The Midday Brief: Dec. 10, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• "Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul is poised to chair the House Domestic Monetary Policy Subcommittee, putting the gavel of the panel overseeing the Federal Reserve into the hands of one of the central bank's most outspoken critics." — Ron Paul to chair monetary policy subcommittee overseeing Fed, The Washington Post

• "Ralph Hall is poised to become the next chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee after fending off a challenge from California Republican Dana Rohrabacher." — Ralph Hall to chair Science panel, Politico

• "A Texan with a decade of experience on Capitol Hill as a Senate staffer and the last two years as a Houston-area congressman is on the fast-track to leadership in the just-elected Republican-led Congress." — Rep. Pete Olson wins prized House committee assignment, Texas on the Potomac

• "Texas' teacher pension fund awarded $9.7 million in performance bonuses to its investment team on Thursday after achieving a 12.6 percent one-year return for the fund." — $9.7 million investment bonuses awarded by Teacher Retirement System, Austin American-Statesman

• "The city traded barbs in federal court on Thursday with the Arizona-based company that operated its red-light camera program, arguing that a November referendum in which voters rejected the devices was legal." —  Judge wants to hear more in red-light camera spat, Houston Chronicle

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "State officials have denied incentive funding after the fact for Robert Rodriguez's film Machete, citing its allegedly unkind portrayal of Texas. Ironically, Gov. Rick Perry signed the bill creating the program into law at Rodriguez's Austin studio, with the director at his side." — Machete Denied Texas Film Incentives