Even in visiting hurricane-ravaged Texas, Trump keeps the focus on himself  —  The Debrief: An occasional series offering a reporter's insights … As rescuers continued their exhausting and heartbreaking work in southeastern Texas on Tuesday afternoon, as the rain continued to fall …

Mattis freezes transgender policy; allows troops to continue serving, pending study  —  WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis late Tuesday announced that transgender troops will be allowed to continue serving in the military pending the results of a study by experts.

Harvey makes landfall again in western Louisiana as rain pummels the Gulf Coast … HOUSTON — The devastating storm once known as Hurricane Harvey, already the biggest rainstorm in the history of the continental United States, made landfall again Wednesday morning, bringing a new wave …

Rep. Rohrabacher says ‘rendezvous’ being set up with Trump to relay info from WikiLeaks' Assange on DNC hack  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Monday that a “rendezvous” is being set up between him and President Donald Trump to relay information he received …

Google Critic Ousted From Think Tank Funded by the Tech Giant  —  WASHINGTON — In the hours after European antitrust regulators levied a record $2.7 billion fine against Google in late June, an influential Washington think tank learned what can happen when a tech giant that shapes public policy debates …

Special Counsel Robert Mueller Subpoenas Paul Manafort's Spokesman  —  P.R. executive Jason Maloni was told to appear soon before a federal grand jury, according to person familiar with the matter  —  Special Counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed the spokesman for former Trump campaign …

Next target Guam, North Korea says  —  (CNN)North Korea's launch of a missile over Japan was a prelude to more military operations directed at the American territory of Guam, North Korean state media warned Wednesday.  —  The country's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported leader Kim Jong Un presided …

Judge won't vacate former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's contempt conviction without oral arguments … U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton canceled former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's upcoming sentencing hearing for his criminal contempt-of-court conviction, telling attorneys not to file replies to motions …

The incredible shrinking president  —  As President Trump formally launches his tax-reform drive this afternoon with a no-details, “vision-casting” speech in Springfield, Missouri, the self-inflicted wounds of the past 222 days are adding up.  (Speech preview here, off embargo at 6 a.m.)

Trump Pal Bought IAmAF**got.Com and VaginaBoy.Com, Then the Sites Attacked Their Mutual Enemy … Documents disclosed this week show just how far former Trump Organization adviser and convicted felon Felix Sater will go to help his one-time business associate President Donald Trump.

HILL LEADERS to the W.H. next WED.  — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The plan for debt limit, gov't funding and Harvey relief — ANNIE KARNI on the thinning West Wing - B'DAY: Warren Buffett  —  By ANNA PALMER (anna@politico.com; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN (sherman@politico.com; @JakeSherman) …

Georgia lawmaker: Talk of ditching Confederate statues could cause Democrat to ‘go missing’  —  A Georgia Republican lawmaker warned a Democratic former colleague who criticized his support for Civil War monuments on Facebook that she won't be “met with torches but something a lot more definitive” …

How to Get Rich in Trump's Washington  —  His presidency has changed the rules of influence in the nation's capital — and spawned a new breed of lobbyist on K Street.  —  As for so many other people, election night did not pan out quite the way Robert Stryk expected.

Tillerson moves to close State cyber office  —  has outlined a reorganization plan that would involve closing the State Department office charged with promoting U.S. cybersecurity interests abroad, according to a letter obtained Tuesday.  —  In a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker

Reporter assaulted by Gianforte: He's refused to sit down with me  —  Journalist Ben Jacobs on Tuesday ripped Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) for failing to give him an on-the-record interview following a violent physical altercation on the eve of the special congressional election.

White House Won't Require Firms to Report Pay by Gender, Race  —  Obama-era proposal was aimed to address pay disparities  —  The White House on Tuesday said it will halt a planned Obama-era rule that would have required businesses to begin collecting data about how much they pay workers …

Exclusive: Wasserman Schultz IT Staffer Banned From House Network Months Ago Still Has Active Account  —  A former IT aide suspected of stealing equipment and data from Congress still has an active, secret email account on the House computer system, even though he has been banned …

Winter Park-based Tampa professor fired after Hurricane Harvey ‘karma’ tweet  —  Ken Storey tweeted Sunday that the destruction from Hurricane Harvey was “instant karma” for Texans who voted Republican last year.  —  Privacy Policy  —  A visiting assistant professor at the University …

Best Buy says viral photo of $40 packs of water in Houston was ‘a big mistake’  — The company told CNBC that it does not sell water by the case and the signage promoting the offer was a mistake made by several employees.  —  Electronics retailer Best Buy said a viral photo of cases …