Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 9, 2026)

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 9, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Charlie Mechling [https://www.charlesmechling.com/bio] talk with Houston-based photographer Violeta Alvarez about her new Fresh Arts [https://fresharts.org/] residency, Casa de Cultura: The Living Archive [https://fresharts.org/2026-artists-in-residence/], and how it explores cultural identity and collective memory. Then, we hear from Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare [https://dao.harriscountytx.gov/About-Us/Meet-Sean-Teare], who shares his perspective on Tuesday's fatal shooting involving an ICE agent [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/immigration/2026/07/07/556478/houston-ice-shooting-death-east-end/] in Houston, whether his office is planning on investigating this fatal shooting, and what information is already known about the incident.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 8, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Robert Arnold [https://www.instagram.com/kprc2robertarnold/?hl=en] learn about the Houston Public Library's Summer Reading Program [https://www.houstonlibrary.org/srp] with Nicholas Sawicki, Executive Director of the Houston Public Library Foundation [https://houstonlibraryfoundation.org/]. Then, recently appointed Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin [https://cao.harriscountytx.gov/About/County-Attorney-Abbie-Kamin] joins us to share her perspective on the fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Houston’s East End yesterday and how involved the county can be in the investigation into what happened. Also, we discuss the importance of contemplative or reflective spaces in communities and how they can help support our mental health with Kelly Johnson, the Chief Engagement Officer at the Rothko Chapel [https://www.rothkochapel.org/learn/about/].

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.