Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 16, 2026)

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 7, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Robert Arnold [https://www.instagram.com/kprc2robertarnold/?hl=en] talk with Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam [https://www.me.uh.edu/faculty/selvamanickam], a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Houston, who tells us about a possible breakthrough in fusion energy. Then, Benjamin Hayden [https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/benjamin-hayden], an adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering and linguistics at Rice University, discusses a new study that looks at how the brain supports bilingualism and translates thoughts between different languages. Plus, public radio host David Greene [https://www.kcrw.com/people/david-greene] and director Doug Pray [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0695629/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm] tell us about Louder Than Guns [https://www.louderthanguns.com/about], a music documentary about the gun violence issue in the United States and finding common ground through conversations with individuals from all ends of the debate.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 6, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host HPM reporter Michael Adkison [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/michael-adkison/] talk again with Chris Canetti [https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/chris-canetti], President of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Houston Host Committee, who discusses how Houston fared as a host city for this massive event.   Then, we hear from best-selling author Christina Diaz Gonzalez [https://www.christinagonzalez.com/about], who talks about her new middle-grade graphic novel, Offside, which follows five very different students on a middle school soccer team that becomes co-ed. Also, Julianna Washburn [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/julianna-washburn/], the Galveston County reporter at Houston Public Media, discusses Galveston County’s new approved precinct map [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2026/06/29/555864/galveston-county-precinct-map-gerrymandering-voting-rights-act/], which some residents have criticized for not fairly representing minority communities, what comes next, and other recent Galveston stories she’s been covering.

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.