Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, July 2, 2024:
John Sharp on why he’s retiring as Texas A&M chancellor
The longest-serving chancellor of the Texas A&M System is retiring. John Sharp earned his bachelor’s degree from A&M in 1972 before becoming a state lawmaker and comptroller. After taking the top job at the A&M system in 2011, he was lauded for boosting Texas A&M’s academic and athletic reputations.
Ahead of his retirement in 12 months, Sharp joins the Standard today.
Now Texas residents can ask if a company is using their data – and provide what they’re using
A new data privacy law went into effect Monday in Texas. Houston Public Media’s Patricia Ortiz reports that consumers can now ask to have the information companies have collected about them deleted:
What does the Fed really know about interest rates?
The Federal Reserve has long operated under the theory that if you want to bring inflation down, the best way to do that is to raise interest rates. That theory was put to the test when inflation spiked around 9% in 2022, and the Fed started hiking rates.
While inflation has slowed, parts of that theory may not hold up. Atlantic staff writer Rogé Karma claims no one really knows how interest rates work. He joins the Standard today.
Austin pitmaster who smokes meats with Egyptian flavors stars in Netflix’s ‘Barbecue Showdown’
Remember your first bite of Texas brisket? Kareem El-Ghayesh certainly does. In fact, that first bite was so inspiring that he moved from Egypt halfway across the globe to pursue his newfound passion for Texas-style barbecue in its home state.
Having found success with his KG BBQ food trailer, El-Ghayesh is now hoping to win over the judges on the new season of “Barbecue Showdown,” premiering July 4 on Netflix. He joins the Standard with more.
This photographer’s been documenting the Cadillac Ranch for half a century
Cadillac Ranch, as the famous installation west of Amarillo is known, was assembled by a group of artists and architects called the Ant Farm in 1974. For 50 years now, folks have stopped to check out or perhaps spray paint the cars by the side of the highway.
Wyatt McSpadden has had the pleasure of photographing Cadillac Ranch from the beginning, and much of his work is now on display at the Amarillo Museum of Art’s exhibition “Cadillac Ranch at 50.” He joins us with more today.
How out-of-state money alters Texas politics
Texas has long been a source of money for political candidates around the country. But it also attracts plenty of wealthy and powerful donors from out of state.
Where does the out-of-state money in Texas politics come from – and where is it going? Texas Monthly’s Alexandra Samuels joins the Standard with some answers.
All this, plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
