Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Monday, Oct. 23, 2023:
Now there’s a Texan candidate running for U.S. House speaker
Rep. Pete Sessions is the lone Texan tossing his hat in the ring for U.S. House speaker after Reps. Jodey Arrington and Roger Williams announced they will no longer run, and Jim Jordan failed to collect enough votes after multiple attempts.
Texas Tribune reporter Matthew Choi joins the Standard to discuss the race ahead of the House Republican nominee announcement on Tuesday.
The White House is launching an Ecuadorian family reunification program
The Biden administration is launching a family reunion program that allows Ecuadorians living in the United States to lawfully sponsor their immediate family members living overseas to relocate to the U.S.
Formally known as family reunification parole (FRP), the program aims to promote the use of legal immigration routes. The Hill reporter Rafael Bernal joins Texas Standard with the story.
What are the most haunted places in Texas?
You can find a haunted house or pumpkin patch in just about every city in Texas … but what about real hauntings in the Lone Star State?
From abandoned hospitals to historic hotels, Texas has more than its fair share of haunted spots. Joining the Standard with a tour of spine-chilling sites is Kristina Downs, director of the Texas Folklore Society and an assistant professor at Tarleton State University.
The parallel storylines of the first three seasons of ‘Ted Lasso’ and Austin FC
If you follow Austin FC closely, you’re probably leaving this season with a feeling of, “What if?” – or even, “What went wrong?”
But there are folks out there who might understand what Austin FC is going through. There are parallels to the arcs of the first three years of Austin FC and its AppleTV+ streaming teammate, “Ted Lasso.” KUT’s Jimmy Maas reports.
How to travel across Texas via train
France may be almost the size of Texas, but trains help you get around. But taking the train across Texas? It’s actually a more appealing option than one might think – as long as you’re in no particular hurry.
Texas Monthly’s Sasha von Oldershausen joins the Standard to wax about Amtrak’s Sunset Limited.
After a series of suicides, the USS George Washington returns to sea with more mental healthcare
Last year, the USS George Washington became a symbol of the Navy’s long-standing issues with suicide. The carrier spent six years in the shipyard undergoing maintenance, during which time several crewmembers took their own lives. Now, the ship is heading back out to sea, with a greater emphasis on mental health care.
Steve Walsh reports for the American Homefront Project.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
