promoearn: EPA's Scott Pruitt is out

Thursday, July 5, 2018

EPA's Scott Pruitt is out

with Editors

EPA's Scott Pruitt is out

EPA chief Scott Pruitt says bye-bye

Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt resigned Thursday after being plagued by various ethical scandals. Scrutiny mounted over his first-class flights, top aides getting huge pay raises after the White House rejected them and a cozy rental arrangement he had with a lobbyist who is also a personal friend. President Donald Trump said in a tweet: "Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this." Deputy EPA leader Andrew Wheeler will be Pruitt's replacement. In a video Monday that went viral, a woman approached Pruitt at a Washington, D.C., restaurant and said he should resign.

Trump official ups number of separated families

The Trump administration official in charge of caring for undocumented children separated from their parents at the border said Thursday that his agency must reunite nearly 3,000 families, a sharp increase from the 2,300 families mentioned last week. The higher estimate by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar comes after a federal judge ordered all children be reunited with their families, even those separated before the administration's "zero tolerance" policy went into effect in May.

As rescue is planned, Thai soccer coach sparks controversy

The Thailand soccer coach trapped with 12 of his players inside a cave is drawing both ridicule and praise for his actions in the perilous incident. Some blame Ekapol Chanthawong, 25, for leading them into the predicament, while others boast his efforts to nourish the boys with limited water and food rations. The debate even has the attention of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who urged people not to rush to judgment and instead to focus on the rescue. The already dangerous rescue was complicated Thursday when overzealous volunteers inadvertently pumped water back into the cave. Rescuers are racing to drain the flooded cave in order to rescue the boys.

July Fourth mayhem claims victims

The Fourth of July is a time for celebration, but the holiday turned tragic in Rock Island, Illinois, when a 45-foot branch from a huge oak tree fell onto spectators during a fireworks display, killing two people and injuring five. In Tampa, Florida, a man was wounded in the shoulder by celebratory gunfire during a fireworks show. Fireworks themselves caused "catastrophic" hand injuries to a man in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, when one exploded in his hands, police said. Earlier in the day, NFL player Jason Pierre-Paul posted a graphic warning on the danger of fireworks: photos of his own mangled hand taken just hours after fireworks nearly blew it off on July 4, 2015.

Netflix testing higher-priced plans

Is Netflix getting ready to raise prices? The streaming TV firm is testing a premium plan in Europe that suggests the answer may be "Yes." The "Ultra" subscription offers 4K Ultra HD video with High Dynamic Range (HDR) quality and the ability to watch on four screens at the same time for about 17 euros, or roughly $20. That's three euros higher than the current highest-priced plan. Also, some customers saw changes in the current plans, with the premium plan cut from four simultaneous screens down to two, and the standard plan going from two screens to one. Should the Ultra plan become reality, some U.S. homes might be faced with paying more to keep their multiple screens. Netflix wouldn't give details, saying only that it is "testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix."

The Short List is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.