Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of September 24, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

Chad Hasty, KFYO.com
Chad Hasty, KFYO.com
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1. Freezing Tuition Rates? (link)

Should college students be able to freeze their tuition rates? Governor Rick Perry thinks so.

Gov. Rick Perry said college students in Texas should be able to lock in four-year tuition rates when they arrive on campus, and lawmakers could consider the idea when they return to the Capitol in January.

The proposal is Perry's latest push against rising higher education costs. The effort has sometimes caused friction between the governor and administrators and faculty at some of the state's largest campuses. Perry has also championed $10,000 bachelor's degrees and called for greater efficiency at state universities to improve graduation rates.

Speaking Friday at the Texas Tribune festival, a three-day public policy forum in Austin, Perry didn't give many specifics about "freezing" tuition but seemed intent on pursuing it during the next legislative session.

"If you get out of the University of Texas with a $50,000 debt, I don't know if we've served you well," Perry told an audience of about 500 state leaders, lawmakers, officials and lobbyists. "We'll tell an incoming freshman, 'This is what the university will charge you for four years.'"

The Austin American-Statesman reported that initial reaction to Perry's idea appeared supportive. Texas State University System Chancellor Brian McCall, a former Texas House member, said it was the first time he'd heard Perry call for a four-year freeze.

McCall said that he hadn't considered a freeze before but that "we are now."

What do you think about this? I'm pretty sure that this would have the support of most people in Texas. The only ones who might not like it too much would be University Presidents.

2. Foreign Aid Continues (link)

The Senate rejected foreign aid cuts for Egypt, Libya, and Pakistan on Saturday.

By a vote of 81 to 10, the Senate on Saturday defeated legislation that would have suspended foreign aid to Pakistan, Egypt and Libya in the wake of the violent anti-American demonstrations in those countries. All 10 supporters of the bill were Republicans.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul had threatened to hold up all Senate business until the bill was considered. He succeeded in forcing a vote, but couldn’t come close to passage.

“When nearly 80 percent of Americans believe foreign aid should be reduced – especially to countries that are not our allies – it is inconceivable why their views are ignored by so many in Congress,” Paul said in a statement. “I am far from defeated on this; I will continue to fight for this issue when Congress returns, and I will continue to call attention to the billions of American dollars – borrowed from China, among other places – being sent to governments that are not willing to respect and protect our interests overseas.”

Just another example of how out of touch the Senate is with the American people. These countries are doing nothing to help the United States and do more harm to our country than good.

What do you think about foreign aid? Should it be slashed to countries that aren't friendly with the United States? It's something we will discuss with Congressman Randy Neugebauer.

3. Lack of Sleep Doomed Perry (link)

So what was the cause of Rick Perry's awful debate performances? Lack of sleep. According to the Texas Tribune and a new book:

Despite the grass-roots enthusiasm and financial support that greeted Perry when he joined the race last year, he was not anywhere near ready for the presidential campaign spotlight. His late entry and lack of debate experience clearly hurt him.

What is not widely known is that Perry, 62, had major health issues too — a serious but previously undiagnosed sleep disorder that was discovered just as the front-runner label was slipping from his hands, and painful sensations in his leg and foot that also kept him up at night.

By the time he started sleeping again and feeling better, all of the efforts to right the ship — like firing his top political adviser and bringing in new hands — had unleashed so much internal dysfunction that the campaign split into rival factions, made up of people who could not stand to be in the same room together.

4. Mother Angry Over Paddling (link)

A Ft. Worth mother is angry that her daughter was spanked by a male Principal.

Santos went to the vice principal's office to request a paddling. She called her mom, who said that as long as her daughter was OK with it, so was she.  According to school policy, parents who don't want their children to subject to corporal punishment must submit a written statement each year.

What neither Jorgenson nor Santos knew was that a man -- the vice principal -- would be doing the swatting, while a female watched.  As far as Jorgensen knew, she said, school policy mandated that males spanked males and females spanked females.

Because of the force with with Santos was struck, her bottom was fire-engine red and looked as if it had been "burned and blistered," said Jorgensen, who took photos as evidence.

Honestly, this just sounds like a mother overreacting. A female was present the entire time. Thoughts?

Other Top Stories:

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.

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