Hello Houston: The Commuter Cut

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 2, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Katharine Shilcutt [https://profiles.rice.edu/staff/katharine-shilcutt] talk with Timothy Malcolm [https://www.chron.com/author/timothy-malcolm/], the Deputy Managing Editor of Texas Lifestyle at Chron, who tells us about their new list ranking the 250 most influential Texans since 1776 and how this list was put together. Next, Houston Public Media reporters Dominic Anthony Walsh [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/dominic-walsh/] and Sarah Grunau [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/sarah-grunau/] unpack the latest episode of the new podcast series After the Flood [https://www.npr.org/podcasts/fis-1269164163/after-the-flood], which examines the Texas Hill Country’s history with flooding and why it’s so susceptible to massive floods. And finally, we hear from director Katie Camosy [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3302075/], who discusses her new documentary Gaslit [https://gaslitdoc.com/about/], which follows actress and activist Jane Fonda as she travels through Texas and Louisiana to talk with people impacted by the country’s fossil fuel expansion.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 1, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Katharine Shilcutt [https://profiles.rice.edu/staff/katharine-shilcutt] talk with Gina Plata-Nino, the SNAP Director at the Food Research and Action Center [https://frac.org/], who discusses a new report that examines how changes to SNAP policies are impacting recipients. Next, we learn about the Bayou Bend exhibition “George Washington: America’s Enduring Icon [https://www.mfah.org/art/exhibitions/george-washington-americas-enduring-icon],” with Daniel Kurt Ackermann, the Director of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens [https://www.mfah.org/visit/bayou-bend], who also discusses how Americans view the nation’s first president today. Also, we hear from Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, the chefs behind the Houston-area restaurant JŪN, who both share the story of how they went from being ambitious newcomers to the top of Texas' culinary world, having also recently earned one of the restaurant industry's highest honors, the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 30, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Chau Nguyen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chau_Nguyen] talk with Dr. Stephen Sherman [https://profiles.rice.edu/staff/stephen-averill-sherman], a research scientist with the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, who explains the findings of their 2026 State of Housing in Harris County and Houston report. Then, Claudia de Vasco, the Managing Director of Miller Outdoor Theatre [https://www.milleroutdoortheatre.com/], tells us about all the upcoming performances that will be available at the outdoor theater this summer. Also, we hear from Sandra Guerra Thompson [https://www.law.uh.edu/faculty/main.asp?PID=15], a professor of law and former director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, who discusses the history of the insanity defense, how psychological defenses are used in criminal cases, and how public perception of this defense has changed over the years.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 29, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Raheel Ramzanali [https://x.com/The_Raheel?lang=en] talk with Kavita Self, Executive Director of the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land [https://sugarland.hmns.org/], who tells us all about the museum’s Science of Soccer event. Next, we hear from Betsy Mayotte, President of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors [https://freestudentloanadvice.org/], who helps us break down the upcoming changes affecting student loans beginning on July 1, and what borrowers and families need to know before these changes take effect. Plus, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston [https://www.mfah.org/] curator of modern and contemporary art, Brittany Webb, talks to us about Hew Locke: Passages [https://www.mfah.org/art/exhibitions/hew-locke-passages], a new exhibition featuring more than three decades of the Guyanese-British artist’s sculptures, collages, and assemblages.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 26, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Doris Childress [https://tsu.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/school-of-communication/pdfs/bio-doris-childress.pdf] talk with Gary Joiner, the Communications Director of the Texas Farm Bureau [https://texasfarmbureau.org/], who gives us the latest information on the spread of the New World screwworm. Next, we hear from Vanessa Gilmore [https://www.txs.uscourts.gov/page/vanessa-gilmore], a former U.S. district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, who breaks down the Supreme Court’s most recent decisions, what we can expect from these rulings, and which decisions have yet to be made.