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City Cast Houston

City Cast Houston
Author: City Cast
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Food, culture, news and nature in the sweaty Bayou City. Join Host Raheel Ramzanali and the City Cast Houston team as we celebrate and interrogate this sprawling place with our favorite journalists, thinkers, leaders, neighbors and gadflies. Learn more and subscribe to our daily morning newsletter, Hey Houston, at houston.citycast.fm.
508 Episodes
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We all know Houston has terrible traffic, but you won’t believe how many hours we waste on the road. Plus, there’s some major drama going down in Fort Bend ISD with the retirement of their superintendent. Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz joins host Raheel Ramzanali to recap these stories and more to end the week here on City Cast Houston.
Featured stories:
Find your polling place for tomorrow’s election
Pervez Agwan lawsuit
FBISD superintendent forced to retire?
TEA school ratings drama
Houston’s water billing crisis resolution
More on Mayor Turner taking action regarding water billing issues
Battleship Texas could see a new home in Galveston
New FAFSA application to roll out soon
The 100 most congested roadways in Texas
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We’re ending 2023 with a bang by putting together our guide for things to do in December around H-Town. From restaurants to experiences, host Raheel Ramzanali, executive producer Dina Kesbeh, and producer Carlignon Jones are getting you ready to take full advantage of the final month of the year!
Spots to check out this December!
Houston Holiday Lights episode
Grace’s on Kirby
Santa’s Wonderland
Wonder Bar
Chocolatzeina
Christmas Village at Bayou Bend
Oudhlei
Boss Up Cosmetics
American Eagle Trading on Harwin
Tacos Dona Lena
Elf in Concert at Smart Financial
Perfume Time in Houston
Cactus Music
K-Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
Jinya Ramen
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Finding the perfect date night dinner spot can be hard, but host Raheel Ramzanali is making it a bit easier by picking the top spots from Houston Chronicle food reporter Erica Cheng. From casual spots to upscale eateries, the duo are picking places for everyone!
Pop Stroke
Ebi Ebi Shrimp
Roka Akor
Bori Korean BBQ
Mico’s Chicken
Aga’s Restaurant
Nancy’s Hustle
Kim Shabu
Bistro Menil
Aladdin’s
Read all of Erica's work here
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A group that stole more than $30k in donations has finally been caught and convicted, but you won’t believe how they did it. Plus, a local city council candidate is under fire from Houston’s LGBTQ+ community for a flyer she put out. And, Texas teachers are underpaid, but will anything change? Host Raheel Ramzanali and producer Carlignon Jones recap the biggest stories impacting Houston to start the week!
Featured stories:
El Panadero goes on an adventure
Group steals from donation center
City Council candidate backlash
Flyer called ‘homophobic dogwhistle’
Railway Heights Market kicks out final few vendors
UH hires Willie Fritz
Texas teachers are struggling
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For more than a year we’ve been hearing about residents being sent incorrect water bills and being stuck paying them. Now, there’s finally some reform in the works, but was it because of KPRC’s investigative reporter Amy Davis’ viral clip with Mayor Turner? Host Raheel Ramzanali is joined by Amy Davis and Houston Landing’s Matt Sledge to talk about why these incorrect water bills are creating a shift in power in our local government.
The shift in power because of water billing issues
Mayor Turner gets mad at Amy Davis
Get tips and learn more about Amy’s series DRAINED
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Social media is flooded with the most streamed musicians of the year, but who did we love as a city? Plus, an anchor in midtown is closing and that could mean good things for the rest of downtown. Houston Landing’s education reporter Asher Lehrer-Small and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz join host Raheel Ramzanali to recap those stories and more.
Featured stories:
Houston’s most streamed artists
HISD’s enrollment numbers could mean budget issues
Greyhound station in Midtown is closing
Early voting numbers are slow
Detention officer arrested
Rice statue gets moved
Bush Airport named best for layovers
Keith Lee is in Houston
Chron endorsement for at-large 2 and more on that story.
Chron story on Roy Morales, who is running for at-large 4, which notes he had been fired from his job.
2013 endorsement, which notes Morales' weird conspiracy theories.
Chron's endorsement list.
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From extravagant displays to decade old neighborhood traditions, Houston has some of the best holiday lights in the state. Host Raheel Ramzanali is bringing on Justin Lacey from the Houston Botanic Garden to get you ready to check out the best holiday lights around Houston.
Links:
Radiant Nature at the Houston Botanic Garden
Locations of all the places we talked about
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What’s your favorite style of pizza, New York, deep dish, pan style, Italian? How do you like your pizza, stone oven, baked, round or square? Do you know what Detroit style is? Well Houston has got you covered, there is a pizza style for any taste palate. Even for you pizza haters out there like our very own producer Carlignon Jones, we bet that after listening to lead producer Dina Kesbeh, producer AK Al-Moumen, and newsletter editor Brooke Lewis tell you about the best pizza in town and where you can find a pizzeria that’ll make you a za believer.
Brooke's picks
Coltivare
bellagreen
Home Slice
AK's picks:
Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana
Vinny's
Love Buzz Pizza Pub
Dina's picks:
Frank’s Pizza
Empire Pizza
Star Pizza
Homework:
Pink’s Pizza at 2726 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005
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Early voting has started for the runoff elections on December 9th and we have some early poll numbers regarding who the next mayor will be in Houston. Plus, there was a major oil spill in the region, but nobody talked about it. And you won’t believe how much damage a pack of stray dogs caused in Cypress! Host Raheel Ramzanali and executive producer Dina Kesbeh recap these stories and more on today’s episode of City Cast Houston.
