The Evening Brief: May 7, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Patrick, Carona Snipe at Each Other in Email Exchange: "The quiet race to be the next lieutenant governor of Texas spilled into a nasty email exchange between two senators with aspirations for that post. In an email apparently sent to all of his Senate colleagues — and obtained and published by a political news website, the Quorum Report — Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, accused Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, of spreading rumors that Patrick and his wife were splitting after decades of marriage."

• Ron Paul Backs Cruz, but Cruz Not Returning the Favor: "While U.S. Rep. Ron Paul endorsed former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz on Sunday to be the next U.S. senator from Texas, Cruz isn't returning the favor and endorsing Paul's presidential bid."

• Perry Asks Obama to Address Growing Number of Illegal-Immigrant Minors: "Calling the 'humanitarian crisis' a byproduct of President Obama’s failed effort to secure the border, Gov. Rick Perry has asked the White House to address an influx of unaccompanied minors crossing in to the country."

Culled:

• Medicaid spending growing faster than Texas taxes (The Associated Press): Texas' share for providing health care to poor children, the impoverished elderly and the disabled is growing faster than tax revenues to pay for services, creating another state budget challenge next year, top agency officials told lawmakers Monday.

• Addison rips Tea Party Express for 'reprehensible' on-again, off-again invites: "Populist Republican Glenn Addison says a national tea party group supporting his rival Ted Cruz in the Texas Senate race made a sham show of inviting other Senate hopefuls to its six rallies across Texas, and then muscled him off a roster of speakers only hours before a scheduled rally in Austin Sunday."