Hello Houston

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Houston Chronicle reporters Sam González Kelly and Matt deGrood, who both tell us about a recent analysis that’s raising questions about HPD’s cooperation with federal immigration agents.

Next, Houston native and comedian Cris Sosa talks to us about his journey taking his comedy to the national stage as a contestant on America’s Got Talent.

In the show’s second hour, we talk again with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who discusses Harris County Commissioners rejecting her proposed tax-rate increase to fund early childcare pro...

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard joins us to discuss his proposal to pause the approval of new gas stations near residential neighborhoods and what it could mean for the future of development, public health, and quality of life in Houston.  

Then, we turn to books and talk with New York Times best-selling author Amanda Eyre Ward, who tells us about the two years she spent researching the world of romance scammers for her new novel, Arrivals and Departures. 

In the second hour, Dr. Ruth Simmons, a Distinguished Fellow at Rice...

On today’s Hello Houston, Yvonne Romero, Vice President for Enrollment at Rice University, tells us about the school's expanded financial aid program and what it could mean for students who thought an education at Rice was financially out of reach.

Then, Galveston-based extreme weather and disaster scientist, Dr. Hal Needham, better known as “Hurricane Hal,” discusses what we can expect from this year's hurricane season and how we can manage storm and disaster anxiety while also being prepared.

In the second hour of the show, with today being the first day of the 2026 – 27 school year for...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Dr. Peter Stout, President and CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, who discusses their work providing forensic services to help support criminal investigations and why scientific integrity is important for the investigative process.

Then, Timothy Hudson, founder and CEO of Houston Reggae Summer Fest, and the festival's entertainment director, Tafari Toney, talk to us about the event taking place at Hermann Square tomorrow, August 8, and what sights and sounds Houstonians can expect.

In the second hour of the show, we do our regular Friday feature “Last Minu...

On today’s Hello Houston, Dr. Katherine Hempstead of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discusses new research that found nearly half of working-age adults struggled to afford healthcare last year and what this says about healthcare affordability in the U.S.

Next, our hosts and listeners share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at talk@hellohouston.org.

In the show’s second hour, we hear Ernie Manouse’s conversation with Academ...

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss a new investigation into one of the country’s largest hospital chains, American Healthcare Systems, and its owner, with Mother Jones special projects editor Hannah Levintova and Ashley Cleek, a reporter and producer at Reveal.

Next, we hear from Brooke Yahney, the Wildlife Director of the Houston SPCA Wildlife Center, who breaks down their work providing emergency care for native wildlife, and what Houstonians should do if they encounter an animal in need of medical attention. 

In the show's second hour, we turn to education and talk with Betsy...

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Temporary Protected Status and what it could mean for Houston's Haitian and Black immigrant communities with Zenobia Lai, Executive Director of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, and James Pierre, Vice Chairman of Houston Haitians United.

Then, University of Houston professor Dr. Lu Gao joins us to explain how artificial intelligence is helping researchers identify dangerous roadways and improve traffic safety across Texas.

In the second hour of the show, we break down what we can expect from this year’s Hous...

On today’s Hello Houston, Ernie Manouse and guest host Deborah Hope begin the show by talking about some of today’s top stories, including a Houston man facing federal charges for flying a drone at the World Cup, and Texas being home to twenty-one of the world's biggest companies by revenue. 

Next, we talk with University of Minnesota researchers Kate Adamala and Aaron Engelhart, who tell us about the synthetic cell they created that can feed, grow, reproduce, and even compete for resources.

Then, Houston Public Media reporter Sarah Grunau joins us to explain what...

On today’s Hello Houston, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Chairman Wesley Sinor discusses the rodeo's record investment in Texas students through millions of dollars in scholarships, his vision for leading the rodeo, and what's already in the works for next year's event.

Then, Houston artist Tay Butler tells us about his journey from the military to becoming an artist, why he views art as a form of resistance, and how today's social and political climate continues to shape his work.

In the second hour, we talk with freelance journalist Jennifer Swann, who expl...

On today’s Hello Houston, Ernie Manouse and guest host Doug Miller begin the show by discussing today’s top stories, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asking state lawmakers to find ways to further instill religion into public life and singer Ella Langley's song "Choosin' Texas" making chart history.

Then, Dr. Jonathan McCullers, Dean of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston, talks to us about UH Health, a new cross-disciplinary academic health enterprise to help advance the school’s medical program and Houston’s medical industry.

