Hello Houston

On today’s Hello Houston, University of Houston law professor Seth Chandler discusses a federal judge ruling a decades-old Houston program that gives some city contracts to minority-owned businesses unconstitutional and what this could mean for the city’s contracting programs.

Then, Hello Houston host Ernie Manouse and today’s guest host, former America’s Got Talent semifinalist and Houston native Christina Wells, talk about upcoming productions she’ll be starring in and life changes.

In the second hour, we talk with Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston and co-host of Houston Public Media’s Party Politics, about how to recognize political spin, evaluate candidates’ claims, and make sense of campaign messaging during campaign season.

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 talk about the top stories of the day at the top of each hour, including Houston voters considering deprioritizing enforcement of cannabis laws and banning no-knock warrants, Houston airport workers receiving a 33% raise under an executive order by Mayor Whitmire, and more.

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 programs for a second time.

Then, we discuss Rice University’s SSPEED Center with its co-director and professor of environmental law, Jim Blackburn, who explains the mission of the center, how the idea for it developed, and how it has helped shape coastal recreation legislation.

And finally, we turn to real estate and talk with Houston real estate expert Noel Collier, who tells us about her new HGTV series, Extreme Buyers Club, and her experiences helping buyers with their unconventional wish lists.

Plus, Ernie Manouse and guest host Holland Vavra talk about today’s top stories at the top of the show, including the Tesla company proposing a $10 billion solar cell manufacturing facility in Fort Bend County and President Trump confirming that he secretly switched planes due to a possible threat after last month's NATO summit in Turkey.

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 University and Advisor to the President of Harvard for HBCU Initiatives, discusses Texas Southern University's landmark investment in breast cancer prevention and the critical role HBCUs can play in advancing health equity.

Plus, Houston-based musicians Thomas Helton and Woody Witt join us to tell us all about the Houston Jazz Legacy Project and how it preserves and celebrates Houston’s rich jazz history through live conversations, oral histories, performances, and more.

And, as always, our hosts, Ernie Manouse and guest host Courtney Markowitz, talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Houston’s most popular dog breeds, which they discuss with Houston Public Media reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh, President Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing the number of universally recommended vaccines children receive, and more.

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 Houston ISD, we talk with Houston Chronicle HISD reporter Claire Partain, who helps break down many of the district’s changes for this new school year.

Plus, Montrose Star publisher Laura Villagran talks to us about the Houston-area publication's 50th anniversary this year and how they’ve become one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ publications in the state of Texas.

And, as always, our hosts, Ernie Manouse and guest host Deborah Hope, talk about the top stories of the day at the top of each hour, including President Trump criticizing Texas for being “against data centers,” and flock cameras remaining in Harris County through at least 2027.

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 quality 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, tell us all about the event taking place at Hermann Square tomorrow, August 8, while Caribbean Hot Pot owner, Vaughn Watkis, tells us about the food Houstonians can expect.

In the second hour of the show, we turn to technology and talk with Jim Dukhovny, CEO and co-founder of Alef Aeronautics, who discusses their work developing what they say is the world's first road-legal, all-electric flying car, and how they’re addressing safety and regulatory concerns.

And finally, we do our regular Friday feature “Last Minute Plans,” in which our hosts share a comprehensive rundown of events going down in the Houston area this weekend, while they, and Hello Houston listeners, share their own plans for the weekend.

Plus, our hosts, Michael Adkison and Donna Reed, will discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a Texas appeals court rejecting Attorney General Ken Paxton’s push to overturn the State Fair’s firearms ban, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare’s investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo receiving a funding boost of $2.5 million, and more.

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 Minute Plans,” in which our hosts share a comprehensive rundown of events going down in the Houston area this weekend, while they, and Hello Houston listeners, share their own plans for the weekend.

And finally, we revisit an episode of Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus' Texperts series, in which he explores a new Texas law that creates a single statewide health permit for food trucks and what its supporters and critics are saying about it.

Plus, our hosts, Michael Adkison and Donna Reed, discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a Texas appeals court rejecting Attorney General Ken Paxton’s push to overturn the State Fair’s firearms ban, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare’s investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo receiving a funding boost of $2.5 million, and more.

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 [email protected].

In the show’s second hour, we hear Ernie Manouse’s conversation with Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman about his touring live concert, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, which makes its stop in Houston tomorrow, August 7.

And finally, we turn to the stage and talk with Alley Theatre Resident Acting Company member Elizabeth Bunch, who tells us about her role in the Alley’s Summer Chills production of the psychological thriller The Girl on the Train.

Plus, our hosts Michael Adkison and Doug Miller discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including reports that James Talarico used his parents’ address to vote in five elections, Gov. Abbott calling for state regulators to audit new data centers before they can join the grid, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s proposed property tax increase failing for a second time, and more.

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 Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, who discusses a recent landmark court decision that could help over 500 thousand Americans with student loan debt, who might be eligible, and what borrowers should do next.

Also, Texas journalist and founder of the Preserving Essential Cultures and Narratives (PECAN) project, DaLyah Jones, joins us to discuss her essay honoring the Black woodswomen of deep East Texas and why their stories deserve to be preserved.

Plus, our hosts, Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison and Donna Reed, discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including professors suing the Texas A&M University System over a policy that restricts teaching about race and gender, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa calls in to discuss bringing her campaign to Houston today to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. 

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 Houston Restaurant Weeks with Alex Brennan-Martin and Carl Walker of Brennan’s of Houston, one of the participating restaurants in this year’s event, who also discuss why this event is significant for the city's restaurant community.

Plus, Justin Schultz, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board, discusses a new initiative that’s bringing major improvements to twenty-five neighborhood parks across the city of Houston and the community input that’s helping shape these upgrades.

Also, our hosts, Houston Public Media’s Michael Adkison and veteran newsman Doug Miller, discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the backlash behind Flock cameras, Texas’s ban on THC products becoming a major issue in the state’s U.S. Senate race, Three Houston-area moms suing over the state law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in school classrooms, and more.

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 listeners can expect from the forthcoming final episode of the podcast series, After the Flood, which will look at the historic flood that hit the Texas Hill Country earlier this month.

In the second hour, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis joins us to discuss the Harris County budget proposal, the choices facing Commissioners Court as the county projects a deficit of roughly $180 million, and why he thinks the county should fund the local investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. 

And finally, we hear Hello Houston producer Laura Walker’s conversation with Houstonian playwright Cris Eli Blak, who discusses bringing the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education to the stage with his new play Challenging Brown.