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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 29 augusT 2017

White House clears way for police to obtain military gear

By SADIE GURMAN tween officers and their and support state and lo- ficers, endorsed Trump for cism, with Obama failing
Associated Press communities. President cal police. Restoring the president after he promised to support them sufficiently.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lo- Barack Obama had sharp- program will “ensure that to revamp the program. Trump, feeling increasing-
cal police departments ly curtailed the program in you can get the lifesaving Sessions said restrictions im- ly under attack in recent
will soon have access to 2015 amid an outcry over gear that you need to do posed by Obama went too weeks, has been doubling
grenade launchers, high- the heavily-armed police your job,” Attorney General far. “We will not put superfi- down on appeals to core
caliber weapons and other response to protesters af- Jeff Sessions told a cheer- cial concerns above public supporters. Last week, he
surplus U.S. military gear af- ter several police killings of ing crowd at a national safety,” he said. In issuing pardoned the controver-
ter President Donald Trump black men in Ferguson, Mis- convention of the Fraternal the order, Trump is fulfilling sial former Arizona sheriff
signed an order Monday souri and other cities. The Order of Police in Nash- a campaign pledge made Joe Arpaio, who had been
reviving a Pentagon pro- Trump administration main- ville, Tennessee. The group, as he depicted crime as found guilty of defying a
gram that civil rights groups tains the program is need- America’s largest organi- rampant and police forces judge’s order to stop racial-
say inflames tensions be- ed to protect public safety zation of rank-and-file of- undercut by unfair criti- ly profiling Latinos.q
Trump prepares to travel to Texas as state copes with Harvey

By HOPE YEN long haul to help rebuild
KEN THOMAS Texas and all the affected
Associated Press areas from Hurricane Har-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- vey.” He estimated 500,000
dent Donald Trump on Americans could be eligi-
Monday prepared to visit ble for disaster assistance.
Texas to view the federal “The president has been
government’s response continuously engaged in
to Harvey’s devastating this.
flooding as his administra- We’ve all been deeply
tion vowed to help the concerned by the impact
millions of residents deal- of this storm,” Pence told
ing with the catastrophic KTRH radio in Houston.
storm. “We’re saddened by the
Harvey represented the first loss of life and the presi-
major natural disaster of dent is anxious to come to
Trump’s presidency and a the region.”
significant test for a White Pence said Trump, first lady
House that is often chaotic Melania Trump and Cabi-
and rife with infighting. net officials would visit Tues-
Attention on Harvey from day.
officials, the public and the Trump spent most of the
news media also allowed weekend at the presiden- President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, following
Trump to refocus after a tial retreat at Camp David, his return after spending the weekend at nearby Camp David, Md. Trump on Monday prepared
turbulent stretch that in- Maryland, and convened to visit Texas to view the federal government’s response to Harvey’s devastating flooding.
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
cluded his widely criticized his Cabinet by telephone
response to the white na- during the weekend.
tionalist protests in Charlot- He tweeted on Sunday on the president’s itinerary among his critics on wheth- Obama, tweeted: “It is al-
tesville, Virginia. a promise of a Texas visit were not yet immediately er his presence would com- ways a tricky calculation
Vice President Mike Pence “as soon as that trip can available. plicate efforts by emergen- on when to go,
said in a series of radio in- be made without caus- But by traveling to the re- cy responders to help Tex- but @realDonaldTrump go-
terviews on Monday that ing disruption” — later an- gion just days after Har- ans still in need. ing too early to Texas (tues)
the Trump administration nounced by the White vey made landfall, the Jennifer Psaki, a former would divert significant
would “be there for the House as Tuesday. Details president raised questions aide to President Barack resources.”q

Trump defends decision to pardon Arizona’s Arpaio

By JILL COLVIN “great job for the people of fame by aggressively tar- tion, especially right before details of Trump’s plan
Associated press Arizona” and argued that geting immigrants living in an election, an election to ban transgender indi-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- he’d been treated “un- the U.S. illegally using tac- that he would have won,” viduals from serving in the
dent Donald Trump on believable unfairly” by the tics that Latino and immi- Trump said during the event military. But Trump pushed
Monday defended his de- Obama administration. grants’ rights advocates on Monday. back on the assumption
cision to pardon Joe Ar- “He’s done a great job for likened to racial profiling. “So I stand by my pardon the timing was intended
paio, calling the former Ari- the people of Arizona. He is He faced a possible jail of Sheriff Joe and I think the to bury the news, claim-
zona sheriff a “patriot” who very strong on borders, very sentence on a federal con- people of Arizona who re- ing instead that he’d an-
loves his country. strong on illegal immigra- viction stemming from his ally know him best would nounced the pardon then
Asked about his controver- tion. He is loved in Arizona,” refusal to halt certain immi- agree with me.” The White because he knew people
sial pardon during a joint Trump said. Trump’s deci- gration patrols. House’s Friday announce- would be watching.
press conference with the sion drew criticism from “Sheriff Joe is a patriot. ment came as Hurricane “In the middle of a hurri-
president of Finland on both sides of the aisle, and Sheriff Joe loves our coun- Harvey threatened to bat- cane, even though it was
Monday, Trump insisted renewed allegations that try. Sheriff Joe protected ter Texas with heavy winds Friday evening, I assumed
that “a lot of people” be- he has little respect for an our borders and Sheriff Joe and severe flooding and the ratings would be far
lieve he made the right call. independent judiciary. was very unfairly treated shortly after the administra- higher than they would be
He said Arpaio had done a Arpaio shot to national by the Obama administra- tion outlined long-awaited normally,” he said.q