The Midday Brief: Aug. 31, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said today that Texas hasn't done a good enough job at protecting workers, marking the second time this month that a member of the Obama cabinet has leveled criticism at Gov. Rick Perry." — Another swipe at Rick Perry from Obama cabinet, Trail Blazers

• "Just two days before the Texas Legislature's new laws take effect, pro-choicers across the state got some good news—the infamous sonogram law can't be implemented until the court case around it is settled. But that hardly makes this a happy week for women's health advocates. They've got to brace for drastic funding cuts across the state starting Thursday." — For Women's Health in Texas, a Week of Mixed Emotions, The Texas Observer

• "Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, who was hospitalized this week after falling ill while fasting in a Texas prison, has been upgraded from critical to serious condition, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Wednesday." — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs upgraded to serious condition, CNN

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Confirming the worst-kept secret in college football, Texas A&M University formally notified officials of the Big 12 this morning that it's applying to join another athletic conference." — Aggies Notify Big 12: We're Outta Here

• "We figured not everyone would have time to read the 220-page work. So we read the book again (yes, we did read our governor’s book when it first came out) to produce a (relatively) quick guide to Fed Up! A kind of CliffsNotes, Trib style. And before anyone writes us to complain about what Perry writes, please note: We did not fact check the book." — We Read Rick Perry's "Fed Up!" So You Don't Have To

• "The Texas commissioner of agriculture on the 'catastrophic' devastation he's seen from the worst one-year drought in recorded Texas history, what the feds and state are doing and what needs to happen to cope with a potential multiyear drought." — Todd Staples: The TT Interview

• "DAY 31 of our month-long series on the effects of new state laws and budget cuts: Nursing homes were spared the draconian cuts proposed by lawmakers at the beginning of the 2011 session. Still, despite growing caseloads and rising medical costs, they move forward with less state and federal support." — 31 Days, 31 Ways: Nursing Homes Brace for Higher Costs, Sicker Patients