Trib Fest Lineup

Texas Tribune Festival lineup pulls some big names from political arena

It's like Christmas in May for political junkies after the Texas Tribune Festival released half of the star-studded 2014 lineup. Returning this year to the University of Texas at Austin from September 19-21, the Fest features some pretty big names — and a few notable absences.

So far, 75 speakers have been confirmed, representing nearly all facets of Texas politics. Among the headliners is U.S. Sen. — and potential 2016 presidential hopeful —Ted Cruz, along with his predecessor Kay Bailey Hutchison. Superstars on the rise, the Castro brothers, San Antonio's Mayor Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, will also be making appearances.

Other notable names in public policy include Houston Mayor Annise Parker, lieutenant governor candidate Leticia Van de Putte and Kinky Friedman, who’s running for Texas agriculture commissioner. Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes, will be one of the more prominent political commentators speaking at the festival.

While the list of confirmed names is impressive, there’s still more to come, considering a total of 150 speakers will be appearing during the festival. Neither Attorney General Greg Abbott or State Sen. Wendy Davis is on the list, which isn't terribly surprising considering Trib Fest takes place just weeks before November's gubernatorial election.

It's like Christmas in May for political junkies after the Texas Tribune Festival released half of their star-studded 2014 lineup.

Also absent from the lineup is a Perry. Last year’s festival featured Texas First Lady Anita Perry, who surprised festival attendants when she said, “I see [abortion] as a woman's right. If they want to do that, that is their decision. And they have to live with that decision." Her husband, Gov. Rick Perry, who appeared as the opening speaker in 2012, is also absent.

This year’s festival will also include nine tracks of programming: public education, higher education, immigration, transportation, criminal justice, energy, the environment, health care and open government — a new topic for this year.

Registration is now open, with the early bird rate ringing in at $150, which is 50 percent off of the walk-up price. However, for a limited time current Texas Tribune members can register for $125, and students and educators can register for as little as $50. More information is available on the online home of the Texas Tribune Festival.

Sen. Cruz's predecessor, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, will also speak at the Texas Trib Fest.

Photo via Texas Tribune

Sen. Cruz's predecessor, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, will also speak at the Texas Trib Fest.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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