Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

December 1st is World AIDS Day, a day to bring awareness, remember, and stand in solidarity with those who are living with or lost their lives to HIV or AIDS. There are an estimated 38 million people worldwide who are living with the virus and 35 million people who have died of HIV or an AIDS-related illness.

We talk with the CEO of AIDS Foundation Houston about the great work they do in the greater Houston area to bring awareness and support those living with HIV/AIDS.  Their annual World AIDS Day luncheon is Friday, December 2, 2022, at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. For more information, click here.

Then, we converse with Oscar nominated filmmaker, New York Times Bestselling author, and award-winning investigative journalist David France about his acclaimed book, How to Survive a Plague, which has been hailed as “the definitive book on AIDS activism.” The book and the documentary of the same name both chronicle the efforts of AIDS activist groups who seized upon the scientific research that helped develop the drugs which turned HIV into a manageable condition.

He will also offer his insight on the epidemic in retrospect and share details of his experience as an investigative journalist that reported on the epidemic since its early years.

David France’s Academy Award nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague and his most recent film How to Survive a Pandemic are currently streaming on HBO Max.

Guests:

John Huckaby

David France

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Protests have erupted in China with many calling for an end to lockdowns following a surge of COVID cases despite the country’s strict zero-COVID policy.

Due to the rare nature of public protests in China, we talk with an expert over what has led to these protests and determine what we can expect from them. Plus, he shares his thoughts on what the future of COVID is here in the U.S.

With the rising number of cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19, the flu, and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in the U.S., many have labelled this collision of illnesses the “Triple-demic.”

Due to the amount of sickness experienced during the winter months, we talk with an infectious disease expert who explains the levels of illness we’re experiencing now and shares with us how we can stay safe during the holiday season.

Guests:

Dr. William Haseltine

Dr. Susan McLellan

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Houston is home to one of the largest and most diverse theater districts in the country. With plays, musicals, the ballet, opera, symphony and more, there’s something for everyone. 

We start the conversation by discussing Houston’s Theater District and the cultural and economic impact on the city, particularly during the holiday season.

Then, an ensemble of representatives and performers from Houston’s major theater companies share the special productions you can enjoy during the holidays.

Houston Grand Opera

Houston Symphony

A Very Merry Pops

Theatre Under the Stars

Alley Theatre

Performing Arts Houston

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

Main Street Theater

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

A.D. Players

The Ensemble Theatre

STAGES

Panto Snow White and the Seven Dorks

The Music Box Theater

Queensbury Theatre

Ars Lyrica Houston

DaCamara

Houston Saengerbund

Guests:

Hillary Hart

Dr. Doni Wilson

David Rainey

Lee Strickland

Rebecca Greene Udden

Jayme McGhan

Eileen Morris

DeQuina Moore

Kristina Sullivan

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Late Sunday evening, Houstonians were alerted that a boil water notice was effect. This occurred after the East Water Purification Plant experienced a power outage earlier that day and the water pressure dropped below 20 PSI, which is the regulatory emergency level set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).  

Those who receive water from the city of Houston are advised to boil their water for two minutes and let it cool before it’s safe for consumption. This is for water used in food preparation, drinking, bathing and brushing teeth. It is also advised to not use the chilled water lines in refrigerators or ice from an automatic ice machine.

It is unknown when the issue will be remedied. For more information, call 311 or 713-837-0311.

Our panel of experts answer listener questions on how water systems work, the issues this incident brings up, and what Houston residents can do to ensure their health and safety.  

To follow live updates, click here for the latest updates from Houston Public Media.

For the Houston Heath Department's FAQ on Boil Water Notices, click here. 

Guests:

Lucio Vasquez

Dr. Pedro Alvarez

Dr. Kristina Mena

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

With the recent mass shootings at a Walmart in Virginia and Club Q in Colorado Springs, how can we feel safe? We talk with author and the retired FBI agent who created the FBI’s active shooter program, Katherine Schweit, about what we can do, what are the warning signs, and how we can protect ourselves in order to stay safe.

If you find yourself in an active shooter situation, Schweit says, “Run. Hide. Fight.” Click here to watch an informational video on what to do in these situations to keep yourself safe.  

