Tipsheet: Tight polls put GOP on edge in Texas

View in your browser     Tight polls put GOP on edge in Texas BY JONATHAN EASLEY   AUSTIN — Texas Republicans are on edge as polls show President Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden running neck and neck in the Lone Star State with less than five months to go before Election Day. Most GOP operatives in the state still view Trump as the odds-on favorite to carry Texas and its 38 Electoral College votes in November. But they’re increasingly open to the outside possibility that Texas could go blue in the presidential race for the first time since 1976. Read the full story here     Trump reschedules Tulsa rally after criticism of overlap with Juneteenth BY BRETT SAMUELS   President Trump will push back his planned rally for next week by one day to avoid overlapping with Juneteenth, he said Friday, citing widespread criticism that the campaign event would fall on the same day that commemorates the end of slavery. Read the full story here     Trump heads to West Point amid fresh military tensions BY MORGAN CHALFANT AND BRETT SAMUELS   President Trump will address a group of West Point Military Academy graduates Saturday against a backdrop of disagreements with current and former military officials over his handling of demonstrations against racial injustice. Read the full story here     Trump officials to roll back LGBTQ protections BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL   The Trump administration will scrap ObamaCare's nondiscrimination protections for sex and gender identity under a final rule released Friday. Read the full story here       The Memo: Bolton and Trump gear up for book fight BY NIALL STANAGE   The opening skirmishes in a battle between President Trump and his former national security adviser John Bolton were being fought on Friday — and there are plenty more to come.  Read the full story here     Pence says he didn't accompany Trump to St. John's 'out of an abundance of caution' BY TAL AXELROD   Vice President Pence said Friday he did not accompany President Trump to St. John’s Episcopal Church last week for a photo opportunity out of “an abundance of caution” but said he would have been “happy” to join him. Read the full story here     Trump says he'll leave White House peacefully if Biden wins BY TAL AXELROD   President Trump said he’ll leave the White House peacefully if he loses this November’s presidential election, addressing concerns he would try to hold onto power after a defeat. Read the full story here     NYC Council leaders back push to cut $1B from police budget BY TAL AXELROD   New York City leaders Friday came out in support of a plan to cut $1 billion from the city’s police budget as protests across the country continue against systemic racism and police use of force. Read the full story here     CDC urges organizers of large gatherings to encourage mask wearing BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL   New guidance from federal health officials urges the organizers of large gatherings to require the use of face coverings among staff. Read the full story here     Starbucks reverses stance, will allow employees to wear clothes supporting Black Lives Matter BY MARTY JOHNSON   Starbucks on Friday reversed its stance barring employees from wearing clothing that supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Read the full story here     A better way to curb police brutality BY CAROLYN HEINRICH   OPINION | If we want to be effective in reforming the police and improving community relations, we will have to address a broader range of the root causes of excessive use of force. Read the full story here     Being commander in chief does not mean micromanaging the military BY DOV S. ZAKHEIM   OPINION | The president’s latest foray into controversy involving the military is certain to stir up more emotions and create major headaches for the military leadership. It evokes some of the worst memories that African Americans have of their past. For example, Gen. Henry Benning is better known for his staunch support of slavery than for his exploits on the battlefield.  Read the full story here     The New York Times: NY bans chokeholds and approves other measures to restrict police By LUIS FERRÉ-SADURNí AND JESSE MCKINLEY   New York on Friday became one of the first states to take meaningful action to restrict police forces after the killing of George Floyd, banning the use of chokeholds by law enforcement and repealing a half-century-old law that has kept police disciplinary records secret in the state. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Pandemic deepens economic pain at Trump’s company, already suffering from a tarnished brand By JOSHHUA PARTLOW, DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD AND JONATHAN O'CONNELL   Interviews with current and former Trump Organization employees and tenants, and emails obtained by The Washington Post, show the pandemic in particular has rattled operations at the company. With thousands of Trump’s hotel rooms empty, the company laid off or furloughed more than 2,800 employees and scoured for even the smallest savings. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Seattle protesters negotiate over leaving ‘Autonomous Zone’ By JIM CARLTON   Black Lives Matter protesters negotiated with local officials in Seattle on Friday over their terms for leaving a six block area that they have controlled for most of the week without a police presence. Read the full story here     NBC News: White House divide on Floyd response, as some push Trump for tougher tactics By CAROL E. LEE, COURTNEY KUBE, MONICA ALBA AND KRISTEN WELKER   With less than five months before voters head to the polls, President Donald Trump finds himself in an uncertain position: caught between advisers urging him to calm a country in the grips of a pandemic, economic uncertainty and civil unrest and those who want him to lean into aggressive tactics that almost certainly would further inflame a nation on edge. Read the full story here     Bloomberg: Beijing shuts some markets By BLOOMBERG STAFF   Beijing closed some food markets, including the city’s largest fruit-and-vegetable supply center, amid fears of a resurgence of the coronavirus. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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