Hello Houston

Hello Houston (May 21, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, we celebrate Ernie Manouse’s 30 years at Houston Public Media by chatting with actress Amy Sedaris [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781238/] and Representative Sylvia Garcia [https://sylviagarcia.house.gov/about], who presents Ernie with a congressional record from the U.S. House of Representatives honoring this milestone. Next, we revisit Ernie’s 2016 interview with award-winning actress Pam Grier [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000427/] for his series InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse, ahead of her upcoming appearance at Comicpalooza this weekend. To watch the full episode, click here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VHDzn69zp4]. In the second hour, we continue celebrating Ernie’s 30th anniversary with a recap of his time at Houston Public Media, in which we also hear from several special guests, including Suze Orman, Lyle Lovett, Annise Parker, Nana Mouskouri, Lynn Wyatt, Joanne King Herring, and more. Then, Congressman Al Green [https://algreen.house.gov/about] joins us to discuss his campaign for the upcoming runoff election for Texas's 18th Congressional District, the issues he’s focused on, and why he believes he’s the right person for this seat. And finally, Ernie and guest host Matt Harab [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/staff/matthew-harab/] share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time for our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. You can send your Current Obsessions to us anytime by emailing us at talk@hellohouston.org.

Hello Houston – LIVE at The Bryan Museum (May 20, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, we broadcast the show LIVE from The Bryan Museum [https://thebryanmuseum.org/] in Galveston, which features one of the world's largest collections of historical artifacts, documents, and fine art related to Texas and the American West. In the first hour, former City of Galveston Mayor Dr. Craig Brown [https://www.visiongalveston.com/about/the-board/craig-brown] joins us to reflect on his last six years as mayor and what lies ahead for the city in the future. Next, Eric Broussard, curator of The Bryan Museum, tells us more about the museum and how it brings the past to life.  In the second hour, we explore the rich history of Galveston Island with Will Wright, Chief Creative Officer of the Galveston Historical Foundation [https://www.galvestonhistory.org/], who also tells us about their work and mission of preserving the island’s history for future generations. Plus, Dr. Susan Chubinskaya, Senior Vice President and Provost at UTMB [https://www.utmb.edu/], educates us on some of the research and educational opportunities available at the academic health science center. And, as always, Ernie Manouse and guest host Houston Public Media Galveston Bureau reporter Julianna Washburn [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/staff/julianna-washburn/] discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including last weekend’s "Jeep Weekend" drawing smaller crowds [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/galveston-county/2026/05/18/552211/a-ghost-town-heavy-police-presence-leads-to-smaller-crowds-fewer-arrests-at-crystal-beach-jeep-weekend/] compared to years past, Jamaica Beach residents wanting Galveston City Council to delay their vote [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/galveston-county/2026/05/20/552420/jamaica-beach-discovery-sands-galveston-city-council-runoff-election/] on a controversial proposed development, and more.

Hello Houston (May 19, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, with this month being mental health awareness month, we talk with UTHealth Houston associate professor and psychiatrist Dr. Lokesh Shahani [https://med.uth.edu/psychiatry/2022/11/11/lokesh-shahani-md-mph-facp/], who discusses men’s mental health and the stigma behind asking for help. In the second hour, Sara Loperena, the director and founder of local non-profit bookstore, The Book Cycle [https://thebookcycle.org/], rejoins us to talk about their unique book donation program, how it’s evolved into a space for the community, and their upcoming move. Plus, we hear from award-winning actor Esai Morales [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005246/], known for his roles in La Bamba, Ozark, and the final two Mission Impossible films, ahead of his upcoming appearance at Comicpalooza [https://www.comicpalooza.com/] this weekend. And, as always, Ernie Manouse and guest host Maria Todd talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the search to find a new actor to play James Bond and President Trump endorsing Ken Paxton [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2026/05/19/552323/ken-paxton-trump-endorsement-texas-senate-republican-primary-runoff-cornyn/] in Texas’s GOP Senate primary runoff, which they discuss with Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schnieder [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/andrew-schneider/] and Party Politics [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/shows/party-politics/] co-host Brandon Rottinghaus [https://www.uh.edu/class/political-science/faculty-and-staff/professors/rottinghaus/].

Hello Houston (May 18, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Chris Canetti [https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/chris-canetti], President of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, who fills us in on all the activities surrounding the big event coming soon to Houston, and his role in helping guide the city’s preparations. Then, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curators Ann Dumas and Dena Woodall tell us all about Picasso-Klee-Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen [https://www.mfah.org/art/exhibitions/masterpieces-from-the-museum-berggruen], an international touring exhibition that will be on view at the museum starting Wednesday, May 20. In the second hour, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Goodman] tells us about the documentary Steal This Story, Please [https://stealthisstory.org/], along with its co-director Tia Lessin [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504357/], and how it examines her decades-long journalism career covering stories that are often overlooked by mainstream outlets. Plus, we learn all about World Bee Day, a global celebration that brings awareness to the important role bees play in the world’s ecosystems, with Melissa Hudnall, the Education Community Event Coordinator at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. And, as always, Ernie Manouse and guest host Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/michael-adkison/] discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Texas Children's Hospital developing a “detransition clinic” [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/lgbtq/2026/05/15/552010/texas-childrens-settlement-ken-paxton-gender-affirming-care/] as part of a settlement with the state, Joe Panzarella beating Nick Hellyar [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2026/05/16/552093/houston-city-council-district-c-election-results-panzarella-hellyar/] in the special election runoff for Houston City Council’s District C position, and a lawsuit over leadership [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2026/05/15/552040/houston-second-baptist-church-lawsuit-trial/] at Houston’s Second Baptist Church.

Hello Houston (May 15, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, Dr. Theresa Tran [https://www.houstonhealth.org/leadership], Director of the Houston Health Department, discusses how restaurant inspections work, how the department helps ensure Houston restaurants meet health and safety standards, and what happens if violations are found. In the second hour of the show, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen [https://pct1constable.net/] tells us about his precinct’s Animal Cruelty Division, as well as a recent rescue of 17 dogs [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/animals/2026/05/08/551409/dog-rescue-houston-spca-harris-county-constable/] from a suspected breeding operation, with the assistance of investigators from the Houston SPCA. Plus, our hosts share a rundown of events happening this weekend in Houston for our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, while Hello Houston listeners share their upcoming weekend plans. And, as always, Ernie Manouse and guest host Doris Childress [https://tsu.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/school-of-communication/pdfs/bio-doris-childress.pdf] talk about today’s top headlines at the top of each hour, including John Cornyn and Ken Paxton's negative campaign ads about each other, Governor Abbott wanting to make district attorneys impeachable, and the Supreme Court allowing access to the abortion pill Mifepristone to continue.