In the second h...

On today’s Hello Houston, newly elected Houston City Council Member Joe Panzarella shares his vision for the future of Freedmen’s Town, which focuses on balancing growth and preserving its history while simultaneously giving its residents a stronger voice. 

Next, we talk with Ignacio “Nacho” Torras, co-founder of the Genuine Cup, who tells us all about this international soccer tournament and how it empowers athletes with intellectual disabilities and autism from all over the world.

In the second hour of the show, we learn about Combined Arms, a Houston-based referral network for veterans, service members...

On today’s Hello Houston, David A. Gantz, the Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics at Rice University's Baker Institute, discusses recent talks to revise the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and what this could mean for businesses and consumers.

Next, Gabriela Torres of the Sickle Cell Association of Texas MTF joins us to tell us about Camp Cell-A-Bration, a week-long camp event that allows children living with sickle cell disease to have their own camp experience.

In the show's second hour, we’re joined by J’Maine Chubb, the new Chief Financial Officer of Texas Southe...

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas joins us to discuss the "Right to Air Conditioning" ordinance she introduced that would require rental properties to provide and maintain air conditioning in all rental units.  

Then, Judge David Fleischer of the Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 5 joins us to talk about why he continues to livestream his courtroom proceedings and his tough but fair approach to interacting with defendants.

In the second hour of the show, we talk with Bill King, a Fellow in Public Finance at Rice University's Baker Ins...

On today’s Hello Houston, Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy joins us to share his perspective on the ongoing dispute over Daniel Wong's appointment as the county's interim judge and what this leadership fight could mean for county government.

Next, we talk with Nicole Buergers, owner of the Houston-area business Bee2Bee Honey Collective, who tells us all about the services they provide and how Houstonians can help preserve local bee populations.

In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Houston actor Michael Vincent Berry, who talks with us about the deep...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with the Senior Director of Operations at the Houston Humane Society, Greg Evans, who discusses how they’re addressing the city’s stray animal crisis, and how Houstonians can help lower these rates and save these animals.

Next, we hear from Kevin Anderson, the Founder and CEO of the Houston area non-profit The T.R.U.T.H. Project, who tells us about their upcoming third annual “A Vibe Called Rest Fest,” and how it celebrates community wellness and healing.

In the second hour, Eileen Dong, a former UN Global...

On today’s Hello Houston, we speak with Dallas-based writer Diana Spechler, who gives us the latest on plans to build a series of border walls across the Big Bend region of West Texas and how Texans on both sides of the political aisle are fighting against it.

Then, State Senator Carol Alvarado, who represents Texas Senate District 6, joins us to discuss the fallout from the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and the growing response across Houston.

In the second hour, Ernie Manouse and guest host Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison talk about the hu...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with board-certified divorce coach Christy Mendelow, who tells us about her work guiding individuals through the uncertainty of divorce and her thoughts on when couples should consider getting a divorce.

Then, we speak with Houston Public Media reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh and KUT reporter Kailey Hunt, who both discuss the fourth episode of the new podcast series, After the Flood, which delves into the major flood that hit the community of Sandy Creek a day after the deadly floods in Kerr County.

In the second hour, we listen to...

On today’s Hello Houston, Adrian Torres, a recent James Beard Award winner and Executive Chef of the Houston area restaurant Maximo, joins us to tell us about receiving this prestigious award, his culinary journey, and his immigration story.

Next, Ricky Sanchez, the co-chair of the Houston Democratic Socialists of America, joins us to discuss the organization's mission, the democratic socialist movement, and his thoughts on the criticism that the movement could potentially splinter the Democratic Party.

In the second hour of the show, we’re rejoined by Maureen McNamara, the co-founder of Arthouse Houston, who...

On today's Hello Houston, we discuss Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent voter fraud allegations despite his push to crack down on illegal voting in the state with Texas Tribune reporter Zach Despart, who’s been covering this story.

Then, actor Robert Petkoff, who’s playing the character Harold Zidler in the national tour of Moulin Rouge The Musical, gives us an inside look at the production, which is currently playing at the Hobby Center through Sunday, July 19.

In the second hour, Perla Trevizo, a reporter with the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit, tells us about...

On today’s Hello Houston, we hear the latest episode of University of Houston political science professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus’s Texperts series, in which he explores the systems that discipline Texas judges with Justice Ken Wise, who’s on the 14th Court of Appeals.

