Bill's summer recs

Bill Gates shares summer reading recs from acclaimed Houston barbecue joint

Bill Gates visited Pinkerton's BBQ during a trip to Houston.

Courtesy of Gates Notes, LLC

One of the world’s most prominent business leaders used a Houston barbecue joint as the setting for his latest video. Bill Gates shared his recommendations for books to read and a TV show to watch this summer from Pinkerton’s Barbecue, the award-winning barbecue restaurant in the Heights.

During the two-and-a-half minute clip, viewers will see Gates, best known as the co-founder of software giant Microsoft, sipping an Old Fashioned and dining on Pinkerton’s signature Central Texas-style barbecue. He also spends a little time in the pit room checking on briskets in a smoker.

Gates filmed the video when he visited Houston in April where he attended CERA Week and visited clean energy companies.

In between bites of barbecue, Gates recommends four books to read and one TV show to watch. They are:

The Women, a novel by Kristin Hannah
Infectious Generosity, by Chris Anderson
Slow Horses, a TV show on Apple TV+
Brave New Words, by Sal Khan
How to Know a Person, by David Brooks

In a companion post on his Gates Notes blog, the billionaire explains the theme behind his choices. “The books and TV series on my summer list all touch on the idea of service to others — why we do it, the things that can make it difficult, and why we should do it anyway,” he writes.

Given that most barbecue takes hours to smoke and that managing a fire is a notoriously finicky task, count cooking Gates' lunch as something that’s also difficult but worth doing anyway.

Watch the whole clip below:

celebrities barbecue

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana