Hello Houston (August 11, 2025)

On today’s Hello Houston, Ernie and Celeste talk with University of Houston professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus at the top of the first hour, who gives us the latest happenings in Austin with state legislators at a standstill over plans to redraw Texas’s congressional maps.

Also, in the first hour of the show, we hear from Dr. Michael Chang, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UTHealth Houston, who discusses what parents need to know about childhood immunizations and what’s required for back-to-school.

Then, we talk with Emmy Award-winning guitarist Benise, also known as “The Prince of Spanish Guitar,” who tells us about his new show at the Hobby Center this week.

In the show’s second hour, State Senator Molly Cook of Houston joins us to share her thoughts on what’s happening in the Texas Legislature, as well as former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke being blocked from financially contributing to the Texas Democrats who left the state to block the passage of new congressional maps.

Plus, we hear from Ed Pettitt, President of Friends of Columbia Tap, who discusses a possible e-scooter ban in downtown Houston, and the Baker Institute’s Katherine Neill Harris, who tells us about a recent study that found that the use of illicit drugs among HISD High School students has increased.