Hello Houston (November 9, 2026)

On today’s Hello Houston, we are live from Sugar Land Town Square, where we’re joined by Sugar Land Mayor Carol McCutcheon in the show’s first hour, who discusses the state of the city, its growth, and what her priorities are for the city’s future.Then, in her regular weekly feature, Tessa Takes On, Tessa Barrera spotlights Garrett Greene, the play-by-play broadcaster and media relations manager for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.In the second hour of the show, we turn to politics and talk with newly elected Fort Bend County Judge Dexter McCoy, who talks about his recent victory, what his plans are for the office once he takes over in January, and what he hopes to accomplish.And finally, for our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, we’re joined by Nico White and Victor Litwinenko, who both talk to us about their Sugar Land-based restaurants, Japaneiro’s and Jupiter Pizza & Waffle Co.And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse, Tessa Barrera, and Houston Public Media Fort Bend County Bureau reporter Melissa Enaje discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including an advocate's effort to secure the funding needed to preserve the Sugar Land 95. Plus, Sugar Land Director of the Department of Redevelopment Devon Rodriguez highlights new development and redevelopment in the area.

On today’s Hello Houston, with the Tejano Music Awards set to take place in Houston tomorrow night for its second year in the Bayou City, we discuss what fans can expect from this event with musician and original member of La Fiebre, Luis Ayala, and Elva Trevino, a spokesperson for the awards.Then, in this week’s edition of HPM in Focus, Houston Public Media’s Galveston Bureau reporter Julianna Washburn joins us to give us the latest on a shocking cruise ship homicide case that has drawn national attention.In the second hour, we talk with Maya Rae, Cinya Khan and Judah Mayowa, members of the folk-pop group Tiny Habits, who tell us all about their musical journey, their new album, and what’s ahead for them. The trio will perform live at the Bronze Peacock at House of Blues Houston tonight at 7 pm.And finally, the trio sticks around to join our hosts for our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions, in which they share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at [email protected], as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Jensen Huang stepping down as the CEO of Nvidia, members of the Kennedy family filing a lawsuit to block President Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, and more. Plus, we learn all about this year’s Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market, with the annual event returning today and running through Sunday, November 15.

On today’s Hello Houston, we commemorate Veterans Day with a special interview with former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar and Navy veteran, Chase Untermeyer, who served as the keynote speaker and Grand Marshal of the City of Houston's annual Veterans Day Celebration.Then, in this week's edition of On the Marquee, Ernie talks with The Ensemble Theatre's Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris and actress Sydney Elise Russell, who both discuss A Motown Christmas, a musical revue that pairs Christmas carols with the soulful sounds of Motown.In the second hour, we’re joined by Alison de Lima Greene, the Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, who highlights American Modernism from the Charles Butt Collection, a new exhibition that's on view at the museum through January 18.And finally, actresses Mackenzie Kelso and Natalie Yarborough tell us all about Anthropology, a psychological thriller play currently running at Theatre Southwest that explores the emotional and ethical questions surrounding AI and grief.And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Nvidia launching an investigation into its CEO after he had a relationship with an alleged Chinese spy, the Republican-led House killing the effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Texas Democrats proposing legislation that would give $1,500 to every Texan, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston Chronicle HISD reporter Claire Partain discusses why about half of HISD’s campuses have reported zero library book checkouts this school year, changing campus resources, and what the future of local control looks like for the district and its students.Then, in this week's edition of our regular Tuesday feature, Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik sits down with Houston-based singer-songwriter Nicotine for a conversation about family, music and success.In the show’s second hour, we talk with Heidi Russell, Director of the Center for Health Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute, who helps us understand how artificial intelligence, health apps, and the growing market for personal health data are raising new questions about privacy and patient rights.Plus, we wrap up today’s show with a special performance from Nicotine with her band, the Warmtones, in our Geary studio.And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the Supreme Court allowing border wall construction in Big Bend to continue, outgoing Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick supporting stripping powers from his Democratic successor Vikki Goodwin, and Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas explains why she's calling for Mayor Whitmire’s HPD-ICE executive order to be codified as an ordinance.

On today’s Hello Houston, Phillip Griffith, Vice President of the Houston Hub of United Airlines, discusses the newly redeveloped Terminal B North at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and what it means for travelers as we approach the holiday travel season.Then, in our regular Monday feature, Producer Spotlight, Hello Houston producer Laura Walker takes us inside the 10th anniversary of the AfroTech conference, where she talks with its co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Nelson, about the conference's creation, growth and the importance of representation in technology.In the second hour, Dr. Laura Murillo, author and President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, talks about the recent political gains of Hispanics in government and the fifth anniversary of her bestselling book Lead in Life, People. Passion. Persistence: Succeed in the New Era of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.And finally, we talk with Houston high school students Ashna Bhagia and Saahib Sarai, the co-founders of the Next Gen Lens podcast, who both share what they've learned about young Houstonians from giving their generation a platform, and what adults may be missing.And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Democrat Hakeem Jeffries voicing support for impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Trump saying he was joking about making UFC CEO Dana White his press secretary, and more. Plus, Douglas Griffith, President of the Houston Police Officers’ Union, gives us his reaction to the new HPD policies announced by Mayor Whitmire on Friday.

