrike]

Pruitt: "As I told FOX News, I did not know about the raises given to two of my top aides until after the story broke."
Congress: "Well, now you are under oath."
Pruitt: "Oh you mean THOSE raises. Yes, I knew about them ahead of time."
EPA "Oh shit!"

I've never seen one administrations lies unravel so easily before. Even W.'s lies about going to Iraq were better hidden.

[Poopymonster]

I've never seen one administrations lies unravel so easily before. Even W.'s lies about going to Iraq were better hidden.

Shrub might have been incompetent, but he had, well, if not smart, cunning people r̶u̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ working for him.

[Mormolyce]

This Pruitt guy has enough sleaze that you could sink an entire administration with it. And yet this isn't even the worst turd in this part of the pile.

[Breccia]

Possibly because he knows he's on the way out, Pruitt gives CVR Energy a biofuel waiver that could be worth $120 to $170 millions dollars, at the expense of greater emissions and loss of corn farmer support.

Let's count 'em down.

1a) This is one of the two dozen waivers granted in 2017. This is triple the rate under Obama.
1b) The names of the companies granted those waivers is not released to the public. The EPA did not name them.
1c) But we know one of them is Andeavor, who is one of the largest American refining companies. Andeavor made $1.5 billion in profit last year. Yes, that's double the year before.

2) This is a "hardship" waiver, normally given to companies that are struggling. CVR Energy has, you guessed it, not having hardship issues. Their Q1 income over doubled.

CVR Refining reported net income of $147 million for the
first quarter, up from $67 million in the same period of 2017.

The company said it now expects its cost of complying with
the Renewable Fuel Standard will fall to $80 million this year
from roughly $249 million in 2017. The $80 million projection is
also markedly below the $200 million in 2018 RIN costs that CVR
estimated for this year when it released its fourth-quarter 2017
earnings in February.

Also, this is their stock price:



3a) CVR Energy is owned by Carl Icahn, who we've talked about before.

Billionaire investor and longtime Trump confidant Carl Icahn dumped $31.3 million of stock in a company heavily dependent on steel last week, just days before Trump announced plans to impose steep tariffs on steel imports.

In a little-noticed SEC filing submitted on February 22, 2018, Icahn disclosed that he systematically sold off nearly 1 million shares of Manitowoc Company Inc. Manitowoc is a “is a leading global manufacturer of cranes and lifting solutions” and, therefore, heavily dependent on steel to make its products.

3b) See, thing is, Icahn used to be part of Team Trump. He was, in fact, Trump's regulatory advisor. I guess his advice was "don't regulate me".

3c) And he stepped down when it was found he was Trump's regulatory advisor, while profiting from it -- such as by owning an energy company that was mysteriously free of regulations.

3d) And, yes, he's under federal investigation for it.

3e) No, the investigation was not about his insider trading NC-17 mentioned. This was earlier. These are two separate cases -- I guess, now, three.

So to recap: the EPA did not disclose, but someone leaked, that billionaire friend of Trump Icahn, under at least one federal investigation for being Trump's regulatory advisor while owning a regulated energy company, is about to make over a hundred million extra profit due to a "hardship" waiver for his company growing by leaps and bounds.

Defend, Trump's rabid fanbase. Defend.

- - - Updated - - -

Wups, looks like we're not done with this guy.

Former deputy EPA chief of staff Chmielewski not only said he was "100 percent" fired for questioning Pruitt's travel expenses, but also, that he was supposed to be replaced by Hupp, one of Pruitt's aides. Yes, one that got that special raise they weren't supposed to. Yes, Chmielewski said that raise "100 percent" came from Pruitt.

[Dontrike]

I mean, this Pruitt thing is just stunning. And somehow, the "woke" people, the Trumpers and the two main characters from "smug alert" are no place to be found.

You can tell when something is undefendable when they are nowhere to be found.