By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 rampage at Fort Hood says he will be represented by three military lawyers.
Maj. Nidal Hasan told a judge Wednesday he had released his civilian defense attorney.
The attorney, John Galligan, was not in court, but told The Associated Press earlier that he was stepping down temporarily. Galligan wouldn't say why, but said he was willing to "resume an active role" in the case.
Perry courts potential fundraisers at LA meeting
Gov. Rick Perry has met privately with potential fundraisers in Los Angeles as he nears a decision on whether to enter the 2012 presidential race.
About 30 people joined the conservative Republican at a Century City neighborhood hotel Wednesday. The event was coordinated by influential fundraiser Renee Croce, who helped raise millions of dollars for former California GOP Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson.
Perry rushed into the meeting without taking questions and left through a back entrance.
Texas inmate set to die for post-9/11 killings
A federal judge has denied a lawsuit seeking to halt the execution of condemned killer Mark Stroman. He was convicted of murdering a Dallas-area convenience store clerk during a shooting spree he says was in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Stroman is set to die by lethal injection this evening in Huntsville.
The 41-year-old Stroman says he was targeting people of Middle East descent. The shootings killed two men and injured a third. It was the October 2001 death of 49-year-old Vasudev Patel that put Stroman on death row.
The lone survivor, Rais Bhuiyan, a native of Bangladesh, asked the court to halt Stroman's punishment, saying his religious beliefs as a Muslim told him to forgive.
U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel signed the order denying Bhuiyan's request Wednesday afternoon.
Texas talks network with Big 12 rivals
Texas officials talked with Big 12 athletic directors and presidents this week about the upcoming launch of the Longhorn Network in hopes of calming fears it gives the Longhorns an unfair advantage over their rivals.
Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds tells The Associated Press that Texas wants to avoid any NCAA problems if the network airs high school games that have Longhorn recruits. He says the NCAA has no rules on broadcasting high school games and the school has asked for guidance.
Texas struck a 20-year, $300-million deal with ESPN for the network, a move that caused some to question whether Texas was gaining too much power over the rest of the Big 12.