In three days of late September, Texas\u2019 popular online and non-profit news source, the Texas Tribune, left the confines of the internet and briefly inhabited the Omni Hotel, Paramount Theater and streets of downtown Austin for the organization\u2019s annual Texas Tribune Festival. For 13 years \u2013 without any pandemic-related exceptions \u2013 TribFest has sought to bring important and often contentious conversations about recent politics directly to the people it affects. The multi-day event hosts a long list of in-person panels, interviews and \u2013 since COVID19 \u2013 zoom meetings with notable authors, politicians, journalists, and other speakers that are thought to be relevant to today\u2019s news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Topics for 2023, included discussion on Texas\u2019 recently ended and remarkably divisive 88th <\/sup>Regular Legislative Session, the acquittal of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton\u2019s impeachment trial, the ongoing fight for civil rights, issues with border control, party agendas and upcoming election plans. ACCENT Student Media received an invitation to join in these weekend festivities to share some of the student interest found in the state and country\u2019s modern politics; here are just a few of the influential political speakers that attendees heard from at this year\u2019s festival through \u201cOne on One\u201d interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening Keynote and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The event\u2019s first day consisted mostly of a few interviews and networking opportunities at the Omni Hotel \u2013 but setting the mood for its remaining weekend was a Keynote interview with the Republican Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu. Texas Tribune\u2019s new CEO, Sonal Shah, and the site\u2019s founder and previous CEO, Evan Smith, gave opening addresses prefacing the interview, and the whole of the three day event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shah, who assumed leadership of the Tribune this year, introduced the panel and the upcoming days by saying, \u201cyou’ll come across ideas that challenge you, and hopefully give you a chance to think deeper about topics you care the most about.\u201d Before adding later, \u201cWe want you to hear what we hear, participate in the conversations, and make your own decisions. Journalism is the bedrock of democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before conducting the Keynote interview in front of the hundreds of listeners that lined the velvet seats of the Paramount Theatre, Smith took time to explain his presence despite the recent announcement of his retirement \u2013 he said, quoting Brokeback Mountain, \u201cI just can\u2019t quit you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Smith then went on to explain more seriously, \u201cWhen I look out at you staring back at me, I know the potential for live journalism has been realized. How could I not be here? The need to gather like this has surely grown exponentially over the years and it’s at its peak right this minute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following a lengthy introduction, Smith welcomed Chris Sununu to the stage to begin their informative and occasionally comedic conversation about Sununu\u2019s political career and ideas for the Republican party in the upcoming presidential election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Right off the bat, the topic of interest was drawn to the infamous elephant not <\/em>in the room, Donald Trump. The New Hampshire Governor had made news recently for not running in the next election as well as for his outspoken opposition to Donald Trump being the Republican candidate. At TribFest, Sununu repeated his thoughts about the former president and the ideal strategy for Republicans regarding Trump in the next election; specifically referring to an Op-ed in the New York Times he wrote in August on the topic titled, If Republicans Narrow the Field, We Will Beat Trump.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVoter\u2019s have to have the say and all that, but then the [Republican] candidates need the discipline and responsibility to get out,\u201d Sununu explained, \u201cbecause one on one, he loses [the Republican primary election] there\u2019s no question about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond further thoughts on the state of both parties, Sununu\u2019s interview was brought to local politics as well. Sununu referred to the recent impeachment trial of Ken Paxton as, \u201cembarrassing\u201d and as seeming like a \u201cbaked in vote before it started.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sununu also said that he gets \u201creally emotional\u201d about the homeless population nationally and specifically here in Austin. \u201cWalk your own streets here guys\u2026 all this money is being spent. Wonderful. Go ask the record number of homeless you have in your own city how it\u2019s doing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He then broadened his statement by adding, \u201cStop giving politicians credit for spending money; that\u2019s not a result. The result is less homelessness\u2026 better test scores in schools\u2026 [and] seeing your opioid epidemic deaths go down. Demand they get better results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also gave advice on the purpose of government in response to a question from Smith about the modern definition of a conservative. Sununu truly reflected the ideas of Texas founders when voicing his ideas about, \u201clow taxes, limited government, local control… [because] the government isn\u2019t here to solve your problems,\u201d \u2013 a sentiment which even received a brief applause from some people in the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike my job, I don\u2019t know what your needs are; I don\u2019t know what your business needs are; I don\u2019t know what your kid\u2019s needs are in education,\u201d said Sununu. Emphasizing the need for decision-making at a local level before connecting his work up north saying, \u201cI\u2019ve come from the \u2018live free or die\u2019 state, man. You do you. You decide what door is best for you, not me\u2026 Our town meetings can be real battles\u2026 [but] we don\u2019t let that completely polarize us. You fight hard. You win some, you lose some.