President Donald Trump will head to Texas for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 120 people, which the administration has characterized as a once-in-a-lifetime event.
While the administration isn't backing away from its pledges to shutter the Federal Emergency Management Agency and return disaster response to the states as part of Trump's push to slash federal services, it has lessened its focus on the topic since the July 4 disaster, underscoring how tragedy can complicate political calculations.
The president is expected to do an aerial tour of some of the hard-hit areas, a relatively common practice that allows presidents to visit disaster sites and hopefully ease logistical burdens for authorities on the ground. The White House also says he'll visit the state emergency operations center to meet with first responders and relatives of flood victims. Trump will also get a briefing from officials.
Here's the latest:
Secular group wants to stop settlement between IRS and church group in Johnson Amendment case
Americans United for Separation of Church and State on Thursday filed documents to intervene in the settlement between the IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters.
Earlier this week, the IRS and church groups submitted a joint filing in Texas federal court, agreeing the IRS wouldn't enforce the rarely used IRS rule, called the Johnson Amendment, against the plaintiffs.
The Johnson Amendment is a 1954 amendment to the U.S. tax code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.