The Evening Brief: Oct. 1, 2013

Culled

•    Perry: Wife Misspoke About Abortion (Bloomberg): "Texas Gov. Rick Perry today owned up to an 'oops' moment that wasn’t even his. His wife, Anita, misspoke when she told a journalist that abortion is a woman’s right, Perry, 63, a Republican who opposes terminating pregnancies, told a crowd in Smithville, New Jersey. 'From time to time we’ll stick the wrong word in the wrong place, and you pounce upon it,' Perry told reporters at a campaign event for U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan, a 57-year-old Republican from Bogota."

•    GOP braces for shutdown fallout (Politico): "Despite a firm belief that the public is on their side in opposition to Obamacare, there is palpable fear among Republicans on Capitol Hill that they will not be rewarded for taking such a tough stand against the law, which helped lead to the first government shutdown in 17 years early Tuesday. And there is even deeper concern that President Barack Obama won’t give any ground in the battle over his signature legislative achievement and House Speaker John Boehner will eventually capitulate, leaving Republicans with little to show for after a raging political fight."

•    Texas attorney general’s race sees strange endorsement (San Antonio Express-News): "To confuse voters further, one of the largest anti-abortion organizations in the state, Texas Right to Life, issued a 'dual endorsement' Monday for Paxton and Smitherman. The group’s lobbyist and activists worked closely with conservative lawmakers to pass some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country this summer."

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Abbott Announces Settlement Over American Airlines Merger: "Under a settlement announced Tuesday, American Airlines has agreed to ensure that after its merger with US Airways, the airline will maintain daily service to 22 Texas airports for at least three years."

•    Federal Marketplace Launches With High Expectations, Hiccups: "The much-anticipated launch of the federal health insurance marketplace — intended to help Texans find health coverage to comply with the Affordable Care Act — got off to a rocky start on Tuesday."

•    Poll: Texans Split Along Party Lines on Federal Health Care Law: "Texans oppose the Affordable Care Act by a relatively narrow margin, and are divided on the issue along party lines, according to a poll conducted by the Texas Lyceum."

•    Dewhurst Ad: "A Real Christian Man and Family Man": "Supporters of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talk about the virtues of their candidate — he's a conservative Christian family man who's not a typical politician — in a new video for his re-election campaign."

•    Dallas Hair Braider to Sue Over Regulations: "A well-known Dallas hair braider, whose clients include Erykah Badu, is suing Texas, arguing the state is violating her constitutional rights with onerous requirements for operating a school to teach hair braiding."