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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Meteor News

How to see the Draconid meteor shower in Austin this week

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Meteor shower

A meteor shower will be visible from most of North America, including Austin, during the week of October 6-10.

The Draconid meteor shower – also called the Giacobinids – was predicted to produce the most meteor activity on the night of October 7 and through the early hours of October 8, but there is still time to catch the tail end.

There will still be sightings on subsequent nights, stargazing experts say.

According to EarthSky, a cool website devoted to all things starry, the Draconids will be visible right after it gets dark, rather than the more common early morning hours most meteor showers are visible.

The best time will be just after sunset, until around midnight. Viewers won't have to stay up until the crack of dawn.

Helping to make the meteor even more visible is a waxing moon, barely a crack, which will cast less light and keep the sky darker overall.

EarthSky says that the meteors are radiating from two stars known as the Dragon’s Eyes, called Eltanin and Rastaban, found in the constellation Draco. Which is located in between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.

However, the meteor shower will be visible across the sky.

The shower is dubbed a "sleeper" in that it produces only a handful of meteors — 10 per hour. But they move slower, so the duration of each streak of light sometimes lasts longer — one to two seconds, rather than a rapid flash.

Meteor showers consist of debris left behind by comets and asteroids, which throw off bits of rock and ice as they orbit the sun. The Draconids are the result of Earth passing through this trail from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The comet completes an orbit of the sun about every seven years, and according to CNN, the last time it got this close to Earth was in September, 2018.

The best way to see it is to find a place that's far from artificial light, then lie on your back and look up at the sky with a wide view. No special equipment is needed.

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