Next, we learn about The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s upcoming production of The Gondoliers, with Joe Carl White, president of the opera company’s board of directors, and Houston native stage director Alyssa Weathersby, who both tell us about it.

In the second hour, Christina Tringides...

On today’s Hello Houston, area immigration attorney Gordon Quan joins us in the show’s first hour to discuss how people should interact with federal agents if they’re stopped, as well as explain what rights people have in these situations.

Then, author R. Lee Ingalls, a member of the Ingalls family that was the subject of the Little House on the Prairie books and the successful TV series of the same name, discusses his family’s history and the new Netflix reboot of the classic series.

In the second hour, we hear the latest i...

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston Public Media reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh joins us to discuss his story on what legal experts think about Mayor John Whitmire saying that HPD can’t independently investigate the fatal ICE shooting. 

Next, Walsh and Houston Public Reporter Sarah Grunau discuss the newest episode of the podcast series, After the Flood, which follows the families of Camp Mystic victims as they fight for stronger regulations around summer camps following the deadly floods that devastated the Texas Hill Country last year.

In the show’s second hour, with cryptocurrency ATMs popping...

On today’s Hello Houston, we hear from Sandy West, a contributing writer for Public Health Watch, who tells us about the growing number of maternal healthcare deserts across the state of Texas and the impact they're having on pregnant women and their families.

Then, Houston-based photographer Violeta Alvarez joins us to tell us about her new residency with Fresh Arts called Casa de Cultura: The Living Archive, and how it turns family stories of immigration into a living community archive.

In the second hour, we talk with Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who jo...

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston City Councilmember at Large Position 4 Alejandra Salinas talks with Ernie Manouse and guest host Robert Arnold at the top of the show to discuss the fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Houston's East End yesterday.

Next, Nicholas Sawicki, Executive Director of the Houston Public Library Foundation, joins us to tell us all about the library’s Summer Reading Program and how it encourages readers of all ages to read for fun throughout the summer.

In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and re...

On today’s Hello Houston, Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston, joins us to tell us about a possible breakthrough in fusion energy, which could one day provide abundant electricity with minimal emissions.

Then, we hear from Benjamin Hayden, an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering and linguistics at Rice University, who tells us about a new study that looks at how bilingual brains navigate between languages.

In the second hour, Liz Hoefer, the managing attorney and co-founder of the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, discusses the Texas Su...

On today’s Hello Houston, with the Houston FIFA matches now over, we’re joined again by Chris Canetti, President of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Houston Host Committee, who discusses how Houston fared as a host city for this massive global event.  

Next, best-selling author Christina Diaz Gonzalez joins us to spotlight her new graphic novel, Offside, which follows five very different middle school students on a soccer team that becomes co-ed.

In the second hour of the show, the Galveston County reporter for Houston Public Media, Julianna Washburn, joins us to give us the lates...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Timothy Malcolm, Deputy Managing Editor of Texas Lifestyle at Chron, who joins us to discuss their new list ranking the 250 most influential Texans since 1776, which Texans are included on the list, and how it all came together.

Then, Houston Public Media reporters Dominic Anthony Walsh and Sarah Grunau join us again to unpack the latest episode of the new podcast series After the Flood, which examines last year’s Texas Hill Country floods and the region’s history with flooding.

In the second hour, director Katie Camosy joins...

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Gina Plata-Nino, the SNAP Director at the Food Research and Action Center, who discusses a new analysis that examines how changes to SNAP policies are being implemented and how they’re affecting recipients.

Then, Daniel Kurt Ackermann, Director of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, joins us to tell us about their exhibition “George Washington: America’s Enduring Icon,” which examines how Americans memorialize and remember the nation’s first president.

In the second hour, Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, the chefs behind Houston's JŪN, share their story of...

On today’s Hello Houston, Dr. Stephen Sherman, a research scientist with the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, discusses the findings of their 2026 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston report, which looks at the latest housing trends in our area.

Next, we learn about all the upcoming performances that will be at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park this summer, with the theater’s Managing Director, Claudia de Vasco.

In the second hour, Sandra Guerra Thompson, a professor of law and former director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law...

On today’s Hello Houston, we receive a FIFA World Cup update from Houston Public Media Reporter Michael Adkison and Jose de Jesus Ortiz, founder and editor-in-chief of Our Esquina Media, who both join us live from Houston Stadium ahead of the Japan/Brazil match.

