Opinion: Fred Perpall on Intersections Podcast

The guys [2:50] break down the Rangers and a potentially encouraging sign as the All-Star break arrived. But let's not bury the lede. [13:10] Josh Hamilton, maybe the greatest single talent to ever put on a Rangers uniform, joins the fellas to reminisce on his 2008 Home Run Derby performance and to catch the guys up on where he is 10 years after his last MLB at-bat. [44:58] In the Archives in Arlington segment, John looks at some notable Rangers All-Star Game performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fred Perpall, CEO of The Beck Group and the first Black person to serve as president of the USGA, talks about golf, development, leadership and the American business climate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Texans rally to support flood victims, state Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating a GoFundMe campaign that his office says may be taking advantage of their generosity. Paxton issued a warning letter on Monday to Tray Coppola, the organizer of an unverified GoFundMe campaign, because of concerns that it may be a scam targeting those affected by recent floods in Texas. In other news, Dallas officials think they can meet the city’s mandate of having at least 4,000 police officers in four years, though their hiring goals rely on a plan that the City Council voted to scale back months ago. The plan includes hiring 350 new officers over 12 months starting this fall and 400 new officers each following year until 2029; the stock of Veritex Holdings soared 20% on Monday, after the Dallas-based bank agreed to a nearly $2 billion buyout by Huntington Bancshares, a Midwest regional banking powerhouse with ambitions to deepen its Texas footprint; and Walmart is adding yet another store to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but this one will come in a more compact size. The massive retailer is set to begin construction on a “Neighborhood Market” this fall in Mesquite and to complete the site in late summer of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First Baptist Dallas leaders and congregants marked the one-year anniversary of the devastating four-alarm fire that destroyed the downtown church’s historic sanctuary on Sunday. In other news, a woman’s body was recovered from Lake Lewisville early Sunday morning. Texas Game Wardens responded to Lake Lewisville early Sunday on a reported drowning;  group of kids in Dallas set up shop in their neighborhood selling what they called, ‘the best lemonade in Dallas’ as a fundraiser to help those in need after the flooding. Set up with a cooler chock-full of ice, towers of plastic red Solo cups, two pitchers of fresh lemonade, and a homemade wooden stand posted under a yellow umbrella with a sign that read: “Lemonade, $1. All proceeds go to Camp Mystic,” the kids starting making sales around 10 Saturday morning; and women’s basketball phenoms Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark played each other for the first time as professionals on Sunday, which ended in a 102-83 Indiana Fever win over the Dallas Wings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton filed Thursday to end her marriage with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, citing infidelity in Collin County court documents. Angela Paxton’s attorney, Charla Bradshaw, alleged in documents obtained by The Dallas Morning News that Ken Paxton “has committed adultery.’ In other news, about 115 animals from Texas’ flood-ravaged Hill Country landed Thursday at a private tarmac in Fort Worth, flown by the nonprofit Wings of Rescue. A trio of organizations — Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth, SPCA of Texas in Dallas and Operation Kindness in Carrollton — took in the animals. Wings of Rescue flew the animals from shelters in San Angelo and San Marcos, inundated this week with cats and dogs rescued from the July 4 flood; the Texas Trees Foundation secured $25 million in state funding for the Southwestern Medical District Transformation Project in the Harry Hines Corridor. The $198 million project led by the Dallas-based nonprofit aims to transform the area; and as the Cowboys begin their 66th season in franchise history with a trip to Oxnard, California for training camp on July 20, the face of the franchise enters a crucial moment in his professional career. Dak Prescott enters his 10th season as the starting quarterback. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant are joined by Joe Hoyt, covering the Cowboys in his return to the staff. [1:10] Kevin and Evan can’t argue with the fact that Jacob deGrom was the only Ranger on the preliminary list for Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Do they also fail to make any ripples at the trade deadline? Evan says he wouldn’t have a problem if Chris Young played the cards in his hand. Kevin says he’d dangle Adolis Garcia in a deal. [22:10] Joe renders his two biggest questions for the Cowboys’ season. The first: How will the offense assimilate George Pickens, who, despite massive talent, had problems in Pittsburgh. So far, so good. The other point? Tune in to find out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly a week after heavy rain and flooding hit the Texas Hill Country, the search continued Wednesday for an untold number of missing people. Officials warned that the full extent of the catastrophe had yet to be revealed and unaccounted victims could still be found amid the massive piles of debris in the area that stretch for miles. In other news, office vacancies in Dallas’ downtown core have skyrocketed, prompting business and neighborhood leaders to call for better security to address crime and homelessness and bring workers and residents back. Between 2019 and 2024, vacancy rates for downtown office space surged from an average 21% to 27%; Dallas Area Rapid Transit is proposing the largest cuts in the agency’s 40-year history — and riders are pushing back. Hundreds packed the halls of DART’s downtown Dallas headquarters Tuesday evening, sharing their frustrations over nearly $60 million in proposed cuts to the agency’s buses, trains and on-demand services, along with fare changes that would leave riders paying more; and a Kentucky developer is planning to build a fully affordable apartment complex near one of the city’s logistics hubs. LDG Development, which is based in Kentucky and operates an office in Dallas, is planning to restrict the 330-unit Gateway at Trinity Forest apartment complex for residents making 60% of the area’s median income. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nope, it's not a repeat, just sounds like one. The fellas once again discuss a muddling offense that leaves the Rangers on the fringes of the playoff race. They break down the selection of Jacob deGrom to his first All-Star Game since 2021, and Evan muses on Kevin Pillar's take on the Rangers' clubhouse/chemistry. Then Will "The Thrill" Clark joins the guys to discuss joining the Rangers back when it didn't seem like a destination spot, what made the 1996 and 1998 Rangers teams special and what he thinks of hitting these days. Will might have some opinions. Finally, John cracks open the archives back to that 1996 season, which produced the Rangers' first playoff team, though there were some hairy moments late, and the clincher came in the middle of an extra-inning game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the number of people found dead from the July 4 floods in Central Texas grew to at least 109 on Tuesday, state officials revealed that even more people remain missing. In other news, Gaines County, the epicenter of the massive Texas measles outbreak that began in January, no longer has ongoing measles transmission. The Department of State Health Services released its weekly measles update, which included no new measles cases reported in the outbreak over the past week; the Dallas Police Department Fugitive Unit and the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested 99 people in June as part of Operation Justice Trail; and Dale Petroskey, the CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber, will step down at the end of the year. Petroskey has led the chamber for nearly 12 years and cited personal reasons for his departure, including his wife’s recent pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ken Hersh, energy entrepreneur and outgoing president and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, talks about the importance of education, pioneering private equity in the energy sector, leading an influential policy center in Dallas, and betting on yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices