The Midday Brief: Nov. 1, 2011

Your afternoon reading:

• "Texas Gov. Rick Perry stands at a now-or-never moment for his presidential campaign, teetering between second-tier status and emerging as the prime alternative to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the nomination fight." — Rick Perry: It’s now or never, The Washington Post

• "Texas Governor Rick Perry said he 'felt good, felt great' during a weekend event in New Hampshire. Video of Perry giving the freewheeling speech  went viral this week and was parodied on late night TV, but Perry dismissed questions, saying video can be manipulated to appear a certain way." — Rick Perry on Viral Video: ‘I felt good, felt great,' ABC News

• "Texas Gov. Rick Perry will begin airing television and radio ads in the first-in-the-nation Granite State on Wednesday, NH Journal has learned. Perry has begun running ads in Iowa, as well." — Breaking: Perry hitting New Hampshire airwaves, NH Journal

• "More than 60 percent of Texas school districts expect further staffing reductions next year as they grapple with state budget reductions, according to a survey by school finance consultant Moak, Casey & Associates." — Survey: More cuts to school jobs expected next year, Austin American-Statesman

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Rick Perry, looking for the reset button on his flagging presidential campaign, is back in first-test Iowa for a series of candidate forums, town hall gatherings and meet-and-greet events." — Perry Seeks Campaign Reset Button in Iowa

• "TxDOT, the state's giant transportation agency, plans to hire five new executives — each paid up to at least $250,000 annually. How do the eyebrow-raising salaries, which have come in for heavy criticism, compare to those at other public entities? We checked our government employee salary database to find out." — How Do TxDOT's New Salaries Compare to Other State Agencies?