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The Abstract
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> By Rhiannon Meyers Collette and Stephanie DiCapua Getman, Arnold Ventures
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The Abstract comes to you live today from sweltering Austin, Texas, for the long-awaited Texas Tribune Festival, where we are spending the weekend nerding out about all things policy and beating the heat with handcrafted popsicles. You can follow our TribFest journey on Twitter and at #TribFest22.
Today at 12:15 p.m. CDT, Laura Arnold, co-chair and co-founder
of Arnold Ventures, takes the main stage at TribFest – an annual mind-meld of policy ideas as big and bold as the Lone Star State we call home. In an hourlong live interview with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, Arnold will share her distinct perspectives on the imperative of philanthropy to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice, why policy reform must be rooted in evidence, and her faith that democracy can be safeguarded against forces that seek to dismantle it.
You can read the full play-by-play on Twitter, but Arnold’s remarks will strike a familiar chord with regular readers of The Abstract.
We are guided by our belief that many systems in the U.S. are riddled with shortcomings and failures that impact the most vulnerable, but with enough evidence, research, and courage, we can identify and implement policy solutions that begin to repair problems that can feel intractable. This is true for the nation’s thorniest problems, from the disproportionate toll of the criminal justice system on marginalized communities, to the crushing burden of rising health care prices on Americans, to the opaque and often predatory nature of higher education, and more.
The Arnold Ventures philosophy articulated by Arnold today illuminates AV’s philanthropic approach: We invest in sustainable change through research, deep thinking, and a strong foundation of evidence, in hopes that we can create change that outlasts our funding.
Want to learn more about Arnold Ventures and our distinct perspective on policy reform? Swing by our tent at Open Congress on Saturday to talk to our team and hear riveting panel discussions on the hottest policy debates: bail reform, transparency in higher education, violent crime prevention, and climate change solutions. A lucky few will get a chance to take home a free autographed copy of "Corrections in Ink," a new memoir by Keri Blakinger, investigative reporter at The Marshall Project.
Keep reading for all the details!
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If you happen to be in Austin, drop by Congress Avenue on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and swing over to the AV tent. Free and open to the public, Open Congress is a whole vibe: provocative conversations intermingled with fun entertainment and free stuff. AV is hosting one of four tents on Open Congress this year, and we have quite the lineup. Pop in throughout the day to hear the biggest names tackle the big questions:
9 a.m. Incomplete: Why does Texas have so few college graduates? Four experts unpack the reasons behind the state’s sobering four-year graduation rates and dive into solutions to drive reform.
Related: Read a set of evidence-based solutions to solve the root problems with America's higher education system.
10:45 a.m. The Truth About Bail: Bail reform is working – so what’s next? Four of the leading minds in the criminal justice space cut through the political noise.
Related: More research demonstrates the success of Harris County's misdemeanor bail reform.
12:45 p.m. Keeping the Peace: Police chiefs from some of Texas' biggest cities – Houston, Austin, and San Antonio – share their strategies for keeping their communities safe.
Related: What does the research say about public safety and criminal justice reform?
2:30 p.m. One-on-One with Keri Blakinger: The Marshall Project investigative reporter sits down with Soledad O’Brien to talk about her new book and how the media covers criminal justice. Blakinger will follow her discussion with a book signing at 3:30 p.m. We'll have a limited number of free copies available for first-comers, so get there early! You can also buy a copy on site at the festival bookstore powered by independent chain BookPeople. It's located in the Festival Hub at the Atrium at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown.
Related: Media can more effectively cover criminal justice issues with evidence-based stories from diverse sources.
4:15 p.m. The Carbon Conundrum: What does “energy transition” look like in a state best known for its oil and gas production? A congressman, an energy regulator, a scholar, and the executive of a clean tech venture fund weigh in.
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Snag Your AV Swag
— And a Popsicle or a Poem
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Stick around between Open Congress panels to grab a latte from our Luna Espresso barista cart in the morning, snap a selfie in the Oh Happy Day photo booth (Share your pics using #TribFest22 and #AV), enjoy lunch and cold beverages (not that kind) on us, grab an all-natural popsicle from Mom and Pops, and get your own personalized poem from Typewriter Rodeo — an experience that is authentically Austin.
Plus, you can walk away with a retro-style campaign button to flaunt your true policy nerd street cred, as well as Texas-style pins, AV hats, moleskin notebooks, and more.
