Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice talks about national security with Boston Globe columnist Indira Lakshmanan at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2017.
Erich Schlagel for The Texas Tribune
<p><span>Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice talks about national security with Boston Globe columnist Indira Lakshmanan at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2017.</span></p>

Susan Rice: Pulling out of Iran deal would be the "height of folly"

Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice said leaving the Iran nuclear deal would isolate the United States and do nothing to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. She also said that Russian meddling was "the most blatant violation of U.S. sovereignty in decades."

 
Students walk to class on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune
<p>Students walk to class on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.</p>

New Texas law keeps sex offenders out of college dorms

A new law prevents most registered sex offenders from residing in dormitories on private or public campuses. The law codifies a policy already in place at many of Texas' biggest schools. 

A school in the Cy-Fair school district in Houston surrounded by water on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.
Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune
<p><span>A school in the Cy-Fair school district in Houston surrounded by water on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.</span></p>

Analysis: A storm brings distinct changes in the political winds

The physical damage from Hurricane Harvey is relatively easy to spot, assess and catalog. But it’s becoming more evident that the storm also seeped into every corner of government policy and politics. 

New Texas law keeps sex offenders out of college dorms

Students walk to class on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune
<p>Students walk to class on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.</p>

A new law prevents most registered sex offenders from residing in dormitories on private or public campuses. The law codifies a policy already in place at many of Texas' biggest schools. 

Analysis: A storm brings distinct changes in the political winds

A school in the Cy-Fair school district in Houston surrounded by water on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.
Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune
<p><span>A school in the Cy-Fair school district in Houston surrounded by water on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.</span></p>

The physical damage from Hurricane Harvey is relatively easy to spot, assess and catalog. But it’s becoming more evident that the storm also seeped into every corner of government policy and politics. 

 

Featured Data

Hell and High Water: How Houston is ill-prepared for a hurricane

Oil tankers in the Houston Ship Channel on November 10, 2015.
Oil tankers in the Houston Ship Channel on November 10, 2015.

We can solve the problems of racism — but only if there's political will, panelists say

Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith (left) hosts a community forum on race and justice, featuring Jamelle Bouie (center) and&nbsp;Chris Hayes, at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 22, 2017.
<p><span>Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith (left) hosts a community forum on race and justice, featuring Jamelle Bouie (center) and&nbsp;Chris Hayes, at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 22, 2017.</span></p>

At the kickoff to the 2017 Texas Tribune Festival, Chris Hayes of MSNBC and Jamelle Bouie of Slate participated in a Community Forum on Race and Justice moderated by Tribune CEO Evan Smith.

Recap: Trump, Hurricane Harvey and other key topics of #TribFest17

  • by Texas Tribune Staff
  • 9Comments
Tribune CEO Evan Smith leads a political roundtable for the closing session of The Texas Tribune Festival on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. From left: Smith; Chris Cillizza of CNN; Ben Domenech of The Federalist; Virginia Heffernan of Slate's Trumpcast; Indira Lakshmanan of The Boston Globe and the Poynter Institute; and Charles P. Pierce of Esquire Magazine.
<p><span>Tribune CEO Evan Smith leads a political roundtable for the closing session of The Texas Tribune Festival on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. From left: Smith; Chris Cillizza of CNN; Ben Domenech of The Federalist; Virginia Heffernan of Slate's Trumpcast; Indira Lakshmanan of The Boston Globe and the Poynter Institute; and Charles P. Pierce of Esquire Magazine.</span></p>

Highlights from more than 60 panel discussions on education, climate change, President Donald Trump, the role of media in 2017 and much more. 

The Brief: Setting the stage for Texas' next showdown over "sanctuary cities"

Protesters march near the Riverwalk in San Antonio&nbsp;against&nbsp;Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" ban, on June 26, 2017. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia is hearing opening arguments&nbsp;from Texas cities and counties challenging the measure, signed into law by Gov. Greg &nbsp;Abbott.
<p>Protesters march near the Riverwalk in San Antonio&nbsp;against&nbsp;Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" ban, on June 26, 2017. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia is hearing opening arguments&nbsp;from Texas cities and counties challenging the measure, signed into law by Gov. Greg &nbsp;Abbott.</p>

Texas again is facing off with its opponents in court today — this time, it's over the state's new immigration enforcement law.

