Washington, Jul 11 (AP) President Donald Trump has landed in Texas for a firsthand look at the devastation caused by catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 120 people, which the administration has characterised 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 centre to meet with first responders and relatives of flood victims. Trump will also get a briefing from officials.

Here's the latest: State Department staffer says they were cut while already on administrative leave Jessica Bradley Rushing, who worked at the State Department office tasked with Afghan relocation efforts, told The Associated Press she was shocked Friday when she received a dismissal notice from the agency.

Rushing had already signed a deferred resignation agreement with State in March that put her on administrative leave until end of September.

She said in a phone interview with AP that she spent the entire morning getting updates from her colleagues still at State's Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) “who were watching sort of this carnage take place within the office.” “I never even anticipated that I could be at risk for that because I'm already on administrative leave and then I happened to open my email and see that I also got the RIF' notice,” Rushing said.

Foreign service union blasts State Department cuts as untethered from merit or mission' The American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents U.S. diplomats, said it opposes the Trump administration's decision to cut 18 per cent of its workforce Friday “at a moment of great global instability.” “In less than six months, the U.S. has shed at least 20 percent of its diplomatic workforce through shuttering of institutions and forced resignations,” the organization said in a statement. “Losing more diplomatic expertise at this critical global moment is a catastrophic blow to our national interests.

The group added that if the administration had issues with excess staffing, there were “clear, institutional mechanisms” that could have resolved that issued.

“Instead, these layoffs are untethered from merit or mission. They target diplomats not for how they've served or the skills they have, but for where they happen to be assigned. That is not reform,” the statement continued.

Trumps get ready to see flood damage by air Trump was wearing a suit without a tie as he boarded Marine One in Texas and prepared to do an aerial tour of the flooding devastation. Melania Trump was dressed down, wearing a khaki jacket, olive pants and Converse sneakers, as well as a ball cap.

Trump lands in Texas Air Force One has touched down in San Antonio and will be traveling to Kerrville.

Kerr County commissioner calls Trump's visit to the flooded communities a good thing “He's here to pledge his federal support like he already has with FEMA. That's important as a leader to be where the point of friction is. That's what a leader does.” Jeff Holt said.

Holt is also a member of the Centre Point Volunteer Fire Department. If Trump asks him what they need for the future, Holt said he will tell the president “(phone) towers, then maybe a little better early warning system.” Holt noted the early warning system is a topic for the state Legislature in a special session that starts July 23.

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 US tax code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

Americans United is requesting intervenor status in the case and is asking the court to reject the proposal because it would grant favor and privilege to religious organizations and treat them differently than secular nonprofits, violating the separation of church and state.

“The Trump administration's radical reinterpretation of the Johnson Amendment is a flagrant, self-serving attack on church-state separation that threatens our democracy by favoring houses of worship over other nonprofits and inserting them into partisan politics,” said AU President and CEO Rachel Laser.

Democrats on House Oversight Committee seek documents, communications on Texas flooding response The lawmakers say they're requesting the information to better understand the federal response and prevent such disasters from happening again.

The letters were spearheaded by the Oversight Committee's recently elected ranking member, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, as well as Reps. Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett of Texas, who also sit on the committee.

The group also says reported changes to agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is housed in the Department of Homeland Security, may have contributed to a lack of preparedness.

“We are deeply concerned not only that Secretary Noem may have effectively crippled the agency's ability to respond to this crisis, but also that she failed to personally act to ensure a timely response,” reads a letter sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Democrats also inquired about alleged failures in early warning systems across impacted areas in two separate letters to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Commerce Department's inspector general.

White House invites Cornyn, Cruz and Hunt on Air Force One The lawmakers flying with the president en route to Kerrville, Texas, on Friday include the state's two senators and a House member who represents a district far from the flood damage site.

On the presidential aircraft are Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Rep. Wesley Hunt, who hails from a Houston-area district.

Houston is about 250 miles east of Kerrville.

Hunt, notably, is considering a run in the Texas Senate GOP primary against Cornyn, who's up for reelection next year.

The House lawmaker who represents Kerrville is Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican.(AP) RD RD