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An Insider's Guide to TribFest
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For those new to TribFest, the sprawling festival grounds and packed agenda can easily overwhelm. Hot takes from TribFest veterans: Wear comfortable shoes, pack a water bottle or three, and get to Open Congress early tomorrow morning for free iced coffee.
Trying to decide which sessions to attend? If you are as policy obsessed as we are, you'll want to check out our short list of the most intriguing, including a live interview with former Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the effort to find common ground in a polarized environment; a frank discussion about rising health care costs and the efforts to rein them in; and a conversation between one-time presidential candidate Andrew Yang and David Jolly of the Serve America Movement on alternatives to America's hyper-partisan two-party system. (Yang joined Laura Arnold on her podcast last year to talk about how the U.S. political system is no longer capable of reconciling deep political divisions, and the need for a reimagining of the U.S. electoral system.)
Oh, and did we mention free coffee?
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As we unplug to ponder the big questions, we've curated provocative research and deep thinking on the topics top of mind this weekend.
Criminal Justice
- If you want a reminder that criminal justice reform is still a bipartisan issue, ignore the election ads and instead read our story this week about how Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has overseen a Republican-led push to shrink prison populations and improve reentry.
- "When I was running for governor, I realized that we were last place — we were 50th out of 50 states in incarceration rates," Stitt said in an exclusive interview with Arnold Ventures.
Related: A new report from FWD.us documents improvements to Oklahoma's criminal justice system and the need for further reforms.
- As for all of those campaign season talking points about crime, Bloomberg Columnist Matt Yglesias asks whether we actually know what crime trends are in his recent piece, "What’s Dangerous Is America’s Lack of Crime Data."
- Meanwhile, The Center for American Progress released a new report pushing back against false attacks on bail reform efforts and highlighting research that shows how reliance on cash bail can undermine community safety.
- In the Garden State, two lawyers from different ends of the criminal justice system team up to co-author an op-ed touting the success of New Jersey's bail reform.
Health Care
- Think navigating the health care system can be challenging? For more than 12 million "dually eligible" Americans navigating both Medicare and Medicaid, "The lack of aligned incentives...not only hinders patient care, but results in inefficient spending," writes Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-L.A.) in a piece for Modern Healthcare this week. Thanks in part to Cassidy's leadership, bipartisan solutions are picking up steam in Congress. When health care is fragmented, patients suffer and costs go up. People are healthier — physically and mentally — when their care is coordinated and their full needs are met. "I'm here to work on solutions to improve and streamline care for people with Medicare and Medicaid," AV's Arielle Mir tweeted in response to the op-ed.
- Prescription drugs and therapies must be affordable and accessible for patients, employers, and taxpayers. Read about three key ways the drug pricing provisions passed within the Inflation Reduction Act will help people.
- Visiting the hospital or doctor's office should not be a devastating blow to the family budget. Read more about AV's work to fix the broken hospital market.
- To ensure Medicare is there when people need it, the program must be affordable and fiscally sustainable for the long run. Medicare solvency projections underscore the need for reform.
Higher Education
Contraceptive Choice and Access
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What TribFest is Watching
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TribFest attendees will have the opportunity to attend a screening and filmmaker talk of Frontline's "Lies, Politics and Democracy," but you can also stream the film here. It investigates how elected officials fed lies about the 2020 election and embraced rhetoric that led to political violence and undermined and threatened American democracy.
Also: There will be plenty of free conversations for those without a ticket to watch from home each day at the Texas Tribune's festival news page, including virtual talks with Eric Adams, Pete Souza, Jason Kander and more.
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- Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett will be at TribFest for the free Open Congress event Saturday to discuss how Texas shaped his life and career. If you're not familiar with this Texas icon, my dear colleague Jennifer Sizemore is determined to make you a fan. (She may love Lyle more than I love Beyoncé.) Her recommendations:
"If I Had a Boat"
"This Old Porch"
This wonderful performance with Francine Reed on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."
"That's Right (You're Not From Texas)" (But as Lovett says, we want you anyway.)
- Comedy fans: Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Alex Moffat will make an appearance at the free Open Congress event Saturday to talk how the legendary show comes together each week, his career in comedy, and what’s funny about politics right now. He breaks it all down with Sam Sanders, host of Vulture’s “Into It” podcast.
- And finally, meet some of our AV TribFest team. See you in Austin!
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Have an evidence-based week,
– Stephanie and Rhiannon
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