Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 24, 2026)

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 24, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Maria Todd [https://x.com/MariaTodd] talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs [https://www.uh.edu/uh-energy-innovation/uh-energy/about-uh-energy/faculty-engagement/energy-fellows/ed-hirs/], who shares his thoughts on how data centers will impact Texas’s power grid and how they’ve already affected consumers. Then, Houston-born filmmaker Karla Murthy [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2743886/] and HTX MADE creator Li Lu [https://www.ulil-lilu.com/about] join us to tell us about a screening of Murthy’s award-winning documentary, The Gas Station Attendant [https://www.mfah.org/events/the-gas-station-attendant/202606251900?returnUrl=%2Fevents%3Fdate%3D2026-06-23], which will take place tomorrow night, June 25, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Plus, Houston Business Journal reporter Janet Miranda [https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/bio/44386/Janet+Miranda] joins us to break down the reasons why Houston is trailing behind other major Texas cities like Austin and Dallas when it comes to attracting and retaining college graduates and young professionals, despite its job opportunities and relatively affordable cost of living.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 23, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Maria Todd [https://x.com/MariaTodd] explore what’s behind rising political extremism and threats of political violence in the U.S. with Michael Soules [https://www.uh.edu/class/political-science/faculty-and-staff/professors/soules/], a political scientist with the University of Houston. Then, we shift the conversation to estate planning and hear from University of Houston Law Center professor Hilary Reed [https://www.law.uh.edu/faculty/main.asp?PID=5238], who shares her expertise on what the best practices are for writing a will or trust, and the importance of thoughtful planning.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 22, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Michael Adkison [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/author/michael-adkison/] talk with Chris Canetti [https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/chris-canetti], President of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee, who gives us an update on how the city is handling the crowds and festivities of the World Cup. Then, Jessi Bowman, the founder and owner of FLATS [https://www.flatspresents.com/], a Houston-based photo lab, community darkroom, and exhibition space, joins us to tell us about the many services they offer as well as share her thoughts on the current state of the medium of film photography. Also, Houston City Councilmember Joe Panzarella [https://www.houstontx.gov/council/c/], who represents District C, joins us to discuss the approved plans for a new pedestrian and bicycle connection [https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2026/06/17/554820/trail-houston-uptown-memorial-park-buffalo-bayou/] between Memorial Park and Uptown, which supporters are saying will help improve mobility in this busy part of the city.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 18, 2026)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” historian and author Blair LM Kelley [https://www.profblmkelley.com/bio] and Prairie View A&M’s Dr. Melanye Price [https://www.pvamu.edu/blog/melanyeprice/] join us to discuss what Juneteenth means to us in the modern day and how the holiday continues to shape conversations about social justice in the U.S. Then, we hear from the Texas State Director for Save the Children [https://www.savethechildren.org/], Militza Mezquita, who shares advice on how parents can keep their children learning during summer vacation. Plus, Ernie and guest host Chau Nguyen [https://www.instagram.com/chaunguyenhouston/?hl=en] share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions, while also sharing obsessions from Hello Houston listeners. You can send your Current Obsessions to us anytime by emailing us at talk@hellohouston.org.

Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (June 17, 2026)

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Chau Nguyen [https://www.instagram.com/chaunguyenhouston/?hl=en] talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs [https://www.uh.edu/uh-energy-innovation/uh-energy/about-uh-energy/faculty-engagement/energy-fellows/ed-hirs/], who shares his thoughts on the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, and what we can expect to see with oil prices. Next, we learn about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donations, with Kevin Myer [https://www.organdonationalliance.org/profile/kevin-myer/], CEO and President of LifeGift [https://www.lifegift.org/], the organ procurement organization for North, Southeast and West Texas, who also explains how Texans can register to become donors. And finally, we hear from Sally Bradford, Executive Director of the North Houston Development Corporation, who joins us to tell us all about the area skate park, North Houston Skate Park [https://www.northhouston.org/parks-and-trails/north-houston-skate-park/], and the inclusive public park, Dylan Park [https://www.northhouston.org/parks-and-trails/dylan-park/], which has features that benefit children of all abilities, including the sight and hearing impaired, as well as wheelchair-bound children.