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.

Have you ever gotten a really negative comment online and wondered, “Why did that person write that?”

With his new book, Conversations with People who Hate Me -12 Things I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers , based on his award-winning podcast of the same name, Dylan Marron takes us on his social  experimental journey of connecting adversarial internet strangers through phone calls.

In this episode of Town Square, Marron shares how he connects with his own detractors to chat with him on the phone — conversations that revealed surprising and fascinating insights.

Connecting everyone from old friends to complete strangers — Marron helps us explore why we believe what we believe, how we relate to each other on the internet, and just what a phone call can accomplish. Plus, we’ll hear about his new role as a writer on the Emmy-winning TV hit series, Ted Lasso.

Guest:

Dylan Marron

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

Have you ever gotten a really negative comment online and wondered, “Why did that person write that?”

With his new book, Conversations with People who Hate Me -12 Things I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers , based on his award-winning podcast of the same name, Dylan Marron takes us on his social  experimental journey of connecting adversarial internet strangers through phone calls.

In this episode of Town Square, Marron shares how he connects with his own detractors to chat with him on the phone — conversations that revealed surprising and fascinating insights.

Connecting everyone from old friends to complete strangers — Marron helps us explore why we believe what we believe, how we relate to each other on the internet, and just what a phone call can accomplish. Plus, we’ll hear about his new role as a writer on the Emmy-winning TV hit series, Ted Lasso.

Guest:

Dylan Marron

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

Earlier today, President Biden landed in Rzeszów, a small city in Poland near the Ukraine border.

This town is the first stop for many people trying to flee the war, and has become the epicenter of the refugee crisis.

According to NPR, it’s where more than 2 million Ukrainians have fled since the war began.

While in Poland, the President will get a briefing on the humanitarian crisis and meet with refugees.

Today, we unpack these latest developments – from yesterday’s NATO press conference to humanitarian aid being offered to the White House’s recent announcement that the US will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

As we all struggle to better understand this ongoing crisis, we welcome Houstonians' questions and concerns.

Guests:

Michael Pelletier

Zachary Zwald

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.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

It has been one month since Russia began its assault on Ukraine.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, there have been approximately 2,600 civilian casualties in Ukraine: 1000 killed and 1,600 injured.

A senior NATO military officer has estimated that since the start of the invasion Russia has suffered between 30,000 and 40,000 casualties, including those killed, wounded, taken prisoner or missing in action.

Today, President Biden, who is in Brussels for meetings with NATO, the G7, and the European Council, held a news conference.

We take a closer look at what he had to say and what it all means. Plus, we explore the latest headlines and address listeners' calls, questions and concerns.

Guest:

Dr. Richard Stoll

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.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

As Ukraine and Russia are expected to have further conversations and President Biden is headed to Europe next week for NATO to discuss ongoing defense efforts, what will China's involvement be?

With more sanctions and weapons deployment, there is much more to discuss within the latest Russia-Ukraine headlines. 

But first, we are joined by Ukrainian married couple Dmitriy and Yuliya Kozhushanova, co-owners of  Dance Life Houston who are working to raise money to help get Ukrainian orphans to safety.

Dance Life Houston will host free group dance lessons on Thursdays at 8 pm and Fridays at 7 pm. Lessons are free with a donation of at least $1, and all of the money from sales on those days will be donated to help refugees.

The Kozhushanova's also share their personal story of Yuliya's grandmother in Mariupol and how they haven’t been able to get in contact with her since the attacks began.  

Guests:

Zachary Zwald

Dmitriy and Yuliya Kozhushanova

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

What if you forgot to file your taxes last year?

If you have a W2 and own a business, can you file both together or do you have to file each of them separately?

These are just a few questions addressed in today's episode about filing for this year's tax season.

A tax expert and Site Captain for the AARP Foundation gives insight and answers questions from our callers to help them through their personal and professional tax filing concerns, and offers tax preparation services free of charge at taxaide.aarp foundation.org.

And as we continue to feature all that's new for the upcoming Houston performing arts scene, Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch takes us on a journey into their 2022-2023 lineup that includes three world premiers. 

Guests:

Stanton Welch

Max Zimmerman

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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 over 75 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of 33 novels, including Win, The Boy From the Woods, Run Away, Fool Me Once, Tell No One, and the renowned Myron Bolitar series. 

In addition to having books published in 45 languages around the globe, Coben is also the creator and executive producer of several Netflix television dramas, including Stay Close, The Stanger, and Safe.

Today, we are talking with the bestselling author about how he approaches his writing style and about his 35th book out now entitled The Match, where Coben returns to Wilde, the man with a childhood shrouded in mystery who appeared one day in the Ramapo Mountains with no memory of how he got there or the mother and father who abandoned him.

Fans can attend the virtual signing at Murder by the Book at 6pm CT on Thursday, March 17.  

Guest:

Harlan Coben

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

How you approach and handle major miles stones in your life often helps predict the outcome. 

Do you greet bad news or a negative health diagnosis with anger, or with hope?

Studies have shown a positive attitude can, in some cases, lead to a better outcome. Especially when you find your purpose, fall in love with yourself, and decide to live a non-toxic life.

In today's episode, we talk with Houston beauty and wellness coach, award-winning businesswoman, and new author, TaShell Williams, about how after a near death experience at the age of 22, she took a major health crisis and used it as an inspirational journey to write her book One Lung to Live - How a Tragedy Produces Inspiration & Life Lessons That Will Help You Become The Best Version of Yourself.

But first, we take a look at how live theatre and performances are coming back and arts organizations are already deep in planning for what comes next. We talk with Houston’s Theatre Under The Stars  to discuss details of the announcement of its upcoming 2022-2023 season that includes a fantastic collection of shows, including a world premiere production and more.  

Guests:

Dan Knechtges

TaShell Williams

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

Whether in our personal or professional life, there are women who have become very impactful role models for many of us.

They've become symbols of power, inspiration, and nurturing forces in cultures around the world.

Historically, even women have had an inspirational impact during different generations and eras when men were most dominant.

In this episode, callers share their personal stories about the impact women have made in their lives and in the community. We also talk with an expert about the work that's being done in the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University to amplify women’s voices in conversations about religion’s role in the world, where so often men tend to be at the forefront of public discussions about religion.

Guest:

Dr. Rachel Schneider

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. 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.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972  - the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal funding, and giving women the equal opportunity to play sports.

Last month, U.S. women soccer players won a $24 million lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation over unequal pay with men’s team players, making the historical leap in highlighting the civil rights journey of women across the sports and cultural landscape.

But inequity in women's sports goes beyond pay. It also includes access to facilities, fair media coverage, and resources. 

Today, we discuss what equity should look like in sports and why it's important. We also review how Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia again exposes the male-female gap in sports, putting an even bigger spotlight on the inequities that exist between the top male and female athletes in the United States.

Guests:

Louise Radnofsky

Carol Stiff

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson - Lee

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.

Audio from today's show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps.