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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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

ExxonMobil refineries are damaged in Hurricane Harvey, releasing hazardous pollutants  —  ExxonMobil acknowledged Tuesday that Hurricane Harvey damaged two of its refineries, causing the release of hazardous pollutants.  —  The acknowledgment, in a regulatory filing with the Texas Commission …

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.

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” …

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 …

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.)

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.

Preliminary data from at least one Texas rain gauge appears to have broken the Texas tropical cyclone rainfall record and a new contiguous United States tropical cyclone rainfall record may have also been established.  Cedar Bayou, near Mont Belvieu, Texas, recorded a preliminary rainfall associated …

‘Cortana, Open Alexa,’ Amazon Says.  And Microsoft Agrees.  —  In an unusual partnership, Amazon and Microsoft are working together to extend the abilities of their voice-controlled digital assistants.  —  SEATTLE — The crowded pack of voice-controlled digital assistants — Apple's Siri …

KKK Hoods & Russian Flags Appear In Trump Tower Gift Shop  —  Shoppers looking for MAGA hats at Trump Tower this week may have encountered a Ku Klux Klan hood or a photo of President Putin, and asked themselves whether what they were seeing was real merchandise.

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 …

In the Trenches of Trump's Leak War  —  How the administration has changed the game between investigative reporters and their government sources.  —  On July 6, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs issued a scathing report detailing what the Committee characterized …

Trump Jr. agrees to transcribed interview with Senate panel  —  Trump Jr., Manafort to testify before Senate  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has agreed to sit down for a transcribed interview with the Senate judiciary committee …

Pelosi Statement Condemning Antifa Violence in Berkeley  —  San Francisco — Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement denouncing the violent protests carried out this weekend in Berkeley, California:  —  “Our democracy has no room for inciting violence or endangering the public …

Trump appointee: Comment calling Obama's mother a ‘w@!re’ result of ‘Internet crimes’ against me  —  STORY HIGHLIGHTS  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's appointee to a Department of Energy post says inflammatory comments that appeared to have been made by him online were the result of …

Exclusive: Imran Awan Has Still-Active Secret House Account, And It's Tied To An Intelligence Staffer  —  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 …

FBI shuts down request for files on Hillary Clinton by citing lack of public interest  —  The FBI is declining to turn over files related to its investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails by arguing a lack of public interest in the matter.