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moderate Republican\u2019s politics served well to appease a diverse audience and, when wrapping up, he even conceded that, \u201cFrankly, the next generation is mostly Democrats. I don\u2019t believe in their politics necessarily, but I believe that they know how to use technology, social media, and they\u2019re taking a better approach to a lot of these issues that my generation, frankly, screwed up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stating repeatedly his withdrawal from future elections, Sununu still seemed to garner a general feeling of optimistic support from the festival\u2019s vocally blue crowd upon leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dolores Huerta \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The famous feminist and labor activist, Dolores Huerta, joined the conversations at TribFest \u2013 specifically speaking downtown at St. David\u2019s Episcopal Church which had several extravagant halls reserved for the weekend festival. Many stained-glass saints and religious figures watched inanimately from the windows as Huerta recounted her experiences growing up, her relationship with Catholicism and her time advocating for the United Farm Workers labor union as a trusted partner of Cesar Chavez \u2013 the person, not <\/em>the street <\/em>\u2013 in the 60\u2019s through 70\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now 93 years old but maintaining her activism, Huerta also works currently as member of the advisory board for Ms. Magazine, a feminist news publication that had been sending speakers around the country throughout 2023 to celebrate its 50-year anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the longtime icon has a now 20-year-old nonprofit group named after her; the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Community Organizing aims to encourage and facilitate the progress of other local activist groups that are seeking their own specific civil or social justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI call it \u2018Democracy 101\u2019. I think people need to understand that they have power; they have to get engaged if they want people to vote,\u201d Huerta said about her eponymous foundation in Bakersfield, Calif. \u201cI want people to understand that they have the power to solve problems in their own communities, and they don\u2019t have to wait for someone to come from outside.\u201d She explained further how the foundation informs and encourages people seeking action on issues like, education or infrastructure, so they can learn that \u201cthey can actually do it themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huerta\u2019s origins are in her birthplace of Dawson, N.M. which was owned by the Phelps Dodge mining company during her time in the early 1900\u2019s to 1920\u2019s. Huerta\u2019s family \u201clived by 14 generations\u201d in the area and she added that, \u201cthere were 513 miners that were either injured or killed during the course of [Phelp Dodge\u2019s ownership]. And then of course, what they did is they leveled the town.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This experience and, later, the \u201cracism\u201d she and Cesar Chavez faced during their time working in California \u2013 despite she says, her American-born ancestry and even \u201cgrandfather [who] was actually in the Civil War, on the union side,\u201d \u2013, is what led the pair to establish the United Farm Workers union and its goal to advocate for the needs of low-income working communities. Commonly regarded as Chavez\u2019s right-hand, Huerta had high praise for her late collaborator\u2019s work and character, repeatedly describing him as \u201cpretty much a genius\u201d despite lacking a traditional education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018[Chavez] believed that poor people\u2026 [and] people of color don\u2019t have opportunities, and that\u2019s what we need.\u201d said Huerta. \u201cSo, within the union, we were able to train people to be mechanics, carpenters, printers and attorneys within the organization; and these are all poor people that never had a chance to go to high school like he never had a chance to go to high school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A further question of interest for Huerta was about Chavez\u2019s past thoughts on women and the feminist movement in general \u2013 especially given the organization\u2019s male-dominated leadership and the labor head\u2019s reputation for excessive control. \u201cWell, actually, Cesar was a great supporter of women,\u201d responded Huerta, \u201cthey would ask Cesar why he had so many women in leadership in the United Farm Workers, and he would say, \u2018because they do the work\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the anniversary tour of Ms. Magazine, TribFest had also been showcasing the non-profit\u2019s newly published book, \u201c50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine that Ignited a Revolution\u201d, which was being sold as a large red hardcover in the Capitol Factory room of the Omni Hotel \u2013 where Huerta later offered book signings and smaller-scale conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huerta recounted meeting Gloria Steinem \u2013 a co-founder of Ms. \u2013 in the 1970\u2019s, when the esteemed journalist was a \u201cgreat supporter of the Farm Workers movement,\u201d while Huerta was one of its leaders. \u201cI don\u2019t think Gloria gets enough credit because she was a civil rights activist even before Dr. King.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting and becoming \u201cclose\u201d to Gloria Steinem, is when Huerta says that she herself was driven further towards feminism and specifically towards supporting, \u201cthe right of women to have an abortion.