The Midday Brief: July 13, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "The Freedom from Religion Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Texas governor's day of prayer and fasting. The organization which is made up of atheists and agnostics argues that Gov. Rick Perry is violating the constitutional ban on the government establishing a religion." — Groups files lawsuit to stop Perry prayer day, The Associated Press
  

• "With the Texas libertarian opting out of another term in Congress, his 2012 presidential bid becomes an all-or-nothing gamble. What's he thinking?" — Why Ron Paul isn't running for re-election: 4 theories, The Week

• "Despite the growing interest in his running for president, Texas Gov. Rick Perry told pastors today that his prayer rally in Houston next month will not be a political event." — Perry prayer rally will not be political in nature, organizers say, PoliTex

• "The Texas Education Agency said Tuesday that it is laying off 178 employees this week. Those are among the first of thousands of state government layoffs expected in the coming weeks." — TEA to lay off 178 workers, Austin American-Statesman

• "Given that there are dozens of other foreigners on death row in the U.S. who were similarly deprived of consular representation, this matter is not going to be—nor should it be—put to rest any time soon. Regardless of whether or not Leal was guilty of rape and capital murder (and he probably was), legal commentators are likely to look at last week’s decision, which split the Roberts court along typical 5-4 lines, and criticize it as yet another conservative narrowing of criminal defendants’ liberties. But don’t just blame the judicial branch on this one. Blame the executive branch, too." — How Obama Could Have Stayed the Execution of Humberto Leal Garcia, The New Republic

New in The Texas Tribune:

• PerryTracker update! We've added a few more destinations to the governor's travel agenda through October. Check it out. — Updated: More Dates Added to PerryTracker

• "Some Texas Republicans are embracing a cross-border trucking agreement between the U.S. and Mexico that labor unions worry could kill jobs and drastically reduce border security." — Trucking Program Raises Border Policy Questions

• "Federal regulators have determined that safety and environmental claims need to be investigated more thoroughly before a site in Victoria County can be declared suitable for a potential nuclear power plant." — Regulators Approve More Safety, Environmental Studies of Proposed Nuclear Plant Site