Hello Houston

On today’s Hello Houston, with the U.S. economy currently navigating several economic pressures, from a growing national debt to rising cost of goods, we talk with John Diamond, a senior fellow in public finance at Rice University’s Baker Institute, to break it all down.Then, in this week’s edition of our regular Tuesday feature, Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik sits down with Houston City Councilmember Edward Pollard.In the second hour of the show, we turn to Texas transparency and talk with The Texas Tribune’s Ayden Runnels, who explains why one city's attempt to charge millions of dollars for public records has become a flashpoint in the debate over surveillance technology.Plus, Ciarán Donnelly of the International Rescue Committee discusses the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the worsening drought across Central America's Dry Corridor, and what changes are needed to improve the way humanitarian aid is delivered.And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a federal appeals court ruling that immigrants who enter the country illegally don’t have a right to seek bond, Tesla expanding its self-driving Robotaxi service through the Houston region, and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling for ICE to be defunded during a stop in Houston.

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with the Texas Tribune’s Urban Affairs reporter Joshua Fechter about the hundreds of thousands of Texas homeowners who may be missing out on property tax savings because they haven’t claimed a homestead exemption.Next, playwright Elena Coates joins us to discuss her new play, Shadow of Nuremberg, which explores the human, ethical, and historical questions that emerged from the Nuremberg trials following the end of World War II.In the show’s second hour, we hear a new episode of Texperts, in which Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus breaks down the unique role county judges play in Texas government and public life with former Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.And finally, we listen to Tessa’s conversation with Kim Miller, founder of the grassroots organization America’s Women, who discusses civic engagement and how they’re encouraging women to become more involved in elections.And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Fort Bend County Commissioners approving a $10 billion deal for a Tesla Solar Facility, President Trump’s support for a controversial political attack ad against Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, AI-generated political attack ads being used prominently during the midterm elections, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, we recap last night’s Harris County Judge debate with Houston Public Media’s Politics and Government reporter Andrew Schneider, while also hearing both candidates’ responses to the issues of immigration and the future of the Harris County jail.Then, we hear Ernie and Tessa’s conversation with Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, who discusses congressional hearings, the evolving ways audiences engage with public media, the future of public television, and more.Next, we turn to this week’s edition of Tessa Takes On, in which Tessa sits down with representatives of the Houston Athletic Rugby Club, the city’s primary women’s rugby organization, to discuss Houston’s role in the ever-growing international sport.In the show's second hour, we hear the latest episode of Ernie’s recurring feature InnerVIEWS, in which he talks with designer, author and TV host Bill Stubbs, to reflect on his life and career, the lessons he's learned from creating homes around the world and why the spaces we inhabit matter more than we may realize.And finally, we wrap up the week with our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, in which we share a list of Houston area events that will help you make the most of your weekend, while our hosts and Hello Houston listeners share their own plans for the weekend.And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Michael Adkison discuss today’s top stories, including a video showing two women threatening to call ICE on high school students, a district attorney in West Texas opening a criminal investigation into transgender rights pamphlets that were mailed across the state, and free parking ending at the Galleria starting next month.

On today’s Hello Houston, we spotlight the Harris County Judge debate that Houston Public Media is hosting tonight with HPM reporters Andrew Schneider and Sarah Grunau, who will both be involved in the debate.Then, Houston Public Media reporter Bianca Seward helps us understand why elections for the Texas State Board of Education could shape what more than five million students learn in the classroom for years to come in this week’s edition of HPM in Focus.In the second hour, we discuss Houston native and NFL quarterback Jalen Hurts’ season-ending blood clot diagnosis with Dr. Daniel Hermann, an interventional cardiologist with Memorial Hermann, who explains how these conditions develop, how they’re treated, and whether these complications can be prevented.And finally, our hosts and listeners share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at [email protected], as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today's top stories at the top of each hour, including President Trump saying he’s requiring data center builders to provide their own electricity, voting rights advocates pushing to make Election Day a federal holiday, and voters receiving frequent political texts from campaigns. Plus, we hear Tessa's conversation with Houston Rockets legend Rudy Tomjanovich at last night's game.

On today’s Hello Houston, with early voting officially underway, we talk with Jacqueline Lucci Smith, the Republican candidate for Harris County Attorney, who discusses her campaign and why she believes she’s the right person for this position.Then, in this week’s edition of On The Marquee, Ernie visits with soprano Sylvia D’Eramo and internationally acclaimed tenor Matthew Polenzani, who both discuss playing the titular roles in Houston Grand Opera’s new season openers Susannah and Faust.In the second hour, Dr. Richa Shukla, an associate professor of medicine in gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine, discusses living with inflammatory bowel disease and a new event at The Health Museum that’s designed to connect patients and families with information and support.And finally, filmmaker Azfar Ali and producer and co-writer Yasir Raza share the story behind Jyoti, a Houston-produced film that’s earning recognition on the festival circuit while also building cultural connections through storytelling.And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Texas leaders campaigning to bring the new space academy to the Lone Star State, Elon Musk vowing to give a SpaceX share to every child in the U.S., and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton campaigning in the Houston area yesterday.