Apr 26, 2018

The 23 pages of Scott Pruitt's controversies

Fliers posted around Capitol Hill poke fun at EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The EPA has sent some lawmakers a 23-page document detailing — and defending — the various spending and ethical controversies facing Administrator Scott Pruitt ahead of two House hearings today.

Why it matters: The document, obtained by Axios, lays out how the agency has prepped Pruitt for his appearance today. It stands in stark contrast to Pruitt's official prepared testimony, which doesn't mention any of the controversies and focuses instead on policy and the agency's budget.

Go deeper: The Washington Post and The New York Times both have good scene-setters ahead of today's back-to-back House hearings.

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Ben Geman, Amy Harder

Why big banks are breaking up with some fossil fuels

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

JPMorgan Chase is the latest financial giant to unveil new climate commitments, and like its peers, it is hard to disentangle how much is motivated by pressure, conscience or making a virtue of necessity.

Why it matters: The move comes as grassroots and shareholder activists are targeting the financial sector's fossil energy finance, especially amid federal inaction on climate.

Go deeper31 mins ago - Economy & Business

Jacob Knutson

Trump acknowledges lists of disloyal government officials to oust

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Monday acknowledged the existence of assembled lists of government officials that his administration plans to oust and replace with trusted pro-Trump people, which were first reported by Axios' Jonathan Swan.

What he's saying: “I don’t think it's a big problem. I don’t think it's very many people,” Trump said during a press conference in India, adding he wants “people who are good for the country, loyal to the country.”

Go deeper1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Dion Rabouin

Coronavirus only part of the story behind the Dow’s drop

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

As someone has certainly told you by now, the Dow fell by more than 1,000 points yesterday, its worst day in more than two years, erasing all of 2020's gains. Most news headlines assert that the stock market's momentum was finally broken by "coronavirus fears," but that's not the full story.

What's happening: The novel coronavirus has been infecting and killing scores of people for close to a month and, depending on the day, the market has sold off or risen to record highs.

Go deeper2 hours ago - Economy & Business