David Leebron

United Airlines celebrated my reaching 2 million miles in several ways. Thank you, @united for many years of great crews and great service across the globe.

Back in my bed after an 18 hour day traveling to Abilene. What an inspiring trip—hearing firsthand about the issues the city and West Texas confront and the engagement of civic, business, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders to improve the lives and increase the opportunities of Texans. That’s the mission of @Texas2036, and we look forward to continuing to learn from and engage with such leaders across our state.

The part of Chief Justice Roberts' remarks at @RiceUniversity's @BakerInstitute that has received the most media attention was his forceful defense against personal attacks on judges. His interlocutor, Judge Lee Rosenthal, thanked him on behalf of our judges for his consistent strong defense of an independent judiciary. (Note: he was not objecting to criticism of the decisions and opinions of judges and justices.) nbcnews.com/politics/supre…

The Chief Justice was, as always, thoughtful, judicious, eloquent and funny. He is deeply grounded in historical knowledge (he was a history major in college), and his knowledge of his predecessors as Chief Justice was impressive and enlightening.

Event with Chief Justice John Roberts @RiceUniversity today was spectacular. He engaged in a wide ranging conversation with Judge Lee Rosenthal at the @BakerInstitute. This was a return visit following his appearance at Rice for our Centennial celebration 13+ years ago. My favorite answer was to Judge Rosenthal's question (quote not exact): "What should we be thinking about in anticipation of our country's 250th anniversary?" He replied with one word: "Courage". He emphasized the courage of our founders, reflected in the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. But I think it was also an appeal to all of us as we continue to pursue the best aspirations of our Republic.

Large, loud and well organized demonstration in @HermannPark: pro-Iran (in the sense of supporting a new anti-clerical revolution) and pro-Pahlavi regime change.

Texas is poised to provide extraordinary opportunity. But only if we address the challenges that confront us in education, health care, infrastructure and other critical areas. As we approach our third century, the mission of @Texas2036 is to help our state identify the data-driven policies that will improve lives and increase opportunities for all Texans.

"The next 10 years will determine whether Texas merely gets bigger or truly grows stronger, more competitive and more widely prosperous," writes Texas 2036 founder Tom Luce and President and CEO @davidleebron. #txlege Read more on their @dallasnews Op-Ed celebrating Texas' 190th birthday today ➡️ bit.ly/4aUHqCR

Indeed. And this is what the president had the nerve to describe as “disgraceful”. It is anything but. It is deeply anchored in the foundational values of our nation.

Happy Year of the Fire Horse!! (Video from weekend’s Lunar New Year’s celebration at an Asia Society Texas. )

The Financial Times is out with new rankings of business schools. Poets & Quants said this: "And when the FT asked alums which program allowed them to achieve their aims, the top school was Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business, with 93% of the respondents acknowledging their goals were successful (that was even better than MIT’s 88% and much better than the lowest score of 75% earned by Audencia Business School in France)." That mirrors my experience over nearly two decades of talking with Jones School students. Every single one I met was happy with their experience. Congrats to Dean @profp_rod and the @Rice_Biz Jones School!

Today concluded with a beautiful sunset over Rice University, Hermann Park and the Texas Medical center.

Today/yesterday was Lincoln’s birthday. And Charles Darwin’s birthday. Two extraordinary men who overcame early failures to make extraordinary contributions. And who deeply opposed slavery. I celebrated their birthdays while trying to deny my own, without much success.

@elonmusk No, it’s an intentionally divisive, false and moronic statement that belies its underlying assertion. It’s a shame you choose to amplify it. There are both good and bad behaviors across the political spectrum.

Well said

There are security concerns in the Arctic, but there were—and are—positive ways to address them. The US could have asked Denmark & Greenland to reopen & expand bases we closed decades ago. Such a request would likely have been considered & granted. That is the path we must take.

This utterly unfounded claim & threat to Denmark's territory of Greenland is an unwarranted slap in the face to this great people. It is despicable. It is disloyal. It is destructive of alliances that brought greater security to our world. It should be rejected by all Americans.

When I was 13, I took my first trip overseas to Denmark for a Boy Scout exchange. I stayed with 2 families & traveled across the country. The warmth, generosity, and openness of those families—and of Danes generally—left a lifelong impression. They spoke so positively of the US.

Trump with a straight face: Denmark can't claim Greenland just because "they had a boat land there 500 years ago"

What is Texas 2036's @trip__davis most excited for in 2026? 🤩 Check it out below, and stay tuned for more reflections from our staff! 👇 #txed