Former official "fought as good of a fight as I could" to make Trump White House follow ethics rules

At the "Trump, Ethics and the Law" panel,&nbsp;Walter Shaub, senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center and former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, discusses the Trump administration.
<p><span>At the "Trump, Ethics and the Law" panel,&nbsp;Walter Shaub, senior director of ethics at the Campaign Legal Center and former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, discusses the Trump administration.</span></p>

The consensus was clear at a discussion by ethics experts at the Texas Tribune festival on Saturday: Donald Trump's White House may be the most unethical administration Americans have ever seen.

Houston police chief: State leaders must help rebuild post-Harvey

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo discusses Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath with Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw at The Texas Tribune Festival on April 23, 2017.
<p>Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo discusses Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath with Tribune Editor-in-Chief Emily Ramshaw at The Texas Tribune Festival on April 23, 2017.</p>

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called on state leaders to help the city rebuild after Hurricane Harvey, proposing a sales tax increase and saying infrastructure should be built to prevent the storm's destruction from recurring. 

Democrat Steny Hoyer: "We're a broad-tent party"

Minority Whip of the U.S. House Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, discusses President Donald&nbsp;Trump, Congress and the Democrats&rsquo; road forward with&nbsp;New York Times Magazine's Robert Draper at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2017.
<p><span>Minority Whip of the U.S. House Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, discusses President Donald&nbsp;</span><span>Trump, Congress and the Democrats&rsquo; road forward with</span><span>&nbsp;New York Times Magazine's Robert Draper at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 23, 2017.</span></p>

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, the U.S. House minority whip, talked at The Texas Tribune Festival about Democratic candidate recruitment and Democratic chances in the 2018 midterms.

 

 

Featured Video

Hell and high water – Riding out Hurricane Harvey

  • by Texas Tribune Staff

Federal appeals court to hear arguments on Texas "sanctuary cities" law

People demonstrating against Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" ban, march near the Riverwalk in San Antonio on June 26, 2017. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia heard opening arguments&nbsp;from Texas cities and counties challenging the measure, signed into law by Gov. Greg &nbsp;Abbott.
<p><span>People demonstrating against <span>Senate Bill 4, the "sanctuary cities" ban</span>, march near the Riverwalk in San Antonio on June 26, 2017. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia heard opening arguments&nbsp;from Texas cities and counties challenging the measure, signed into law by Gov. Greg &nbsp;Abbott.</span></p>

The stage is set for a Friday court battle in New Orleans between the state's attorneys and local governments over Texas' immigration enforcement law, Senate Bill 4. 

Facing federal confusion, Texas "Dreamers" prepare for looming DACA deadline

DACA supporters held a press conference in front of the Texas Attorney General's Office in Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, after the Trump administration announced the program was ending.&nbsp;
<p>DACA supporters held a press conference in front of the Texas Attorney General's Office in Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, after the Trump administration announced the program was ending.&nbsp;</p>

As the Trump Administration sends mixed signals about the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — or DACA — an upcoming deadline could determine the status of many of the program's recipients.

Analysis: X-factor in next year's elections might be Harvey, not Donald

John Sharp, Texas A&amp;M University chancellor and&nbsp;head&nbsp;of the new Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and&nbsp;Nim Kidd, Chief of Texas Emergency Management, get briefed on recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey at the FEMA Joint Field Office in Austin on Sept. 14, 2017. &nbsp; &nbsp;
<p><span>John Sharp</span><span>, Texas A&amp;M University chancellor and&nbsp;</span><span>head</span><span>&nbsp;of the new Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and&nbsp;<span>Nim Kidd, Chief of Texas Emergency Management, get briefed on recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey at the FEMA Joint Field Office in Austin on Sept. 14, 2017.</span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

The tempestuous president has been trumped by a tempest: Texas politics and government is all about Hurricane Harvey now, and Donald Trump might not be the most important outsider in the state's 2018 elections after all.

Houston housing officials draw ire for evicting elderly residents

Sheila Anderson criticizes Houston Housing Authority officials on Sept. 21, 2017, after the entity issued eviction notices to elderly residents in a building flooded by Hurricane Harvey's rains.&nbsp;
<p>Sheila Anderson criticizes Houston Housing Authority officials on Sept. 21, 2017, after the entity issued eviction notices to elderly residents in a building flooded by Hurricane Harvey's rains.&nbsp;</p>

Public housing leaders say a high-rise along Buffalo Bayou is unsafe because of flooding from Hurricane Harvey. But folks who live in 2100 Memorial say officials have mishandled the situation.