Then, we shift topics to discuss family dynamics and how to handle difficult conversations that come up during family gatherings. Given how common it is for arguments to arise during Thanksgiving, and how divided our country is on many issues, navigating these conversations away from family squabbles can be difficult. 

We speak with two experts on how to have those difficult discussions during family gatherings without it escalating out of control.

Guests:

Katherine Schweit

Dr. Michele Williams

Dr. Jeff Temple

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

We gear up for Black Friday with tips on the hot tech items to be on the lookout for this holiday season with the High-Tech Texan, Michael Garfield. Plus, smart shopping expert, Trae Bodge, offers advice on the best deals, where to find them, and how to save money as you shop ‘til you drop.

As we shop for gifts for our loved ones, remember those children who may not receive a toy during the holidays. Toys for Tots is on a mission to deliver hope to those children who may not otherwise receive a gift.  We talk with a representative from the organization who explains the history of the program and their efforts to ensure that every underprivileged child receives a present for Christmas. To learn more about Toys for Tots or to donate today, visit ToysForTots.org.

Guests:

Sargent Isaac Pompa

Michael Garfield

Trae Bodge

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

For many, there’s no Thanksgiving dinner without that traditional turkey as the centerpiece of the dinner table. However, making that holiday bird can also be a tedious and stressful process.

We talk with the supervisor of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line who shares helpful tips for cooking up the perfect Thanksgiving turkeys. Plus, she shares advice on how to avoid common mistakes when roasting, grilling, or frying your bird. 

For the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, call 1-800-BUTTERBALL or text 844-877-3456 to talk with turkey experts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We also talk with a food author and founder of the food blog “Little Fat Boy” who shares some non-traditional Thanksgiving recipes and alternatives to a traditional turkey dinner.

Guests:

Barbara Robinson

Frankie Gaw

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to not only remind us of what we are thankful for, but also to give back to those less fortunate. We talk with a representative from the Houston Food Bank who explains what the organization is doing to distribute meals to food insecure families and how you can get involved to help.  One easy way is to volunteer, and there are a multitude of ways in which individuals and groups can volunteer. To register online to volunteer with the Houston Food Bank, click here.

Given how stressful preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for your family can be, we talk with the Executive Editor of Equipment Testing and Ingredient Tasting from America’s Test Kitchen, Lisa McManus. She shares advice on the best tools to help make preparing your meal a breeze and offers tips on how to put dinner on the table in a timely fashion.  

Guests:

Katherine “Kat” Tong

Lisa McManus

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

We talk with jazz sensation Matthew Whitaker who at age 21 is being hailed as “the second coming of Ray Charles.” He shares his journey of being born blind and having a natural aptitude for playing music. Matthew’s gift for music has even been the subject of study by scientists to better understand the minds of those with creative talent.

Matthew’s new album Connections is available now. To listen, click here.

Performing Arts Houston presents Matthew Whitaker at the Cullen Theater at Wortham Center on Friday, November 18, 2022, at 7:30pm. For information and to purchase tickets, click here.

We then take a closer look at the upheaval in the cyber world, the economy, and the supply chain.  How will it affect your holidays? Our experts share their thoughts on everything from the effects digital streaming has had on the entertainment industry to the collapse of crypto exchange FTX and how consumers have been defrauded for billions of dollars.  We also discuss the recent actions of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and Jeff Bezos giving away his billions of dollars to charity.

Guests:

Matthew Whitaker

Dr. Chris Bronk

Dr. Dietrich Von Biedenfeld

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, [email protected] or @townsquaretalk.

A lot of action has been seen recently in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia recently retreated from Kherson but also launched a missile strike against Kyiv. Ukraine fought back and was able to shoot down many of those missiles. Additionally, two stray missiles, the origins of which have still yet to be determined, hit, and killed two civilians in Poland. We talk with a professor of political science who shares his views on these developments.

We also talk with political experts on the results of last week’s 2022 Midterm elections on the national, state and local level. They also discuss the number of election issues reported in Harris county.

Our experts also weigh in on Donald Trump’s announcement that he will run in the 2024 Presidential race and how successful he will be despite the myriad of controversies that surround him.

Guests:

Dr. Richard Stoll

Bill King

Elizabeth Simas

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps