Video

House Ethics Panel on Speaker's Race Threats

by Elise Hu Nov. 23, 2010

In a House Ethics Committee meeting Tuesday, state Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, revealed that state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, is the man behind an alleged threat that lawmakers who fail to support Speaker Joe Straus for re-election could face retribution through redistricting. Hopson named Phillips before the panel went into a closed executive session to discuss the allegation. Full Story

Border Troopers See More High-Speed Pursuits

by Brandi Grissom Nov. 21, 2010

Troopers on the Texas-Mexico border reported more high-speed chases than officers in any other region of the state. The Texas Tribune and the San Antonio Express-News analyzed data from nearly 5,000 DPS pursuit reports from January 2005 through July 2010. Of the 10 counties with the most chases, five were counties along the Texas-Mexico border. In this video, DPS Trooper Johnny Hernandez in Hidalgo County talks about why officers on the border see more pursuits than their colleagues across the state. Full Story

Michael Quinn Sullivan Speaks

by Elise Hu Nov. 18, 2010

The conservative leader speaks out on his role in the race for Texas House speaker and why current GOP Speaker Joe Straus has a "high bar" to meet to get re-elected. Full Story

A Conversation With Annise Parker

by Evan Smith Nov. 18, 2010

For the 17th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the mayor of Houston about why Bill White lost, how a state budget shortfall and ballooning federal debt impact urban areas and whether it's possible for the fourth-largest city in the United States to go green. Full Story

Wohlgemuth on the State's Budget Woes

by Justin Dehn Nov. 18, 2010

The former Texas House member and current director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation on how lawmakers should address the state's multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. Full Story

Jack Martin on Today's Media Landscape

by Justin Dehn Nov. 16, 2010

Austin-based Public Strategies founder and chairman Jack Martin discusses today's communications landscape and offers a warning for politicians in these media-saturated times. Full Story

A Conversation with Gene Green

by Evan Smith Nov. 15, 2010

For the 16th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the Democratic U.S. Congressman from Houston about why his party got slaughtered on Election Day, whether Nancy Pelosi should continue in a leadership role, why the Obama administration has been forced to play defense and what health care reform should look like going forward. Full Story

"Grandiose Cuts" to Higher Education?

by Elise Hu Nov. 12, 2010

The session hasn't started yet, but the battles have. In a heated exchange over possible cuts to higher education at a post-election debrief, Democratic consultant Matt Angle spars with Gov. Rick Perry's campaign manager, Rob Johnson. Full Story

Gene Green on "Leader" Pelosi

by Evan Smith Nov. 10, 2010

During his TribLive interview Wednesday morning, U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, was asked if — in light of his party's Election Day disemboweling — he would support outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bid for minority leader. Full Story

"Fed Up" Frenzy

by Justin Dehn Nov. 10, 2010

After a media tour in New York, Gov. Rick Perry returned to Texas to promote his new book, "Fed Up!" San Antonio supporters were not only eager to read the book but hopeful that the governor would run for president. Full Story

A Conversation With Mark McKinnon and Mike Baselice

by Evan Smith Nov. 5, 2010

For the 15th event in our TribLive series, I interviewed the former George W. Bush and John McCain media strategist and Rick Perry's pollster about what happened Tuesday night: how the Republicans took back the majority in the U.S. House and upped their number of seats in the Texas House by 30 percent, what that portends for the next two years in Austin and Washington, D.C., and whether the governor is really running for president. Full Story