The Evening Brief: Oct. 3, 2013

New in The Texas Tribune

•    Davis Makes it Official, Enters Governor's Race: "State Sen. Wendy Davis, standing on the stage where she got her high school diploma more than 30 years ago, finally announced what has been anticipated, telegraphed and talked about for weeks: She is running for Texas governor."

•    Video: In New Ad, Abbott Vows to Keep Texas Red: "In a new advertisement for his gubernatorial campaign, Attorney General Greg Abbott promises he will preserve Texas and keep President Barack Obama and his allies from turning the state blue."

•    Railroad Commission Candidates Promise to Stick Around Awhile: "Texans have long viewed the Railroad Commission as a launching pad for higher office. Each candidate in this year's crowded race for an open seat has promised to serve a full term, if elected."

•    Zebra Mussels Threaten Central Texas Reservoirs: "The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has confirmed the presence of invasive zebra mussels in Belton Lake. After watching other Texas regions battle the mussels, experts are concerned the species could jeopardize the water supply in Central Texas."

Culled

•    Texas anti-abortion ad to hit Wendy Davis (Politico): "Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator who is poised to announce a Democratic bid for governor on Thursday, is an 'abortion zealot' out of step with the rest of the state, according to a new ad going up in Texas this weekend. 'Wendy Davis puts late-term abortion ahead of our faith, our families and our Texas values,' charges the 60-second radio ad from Texas Right to Life shared first with POLITICO."

•    Congressman Confronts Park Ranger Over Closed WWII Memorial (NBC Washington): "Conflict over the responsibility for the government shutdown got personal at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Wednesday when a member of Congress confronted a U.S. Park Service Ranger over access to the closed park land. The congressman was Randy Neugebauer, a Republican representing Texas. He confronted the ranger in the middle of a crowd of tourists as she was keeping most of the public out of the closed World War II memorial. … 'How do you look at them and... deny them access?' said Neugebauer."

•    Harry Reid: Ted Cruz acting as 'joint speaker of House' (Politico): "On Day Three of a partial government shutdown, the Senate got off to a snippy start as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid elevated Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as the new 'joint speaker' of the House of Representatives. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, was referring to the Republican-led House’s new tactic of passing piecemeal funding bills to fund agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. The House leadership 'is following Cruz’s idea specifically,' Reid said. 'Sen. Cruz is now joint speaker. He lectures the House on occasion, as he does people over here.'"

•    Millions of Poor Are Left Uncovered by Health Law (The New York Times): "A sweeping national effort to extend health coverage to millions of Americans will leave out two-thirds of the poor blacks and single mothers and more than half of the low-wage workers who do not have insurance, the very kinds of people that the program was intended to help, according to an analysis of census data by The New York Times."