| PRUITT, PRUITT EVERYWHERE: Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt filled the headlines for the second full day in a row Thursday with story after story of new controversies. The news was fast and frequent, so in case you missed it, here's a timeline of the day. Breaking overnight: In a new memo Wednesday Kevin Minoli, a career EPA employee, clarified that his previous evaluation of the ethics behind Pruitt's $50 a night condo that he rented from the wife of a lobbyist with energy industry clients, was based on the assumption that Pruitt followed the terms of the lease exactly. Minoli said he had not previously had all of the facts. "Some have raised questions whether the actual use of the space was consistent with the terms of the lease. Evaluating those questions would have required factual information that was not before us and the Review does not address those questions," he wrote. Read more here. 10:30 a.m., Top EPA aide resigns: A top aide and close friend of Pruitt's issued her resignation last week, the Washington Post first reported. The decision came in the midst of various scandals plaguing the agency chief. Samantha Dravis was the senior counsel and associate administrator in EPA's Office of Policy. The sudden departure is described by one source familiar with the EPA as a "five-alarm story." EPA and a close friend of Dravis maintained that her departure was unconnected to the scandals, and Dravis was simply ready to go. "She has been looking to leave for a while. A lot of people in the administration wanted her to stay for the year to put her time in but it's one drama after another. It's a shit show," a friend of Dravis's told The Hill. Read more here. 12:00 pm, WH spokesman quiet on Pruitt's 'future': Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told Fox News in an interview Thursday, ""I can't speak to the future of Scott Pruitt." He added, "I can just talk about where we are now and that is that the White House is aware of these reports." Read more here. 1:09 pm, Trump expresses confidence in Pruitt: President Trump said Thursday he has confidence in Pruitt. "I do," Trump said when asked before boarding Air Force One. Read more here. 3:19 pm, Another GOP lawmaker calls on Pruitt to resign: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is calling on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt to resign. Stefanik is the third Republican lawmaker to ask Pruitt to leave amid a recent spate of scandals over an apartment he rented from a lobbyist and big raises he gave to two aides despite White House disapproval. "Congresswoman Stefanik believes it's in the best interest of the EPA for Mr. Pruitt to resign," spokesman Tom Flanagin told The Hill on Thursday. Stefanik first spoke about her desire for Pruitt to quite earlier Thursday at a constituent event, according to WTEN. Read more here. 3:30 pm, Pruitt reassigned agent for not letting him use a siren: A security agent was removed from Pruitt's detail shortly after he told the EPA chief he couldn't use his vehicle's lights and sirens to cut through Washington, D.C., traffic, CBS News reported Thursday. Pruitt had reportedly made the request to use the vehicle's lights and sirens when he was stuck in traffic on his way to an official appointment just weeks after he was confirmed to lead the EPA. Read more here. 5:00 pm, Trump says Pruitt's done a 'fantastic job': While flying back from a West Virginia trip to talk about the GOP's tax bill, Trump had more good things to say about Pruitt. "I think he's done a fantastic job. I think he's done an incredible job. He's been very courageous," the president told reporters. "It hasn't been easy, but I think he's done a fantastic job." "You know, I just left coal and energy country. They love Scott Pruitt," he said, referring to Pruitt's pro-coal policies and efforts to repeal environmental rules. "They feel very strongly about Scott Pruitt. And they love Scott Pruitt." But Trump stopped short of indicating that Pruitt is completely in the clear. Asked if he was concerned about the allegations against Pruitt, Trump said, "I have to look at them." "I'll make that determination," the president continued. "But he's a good man, he's done a terrific job. But I'll take a look at it." 5:04 pm, Many EPA officials were demoted for questioning Pruitt: A number of high ranking Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees were demoted, reassigned or requested new positions after raising red flags at the agency, The New York Times reported Thursday. At least five EPA officials, four of which were high ranking, were given different positions after questioning Administrator Scott Pruitt, according to the report. The reassigned staffers included Kevin Chmielewski, a political appointee who was placed on administrative leave without pay, and three career officials. Reginald E. Allen and Eric Weese, were given jobs with less daily interaction with Pruitt, while John Reeder left for a temporary job at American University as an "executive in residence," the Times reported. Read more here. And there's still a long night ahead, folks... The bottom line: Ethics controversies involving Cabinet members have become a headache for the president. Pruitt's conservative allies say he is one of Trump's most effective allies and warning that replacing him could be difficult. But the controversies keep piling up and lawmakers from both parties have called for his ouster. AND IN OTHER EPA NEWS: Dem states sue over methane rule: Fifteen attorneys general and the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against the EPA for not regulating methane from oil and natural gas operations. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement that the group is fighting back against the Trump administration for "ignoring its legal duty to control emissions of methane -- and extremely potent greenhouse gas -- from existing oil and gas operations." They also charge Pruitt with violating the Clean Air Act by "unreasonably delaying" its mandatory obligation through the act to control methane emissions The EPA's refusal to control methane pollution is illegal, Schneiderman said in a statement. It also "threatens our public health and environment, and squanders savings of over $100 million annually." Read more. AND IN NON-PRUITT NEWS: The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund said Thursday it is endorsing Randy Bryce, House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) Democratic challenger. "Randy Bryce is the real deal -- he understands we need to transition to a clean energy economy to get people working in southeast Wisconsin and across America again," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, the group's senior vice president for government affairs. "As a veteran, cancer survivor and union leader, he understands the national security, public health and economic importance of fighting climate change and investing in clean energy," she said. "Unlike his opponent, Speaker Paul Ryan, we know we can always count on Randy Bryce to protect our air, water and public lands, and we're thrilled to endorse his campaign for Congress." Bryce said in the statement that he's pushing a "Green New Deal," which "would create thousands of family-sustaining jobs on infrastructure projects, and it would turn communities that have seen a decline in manufacturing into energy manufacturing hub." Read more here. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) asked Congress Thursday to require coal companies to strengthen their financial assurances that they can clean up mines after closing them. The GAO report said state and federal agencies are having trouble keeping up with coal self-bonding, the process by which companies certify that they are financially strong enough to clean up their mines, without needing the bond instruments that are otherwise required. "Until such a change is made, the government will remain potentially at financial risk for future reclamation costs resulting from coal mines with unsecured financial assurances," the congressional watchdog agency wrote. Read the report. OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY: A federal appeals court is allowing construction of a $59 million dam in Montana despite concerns over an endangered fish species, the Associated Press reports. Thousands of viewers are watching a black bear in Glacier National Park that refuses to get up from hibernation, Mashable reports. Scientists are starting to understand the degree to which air pollution can harm children's developing brains, Popular Science reports. FROM THE HILL'S OPINION SECTION: Former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) argues that the renewable fuel standard is working for rural America. William Arnold, a professor at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business, says the future of shale oil production in the United States is in the hands of investors. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Check out Thursday's stories ... -Multiple EPA officials demoted after questioning Pruitt spending: report -Agent on security detail reassigned after telling Pruitt he couldn't use siren for nonemergencies: report -GOP lawmaker calls on Pruitt to resign -15 AGs sue Trump EPA for not enforcing pollution controls -Trump says he has confidence in Pruitt -Pruitt ignored White House officials' advice not to do interviews on scandal: report -White House spokesman: 'I can't speak to the future of Scott Pruitt' -Top Pruitt aide resigns from EPA amid controversies | 
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