The details of the deal … provide evidence that Trump’s business was actively pursuing significant commercial interests in Russia at the same time he was campaigning to be president — and in a position to determine U.S.-Russia relations. The new details from the emails, which are scheduled to be turned over to congressional investigators soon, also point to the likelihood of additional contacts between Russia-connected individuals and Trump associates during his presidential bid.

The deal never came together, but that last bit suggests that this story will likely yield more revelations.

* UNDER TRUMP, DREAMERS COULD GET DEPORTED: Trump may be on the verge of killing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama-era executive action that gives the “dreamers” work permits and protects them from deportation. The New York Times explains the consequences:

DACA has changed the lives of many beneficiaries, enabling them to qualify for financial aid for college, secure better jobs and open bank accounts. … if DACA ends, those who benefit from the program would again be eligible for deportation. And they would not be hard to find — the Department of Homeland Security has DACA and tax documents showing their addresses, which may also be the addresses of their undocumented parents.

That is another reason there will be great pressure on the GOP-controlled Congress to protect them legislatively, via some form of legalization. Trump is dumping this in Republicans’ laps.

* HURRICANE HARVEY WILL PUT MASSIVE PRESSURE ON TRUMP, CONGRESS: With catastrophic floods ravaging Texas, The Post reports that the White House and Congress will soon begin talks on a multibillion-dollar recovery package. Note this:

The storm comes as Washington was gripped with a budget battle and little time to resolve differences. Many government operations are funded through only the end of September, and Trump has threatened to partially shut down the government … Harvey could upend that budget fight, pressuring politicians to reach a quick resolution. That is because a government shutdown could sideline agencies involved in a rescue and relief effort that officials are predicting will last years.

One can only hope. As an aside, note that this could give Trump a way to justify not getting the funding for the wall that he has threatened a government shutdown over.

* DEMOCRATS EXPLOITING GOP ETHICS WOES: Politico reports that Democratic strategists are increasingly focused on the ethical transgressionS of individual GOP incumbents in the battle for the House:

Among the incumbents on their early target list are California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, whose ties to Russian officials have come under scrutiny and was once warned by the FBI that Russian spies were trying to recruit him; New Jersey Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who faces an ethics complaint from an outside watchdog group over a letter that some perceived as targeting an activist; New York Rep. Chris Collins, whose stock-market investments are under investigation … and California Rep. Devin Nunes, whose handling of classified information is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee.

It is often forgotten, but corruption was one of the big factors that led to the Democratic takeover of the House in 2006.

* WHY TRUMP PARDONED ARPAIO: Paul Krugman doesn’t mince words:

Arpaio, with his racism and authoritarianism, really is his kind of guy. … standing up for white people who keep brown people down pleases Trump’s base, whom he’s going to need more than ever as the scandals creep closer and the big policy wins he promised keep not happening.

This was sadly predictable, given the deafening cheers that greeted Trump’s hint at a coming Arpaio pardon at his recent Arizona rally.

* TILLERSON SEEMS TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM TRUMP: On “Fox News Sunday,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asserted to Chris Wallace that American values had not been diminished by Trump’s Charlottesville response. Then this happened:

WALLACE: And the president’s values? TILLERSON: The president speaks for himself, Chris. WALLACE: Are you separating yourself from that, sir? TILLERSON: I’ve spoken – I’ve made my own comments as to our values as well in a speech I gave to the State Department this past week.

Tillerson not only appeared unwilling to vouch for the president’s values; he also would not say that they are in sync with American values.

* YEP, IT’S TRUMP’S PARTY NOW: McClatchy’s Katie Glueck talks to a lot of Republicans at the RNC’s summer meeting, and finds that most still fully embrace President Trump:

In conversations with RNC officials from across the country, gathered here at a sprawling resort this week, the vast majority of them expressed positive views of Trump, pointing to his help in fundraising for the party, his work on rolling back regulations and his appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

Never mind the weak condemnation of white supremacy; the incessant lying about immigrants; the nonstop erosion of our norms; and the relentless profiting off the presidency. The deregulation, SCOTUS seat and (expected) massive tax cuts for the rich make it all worthwhile.