At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, critiqued the leadership of GOP Speaker Joe Straus during the 82nd Legislative Session.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, explained why controversial sanctuary cities legislation may not make it out of the Texas Senate.

At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, warned his House Republican colleagues about overreaching in exercising their supermajority power.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his run for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers, what he thinks about the Senate's two-thirds rule, his nascent campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014 and more.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the Senate's two-thirds rule, the Rainy Day Fund, abortion sonograms and other issues that he'd confront as lieutenant governor.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I asked Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples to assess the tenure of the man he hopes to succeed as lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples about the impact of drug-fueled violence on border farmers and ranchers — and the web site he maintains to collect tales of the war in progress.

This morning on ABC's Good Morning America, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, formally announced that he plans to run for president in 2012.

At this morning's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples talked about his plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2014 — and offered his assessment of the other likely candidates in the race, Comptroller Susan Combs and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.

Aaronson on the latest attack on Planned Parenthood, Aguilar previews the sanctuary cities debate, Grissom on a death row inmate's unsuccessful appeal, Hamilton on the UT System's faculty "productivity" data dump, Philpott on the prospect of lawsuits over education cuts, Ramsey on puppies and other distractions, Ramshaw on a tobacco fight, my interview with the presidents of UT-Austin and Texas A&M, M. Smith on a former State Board of Ed member who may have violated state ethics law, Stiles interactively displays the effects of House redistricting and Tan on the Senate budget end game: The best of our best content from May 2 to 6, 2011.

On last night's episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart interviewed the former Texas GOP vice chairman and State Board of Education curriculum expert.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the need for higher education reform, the impact of budget cuts, the predicament of middling graduation rates and more.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, I interviewed Bill Powers and Bowen Loftin, the presidents of the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, respectively, about the seven "breakthrough solutions" proposed for higher ed by advocates of reform.