On Wednesday's show: From the ongoing war in Israel, to the search for a new Speaker of the House, to the Houston mayor's race, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Houston native Ben Moser talks about his latest book, The Upside-Down World. It explores how his fascination with the Dutch masters, like Rembrandt and Vermeer, helped him build a life for himself in the Netherlands and allowed him to confront challenging questions about his craft. Moser discusses the book at an event at the MFAH on Oct. 15.

And author and cartoonist Stephan Pastis, creator of the cartoon Pearls Before Swine, talks about his new novel, Looking Up, which naturally features his illustrations. He visits Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop for an event on Oct. 23.