The Midday Brief: Oct. 17, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul on Monday unveiled a plan to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget within one year by eliminating a handful of federal departments, including the Energy and Education departments. … Along with the Departments of Energy and Education, Paul also proposes eliminating the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, and Interior. Paul would also abolish the Transportation Security Administration, leaving security at airports and other transportation systems up to the private sector." — Ron Paul proposes saving $1T by scrapping five federal departments, CBS News

• "Mitt Romney’s 59-point plan is by far the most comprehensive and detailed in the Republican field, touching on everything from tax, trade and deregulation to retraining for job-seekers. Gov. Rick Perry weighed in Friday with ideas focused on expanding domestic oil and gas production. Herman Cain’s remedy hinges on a tax overhaul he calls the '9-9-9' plan.  Some of the ideas overlap. But there is little common ground with President Barack Obama." — Economic plans show differences between GOP presidential candidates, Obama, The Dallas Morning News

• "Although he is the most recent candidate to get into the presidential race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has received more news coverage — and more positive coverage — than any other White House hopeful, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism." — Study: Rick Perry nabs most news media coverage, USA Today

• "One day before a CNN Western Republican presidential debate, a new national survey indicates that Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are essentially tied for the lead in the race for the GOP nomination, with Rick Perry dropping to a distant third." — CNN Poll: Two-thirds of Republicans say minds are not made up, CNN

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley this morning announced the appointment of the Texas attorney general as special prosecutor in the Michael Morton case. A special grand jury is also being formed, he said." — Bradley Announces Special Prosecutor in Morton Case

• "The accreditation of one of the state's medical schools is in jeopardy, according to a memo from Francisco González-Scarano, dean of the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio, sent to faculty and staff today." — UT School of Medicine in San Antonio Put on Probation