The State of Texas: Are West Texans the Platonic ideal of Texans?

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Your New Gameday Tradition]( [Texas Monthly]( October 24, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "There's a reason people will walk across a desert to live in America, because we are the country where everyone has a voice, and everyone plays a role. " —Dale Hansen, the Dallas sportscaster who has been outspoken about his political belief in the past few years, [on why he voted]( for the first time in 46 years. THE LATEST [On Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain Asks If West Texans Are the Platonic Ideal of Texans]( CHRISTIAN WALLACE Spoiler: The answer is yes. [Read more.]( MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS... [Under The Sea]( [via [San Antonio Express-News](] A trio of bizarre creatures have washed up on the Texas coast recently. A teeny tiny one-inch-tall Pygmy seahorse, which was caught and released from the lower Laguna Madre near Padre Island, was captioned "the smallest catch of the week" by the [Coastal Fisheries of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]( on Facebook. A few days later, the Padre Island National Seashore [posted a photo of a cabbage head jellyfish]( on its Instagram. Then the Padre Island NPS came back a few days later with [a photo of a ghost crab](! Spoooooooky! We’ll feature our favorite piece of weird news here each Wednesday. Tomorrow, and every Thursday, tune in for our weekly news quiz! [Your New Gameday Tradition]( OUR TOP STORIES [Beto O’Rourke May Not Win the Election, But His Supporters Are Winning the Internet]( A slew of inventive—and humorous—political videos are emerging in the closing days of this year’s election. [Read more.]( [What You Need to Know About Austin’s Water Shortage]( Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. [Read more.]( [USA Gymnastics Is a Mess, and Simone Biles Won’t Stand for It]( The former president was indicted. The interim president resigned. And there are still hundreds of victims. [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Gone Nuclear On Tuesday, the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in the [Panhandle tweeted]( that it was experiencing at "operational emergency," which seemed to pique national interest. "The Emergency Response Organization has been activated," the tweet continued. Later, a public affairs manager for Pantex sent the Fort Worth Star-Telegram [a statement explaining the situation](. “As a precaution, all employees were sheltered in place,” Steven Wyatt said. “The Carson County Sheriff’s Office and Amarillo Police Department responded, and the vehicle was inspected for any prohibited items. After searching the vehicle, it was determined there were no prohibited items or explosives, and the emergency event was resolved without incident.” Right to Vote Five students at Prairie View A&M, a historically black university, [are suing Waller County officials]( for not providing enough early voting locations. The group of students sued on Monday, the first day of early voting, saying that officials are discriminating against students based on their race and age. The filing noted that there is no single early voting location on campus during the entire first week the polls are open, and on the second week it is open only three days a week and closes at 5 p.m. The suit says the limited early voting is illegal because other nearby towns in the county, ones that are much more white, have more early voting opportunities. Frack Master Down Federal officials said on Tuesday that Christopher "Frack Master" Faulkner admitted to securities fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering and [faces up to twelve years in prison](. Faulkner, the former CEO of Dallas-based Breitling Energy, convinced Texas business folks that he was an expert in fracking. The only problem? He had fake degrees and shoddy business experience. Federal investigators say that he defrauded people to the tune of $80 million. After years of claiming that he was innocent, Faulkner finally admitted that he had defrauded investors out of millions of dollar. The jig is up, Frack Master. TRAVEL & OUTDOORS [Welcome Back to Salado’s Stagecoach Inn]( TOM FOSTER Now that the I-35 construction nightmare is over, the newly reopened hotel and restaurant finds itself at the center of this small town’s rebirth. [Read more.]( [Tailgate Like A Texan]( [Tailgate Like A Texan]( Join Texas Monthly for a tailgate as the Texas Longhorns take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, October 27th! We'll enjoy drinks from Deep Eddy Vodka, tailgate games, BBQ from The Switch, and much more. [Read more]( [Your New Gameday Tradition]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Is There Any Way the Cowboys Won the Amari Cooper Trade?]( DAN SOLOMON [New Documentary ‘Rigged’ Spotlights Voter Suppression Tactics in Texas]( TIM TALIAFERRO [Donald Trump and Fellow Republicans Highlight America’s Divisions at Houston Rally]( R.G. RATCLIFFE [Subscribe to Texas Monthly today and save!]( Get Texas Monthly for $1.08 an issue. [SUBSCRIBE]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. 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