The Memo: Trump grapples with disaster in Texas

President Trump faces political opportunities and perils as he visits Texas on Tuesday, grappling with the first natural disaster of his administration. Trump has been careful to avoid projecting any sense of disengagement in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, such as the pictures of then-President George W. Bush observing Hurricane Katrina's damage from Air Force One.

Trump defends decision to pardon Arizonaa s Arpaio

President Donald Trump on Monday defended his decision to pardon Joe Arpaio, calling the former Arizona sheriff a "patriot" who loves his country. Asked about his controversial pardon during a joint press conference with the president of Finland on Monday, Trump insisted that "a lot of people" believe he made the right call.

Couple facing arson, drug charges

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Trump pushes tax overhaul, says it’s ‘badly needed’

Public schools are grappling with the names, images of Confederate icons in the wake of the deaths at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over a Robert E. Lee statue. After five days of torrential rain, the latest weather forecast predicts less than an inch of rain and perhaps even sunshine for the Houston area.

Trump heads to Texas to witness destruction as Harvey tests administration

President Trump pledged his "full support" Monday to the tens of thousands of Americans displaced by the epic hurricane and flooding that has devastated parts of coastal Texas and Louisiana, warning that recovery from Harvey will be a "long and difficult road." In the short term, he told reporters in the East Room, 'protecting the lives of our people is my highest priority.

Trump defends decision to pardon Arizona’s Arpaio

In this Jan. 26, 2016 file photo, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of metro Phoenix, at a campaign event in Marshalltown, Iowa. Fresh off his presidential pardon, an emboldened Joe Arpaio on Monday lashed out at his critics and the judge who found him guilty of a crime as his attorneys went to court to throw the court decision that was the basis for his conviction.

What we know about monster storm Harvey

Here is what we know about the deadly storm, which has devastated swathes of Texas and is continuing to linger over the area: Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast late Friday as a Category Four hurricane, bringing lashing rain and sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center called it the biggest rainstorm on record, with rainfall potentially reaching 50 inches in some places, including in Houston, the fourth-largest city in America.

Lawyers: File Harvey claims before Texas law change

Attorneys and a Texas lawmaker are urging homeowners to try and file claims for property damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey before Friday, when a new insurance law goes into effect. The law will affect policyholders who file a lawsuit against their insurance company for failing to pay enough in claims or repaying claims too slowly.

As Thousands Suffer in Catastrophic #Harvey Floods, NY Times Reporter …

The New York Times' Houston bureau chief Manny Fernandez, who is covering the catastrophic mass-flooding from Hurricane Harvey that has left tens of thousands of people flooded out of their homes, posted a humble-brag photo to Twitter Monday night of his waterlogged reporter's notebook with the caption, "It's been a long day." Fernandez's last photo was posted at 6:14 p.m. CDT.

Political fights loom over cost of Harvey recovery

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the federal response to Harvey on Monday, saying he'd spoken "on multiple occasions" to President Trump and members of his Cabinet. Federal resources have already begun flooding into Texas: 2 million liters of water, 2 million meals and tens of thousands of tarps -- all at the direction of FEMA Director Brock Long.

Lawyers urge Texas homeowners to file Harvey claims before law change

Attorneys and a Texas lawmaker are urging homeowners to try and file claims for property damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey before Friday, when a new insurance law goes into effect. The law will impact policyholders who file a lawsuit against their insurance company for failing to pay enough in claims or repaying claims too slowly.

Houston endures more rain and chaos; 6 feared drowned in van

Officials released more water from Houston-area reservoirs overwhelmed by Harvey early Monday in a move aimed at protecting the city's downtown from devastating floods but that could still endanger thousands of homes, even as the nation's fourth-largest city anticipated more rain. Harvey, which made landfall late Friday as a Category 4 hurricane and has lingered just off the coast dropping heavy rain as a tropical storm, sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday.

The Latest: Harvey drifting ‘erratically’ back toward Gulf

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey is drifting "erratically" back toward the Gulf Coast after having moved inland since making landfall late Friday. An advisory Monday afternoon from the center says life-threatening flooding continues for Houston and the broader southeastern Texas region.