Hello Houston

On today’s Hello Houston, newly elected Harris County Judge Letitia Plummer joins us at the start of the show to discuss her historic victory as the first Black person and first Muslim elected to this role, what her plans are for the office, and more.

Then, we discuss the state of the Republican party in Texas and what happens next for the party following the midterms with Eric Benson, a senior writer for Texas Monthly, who recently spoke with former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan about the results.

Also, Houston Public Media reporter Sarah Grunau joins us to break down the results of several key local races and what they could mean for Harris County for this week’s edition of our regular Thursday feature, HPM in Focus.

In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Houston area trial attorney and author Tony Buzbee, who tells us about his new book, How to Swim with Sharks: Success Tips They Don't Teach You in School, his legal career, and the advice he shares in the book.

And finally, our hosts and listeners share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our other regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at [email protected].

And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera talk about today’s top stories, including Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa’s campaign promise to give every Texas household a one-time $1,500 payment, Texas Senator-elect James Talarico calling out Elon Musk for trying to buy political influence in the state during the election, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus joins us in the first hour of the show to break down last night’s election results and what happens next for Texas following the historic "blue wave" that swept the Lone Star State. 

Then, in our regular Wednesday feature, On the Marquee, Ernie talks with actor Ryan Stajmiger, who takes us inside the national tour of Beetlejuice the Musical and his approach to playing the titular “Ghost with the Most.”

In the show's second hour, as Houston welcomes AfroTech, the world’s largest conference and digital community for Black professionals, artist and filmmaker Rashaad Newsome joins us to discuss his documentary Assembly, which is screening tonight at DeLUXE Theater.

Plus, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera share their thoughts on last night’s election results, while we open the phone lines in both hours to hear Hello Houston listeners’ thoughts and reactions to the state’s massive "blue wave."

On today’s Hello Houston, we have Election Day reports from Houston Public Media correspondents Tom Perumean, Dominic Anthony Walsh and Shelby Rose at the top of the show, while HPM’s politics and government reporter Andrew Schneider breaks down what’s in store for voters today.

Then, in our regular Tuesday feature, Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik introduces us to civil attorney, content creator, and community voice Erika Harrison of “Black Girls Who Brunch.”

In the second hour, we’re joined by Ben Schooley, founder of Pro Se Coach and author of Successfully Representing Yourself in Texas Family Law, who discusses the challenges of self-representation, the financial and emotional toll family court can have on families, and what he thinks needs to change in Texas.

And finally, we turn to the arts and talk with two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, and arranger Nicole Zuraitis, who tells us all about her upcoming Live at the Founder's Club concert, The Devil I Knew, and what it explores.

On today’s Hello Houston, Rice University’s director of undergraduate studies in media, Liam Mayes, discusses the rising cases of misinformation spreading across digital platforms during election cycles and how voters can discern what information is trustworthy.

Then, in this week’s Producer Spotlight, Hello Houston intern Egypt White talks with Justin Lee, Director of New Student Success and Community Outreach at Texas Southern University, about the importance of student participation and how universities are encouraging young people to make their voices heard.

In the second hour of the show, we talk with David Goodman, the Texas bureau chief for The New York Times, who joins us to give us a last look at all the key races in Texas ahead of Election Day tomorrow and what voters should be watching out for.

Plus, Houston filmmaker, author, and actress Keyatta Crews shares her journey as a creative in the Bayou City as the first Black woman from Texas to create and star in a television series streaming on a major platform and what it takes to turn a vision into a lasting legacy.

And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barerra talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the ICE agent who was indicted for striking a man with a federal vehicle turning himself in today, and Ken Paxton and James Talarico making final appearances in Houston ahead of Election Day. 

On today’s Hello Houston, Jennifer Kapral, Executive Director of Preservation Houston, discusses the demolition of the historic Kirby Mansion located in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood, as well as its history and significance to the city.

Then, we turn to a special Halloween-inspired edition of Tessa Takes On, in which Tessa welcomes three members of Ghost Hunting Beauties, an all-female, Houston-based paranormal investigation team that explores haunted locations.

In the show's second hour, we hear a conversation with Dr. Sandra F. Templeton, the Medical Director of Breast Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, and breast cancer survivor Vanessa Plascencia, who both discuss breast health, treatment, and why early detection is so important. 

And finally, we wrap up the week with our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, in which our hosts share a rundown of Houston area events that will help you make the most of your Halloween weekend.

And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barerra discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a grand jury indicting an ICE agent who struck a Houston immigrant with a federal vehicle, the Texas AG’s Office suing the Harris County Clerk’s Office, a new Texas Southern University poll showing close contests for several major Texas offices, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss the latest on the text messages and pamphlets received by Texans across the state that appeared to promote transgender advocacy resources with Toluwani Osibamowo, an investigative reporter for The Texas Newsroom, who reported on this issue.

Then, in this week’s edition of HPM in Focus, Houston Public Media’s Fort Bend County reporter Melissa Enaje talks about the controversy surrounding a campaign ad that featured AI-generated videos of Black voters expressing support for Daniel Wong, the Republican candidate for Fort Bend County Judge.

In the second hour, we turn to medicine and talk with Dr. Courtney West, senior associate dean for educational affairs at Sam Houston State University, and Dr. Kathryn Potter, chair of primary care, who both tell us about their mobile health clinic initiative and how it will provide preventative healthcare to women in underserved communities.

Plus, 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 [email protected].

And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Michael Adkison discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including new requirements for businesses to receive tax abatements from the city of Houston, Gov. Abbott’s re-election campaign being heavily funded by Elon Musk, the Potter County Republican Party wanting all Texas ballots to be counted by hand, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, Texas Monthly senior writer Forrest Wilder discusses a recent investigation into the major changes made at the University of Texas that are raising questions about academic freedom and the role of politics in higher education.  

Then, in this week’s edition of our regular Wednesday feature, On the Marquee, Ernie talks with actors Sara Gaston and Deborah Hope, who are playing the two leads in Stages' production of The Roommate, which runs through November 22.

In the second hour, University of Houston chemistry professor Dr. Yuhong Wang explains how local researchers are using artificial intelligence and cutting-edge science to study bacterial proteins and identify potential drug targets to predict mutations before they become drug-resistant.

And finally, we’re joined by actor Joey Herrera, who talks to us about playing Dracula in Drunk Dracula, a theatrical production that mixes the classic horror story with comedy and an unpredictable performance.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Harris County implementing a new ankle-monitoring policy, a federal appeals court pausing a judge’s order that allowed Rep. Gina Hinojosa to access emails between Gov. Abbott and Elon Musk, Fort Bend County Judge Daniel Wong facing backlash over an AI-generated video of Black voters, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, with the U.S. economy currently navigating several economic pressures, from a growing national debt to rising cost of goods, we talk with John Diamond, a senior fellow in public finance at Rice University’s Baker Institute, to break it all down.

Then, in this week’s edition of our regular Tuesday feature, Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik sits down with Houston City Councilmember Edward Pollard.

In the second hour of the show, we turn to Texas transparency and talk with The Texas Tribune’s Ayden Runnels, who explains why one city's attempt to charge millions of dollars for public records has become a flashpoint in the debate over surveillance technology.

Plus, Ciarán Donnelly of the International Rescue Committee discusses the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the worsening drought across Central America's Dry Corridor, and what changes are needed to improve the way humanitarian aid is delivered.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a federal appeals court ruling that immigrants who enter the country illegally don’t have a right to seek bond, Tesla expanding its self-driving Robotaxi service through the Houston region, and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling for ICE to be defunded during a stop in Houston.

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with the Texas Tribune’s Urban Affairs reporter Joshua Fechter about the hundreds of thousands of Texas homeowners who may be missing out on property tax savings because they haven’t claimed a homestead exemption.

Next, playwright Elena Coates joins us to discuss her new play, Shadow of Nuremberg, which explores the human, ethical, and historical questions that emerged from the Nuremberg trials following the end of World War II.

In the show’s second hour, we hear a new episode of Texperts, in which Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus breaks down the unique role county judges play in Texas government and public life with former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.

And finally, we listen to Tessa’s conversation with Kim Miller, founder of the grassroots organization America’s Women, who discusses civic engagement and how they’re encouraging women to become more involved in elections.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Fort Bend County Commissioners approving a $10 billion deal for a Tesla Solar Facility, President Trump’s support for a controversial political attack ad against Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, AI-generated political attack ads being used prominently during the midterm elections, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, we recap last night’s Harris County Judge debate with Houston Public Media’s Politics and Government reporter Andrew Schneider, while also hearing both candidates’ responses to the issues of immigration and the future of the Harris County jail.

Then, we hear Ernie and Tessa’s conversation with Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, who discusses congressional hearings, the evolving ways audiences engage with public media, the future of public television, and more.

Next, we turn to this week’s edition of Tessa Takes On, in which Tessa sits down with representatives of the Houston Athletic Rugby Club, the city’s primary women’s rugby organization, to discuss Houston’s role in the ever-growing international sport.

In the show's second hour, we hear the latest episode of Ernie’s recurring feature InnerVIEWS, in which he talks with designer, author and TV host Bill Stubbs, to reflect on his life and career, the lessons he's learned from creating homes around the world and why the spaces we inhabit matter more than we may realize.

And finally, we wrap up the week with our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, in which we share a list of Houston area events that will help you make the most of your weekend, while our hosts and Hello Houston listeners share their own plans for the weekend.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Michael Adkison discuss today’s top stories, including a video showing two women threatening to call ICE on high school students, a district attorney in West Texas opening a criminal investigation into transgender rights pamphlets that were mailed across the state, and free parking ending at the Galleria starting next month.