The Midday Brief: May 17, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

“Cynthia Dunbar does not have a high regard for her local schools. She has called them unconstitutional, tyrannical and tools of perversion. The conservative Texas lawyer has even likened sending children to her state's schools to "throwing them in to the enemy's flames".” — Texas schools board rewrites US history with lessons promoting God and guns — The Guardian

“As the state's Latino population continues to expand over the next two decades, if current trends stay the same, Texas is in danger of developing what one academic describes as a “permanent underclass.” Widespread poverty could pull down the standard of living for all Texans.” — A warning signaled for Latinos and Texas — Houston Chronicle

“The Obama Administration's $346 million request would slash appropriations for Mexico's military by $236 million compared with the fiscal year 2010 estimate. But the 2011 funding request focuses more on the judicial system and civilian police than on military operations. Only $8 million of that appropriation is requested for Mexico's military.” — Obama Shifts Focus On Mexican Counternarcotics — National Journal

“Samples have been sent for testing to see whether the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico helped kill the dolphins.” — Dead dolphins wash up on coast; Gulf oil spill's role unclear — The Associated Press

“It costs more than $10,000 a month in rent, utilities and upkeep to house Perry in a five-bedroom, seven-bath mansion that has pecan-wood floors, a gourmet kitchen and three dining rooms. Perry has also spent $130,000 in campaign donations to throw parties, buy food and drink, and pay for cable TV and a host of other services since he moved in, the records show.” — Gov. Perry’s temporary digs cost Texas big bucks — The Associated Press

New in the Texas Tribune:

“Colley led the state's emergency response to some of Texas' largest disasters, including the Space Shuttle Columbia crash in 2003, Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008. He also coordinated sheltering efforts for thousands of evacuees who fled to Texas after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.” — TribBlog: DPS Emergency Chief Dies

“To deal with those harsh realities, the Legislature last year authorized counties to create "deferred prosecution programs" for returning veterans who can prove their delinquency can be traced to their combat exposure.” — The War at Home

“This statewide telephone survey of 500 likely voters in Texas was conducted by Rasmussen on May 13; the margin of error is +/- 4.5 percent.” — TribBlog: Texans Strongly Back Repeal of Health Care Reform