Featured stories:
Early voting poll numbers
Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
The deadly stretch of Westheimer
Holiday budget booming
Keith Lee drops his first few reviews of Houston restaurants
Car dealership suffers $350k in damages
California woman goes missing in Houston
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
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Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
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If you’ve been to a big grocery store in the last month or so then you’ve noticed the thousands of black birds all around you. So, what are these black birds and why are they taking over?! Rice professor Cin-Ty Lee joins host Raheel Ramzanali to answer all of our questions about those loud black birds we see everywhere across Houston.
Learn more about Professor Lee
Learn more about grackles
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What Thanksgiving traditions do you have? Host Raheel Ramzanali is chatting with producer Carlignon Jones and Hey Houston newsletter editor Brooke Lewis about their favorite traditions, sides, and much more in our pre-Thanksgiving day chat!
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Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
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Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know! or leave us a voicemail/text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts, we love hearing from you!
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It might be a slower week in the city with people taking off from work, but the big stories are still working! Host Raheel Ramzanali and Hey Houston newsletter editor Brooke Lewis recap the latest like why state leaders are focused on school vouchers instead of uninsured kids, Houston getting labeled as the “cockroachiest” city, a local meteorologist retiring changing our perspective on time, and much more!
Featured stories:
Mayor Turner’s book drama
Keith Lee is coming to Houston
Amy Davis takes on Mayor Turner
Uninsured kids in Texas
House Bill 1 update on school vouchers
Missing Big Bend hiker
Houston ranks no.1 for cockroach infestations
House Rich areas in Houston
Khambrel Marshall is retiring
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
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As we all hit the Texas roadways this week, we can help end the deadly streak of at least one death a day on Texas roadways. Danny Perez, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation, joins host Raheel Ramzanali to talk about ways we can drive safer and a look at the new I-45 expansion project set to start in 2024.
Learn more about TxDOT’s #EndTheSteakTX campaign
North Houston Highway Improvement Project
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Is host Raheel Ramzanali too old for a grill? Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz gives his opinion on this pressing question to start the show and then the duo jump into the news. From a public condemnation of the DA to a watchdog stepping down for criticizing ERCOT, here are the biggest stories from the week that impacted H-Town.
Featured stories:
Sean Teare out raises Kim Ogg
Harris County Jail to send inmates to Mississippi
Climate change and evolution in Texas books
Greater Houston Partnership is Low-Carbon
Global Energy transition in Houston
Rushmore celebrates 25th anniversary
Houston Democratic Party weighing formal condemnation
Texas grid watchdog steps down
Two more In-N-Out locations opening
Our episode on Best Burgers
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Follow us on Instagram @CityCastHouston
Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
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As we make our way to big stores with big parking lots, we need to take steps to prevent becoming victims of jugging and slider crimes. Houston Police Department Sergeant Jeremy Lahar joins host Raheel Ramzanali to explain the steps you can take to protect yourself and what to do if you’re a victim of these crimes.
Learn more about Jeremy Lahar
HPD safety tips
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More and more restaurants are starting to stay open on Thanksgiving, but where should you go if you don’t want to cook? Host Raheel Ramzanali is bringing on Eric Sandler, food editor at CultureMap, to get his recommendations of the best restaurants in Houston that are open on Thanksgiving. From best traditional spot to an epic splurge, the duo are picking some delicious spots for you.
Full list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving
Eric Sandler’s work on CultureMap
Eric’s podcast: What’s Eric Eating
Jonathan’s The Rub
Himalaya
Eunice
Pappas BBQ
Steak 48
Toro Toro
Amrina
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From a new expansion project that will make traffic a nightmare in downtown to a major ruling over a century later, host Raheel Ramzanali and producer Carlignon Jones catch you up on the biggest stories impacting our city. Plus, Raheel talks about his biggest gym fear that will for sure make you laugh.
Featured stories:
I-45 expansion project
Jimbo Fisher fired
Camp Logan soldiers receive justice
Houston is a warm winter destination
Regal Princess cruising from Galveston
Joe Espada named new manager for the Astros
7 shot at Prairie View A&M celebration
Pearland flea market shooting
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Health insurance renewal season is here and we all have questions! Host Raheel Ramzanali is going to help answer those questions by talking to Emily Trevino, managing partner at Wise Insurance, about the different types of insurances, common mistakes to avoid, and a free tool we should all be using when comparing health insurances before renewal season.
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Election week is over, but the runoff races are just starting. Host Raheel Ramzanali is joined by Houston Landing’s civic engagement reporter Tim Carlin to recap the biggest stories from election night and observations heading into the runoff for key races. Plus, the duo recap some overlooked stories and find some joy in the news cycle.
Featured stories:
Election Returns
Tim Carlin’s work
The Q-Patrol is back
HISD’s new plan
Diversity in Harris County
BIPOC arts fund
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From incredible parks to stunning views of downtown, there are so many cool places to propose at in Houston. So, host Raheel Ramzanali is bringing on longtime Houston photographer Zia Ahmed, owner of Aventography, and Hey Houston newsletter editor Brooke Lewis to get their picks of the best spots in H-Town to pop the big question.
Thinking about popping the big question? Check out these spots!
McGovern Centennial Gardens
The Post Downtown
The Post Oak Hotel
Houston Waterwall
James Turrell Skyspace
Memorial Park Eastern Glades
Man proposes on I-45
Sam Houston roundabout
Rothko Chapel
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After moving here from NC, where I avidly rode, it is hard for me to ride the roads here. When you've ridden in places that have bike-friendly culture, it's easy to see that the Greater Houston area isn't even close.