\u201d Huerta said, \u201cOf course, [abortion] was a big issue for me, being a Catholic right? And we know that it takes a while for religion to catch up with science; so, I had the option to catch up with science to realize that\u2026 it\u2019s absolutely important for every woman to have that right, to decide for her own body.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a fitting place to discuss Catholicism, Huerta said she has a \u201cspiritual\u201d instead of \u201cpractical relationship with the church.\u201d Voicing her observation that \u201cmany of us are disappointed [with the Christian church],\u201d Huerta questioned, \u201cWhat do they do for children? What does the church do for women? Sometimes it\u2019s hardly anything, except that they cast the church in the forefront of fighting against women\u2019s reproductive rights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her fight for the right to an abortion \u2013 as well as her activism for other notable and progressive topics that have made headlines recently \u2013 has led to her admiration for and even occasional acquaintanceship with members of the modern Democratic party. During her interview, Huerta gave vocal support for the Biden Administration and several politicians of the Democratic party including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. Huerta identifies the target of her ongoing history with activism as being in opposition toward the growth of \u201cfascism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To her audience in the echoing church hall she explained her thoughts on the current political climate, \u201cWe think of what the word fascist means, and it means to hurt, and it means to punish, and that is what is happening. People are being punished because they\u2019re women, because they\u2019re gay, or lesbian, or transgender\u2026 At the end of the day, we are losing our democracy to some of these fascist movements and tendencies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S Senator Ted Cruz \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The midday interview with notoriously controversial U.S Sen. Ted Cruz had a very interested audience \u2013 but perhaps not <\/em>in a politicians ideal way. Cruz answered questions on some of the past year\u2019s most divisive topics in Texas and national politics, sharing his right-leaning thoughts on partisan issues like immigration, gun control and abortion, as well as his own controversial political history and current agenda for bipartisan outreach. With the audience reconvened to the Paramount Theatre, the interview might as well have been considered typical entertainment, providing popcorn and soda as Cruz\u2019s responses were met consistently with audible unrest from the festival attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Texas\u2019 senator in Washington was elected for his second term in 2018 after a nail-biting race against the Democratic candidate, Beto O\u2019Rourke, in what Cruz said, \u201cwas the most expensive Senate race in U.S history\u201d at its time. He added that the \u201cvery close election\u201d in 2018 \u2013 which concluded with Cruz\u2019s victory by only \u201c200,000 votes out of more than 8 million votes cast,\u201d \u2013 was difficult for Cruz because of increased spending from Democrats to raise voter turnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[O\u2019Rourke\u2019s team in 2018] increased Democrat turnout from 1.8 million to 4 million,\u201d said Cruz. When his data was met with unintended applause he added, \u201cI think half of those are here in this room today. That\u2019s okay. We\u2019re in Austin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now running for his third term \u2013 despite openly supporting term limits \u2013 , Cruz says that he and his team are taking his third reelection \u201cdeadly seriously,\u201d but still portrayed a clear confidence when talking about his specific competition from the Democratic party. In regard to the upcoming primary election he said, \u201cAt the end of the day, I’m not terribly worried about who wins [the Democratic primary] because… they could nominate a ham sandwich, and they’re going to raise $100 million to run against me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cruz said, \u201cif you are a partisan Democrat, after Donald Trump, there\u2019s nobody in the country you want to beat more than me.\u201d After being \u201csurprised that didn\u2019t get a cheer,\u201d he added, \u201cSo, we\u2019re going to see a serious fight but at the end of the day, I believe we\u2019re going to win this fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of Cruz\u2019s strategy this election season seems to be emphasizing his less debated actions in office, where he said he has been \u201cdelivering bipartisan, meaningful wins for the state of Texas, pro-jobs and pro-growth,\u201d and has, \u201cbeen doing [so] since [he] arrived.\u201d Cruz referred to \u201cjust a couple\u201d of the 94 bills he authored in his 11-year history with the senate, that he said, \u201cmade a real difference for the people of Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Senator recounted his \u201cfirst wins\u201d like passing a \u201cbill to stop Hamid Aboutalebi, who\u2019s a known terrorist,\u201d from acquiring a diplomatic passport, which was signed into law by former President Obama in 2014. Cruz also referenced his other early work of securing a Purple Heart award for Fort Cavazos \u2013 he used its former name, \u201cFort Hood\u201d, \u2014 to honor the \u201c14 innocent souls\u201d that \u201cNadal Hassan murdered\u201d in \u201ccold blood\u201d. Cruz added that the Obama administration \u201cdenied giving those service members who were murdered or who were injured the Purple Heart, [and] they refused to recognize that that was international terrorism.