The Evening Brief: Oct. 12, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune: 

·  Why Longhorns Owe Their Survival in Part to Oklahoma: As Bevo arrives in Dallas ahead of Saturday's Red River Rivalry football game, it's worth remembering that longhorn cattle might have gone extinct nearly a century ago but for the quick actions of some federal employees, who assembled a herd on an Oklahoma wildlife refuge. 

· With UT System Support, Firm Tackles Employment Issues: In August 2011, the University of Texas System invested $10 million and claimed a 22.5 percent stake in Austin-based educational software startup MyEdu to help students better plan their degrees.

· Readying a Rail Bridge Over the Rio Grande: The last time the Texas-Mexico border witnessed a ribbon cutting for a railway bridge, the United States had yet to witness two world wars or Prohibition. And Mexico had not yet seen its own country in the throes of revolution.

· Video: Wayne Faircloth Focuses on Job Growth in Ad: In a video released Friday, Wayne Faircloth, the Republican nominee for House District 23, says his career as a small-business owner has prepared him to work on balancing the state budget and create jobs. He is running against state Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston.

· TribLive: A Conversation with Three House Hopefuls: Full video of Evan Smith's TribLive conversation with three Texas House hopefuls: Republicans Stephanie Klick and Chris Paddie and Democrat Justin Rodriguez. 

Culled:

· Tweet police? Texas Rangers probe draws questions: The Texas Rangers flash the baddest badge in the Lone Star State. They're the top cops working the biggest crimes beneath iconic white cowboy hats. They're the bodyguards for the governor. All of which raises the question: Why are they investigating a Twitter prank poking fun at a small-town city council?

·‘Hit piece’ film takes more nuanced view on Texas education: Documentary film maker Scott Thurman expected his examination of how Texas develops science and history curriculum standards for public schools would be “a hit piece” on right-wing extremists pushing creationism for science and political ideology for history.

· Texas health firm owner pleads guilty: $374M fraud: The owner of a North Texas home health services company has pleaded guilty in a $374 million Medicare billing scheme linked to an indicted doctor.