On Saturday September 23rd, I attended the Texas Tribune's annual Tribune Fest in Austin, Texas to report on the various panels and interview participants. In the span of one afternoon I interviewed Dr. Peter Hotez and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., two men who are simultaneously loved and maligned by millions of people. My brief conversations with both men highlight how each handle criticism and how they approach scientific debates.

Tribfest is an annual event which brings together journalists, political leaders, executives of major corporations, and other players in Texas and national politics. Tribfest is hosted by the Texas Tribune, a non-profit organization which describes itself as a "nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans… about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues". The Tribune was founded in 2009 with funding from venture capitalist John Thornton.