Opinion: Rob Kaplan on Intersections Podcast

Top Dallas officials have fired back at Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent lawsuit, denying they’re illegally withholding money from the police and arguing the state’s case is so weak it should be thrown out. In other news, no matter how you count it, this March was the hottest Dallas-Fort Worth has ever seen. As of March 30, the average temperature for the month was 67.4 degrees, about three-quarters of a degree above the previous record in 1907; a North Texas judge issued a temporary injunction blocking an effort to support a Muslim-centric neighborhood. Collin County’s 493rd Judicial District issued an injunction tied to development of The Meadow, a project planned to feature more than 1,000 homes; the Texas Stock Exchange is the planned primary listing venue of a new exchange-traded fund from Westwood Holdings Group, a Dallas-based investment and asset management firm; and as the James Beard Foundation slims its list of chefs eligible for a coveted culinary award in 2026, two Dallas-Fort Worth chefs remain as contenders. Both work at Italian restaurants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Cuban has had a change of heart, but not about the sale of the Dallas Mavericks franchise itself. Instead, in the latest episode of Intersections, Cuban said, “I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.” In other news, cosmetics giant Mary Kay is looking to sell its more than 500,000-square-foot campus in Addison; Texas lawmakers plan to study the possibility of annexing a chunk of its western neighbor. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows this month directed a state legislative committee to explore the legal and economic implications of adding one or more New Mexico counties; and Democratic state Sen. Taylor Rehmet of Fort Worth accused Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of “petty, partisan politics” Monday after the newly elected senator was left off a list of influential appointments. Patrick gave Rehmet zero committee assignments Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneur and former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban on selling the Mavericks and the Luka Doncic trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First Baptist Dallas Church executive pastor Ben Lovvorn announced on Palm Sunday that construction will soon begin to rebuild the church’s 134-year-old historic sanctuary that was destroyed in a four-alarm fire in July 2024. In other news, Dallas police detained a man at the No Kings protest in downtown Dallas Saturday afternoon after an incident; The "Texas Furry Fiesta" was held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotelm this weekend, drawing more than 8,000 furries — people who create an anthropomorphic animal character; and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., had a “protein-packed” day after visiting Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue joint The Original Roy Hutchins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Rangers' season-opening roster was set, John and Evan break down the final decisions and how playing time might be split at some positions. We also revisit the cool moment of Skip Schumaker informing Carter Baumler that he'd made the team while on the mound in the middle of an inning. Former Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos, the bench coach for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, stops by to talk about the run through the tournament, the work the staff and players put in and the gratitude that washed over him and his countrymen after the win over Team USA. Finally, in the Archives in Arlington, we walk through some 21st Century season openers, including Alex Rodriguez's first game, which foreshadowed a season and an era. And John shares a little surprise about the time Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura talked on opening day - for the first time in nearly 20 years since their brawl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spring Break served up more than just sunshine in Dallas-Fort Worth — it brought back some beloved local restaurants from the dead. We've got the details on the comebacks you need to know about.Plus, Tanner Agar of Apothecary and Flamant joins us to make the case for vermouth — the most underrated, misunderstood, and quietly essential ingredient in your glass. Think of it as the Paul Dano of booze: always in the room, doing serious work, and criminally overlooked until someone finally points it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney General Ken Paxton informed Kelly Hancock on Thursday the attorney general’s office would no longer represent the comptroller in an ongoing federal lawsuit regarding access Muslim schools have to the state’s new education savings account system. In other news, the D-FW area added more than 120,000 people from July 2024 to July 2025, according to a new census estimate; Dubai developer SEE Holding has scrapped plans for a roughly 2,300-acre mixed-use development in Kaufman County; nd the Dallas Mavericks have hired Kieran Kelliher as their new chief financial officer, an important move for the team’s business operations as the franchise prepares to move into a new arena in five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SMU president Jay Hartzell on protests and free speech on college campuses, the future of college athletics and NIL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dallas police’s explosive disposal team scoured NorthPark Center in Dallas Wednesday after a reported threat caused a full evacuation. In other news, Brooks Potteiger, an evangelical pastor from Tennessee and a pastor for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on a podcast this month that he wants Texas state Rep. James Talarico to die by crucifixion, prompting conflicting explanations of what he meant; the owners of The Shops at Willow Bend plan to start tearing down the mall within the next year — even if the Dallas Stars opt against building a hockey arena at the 90-acre site; and one of the Dallas region’s most well-known names in furniture is closing its retail operations. Weir’s Furniture, founded in 1948, announced on Wednesday it will shutter after all its merchandise is sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historian Jon Meacham on his anthology book American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices