memeorandum: Washington lobbying firms receive subpoenas as part of Russia probe (Carol D. Leonnig/Washington Post)

7:25 PM ET, August 26, 2017

Top Items:

Our View: Donald Trump just resurrected Joe Arpaio from irrelevance … CONNECT — While America was talking about tearing down monuments that offend historically oppressed people, Donald Trump effectively erected yet another one. — His pardon of Joe Arpaio elevated …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Little Green Footballs, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Politicus USA, Joe.My.God., Hit & Run, WND and RedState

mccain.senate.gov:

STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PARDON OF JOE ARPAIO — Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) released the following statement today on President Trump's pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio: — “No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted …

Peter Nicholas / Wall Street Journal:

House Speaker Paul Ryan Criticizes Donald Trump's Pardon for Joe Arpaio — Republican joins two GOP senators from Arizona in opposing the move — House Speaker Paul Ryan on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump for pardoning a former Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to object to the move.

Discussion: The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Axios, IJR and Politico

Francisco Chairez / Washington Post:

The year I spent in Joe Arpaio's tent jail was hell. He should never walk free. — I was born in Mexico, grew up in Tijuana, and moved to Arizona when I was 14. I went to high school in a small town called Holbrook, then went to Phoenix to go to Arizona State University.

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Washington Post:

Trump asked Sessions about closing case against Arpaio, an ally since ‘birtherism’ … As Joseph Arpaio's federal case headed toward trial this past spring, President Trump wanted to act to help the former Arizona county sheriff who had become a campaign-trail companion and a partner in their crusade against illegal immigration.

Discussion: Political Wire, The Atlantic, Refinery29, Weekly Standard, CBS San Francisco, Infowars and Mediaite

David Frum / The Atlantic:

Trump Won't Back Down — At 11:46 a.m. on Friday, August 25, President Trump issued the first of what would become a sequence of 12 tweets that day about the government's readiness for Hurricane Harvey. — Seldom if ever before in his tenure has this president so publicly performed the role …

Discussion: The Independent, The Guardian, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, ThinkProgress, emptywheel, New York Magazine, The Root, Political Wire and Business Insider

Bbauer / Lawfare:

The Arpaio Pardon — Joe Arpaio speaks at a campaign rally in Arizona in October 2016. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) — President Trump issued his pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio apparently without a Justice Department recommendation or even consultation, according to various outlets citing unnamed officials.

Margaret Talbot / New Yorker:

Why Donald Trump Pardoned Joe Arpaio — At 8 P.M. Eastern Standard Time on Friday evening, the White House Press Office issued a statement that President Trump had pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio. — President Trump had little to offer that was specific or coherent in the rambling …

Discussion: New York Times, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week

YouGov US Opinion Center News:
The Politics of Pardoning Sheriff Joe

Discussion: Washington Post and The Mahablog

Brandon Carter / The Hill:
McCain blasts Trump over Arpaio pardon

Discussion: Politico, Axios, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, IJR, RedState and The Gateway Pundit

Dan Desai Martin / Shareblue:
Top Intel Dem says Trump's pardon sends message to targets of Russia probe: “I have your back”

Discussion: Washington Post, Politico and Vox

New York Times:
Trump Pardons Joe Arpaio, Who Became Face of Crackdown on Illegal Immigration

CNN:

Latest developments — Harvey's impact will be devastating and leave areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months,” forecasters said. — Even though Harvey had made landfall and weakened, it was still a dangerous storm and “turning into a deadly inland event,” the FEMA chief tweeted.

Discussion: New York Times, ABC News, Q13 FOX News, FOX2now.com, San Antonio Current, myfox8.com, CBS New York, Shareblue, KTLA, FOX31 Denver, WHNT-TV, The Daily Caller, FOX6Now.com, The Atlantic, Politicus USA, IJR, Talking Points Memo, The Week, Mediaite, CNNMoney, WTVR-TV and CNBC

David Caplan / ABC News:
Hurricane Harvey bashes Texas coast, leaving thousands without power, homes damaged, residents injured

Discussion: Gizmodo, CBS Dallas, Houston Public Media, myfox8.com, Associated Press, KTLA, Refinery29, IJR, The Guardian, NBC News, WKRN-TV and New York Times

Washington Post:
At least one dead, buildings destroyed as Hurricane Harvey drenches central Texas coast

Discussion: Slate, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic and Grist

Houston Chronicle:
Hurricane Harvey downgraded further, spawns tornadoes

Discussion: Grist, NPR, Mother Jones and IJR

Tony Romm / Recode: Before Hurricane Harvey, wireless carriers lobbied against upgrades to a national emergency alert system

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:
Mayor tells those not evacuating for hurricane to put Social Security numbers on arms

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Hill and Althouse

USA Today:
Flooding from Hurricane Harvey, now Category 1, could leave communities underwater for days

Discussion: Gizmodo, IJR, Daily Kos, myfox8.com, The Week, Joe.My.God. and Al Jazeera English

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

Exclusive — Low Level White House Staffer Inflates Credentials to Lie About Dr. Sebastian Gorka's Resignation to Press — Kelly Sadler, a low-level staffer in the White House, lied about her credentials to push inaccurate leaked information to the press about the resignation of Dr. Sebastian Gorka from the administration.

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Conservative News Today, TheBlaze, Raw Story, Daily Kos, twitchy.com and Splinter

Cristiano Lima / Politico:

Gorka says he's heading back to Breitbart — Former White House aide Sebastian Gorka said Saturday he will return to Breitbart News, reuniting him with longtime ally and ex-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. — Gorka left his post on Friday as a national security adviser under …

Discussion: The Hill, more at Mediagazer »

Ben Kew / Breitbart:
Sebastian Gorka Resigns from Trump Administration

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

New York Times:
Sebastian Gorka Is Forced Out as White House Adviser, Officials Say

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, The Guardian, Religion News Service, Outside the Beltway, Yahoo, Politico, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, The Last Refuge and Washington Post

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

Mattis to US troops: ‘Hold the line until our country gets back to respecting each other’ — gave a pep talk to U.S. troops stationed abroad during his trip to three countries last week. — In a video that has recently surfaced on social media, Mattis is seen speaking to U.S. troops in an unknown location.

Discussion: ABC News, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Axios, The Week, The Daily Caller, U.S Army W.T.F! and RedState

Julianne Herrera / KRON4.com:

KRON4 speaks to Patriot Prayer organizer — SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Police Department is gating off Alamo Square Saturday morning, hours before a nationalist group was to hold a controversial press conference. — Organizers of the “Patriot Rally” cancelled their original event scheduled …

Discussion: SFist

Lizzie Johnson / San Francisco Chronicle:
Right-wing rallies in limbo in San Francisco and Berkeley

Discussion: San Francisco Chronicle, Mother Jones, Raw Story, SFist and Joe.My.God.

Niall Stanage / The Hill:

The Memo: Trump allies say he needs a GOP scalp — Republicans on Capitol Hill lament President Trump's aggressive behavior toward them, but some people in the president's orbit are urging him to up the ante even further. — They say that, far from making nice, Trump needs to instill fear …

Discussion: New York Magazine, IJR and Washington Post

Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:

Washington lobbying firms receive subpoenas as part of Russia probe — Lawyers for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, have issued subpoenas to several prominent Washington lobbying firms as the probe examines the finances …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal