Latest news with #JohnSharp
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Texas A&M's 'Draggieland' allowed to proceed after judge rules against drag ban
The Brief A U.S. district judge ruled against Texas A&M's drag ban on Monday. A student group opposed the bill in an attempt to hold its annual 'Draggieland' event. 'Draggieland' is scheduled to be held on Thursday. A U.S. district judge has blocked a drag show ban put into place by the Texas A&M University System board of regents, that should allow its annual "Draggieland" event to be held this week. Draggieland, a student-run drag event, is scheduled to be held on Thursday at the Rudder Theatre. What we know The Texas A&M Queer Empowerment Council challenged the board of regents' move to ban the annual show. On Friday, Feb. 28, Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp and President Mark Walsh were ordered to immediately cancel any planned drag shows on Texas A&M University System campuses. The resolution says that using university facilities for drag events could violate an executive order by President Trump and a directive from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The Queer Empowerment Council says the ban may violate the First Amendment right to free speech and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. United States District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, a George H.W. Bush appointee, granted a preliminary injunction against the ban on Monday. "It is a ticketed event; only those who want to attend do so. Anyone who finds the performance or performers offensive has a simple remedy: don't go," Rosenthal wrote in her opinion. What we don't know It's not clear if Texas A&M will appeal the ruling. A Texas A&M University spokesperson told Fox News Digital via email on Monday that the institution cannot comment on pending litigation. "The system has received the opinion and is evaluating next steps," a Texas A&M University system spokesperson told Fox News Digital via phone on Monday. What they're saying "We're overjoyed with today's decision. This is another display of the resilience of queer joy, as that is an unstoppable force despite those that wish to see it destroyed. While this fight isn't over, we are going to appreciate the joy we get to bring by putting on the best show that we can do," wrote the Queer Empowerment Council in a statement. The Source Information in this article comes from court filings in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and FOX News Digital.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas A&M regents may soon decide the university system's next leader
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents could name its pick Monday for who should lead the sprawling collection of 11 universities and eight state agencies. The board has an all-day meeting scheduled Monday in Houston with the potential to vote on a sole finalist for chancellor, according to a public meeting posted on the university system's website. A number of people in the political and higher education worlds have been discussed as potential candidates for the position. Two sources familiar with the situation said regents have not yet solidified around one particular choice ahead of Monday. If the board decides, it will kick off a 21-day mandatory waiting period under state law before they can make a final appointment. Whoever is chosen will succeed John Sharp, the system's longest-serving chancellor. He had said he plans to retire in June. Sharp, 74, grew up in Victoria County. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Texas A&M in 1972 and a master's in public administration from Texas State University. He served as a Democratic state representative, senator, railroad commissioner and state comptroller before he came back to his alma mater in 2011. Under Sharp's leadership, Texas A&M expanded into Fort Worth and built a defense research and testing campus called Rellis in Bryan. The system educates more than 157,000 students. The next chancellor will take over during a time of upheaval in higher education nationwide and in Texas. The Trump administration has slashed research funding and threatened to cut more if universities don't end race-conscious programming. This comes after the Republican-controlled Legislature passed in 2023 a ban on diversity equity and inclusion offices, programs and training that they have repeatedly accused public universities of violating. They've also been under pressure to tamp down student protests of the war in Gaza. Earlier this year, Jay Hartzell announced he'd be leaving the University of Texas at Austin for Southern Methodist University, a smaller private research university in Dallas. Last week, Hartzell's tenure as president of the flagship was cut short by several months when the UT chancellor named Jim Davis as the interim president effective immediately. One of Davis' first acts as president was to replace the institution's chief academic officer. Disclosure: Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University System and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas A&M offers land to 4 nuclear energy companies for small reactors
Texas A&M University is offering up land to nuclear reactor companies. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp announced last week that he has offered land near the university's campus in Bryan-College Station to four nuclear reactor companies who intend to build small modular reactors. Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy and Aalo Atomics have agreed to work with the Texas A&M University system to bring reactors to Texas A&M-RELLIS, the 2,4000-acre tech innovation campus in Bryan. The reactor builds and tests are part of a new project, "The Energy Proving Ground," which aims to look at the future of energy delivery in the U.S. More: Why Texas A&M University wants state-of-the-art nuclear power plants on its campus 'Plain and simple: the United States needs more power,' Sharp said in a release about the news. 'And nowhere in the country, other than Texas, is anyone willing to step up and build the power plants we need. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Texas state government, Texas A&M System stands ready to step up and do what is necessary for the country to thrive.' According to the release, the companies' first reactors could be constructed within five years and will work toward bringing "commercial-ready technologies" to the university's land and testing the latest prototypes. The release said university officials have worked to streamline the regulatory process so the four companies can get their reactors operational quickly. The power generated at the proving ground could also supply power to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees Texas' grid. As of Friday morning, about 10.5% of ERCOT's energy generation came from nuclear energy sources, and its monthly capacity was over 5,260 MW. "The Energy Proving Ground" site will have a combined electrical output of over one gigawatt. One gigawatt can power about 750,000 homes. 'The agreements that the Texas A&M System has with Kairos, Natura, Terrestrial and Aalo are going to change the energy landscape for the whole country,' said Joe Elabd, vice chancellor for research at the Texas A&M System. 'The Energy Proving Ground will allow these companies to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying small nuclear reactors across the country.' This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M partners with 4 nuclear energy companies
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A&M announces groundbreaking nuclear power partnership
BRYAN, Texas (FOX 44) — The Texas A&M University System revealed a historic partnership on Tuesday that university leaders say will reshape the future of energy in the state. Chancellor John Sharp introduced the initiative at a press conference, calling it 'Ground Zero for the nuclear renaissance' and a key step in bringing nuclear power to Texas. The partnership will focus on deploying small modular reactors and molten salt reactors, technologies designed to address some of the state's most pressing challenges. The dais consisted of (from left to right): The Texas A&M University System Chancellor Hon. John Sharp, State Representative Greg Bonnen, M.D., State Representative Cody Harris, Reed Clay, President of Texas Nuclear Alliance, Mike Laufer, CEO of Kairos Power, Douglas Robinson, Founder and CEO of Natura Resources, Smith Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy, and Matt Loszak, Co-founder and CEO Aolo Atomics. Doug Robinson, Founder and CEO of Natura Resources, emphasized that these cutting-edge nuclear solutions could help meet Texas's growing power and water needs. 'What the public can expect is to start seeing how small modular reactors and molten salt reactors, which is what we're deploying, that can help meet our state's needs of power and water,' Robinson said. Chancellor Sharp, citing Texas A&M's position as home to the world's largest nuclear engineering department, stressed the university's critical role in training future generations of engineers and technicians to operate and maintain this new technology. 'It's our kids and our professors that are going to be trainers and trainees in making sure that the infrastructure is there to operate these things once they start getting built,' Sharp said. Local State Representative Cody Harris also spoke at the event, highlighting the need for Texas lawmakers to remain open to new energy solutions to support the state's booming population. 'We're going to make sure that Texas continues to be the economic powerhouse that it is in the United States, where the largest economy in the world,' Harris said. 'we've got 1300 people that are moving here. They're not bringing power and they're not bringing water. And so as legislators, we need to be forward-thinking enough and innovative enough to recognize new opportunities that are out there.' Attendees were enthusiastic about the future of energy in Texas. Brad Brown, with the Vice Chancellor's Office, praised the university's vision of technological growth, noting that nuclear energy would be essential for powering the next wave of innovation. 'I've seen the vision of the chancellor as it's progressed from a sort of sleepy research campus to really a high tech looking around for a lot of technology,' Brown said. 'And nuclear is really the next thing because it's the driving force. I mean, the electricity and the power requirements are going to really support a lot of the other work that we're doing out here.' Panelists at the press conference were unified in their belief that Texas's leadership in nuclear energy would play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy not only in the U.S., but around the world. The Texas A&M University System's partnership marks a pivotal moment in the state's energy landscape, positioning it at the forefront of the next energy revolution. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
