The Midday Brief: May 21, 2010

Your afternoon reading.

“A Texas natural gas magnate last month gave $1 million to American Crossroads, a new 527 group conceived by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie to boost Republicans headed into the 2010 midterm elections.” — New GOP group gets $1 million contribution — Politico  

“Who else has shown such courage in the long struggle for immigration reform? Not Mr. McCain, who ditched his principled support of rational immigration legislation to better his odds in a close re-election campaign against a far-right-wing opponent. Not President Obama, who has retreated to lip service and vagueness in his calls for reform.” — Courage in Arizona — The New York Times

“The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.” — AP INVESTIGATION: Texas man fakes way into Army — Houston Chronicle

“Not that Bolton, who served a stormy four-year term as Dallas police chief that ended with his firing in 2003, wasn't forthcoming and earnest. He was entirely ready to tell a strikingly familiar story of being wronged, of being misunderstood, of being falsely accused and unfairly fired.” — Happy ending to legal battles seems unlikely for ex-Dallas police Chief Terrell Bolton — The Dallas Morning News

“But the sharp rise in extraditions has not been matched by broader success in breaking the violent crime syndicates that control much of the border. In fact, the extraditions might be responsible for a surge in brutality, say experts in and out of government.” — U.S. applauds record number of extraditions from Mexico, but drug war violence continues — The Washington Post

New in the Texas Tribune:

“With heads bowed in the room, Dunbar took care to mention the early colonial documents in which she believes the constitution is rooted, such as Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, a favorite of social conservatives on the board who call the separation of church and state a myth.” — TribBlog: Praying for Church and State

“The worst employment situation in Texas is in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, where seasonally unadjusted unemployment hit 11.1 percent last month. It was 10.8 in Brownsville-Harlingen, and 10.6 percent in Beaumont-Port Arthur.” — TribBlog: Unemployment Up, But So Is Employment