On today’s Hello Houston, we hear this week’s edition of our regular Friday feature, Tessa Takes On, in which Tessa chats with Houston Golf Girl Madi Frerking, who discusses building a career, a personal brand, and making an impact in a highly competitive sport.In the second hour, Republican Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt gives us his thoughts on the results of the midterm elections, the future of the Republican Party both in Texas and the nation, and whether this changes anything for the upcoming legislative session.Plus, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me comedian Alonzo Bodden joins us for our other regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, to tell us more about his career, his latest projects, and what audiences can expect from his upcoming shows in Houston. And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including new HPD policies announced by Mayor Whitmire, which they discuss with Houston Public Media reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh, Houstonians calling for stronger safeguards for the city’s historic structures, and Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa saying she’ll prioritize public education while in office.

On today’s Hello Houston, newly elected Harris County Judge Letitia Plummer joins us at the start of the show to discuss her historic victory as the first Black person and first Muslim elected to this role, what her plans are for the office, and more.Then, we discuss the state of the Republican party in Texas and what happens next for the party following the midterms with Eric Benson, a senior writer for Texas Monthly, who recently spoke with former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan about the results.Also, Houston Public Media reporter Sarah Grunau joins us to break down the results of several key local races and what they could mean for Harris County for this week’s edition of our regular Thursday feature, HPM in Focus.In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Houston area trial attorney and author Tony Buzbee, who tells us about his new book, How to Swim with Sharks: Success Tips They Don't Teach You in School, his legal career, and the advice he shares in the book.And finally, our hosts and listeners share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our other regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at [email protected], as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera talk about today’s top stories, including Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa’s campaign promise to give every Texas household a one-time $1,500 payment, Texas Senator-elect James Talarico calling out Elon Musk for trying to buy political influence in the state during the election, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus joins us in the first hour of the show to break down last night’s election results and what happens next for Texas following the historic "blue wave" that swept the Lone Star State. Then, in our regular Wednesday feature, On the Marquee, Ernie talks with actor Ryan Stajmiger, who takes us inside the national tour of Beetlejuice the Musical and his approach to playing the titular “Ghost with the Most.”In the show's second hour, as Houston welcomes AfroTech, the world’s largest conference and digital community for Black professionals, artist and filmmaker Rashaad Newsome joins us to discuss his documentary Assembly, which is screening tonight at DeLUXE Theater.Plus, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barrera share their thoughts on last night’s election results, while we open the phone lines in both hours to hear Hello Houston listeners’ thoughts and reactions to the state’s massive "blue wave."

On today’s Hello Houston, we have Election Day reports from Houston Public Media correspondents Tom Perumean, Dominic Anthony Walsh and Shelby Rose at the top of the show, while HPM’s politics and government reporter Andrew Schneider breaks down what’s in store for voters today.Then, in our regular Tuesday feature, Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik introduces us to civil attorney, content creator, and community voice Erika Harrison of “Black Girls Who Brunch.”In the second hour, we’re joined by Ben Schooley, founder of Pro Se Coach and author of Successfully Representing Yourself in Texas Family Law, who discusses the challenges of self-representation, the financial and emotional toll family court can have on families, and what he thinks needs to change in Texas.And finally, we turn to the arts and talk with two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, and arranger Nicole Zuraitis, who tells us all about her upcoming Live at the Founder's Club concert, The Devil I Knew, and what it explores.

On today’s Hello Houston, Rice University’s director of undergraduate studies in media, Liam Mayes, discusses the rising cases of misinformation spreading across digital platforms during election cycles and how voters can discern what information is trustworthy.Then, in this week’s Producer Spotlight, Hello Houston intern Egypt White talks with Justin Lee, Director of New Student Success and Community Outreach at Texas Southern University, about the importance of student participation and how universities are encouraging young people to make their voices heard.In the second hour of the show, we talk with David Goodman, the Texas bureau chief for The New York Times, who joins us to give us a last look at all the key races in Texas ahead of Election Day tomorrow and what voters should be watching out for.Plus, Houston filmmaker, author, and actress Keyatta Crews shares her journey as a creative in the Bayou City as the first Black woman from Texas to create and star in a television series streaming on a major platform and what it takes to turn a vision into a lasting legacy.And, as always, our hosts Ernie Manouse and Tessa Barerra talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the ICE agent who was indicted for striking a man with a federal vehicle turning himself in today, and Ken Paxton and James Talarico making final appearances in Houston ahead of Election Day.