EPA leader Scott Pruitt out after numerous scandals

Tom DiChristopher | @tdichristopher

Published 18 Mins Ago Updated 1 Min Ago

Scott Pruitt's polarizing tenure as head of the Environmental Protection Agency has come to an end.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that he has accepted Pruitt's resignation. Trump said that the agency's deputy administrator, Andrew Wheeler, will become the acting head of EPA.

The departure follows months of scrutiny that gathered momentum following reports that Pruitt had rented a Capitol Hill condominium linked to an energy lobbyist on favorable terms. The revelation exacerbated concerns about the high cost of Pruitt's travel and security detail and triggered a flood of allegations that Pruitt fostered a culture of workplace retaliation, wasteful spending and self-dealing at EPA.

The steady flow of negative news stories prompted multiple government investigators to open several inquiries into Pruitt. His EPA now faces about a dozen probes into its spending, ethics and policy decisions.

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https:// www.cnbc.com/2018/06/08/trump-spoke-to-scott-pruitt-amid-reports-of-white-house-probe-into-epa-chief.html

WAGES GOING UP…WINNING

Jeff Cox | @JeffCoxCNBCcom

Published 4 Hours Ago Updated 4 Hours Ago

The U.S. labor shortage is reaching a critical point

Private payrolls grew less than expected in June, likely due not just to a slowdown in hiring but also a decline in the labor pool.

For the first time, there are more job openings than there are eligible workers to fill them.

Economists expect wage pressures to continue building as part of increasing inflation.

America’s labor shortage is approaching epidemic proportions, and it could be employers who end up paying.

A report Thursday from ADP and Moody’s Analytics cast an even brighter light on what is becoming one of the most important economic stories of 2018: the difficulty employers are having in finding qualified employees to fill a record 6.7 million job openings.

Truck drivers are in perilously low supply, Silicon Valley continues to struggle to fill vacancies, and employers across the grid are coping with a skills mismatch as the economy edges ever closer to full employment.

“Business’ number one problem is finding qualified workers. At the current pace of job growth, if sustained, this problem is set to get much worse,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said in a statement. “These labor shortages will only intensify across all industries and company sizes.”

Private payrolls grew by 177,000 in June, a respectable number but below market expectations. It was the fourth month in a row that the ADP/Moody’s count fell short of 200,000 after four months at or above that level.

READ MORE:

https:// www.cnbc.com/2018/07/05/the-us-labor-shortage-is-reaching-a-critical-point.html

Swedish PM calls for urgent meeting with police after 7 gang-related murders in two weeks

By LAURA CAT 5 July 2018

The urgent meeting has been called by the Prime Minister after gang violence brings seven killings in just two weeks. PM Stefan Löfven said he will give police extra resources in hopes to put an end to these ‘pitiful, cold-blooded killers’.

“We have allocated more resources to the police than the authority already demanded, but more resources, other equipment, whatever we should do,” Löfven said

“For this reason, I have today asked Morgan Johansson to call the police forces, to hear what more we can do from the government to get the police the right resources. This must be broken,” he continued.

https:// voiceofeurope.com/2018/07/swedish-pm-calls-for-urgent-meeting-with-police-after-7-gang-related-murders-in-two-weeks/

Germany and Austria put Schengen at risk with decision to shut migrant route

By EXPRESS 5 July 2018

Germany and Austria have declared their intentions to close the so-called southern route for refugees as part of a tough new crackdown on migration across the European Union.

Interior ministers from Berlin, Vienna, Italy and Greece will meet in Innsbruck in the coming weeks to reduce migratory pressure from across the Mediterranean, said Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

He said: “Next week there will be a meeting between the ministers of interior of Germany, Austria and Italy to decide measures to close the route of migration in the Mediterranean.”

https:// voiceofeurope.com/2018/07/germany-and-austria-put-schengen-at-risk-with-decision-to-shut-migrant-route/

Paris is a mess: Up to 400,000 illegal immigrants live in just one suburb

By VOICE OF EUROPE5 July 2018

A new parliamentary report shows that the number of migrants living in a Paris suburb may be nearing 400,000, according to Paris Vox.

The report of the deputies François Cornut-Gentille and Rodrigue Kokouendo says that the French Republic is failing in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb, which is north east of Paris.

Between 150,000 and 400,000 illegal immigrants live in the Paris suburb under bad conditions. The poverty rate is 28% while the unemployment rate stands at 12.7%, well above national averages.

https:// voiceofeurope.com/2018/07/paris-is-a-mess-up-to-400000-illegal-immigrants-live-in-just-one-suburb/

Italian government hails European Parliament’s rejection of copyright directive

By ANSA 5 July 2018

Deputy Premiers Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini both expressed satisfaction on Thursday after the European Parliament (EP) voted to reject a copyright directive.

The draft law sought to make Internet giants share the money gained from content produced by publishers, broadcasters and artists, but opponents said it was a threat to the freedom of the Internet.

The EP voted against opening talks with the European Commission and the European Council on the proposal and decided to return to the issue in September.

https:// voiceofeurope.com/2018/07/italian-government-hails-european-parliaments-rejection-of-copyright-directive/

Viktor Orban to Germany: Hungary won’t take back migrants

By HUNGARY JOURNAL 5 July 2018

Hungary is unable and unwilling to take back any migrants, but is ready to help with moving illegal migrants back to Greece, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at his talks with German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, in Berlin, Orban’s press chief said on Wednesday.

Orban and Seehofer were in agreement that Hungarian-Bavarian relations were at an all-time high, Bertalan Havasi told MTI. The broad economic cooperation between Hungary and Bavaria has been expanded to cover the defence industry as well, he added.

The two officials concluded that there was a “huge opportunity” before Christian democracy, because “it is becoming increasingly clear to Europeans that only Christian Democrats are capable of protecting jobs, borders and Europe’s cultural identity,” Havasi said.

https:// voiceofeurope.com/2018/07/viktor-orban-to-germany-hungary-wont-take-back-migrants/

US government plane seen in Turku, raising speculation over Trump’s plans in Finland

By YLE 4 July 2018

An official United States airplane landed at Turku Airport late Tuesday, sparking speculation that US President Donald Trump might visit Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's summer residence in nearby Naantali before or after a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in the capital. That meeting is set for Monday 16 July. The exact location and timing have not yet been unveiled.

A similar aircraft was spotted at Helsinki Airport on Sunday, according to tabloid newspaper Ilta-Sanomat.

There were unconfirmed reports that the plane would remain at Turku Airport until Thursday. Airport officials did not provide information about the plane's schedule or other arrangements concerning the American plane.

Ilta-Sanomat interviewed Yle journalist and security expert Jan Fredriksson who said that the plane's landing in Turku may indicate Trump is headed to the presidential summer residence, known as Kultaranta, on the island of Luonnonmaa.

"The only explanation you can think of is that Trump for one reason or another wants to visit Kultaranta. It is possible that some kind of equipment is being taken there," Fredriksson told IS.

The president's residence is located about 20 km west of Turku Airport, just off the coast of the town of Naantali.

Putin met with Niinistö at Kultaranta in 2016.

The two US aircraft seen at the Helsinki and Turku airports this week are Boeing C-40 B/C planes, which transport "safe, comfortable and reliable transportation for US leaders to locations around the world," according to the US Air Force website.

The militarily-outfitted Boeings feature advanced communications systems and video equipment, office space and can carry up to 42 passengers, according to the Air Force.

https:// yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/us_govt_plane_seen_in_turku_raising_speculation_over_trumps_plans_in_finland/10288275

>>2045544

Just noting the plane was spotted there. Who or what the reason for it, as you say is pure speculation.