The Midday Brief: July 25, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "With each passing week, Texas Governor Rick Perry seems to be inching closer to a run for the presidency. … Here’s a look at the losers should Perry decide to enter the race, a decision that could come as soon as next month." — Who Loses If Rick Perry Gets In?, Time

• "Perry no longer has to worry about straw poll expectations because the Republican Party decided not to place his name on the ballot.  Had he been on the ballot, other campaigns and the media could have rightfully placed some expectations on him, but all of that vanished when they left him and others off the ballot." — Iowa GOP Clears Major Obstacle for Perry, The Iowa Republican

• "Rep. Beverly Woolley, a longtime Republican Party activist elevated to some of the most prestigious leadership positions in the Texas House, announced today — her 72nd birthday — that she would not seek re-election to represent her West Houston district." — Beverly Woolley will retire at the end of her term, Texas Politics

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The presidential election primary season is seven months away, and Texans are already opening their pocketbooks to show support for their favorite candidates. The Trib’s visualizations of data from federal campaign finance reports reveal who has collected and spent the most in Texas." — Tracking the Money: Presidential Candidates and Texas

• "This will be the first year school accountability ratings will not contain a mechanism that, for some schools, had boosted their scores and led to higher ratings. Now they'll have to explain to parents what the change means for their kids." — Change in Ratings Protocol Worries Some Schools