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a more recent reference to his actions, Cruz spoke about his voting against the CHIPS act which he said would \u201cspend tens of billions of federal taxpayer money\u201d to fund new fabricating plants for semiconductor manufacturing. \u201cI don\u2019t like the idea of giving taxpayer money directly to giant corporations,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also reported his work to \u201cto assemble a bipartisan coalition in South Texas,\u201d consisting of equal Democrat and Republican representatives, to develop commerce with Mexico by constructing bridges after Biden introduced new environmental requirements for infrastructure that crosses the southern border which Cruz said, \u201cdelayed every one of these projects two, three, four years\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Biden State Department didn’t listen. So, I introduced legislation to mandate that they expedite these bridge permits.\u201d Cruz said, \u201cWhen those bridges are completed, that will mean tens of billions of dollars of new trade and commerce, thousands of new jobs in Texas for farmers, ranchers, manufacturers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cruz\u2019s further ideas about the border might set him back on \u201cbipartisan support\u201d however; questions about Abbot\u2019s handling of immigration were brought into discussion and met with Cruz\u2019s support of the conservative Texas Governor’s divisive policies at the border. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cruz said, \u201cAbbot is trying to use whatever tools he can to respond to the crisis and chaos that Washington has created.\u201d The Senator pointed specific blame for the \u201chumanitarian crisis\u201d at the border toward Biden discontinuing the wall\u2019s construction as well the Trump administration’s previous \u201cRemain in Mexico\u201d policies, which required people seeking citizenship at the southern border to wait in Mexico for processing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n His support for Abbot and his actions in the recent legislature also continued into the recent debate around \u201cschool choice\u201d which Cruz proclaimed himself a \u201cpassionate defender\u201d of. The Republican\u2019s desired legislature would utilize public money to increase access to private schools which are not as regulated by the government. At TribFest, Cruz even went on to say, \u201cListen, if when I die, my tombstone says that Ted played a meaningful role in bringing school choice to the kids of Texas and the kids of America, then I will die a happy man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the event, the Senator stood by his more conservative beliefs on gun control and abortion as well. Cruz shared that he is \u201cpro-life\u201d but agrees with the Constitution that it is a decision for state legislatures. Encouraging awareness of \u201cthe proposition that you and I want to save lives,\u201d Cruz also argued that mental health resources instead of gun restrictions are the solution for gun violence. \u201cEvery time there’s a mass shooting, you see elected Democrats, their approach is they want to take away the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,\u201d Cruz said. \u201cThere is zero evidence that doing so protects any lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also provided his defense for the recent claims of corruption made toward two Republicans holding office. Regarding the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cruz emphasized belief that Paxton \u201chas built a record as the strongest conservative state attorney general in the country.\u201d And when an audience-submitted question referred to Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas participating in donor events, Cruz remarked with ill-reception, \u201cthere\u2019s a particular hatred that the left has for a black man who dares to be a conservative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it wasn\u2019t clear from his series of debate podcasts, Cruz especially emphasized the importance he places on people leaving their \u201cecho chamber\u201d to hear opposing viewpoints peacefully. \u201cSo, I want to actually take a point to thank everyone who\u2019s here who doesn\u2019t agree with me,\u201d Cruz said to most of the audience near the beginning of the interview, \u201cyou may leave with [your] ideas reinforced or you may change your mind on something, but I appreciate you coming in and listening and being part of a conversation with someone you don’t necessarily agree with. I think we need a lot more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The TribFest Experience \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, \u201ca lot more of that\u201d is what TribFest aimed to provide, with the many speakers and panels who presented at this year\u2019s festival – spreading coverage on many more topics than previously mentioned here. The festival also hosted free panels on its final evening that were found along South Congress Ave. Referred to as \u201copen congress\u201d events, live artists and tents from various contributors lined the street \u2013 including Texas Monthly magazine which provided panel topics ranging from issues with House Democrats to changes in local barbecue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you missed the discussions this year, don\u2019t worry; this likely won’t be TribFest\u2019s last appearance in downtown Austin, due to the Texas Tribune\u2019s ongoing quest for accessible journalism. Ticket prices are even reduced for students, so if you\u2019re in town next year think about joining in on the informative \u2013 and often entertaining \u2013 conversations to be found at the Texas Tribune Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In three days of late September, Texas\u2019 popular online and non-profit news source, the Texas Tribune, left the confines of the internet and briefly inhabited the Omni Hotel, Paramount Theater and streets of downtown Austin for the organization\u2019s annual Texas Tribune Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4103,"featured_media":8390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/accent\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/157\/2024\/02\/DSC_0823-1-1024x678.jpg\")
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Photo taken by Nathan Adam Spear on Sept. 23, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n