C APITAL Highlights The continuing federal shutdown means food benefits provided to 3.5 million Texans could be cut off in November, The Texas Tribune reported. Of those affected, nearly half are children.

T EXAS History What better time than Halloween to delve into the otherworldly legends surrounding Texas’ most sacred site? If only a fraction of the many eyewitness accounts and second-hand reports contain a particle of truth, the Alamo has to be the most haunted place in the Lone Star State. The original ghost sighting was without a doubt the most frightening.

To the Editor: In the October 17 response letter to “Unity & Understanding,” the writer said that the “lame weak media” is assisting the Democratic Party in destroying America. Today’s media world includes the Trump Media and Technology Group that owns Truth Social, an alternative to mainstream and social media platforms.

For over two decades, 15 bluebird houses on about 35 acres of land here about four miles northwest of Rutersville have sheltered not only bluebirds, but also chickadees and titmouse, along with the too-frequent red wasp nests! But this year, when we had the most successful bluebird nesting season ever, we had by far the lowest bluebird survival rate.

To the Editor: Too often in this paper there is vitriol and hatred expressed towards undocumented immigrants that is driven by fear rather than facts. Here are the facts.

On a recent Zoom call, someone asked, “What do you do to nurture yourself? Where do you find comfort?” The answers came fast and fragrant: hot, sudsy baths (the group was all women, so of course), curling up with a good book, snuggling with a snoring pet, massages, facials, walks in nature, and bingeing on Netflix until the popcorn ran out. Each response was revealing and made me realize I didn’t have an instant one.

To the Editor: Mr. Hromas’ response to my letter attempts to shift the immigration debate into a binary of legal versus illegal, but this false dichotomy oversimplifies both history and policy.

To the Editor: There are many safer ways to use LCRA’s coal ash instead of polluting the Colorado River. It can be used on roads, in cement, gypsum board, embankment filler etc...

To the Editor: The lack of empathy shown by many Trump supporters toward undocumented immigrants and their families, particularly in support of ICE’s harsh deportation policies, reflects a deep moral disconnect. These supporters often reduce complex human struggles to sound bites about “law and order,” ignoring the profound suffering that drives people to cross borders in desperation.

To the Editor: Something deeply unsettling is happening in America. Some of us feel it in our hearts and see it on our screen: the nation we grew up loving -the one built on respect, resilience, and neighborly care—is becoming increasingly unrecognizable.