City Cast Houston

Food trucks are a great way to get a taste of our diverse and innovative culinary scene, but with so many to pick from, it can be overwhelming! So, host Raheel Ramzanali is talking to Sofia Gonzalez, food and travel editor at Houstonia Magazine, about which food trucks we need to check out!  Places we mentioned on today's show: 

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Mayor Whitmire and his administration just scrapped a planned bike lane in Montrose. So, host Raheel Ramzanali is talking to Dominic Anthony Walsh, reporter at Houston Public Media, about why this administration is taking out another bike lane, what the public response has been to this move, and what this means for other parts of the city. 

Stories we talked about on today’s show: 

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Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

Jones Dairy Farm

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Photo: Brett Holmes via Getty Images

Houston is home to more than 1 million immigrants — and for many, the path to legal status is confusing, expensive, and painfully slow. Just ask our host Raheel Ramzanali — his family went through it. So on today’s show, he talks with immigration attorney Zulfiqar Prasla to break down why the process is so broken and how it’s impacting immigrants in our city.

Dive deeper into today’s topic:

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 14th episode:

Visit Port Aransas

A.D. Players Theater

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston 

Jones Dairy Farm

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It’s been an intense week of news here in Houston and Texas. Host Raheel Ramzanali and Evan Mintz, editor of opinion and community engagement for the Houston Chronicle, discuss how we can prevent future flooding tragedies in Texas. Plus, they talk about Governor Abbott’s special session agenda and his viral quote about the floods and football. Then, it’s a new meeting time for City Council, dress code reform and a crowded race for Harris County Judge. Oh, and of course they’re ending the week with their moments of joy! 

A previous version of this podcast incorrectly stated that none of the new candidates for Harris County Judge had experience winning a Democratic primary. Erica Lee Carter won the Democratic primary for the Harris County Department of Education board in 2012. She also won a 2024 special election to her late mother’s congressional seat — she was not appointed.

Stories we talked about on today’s show: 

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 11th episode:

Downtown Houston+

Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

A.D. Players Theater

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

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Photo: Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images

713 Day is coming up this weekend — July 13 named after Houston’s OG area code. So, we’re getting you ready with the best deals and events from Houston influencer ShawnTheFoodSheep! From block parties to drink specials, these recommendations will have you set to celebrate H-Town. 

Recommendations from Shawn: 

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 10th episode:

Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

A.D. Players Theater

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

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Today on City Cast Houston, over 100 people have died from the Texas floods, raising questions if the scale of this tragedy could have been prevented. Host Raheel Ramzanali talks with columnist Chris Tomlinson about why he believes state leaders ignored warnings of worsening flood risks. Plus, former camper Rachel Kherkher shares what made Camp Mystic so magical —  and how she’s trying to help uplift our community during this time of grief. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 9th episode:

Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

A.D. Players Theater

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

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It’s been one year since Hurricane Beryl hit Houston and knocked out power for millions. In the aftermath, state leaders and local lawmakers blasted CenterPoint for multiple failures, from its outage tracker, to delayed power restoration, and generators that never turned on. But, did our leaders hold CenterPoint accountable? Host Raheel Ramzanali talks with Claire Hao, energy and power grid reporter at the Houston Chronicle, about the failure to deliver meaningful reform, the power company’s plans, and why customers will have to pay more.

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 8th episode:

Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

A.D. Players Theater

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

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Photo: Getty Images

Historic rainfall in the Texas Hill Country over the July Fourth weekend killed at least 67 people statewide. Some of the missing are from the Greater Houston area, including some young girls from the sleep-away camp, Camp Mystic. With state leaders promising a “relentless” search and federal assistance on the way, host Raheel Ramzanali and executive producer Laura Isensee talked on Sunday to bring you the latest on what we know and how to help.The latest on the historic flooding and stories we talked about: 

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Raheel Ramzanali and all 12 other City Cast podcast hosts (from Austin, Boise, Chicago, DC, Denver, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Salt Lake City) compete head-to-head in a high-stakes showdown to answer the question that’s been burning up our company-wide Slack for weeks: which city is the best for a summer weekend trip? From naked bike rides to ‘the country’s best farmers market,’ pickle festivals to Elvis impersonators driving pink convertibles, our hosts are bringing the best of the best of what their city has to offer. Did your city win?

⁠Take our interactive quiz to see which city best fits YOUR vibe⁠!

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⁠Downtown Houston+⁠

⁠Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston⁠

⁠Visit Port Aransas

Houston’s barbecue joints keep winning awards, but with so many places to visit, it can be overwhelming. So, host Raheel Ramzanali is calling on Patrick Feges, co-owner and pitmaster of Feges BBQ, for his top picks from Houston’s barbecue scene, from brisket to fusion. 

Don’t miss our 713 Day Pre-Party at Saint Arnold Brewing on July 10 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This event is free, but please RSVP here.

Check out all of the recommendations from today’s show:

Learn more about the sponsors of this July 2nd episode:

Downtown Houston+

Margaritaville Lake Resort Lake Conroe | Houston

Visit Port Aransas

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Follow us on Instagram  @CityCastHouston

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