The Midday Brief: January 20, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• “Senate Democrats prepared to meet on Wednesday to consider the fate of the Democratic health care overhaul now that Scott Brown’s decisive Senate victory in Massachusetts has cost them their razor-thin advantage.” – Democrats Regroup on Health After Losing Seat ­– The New York Times

• “Gov. Rick Perry's campaign announced this morning that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign with the governor on Feb. 7 in the Houston area.” – Date set for Sarah Palin’s appearance with Gov.  Rick Perry – The Dallas Morning News

• “A new Web site is urging people to ‘Boycott Houston.’ Why? Because the site's owner thinks the city is becoming ‘a Texas version of San Francisco’ and ‘the abortion capital of America.’” – Pastor calls for a boycott of Houston – Houston Chronicle

• “Behind the daily toll of drug murders, thousands of ‘narco widows’, along with mothers, sisters and children, are paying dearly for a trade that has killed some 17,000 people in three years, the vast majority healthy young men.” – Mexico's drug war leaves a generation of narco widows ­­– Reuters

• “Having been discussing the idea lately of closing prisons in Texas, the question quickly turns to "Which one(s)?" – Sugarland’s Central Unit near top of the prison closure list ­– Grits for Breakfast

• “A judge ruled on Wednesday that fired Texas Tech coach Mike Leach’s lawsuit against the university can go forward but not as quickly as his attorneys wanted.” – Judge rules Leach lawsuit can go forward ­– Associated Press

New in the Texas Tribune:

• “The presiding judge of the state's highest criminal court will not be removed from the bench.” – Special Master Recommends Reprimand for Keller

• “State employees who commit heinous acts against Texas' most profoundly disabled citizens rarely get charged with crimes, let alone go” – Abuse of Power