Hello Houston: The Commuter Cut

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Doris Childress talk with Gary Joiner, the Communications Director of the Texas Farm Bureau, who gives us the latest information on the spread of the New World screwworm.Next, we hear from Vanessa Gilmore, a former U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, who breaks down the Supreme Court’s most recent decisions, what we can expect from these rulings, and which decisions have yet to be made.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Maria Todd talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs, who shares his thoughts on how data centers will impact Texas’s power grid and how they’ve already affected consumers.Then, Houston-born filmmaker Karla Murthy and HTX MADE creator Li Lu join us to tell us about a screening of Murthy’s award-winning documentary, The Gas Station Attendant, which will take place tomorrow night, June 25, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.Plus, Houston Business Journal reporter Janet Miranda joins us to break down the reasons why Houston is trailing behind other major Texas cities like Austin and Dallas when it comes to attracting and retaining college graduates and young professionals, despite its job opportunities and relatively affordable cost of living.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Michael Adkison talk with Chris Canetti, President of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, who gives us an update on how the city is handling the crowds and festivities of the World Cup.Then, Jessi Bowman, the founder and owner of FLATS, a Houston-based photo lab, community darkroom, and exhibition space, joins us to tell us about the many services they offer as well as share her thoughts on the current state of the medium of film photography.Also, Houston City Councilmember Joe Panzarella, who represents District C, joins us to discuss the approved plans for a new pedestrian and bicycle connection between Memorial Park and Uptown, which supporters are saying will help improve mobility in this busy part of the city.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Chau Nguyen talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs, who shares his thoughts on the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, and what we can expect to see with oil prices.Next, we learn about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donations, with Kevin Myer, CEO and President of LifeGift, the organ procurement organization for North, Southeast and West Texas, who also explains how Texans can register to become donors.And finally, we hear from Sally Bradford, Executive Director of the North Houston Development Corporation, who joins us to tell us all about the area skate park, North Houston Skate Park, and the inclusive public park, Dylan Park, which has features that benefit children of all abilities, including the sight and hearing impaired, as well as wheelchair-bound children.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Michael Adkison talk with Houston Chronicle reporter John Lomax V, who helps us understand the resignation of the Harris County Flood Control District’s director and what's happening with their flood control projects.Then, we receive a recap of last week’s 2026 Texas Republican Convention from University of Houston political science professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus, who also discusses what these events could mean for November's election.Also, Tyce Green, president and founder of Houston Broadway Theatre, joins us to tell us all about their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, based on the 1996 Disney adaptation of the same name, which will run in Houston starting tomorrow, June 16, through July 5.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Nicole Ellis talk with Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who discusses the future of the Texas Dream Act.Then, we hear from Christine Ruiz Hopkins and Heidi Lutz, authors of Secret Galveston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, who both educate us on Galveston's lesser-known facts and folklore, and its Juneteenth history, with the island being its birthplace.Plus, Alfredo Rodriguez, the internationally acclaimed pianist and leader of the Alfredo Rodriguez trio, joins us to tell us about Havana Grooves, a Live at the Founders Club concert that he’ll be performing in for the next two nights at the Hobby Center.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Donna Reed talk with the University of Houston's Gail Buttorff and Maria Perez Arguelles, who break down a new study that explores how Houston neighborhoods help shape mobility and community health.Then, we hear from Deandre Prescott, the Research Director for Colliers in Houston, who explains what’s happening with Houston’s growing apartment market, why we’re seeing new apartments being constructed in the suburbs, and what changing development patterns could mean for renters.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Tessa Barerra talk with Heidi Russell, Director of the Center for Health Policy at Rice University's Baker Institute, who discusses how healthcare policy has changed during President Trump’s second term in office. Also, we hear from legendary Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett, who joins us to talk about his concert tonight in which he’ll be performing with the Houston Symphony, as well as his family life, and some of the many musicians he’s worked with throughout his career.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Katharine Shilcutt talk with Dr. Libby Cohen, Executive Director of the non-profit Raise Your Hand Texas, who discusses the state of public-school funding in Texas and the state's school voucher program.Then, we hear from Bradley Michalakis, the Head of Dramaturgy at Alley Theatre, who breaks down all the shows that will be in the arts organization’s upcoming 2026 – 27 season, which is also their 80th season.Also, Tammi Wallace, President and CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Avery Belyeu, CEO of The Montrose Center, join us to both give us their thoughts on the meaning of Pride Month and how much progress has been achieved by the LGBTQIA+ community.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison talk with ABC13’s Chief Meteorologist Travis Herzog, who gives us a preview of what we can expect from this year’s hurricane season, which officially begins today.Next, we hear from Nathan Brownell, the Vice President of Resilience and Capital Delivery at CenterPoint, who explains how the energy company is preparing for this year’s hurricane season and what Houstonians can do to prepare.Plus, Emily Woodell, the Chief External Affairs Officer for the Harris County Flood Control District, joins us to discuss their flood mitigation plans for hurricane season, new floodplain maps for the county, and what they mean for our understanding of flooding in our area.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we hear Ernie’s conversation with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, who gives his reaction to facing off against Republican nominee Ken Paxton in November’s general election following Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff.Next, Houston-based author Kalyani Adusumilli talks to us about her newly released debut novel, The Invisible Canvas, and how it explores mental health, trauma, and personal identity.And finally, Ernie and guest host Courtney Zubowski share the things they’ve been obsessed with lately as part of our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. You can send Hello Houston your Current Obsessions anytime by emailing us at talk@hellohouston.org.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Brandon Rottinghaus talk with Houston Public Media politics and government reporter Andrew Schneider, who breaks down the key races in the Texas primary runoff election.Then, we hear from University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs, who gives his analysis on the latest developments in the Iran War, as well as his perspective on the effects this conflict is having on oil markets and energy infrastructure.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we hear highlights from our LIVE show at The Bryan Museum in Galveston.First, we hear Ernie and Houston Public Media Galveston Bureau reporter Julianna Washburn talk with former City of Galveston Mayor Dr. Craig Brown, who discusses his last six years as mayor and what lies ahead for the island. Then, Eric Broussard, curator of The Bryan Museum, tells us more about its collections of Western artifacts, documents, and fine art, and how they bring the history and culture of Texas's past to life. And finally, we learn about some of the research and educational opportunities available at UTMB Galveston with their Senior Vice President and Provost, Dr. Susan Chubinskaya.