The Evening Brief: Aug. 27, 2013

Culled

•    Rick Perry will return to Iowa for Polk County GOP dinner (Des Moines Register): "Former presidential candidate Rick Perry will be the guest speaker for the Polk County Republicans’ fall dinner, organizers say."

•    Joaquin Castro to share stage with three presidents at MLK ceremony (Houston Chronicle): "San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro will be one of a few select members of Congress who will share a stage with President Barack Obama when he marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 'I Have a Dream' speech. Obama, the first African-American president, will deliver remarks Wednesday on the very steps of the Lincoln Memorial where King delivered his address in 1963 during he March on Washington."

•    Cornyn demands that Obama consult Congress before Syria military action (Houston Chronicle): "As tensions mount in the debate over how President Obama should respond to Syria’s use of chemical weapons, Texas Sen. John Cornyn Tuesday urged the president to include Congress in making his decision. 'Before any action is taken regarding Syria, it is imperative that President Obama make the case to the American people and consult with Congress,' said Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican."

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Torres Launches First Campaign Video in Comptroller Bid: "In his first campaign video as a candidate for comptroller, former state Rep. Raul Torres touts his interests in ending 'sweetheart insider deals and politics as usual.' The Corpus Christi Republican also highlights his background as a certified public accountant."

•    In Rural Texas, Living Without Home Internet: "Broadband internet is available to the vast majority of Texans, but many choose not to subscribe, often because they're not convinced it will enhance their lives."

•    Energy Lobbyists Set Sights on Prairie Chicken: "Some of Texas’ biggest oil and gas lobbyists are hoping to take control of the fate of the fast-disappearing lesser prairie chicken — much like what happened with the dunes sagebrush lizard earlier this year."

•    Border Wedding Ceremony Highlights Immigration Battle: "A Mexican woman who falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen nearly a decade ago is barred from ever entering this country, despite her marriage on Tuesday to an American living in El Paso. It's a rule one Texas congressman hopes to change."