EPA Chief Faces Conservative Anger Over EPA Ruling He’ll Keep and More in Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1. Scott Pruitt Faces Anger From Right Over E.P.A. Finding He Won’t Fight

In his first weeks on the job, Mr. Pruitt drew glowing praise from foes of Mr. Obama’s agenda against global warming, as he moved to roll back its centerpiece, known as the Clean Power Plan, and expressed agreement with those who said the E.P.A. should be eliminated. His actions and statements have galvanized protests from environmentalists and others on the left.

But now a growing chorus of critics on the other end of the political spectrum say Mr. Pruitt has not gone far enough — in particular, they are angry that the E.P.A. chief has refused to challenge a landmark agency determination known as the "endangerment finding" that provides the legal basis for Mr. Obama’s Clean Power Plan and other global warming policies.

Read more at the New York Times.

2. FBI obtained FISA warrant to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page

The FBI obtained a secret court order last summer to monitor the communications of an adviser to presidential candidate Donald Trump, part of an investigation into possible links between Russia and the campaign, law enforcement and other U.S. officials said.

The FBI and the Justice Department obtained the warrant targeting Carter Page’s communications after convincing a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge that there was probable cause to believe Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power, in this case Russia, according to the officials.

Read more at the Washington Post.

3. U.S., Russia relations at 'low point' after Tillerson fails to breakthrough in Moscow

The United States and Russia laid bare their deep and dangerous divides on Syria and other matters Wednesday, as America's top diplomat left an almost two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the sense the countries have reached a "low point" in relations.

That candid assessment by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reflected the former Cold War foes' inability to forge greater cooperation, as President Donald Trump until recently has advocated. Even the one significant agreement Moscow suggested had been reached — to investigate last week's chemical weapons attack in Syria — was quickly rejected by Washington.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

4. A Kansas Special Election Just Shook Up Washington

A last-minute intervention by national Republicans in one of the reddest districts in America was enough to stave off what would have been a crushing upset Tuesday in Kansas’s 4th Congressional District ― but the unexpectedly close race still portends major problems for Republicans in 2018.

Washington Democrats, for their part, argue that had they jumped into the race earlier, it would have become "nationalized" ― meaning voters would retreat to their partisan corners and Thompson would have been sunk. But even if that’s true, their reluctance to match the Republican ad buy has left grassroots Democrats furious. Even without the party involved, independent activists sent more than $200,000 to Thompson in the closing days of the race.

Read more at the Huffington Post.

5. CNN Exclusive: Classified docs contradict Nunes surveillance claims, GOP and Dem sources say

After a review of the same intelligence reports brought to light by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers and aides have so far found no evidence that Obama administration officials did anything unusual or illegal, multiple sources in both parties tell CNN.

Their private assessment contradicts President Donald Trump's allegations that former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice broke the law by requesting the "unmasking" of US individuals' identities. Trump had claimed the matter was a "massive story."

Read more at CNN.

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore.jpg) via Wikimedia / Creative Commons)