Then, Kavita Self, Executive Director for the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, tells us about their Science of Soccer event, which explores the science behind the world’s most popular sport.

In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Betsy Mayotte, President of The Instit...

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Gary Joiner, the Communications Director of the Texas Farm Bureau, who gives us an update on the spread of the New World screwworm in the United States and how ranchers are responding to the spread of this parasite.

Then, Houston Public Media reporters Dominic Anthony Walsh and Sarah Grunau join us to tell us about After the Flood, a new podcast series that looks into the aftermath of the deadly floods that devastated the Texas Hill Country last year.  

In the show's second hour, we hear from...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Dr. Hilary Fairbrother, a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School, who gives us tips on how we can stay safe this summer and avoid the emergency room.

Then, Houston filmmaker and producer Greg Carter joins us, along with director Noely Mendoza, to tell us all about the independent coming-of-age film Sugar Beach, which will be playing in select theatres across the country starting tomorrow.

In the second hour, Houston-area relationship expert Dr. Viviana Coles joins us again on the show...

On today’s Hello Houston, as Texas races to become the nation’s data center capital, we discuss the energy infrastructure needed to support this growth and whether residential customers can avoid inheriting the cost with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs.

Next, we learn about the award-winning documentary film, The Gas Station Attendant, which will be screened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, tomorrow night, with its director, Houston-born filmmaker Karla Murthy, and HTX MADE creator Li Lu, who will be moderating the screening.

In the show’s second hour, we break down t...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Michael Soules, a political scientist with the University of Houston, who joins us to share his thoughts on why political violence, intimidation, and extremism seem to be on the rise in the United States.   

Then, Deborah Lugo, Vice President of Programming and Education at the Hobby Center, joins us to reveal the 2026–27 season for their Live at the Founders Club series.

In the second hour of the show, we turn to estate planning and talk with Hilary Reed, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center, who ed...

On today’s Hello Houston, Chris Canetti, President of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, joins us again on the show to give us an update on how the city is handling the crowds and festivities of the World Cup.

Next, we talk with Jessi Bowman, the founder and owner of FLATS, a Houston-based photo lab, community darkroom, and exhibition space, who tells us all about the services they provide and the current state of film photography.

In the second hour, Houston City Councilmember Joe Panzarella, who represents District C, joins us to discuss th...

On today’s Hello Houston, as Juneteenth approaches, historian and author Blair LM Kelley and Prairie View A&M’s Dr. Melanye Price join us to explore what the holiday means to us today and how it’s still shaping conversations about social justice in the United States.

Next, Militza Mezquita, the Texas State Director for Save the Children, joins us to share tips for how parents can keep their children learning throughout summer break.

In the second hour, we hear an excerpt of the latest installment of Ernie Manouse’s InnerVIEWS series, in which he talks...

On today’s Hello Houston, University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs joins us in the first hour of the show to share his thoughts on the United States' memorandum of understanding with Iran and what we can expect to see with oil prices going forward.

Then, Kevin Myer, CEO and President of LifeGift, the organ procurement organization for North, Southeast and West Texas, joins us to discuss the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation as well as how Texans can register to become donors.

In the show's second hour, we hear the latest ed...

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss the latest on the state of Texas and the Smithsonian’s battle over where the Space Shuttle Discovery should call home with Kelly Crow, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, who’s been covering this story.

Then, Laurette Veres, owner and producer of The Bridal Extravaganza Show, one of the largest bridal expos in the country, joins us to tell us all about how the upcoming event aims to help future brides plan their special day.

In the second hour, we’re joined by Ryan Hyatt, host of the T...

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by the Harris County reporter for the Houston Chronicle, John Lomax V, who discusses what led to the resignation of the Harris County Flood Control District’s director and where its flood control projects currently stand.

Then, we check in with Justin Ballard, the Newsroom Meteorologist for the Houston Chronicle, who gives us the latest information on what we can expect from the heavy rainfall expected across Houston and Southeast Texas this week.

In the show’s second hour, University of Houston political science professor and co-host of Houst...

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa in the show’s first hour, who explains why she believes Texas voters are ready for a change in leadership and what she would do differently if elected governor.

Then, the Garden Theatre’s founding artistic director, Logan Vaden and Houston-based vocalist Wendy Taylor join us to tell us all about the "Musical Theatre Extravaganza,” running tonight through Sunday at the MATCH.

In the second hour, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup now upon us, we’re joined by former Houston Dynamo soccer star Mike...