The Midday Brief: Nov. 8, 2011

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Next year's congressional and legislative elections in Texas will probably be conducted using political maps drawn by federal judges instead of those drawn by lawmakers. A federal court on Tuesday declined the state's request for a fast ruling, saying the state "used an improper standard or methodology" to figure out which districts gave minority voters an opportunity to elect their candidates of choice." — Federal Judges Will Draw New Political Maps for Texas
  

• "Gov. Rick Perry sat down for a one-on-one interview with ABC News' Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday morning. The 15-minute session included talk of Herman Cain, foreign policy, religion and Beethoven." — Video: Perry Tells Amanpour He'd Reconsider "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

• "U.S. Rep. Ron Paul appeared in an online-only interview with ABC News and Yahoo on Tuesday morning, part of a daylong series of one-on-one discussions with all eight Republican presidential candidates." — Video: Ron Paul Says Wealthy "Ripped Us Off"

• "Employees of the agency that regulates the Texas oil and gas industry will now be able to carry concealed firearms as they go about their work, following a unanimous vote on Tuesday by the three commissioners. 'The least we can do is allow them to exercise their legal right to carry firearms in accordance with state law,' said Commissioner Barry Smitherman." — Railroad Commission Scraps Concealed Firearms Ban

• "U.S. Sen. John Cornyn confronted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday about allegations of a Texas-based gun-walking operation similar to the controversial Fast and Furious operation in Arizona." — Updated: Cornyn Presses Holder on Alleged Texas Operation

• "Hey, Texplainer: What will happen to Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams now that the video of him beating his then 16-year-old daughter has gone viral?" — Texplainer: Will Judge Who Beat Daughter Be Punished?

• "On last night's episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert 'defended' state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, who came under fire last week for using an ethnic slur in a legislative hearing." — Colbert on Larry Taylor: "Get Off His Back, Media"