Hello Houston: The Commuter Cut

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” filmmaker and Texas Southern University professor Vincent Powell shares his thoughts on Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and what it could mean for the future of the entertainment industry.

Next, we hear from Houston Public Media City Hall reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh, who talks to us about the sharp decline in the Houston Police Department...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Houston area real estate agent and host of HGTV’s Extreme Buyers Club, Noel Collier, explains what rising mortgage rates mean for homebuyers and sellers in the Houston market and the city’s housing market.

Next, we’re joined by the New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series, Veronica Roth, who tells us all about her newest book, The Sixth Faction, which serv...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," we hear from Seth Chandler, a professor of law at the University of Houston Law Center, who breaks down some of the latest U.S. Supreme Court cases and what wide-ranging effects we can expect from them.

Then, in this week’s Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik sits down with Houston singer, producer, and songwriter Brandon J. Marks for a conversation abou...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we hear highlights from our LIVE show at the 2026 Greater Houston Arts Forum at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.

First, we hear from Bao Long Chu, Program Director of Arts & Culture for the Houston Endowment, and Jen Benoit-Bryan, director of SMU DataArts, who both tell us about the impact of arts and culture on the city of Houston.

Next, Chris Heinbaugh, Chief ...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin discusses a new program designed to help survivors of domestic violence receive protective orders and other legal protections, the latest court battles surrounding local election rules and mail-in voting, and more.

Then, Hello Houston producer Laura Walker spotlights the immersive exhibition, the Call Me Mother Experience, with its founder, curator and lead...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we discuss an effort to restore the Bastrop Promenade in Houston's East Downtown with former Houston City Council member Robert Gallegos, Save Bastrop Promenade resident advocate Nguyen Le, and Friends of Columbia Tap’s Ed Pettitt.

Next, we talk about Farmer’s Markets in the Houston area with AJ Beard, Executive Director of the Texas Center for Local Food, who a...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Amite Dominick, the founder and president of Texas Prisons Community Advocates, talks about Texas being ordered to air-condition all its prisons by the end of 2029 as one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to this ruling.

Then, we hear this week’s edition of Ernie’s weekly feature, On the Marquee, in which he chats with musician and composer Nathan Felix, who discusses his...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Joshua McGinty, a professor and agronomist at Texas A&M University, talks about this year’s widespread drought and what this means for Texas farmers, food production, and the growing season ahead.  

Next, we hear from Dr. Gary Seale, Regional Director of the Centre for Neuro Skills, who discusses concussions, the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries,...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Houston Public Media reporter Bianca Seward discusses her story on Barbers Hill ISD and the controversy surrounding their superintendent’s unconventional strategy to grow the district’s finances.

Next, we hear this week’s Producer Spotlight in which Hello Houston producer Laura Walker talks with Asia Society Texas curator Owen Duffy about the exhibition, Yoshitaka Aman...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we hear this week’s Tessa Takes On, in which Tessa Barrera chats with author and podcaster Princella Clark about relationships, feminism, and personal growth that has sparked a devoted following and plenty of debate.

Next, we hear highlights from our LIVE show at the 60th Original Greek Festival, including Ernie and Tessa's conversation with Fr. Efstratios Magoulias, ...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," writer-director Bassam Tariq, who grew up in the Houston area, discusses his new film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, what inspired it, and its connection to Houston, with the film being set in the Bayou City.

Next, we talk with Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison for this week’s HPM in Focus, who gives us the latest on a very busy week in space exploration, from Starsh...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, president of Prairie View A&M University, tells us about the university’s journey of becoming a nationally recognized HBCU and what its legacy means today as it celebrates its 150^th anniversary.

Next, we hear Ernie talk with Kevin Earley, who’s playing Captain Georg Von Trapp in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein&...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," we hear from Andrew Rothman, the Wildlife Campaigns Director for Environment America, who discusses the Trump administration’s major changes to the Endangered Species Act and what impact these changes could have in the state of Texas.

Also, Ben King, the founding director of the University of Houston’s new Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health, talks about how the insti...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” New York Times Texas bureau chief David Goodman breaks down the latest in Texas politics ahead of the midterm elections, including the state’s governor's race, the U.S. Senate race, and more.  

Next, we hear from Harel Shapira, a sociologist at the University of Texas, who talks about his new book, Basic Pistol: Living and Dying by the Gun in America, which exami...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis reflects on former State Rep. Garnet Coleman, who represented Houston’s House District 147 for more than 30 years, following his passing on Wednesday.

Next, we hear the newest edition of Tessa's regular Friday feature, Tessa Takes On, which spotlights Houston Dash midfielder KiKi Van Zanten, who discusses her latest season with the tea...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” former Houston Astros TV play-by-play broadcaster Bill Brown reflects on his nearly thirty years with the team and shares his thoughts on whether they can make the playoffs this season.

Next, we hear from Houston-area food and travel content creator Shawn Singh, also known as shawnthefoodsheep, who gives us some of his recommendations for the city’s best food spots du...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Beth Wiedower Jackson, executive director of the Astrodome Conservancy, talks about the latest plans and proposals that are being considered for the Astrodome and what’s needed to give this iconic Houston landmark new life.

Also, we hear from Guadalupe Fernández, the policy strategy director for Bayou City Waterkeeper, who discusses a new report that’s raising concerns about the ...

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Katherine Maher, the President and CEO of NPR, discusses what public media means without public funding, what the future of NPR looks like, and what's needed from local stations like Houston Public Media.

Next, we hear from Houstonian Regan Hutsell, the newly crowned Miss America, who talks about what this win means to her, what’s next, and her community service initi...

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," we discuss the Environmental Protection Agency eliminating greenhouse gas limits for power plants and how this could affect us in Houston with Jennifer Hadayia and Thelisa Lavergne of Air Alliance Houston. 

Next, we hear Hello Houston producer Garrett Bohlmann talk with longtime Houston-area film critic Joe Leydon about the 30th anniversary of acclaimed Houston native filmmaker Wes...