City Cast Houston

The invasive hammerhead flatworm is being spotted all around Houston so we had to bring in Scott Solomon, biology professor at Rice University and City Cast Houston nature contributor, to help breakdown if these worms are dangerous to humans, how they arrived to Houston, and what we need to do when we spot one.   Useful links: Listen to Wild World with Scott Solomon here.  Learn more about the ham...

Visiting Katy Asian Town for the first time can be overwhelming because of the dozens of restaurants to choose from in one area. So, where should you eat? Joining host Raheel Ramzanali for Food Tuesday is James Beard semifinalist chef Alex Au-Yeung of Phat Eatery to give his top spots in Katy Asian Town and items you need to try at his restaurant. Phat Eatery First Recommendation: Soju 101  Second...

New election bills are targeting Harris County, but are they just political theater or will they impact how we vote? Plus, state vehicle inspections could be a thing of the past and HPD is cracking down on prostitution on Bissonnet. A lot happened this week so host Raheel Ramzanali is tagging in political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and culture contributor Antre'chelle Dorse...

From the blistering weather to crazy traffic, the Bayou City can be a beast of a city to conquer so the City Cast Houston crew is preparing you to take on Houston with some essential rules. Lead producer Dina Kesbeh, producer Carlignon Jones, and newsletter editor Brooke Lewis join host Raheel Ramzanali to discuss their tips to survive Houston. Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our m...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion offices have been part of public universities for years, but now state lawmakers are close to removing DEI offices and policies in the final days of the 2023 Texas legislative session. So, how will this impact students and faculty? Suzanne Pritzker, PHD Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Houston and Samira Ali, Associate Professor at the Unive...

Aga’s Restaurant and Catering was barley surviving when Shaukat Maredia and his family bought the Alief based restaurant in 2011. Fast forward a few years and now they’re serving thousands of customers a week. So, what changed? Owner Shaukat Maredia joins host Raheel Ramzanali to explain how they turned things around, dishes you need to try, and how they’re giving back to the community with their...

The 2023 Texas legislative session is about to end, but so many bills are still being discussed. Which ones could impact our city? James Barragán, politics reporter at the Texas Tribune, joins host Raheel Ramzanali to breakdown which bills are still being pushed in the final seven days of the 88th Legislature’s regular session. Keep up with the 2023 Texas Legislature here Keep up with what's going...

The 42nd annual Kinder Houston Area Survey was released earlier this week so Raheel is bringing on political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and culture contributor Antre'chelle Dorsey to break down the most interesting finds. Plus, the trio talk about the proposed city budget, college grads moving to Houston, and more! Read more on these stories below: Kinder Institute annual s...

There’s no denying the fact that we have some terrible roads and traffic in Houston, so today we’re doing a little therapy session about Houston roads with a special team chat. Houston sports radio legend John Granato joins host Raheel Ramzanali and newsletter editor Brooke Lewis to breakdown the worst roads, worst freeways, areas to avoid, and so much more. Exxon execs are coming to Houston Follo...

We’re only five months into 2023 and 12 inmates have already died inside Harris County Jail. This is coming off 27 deaths in 2022 and an FBI investigation. Why is it so deadly inside our jail system? ABC-13 reporter Pooja Lodhia joins the show to recap her investigation into why so many inmates are dying and what’s being done to fix our jail. Check out Houston's budget at houstonbudget.cool. You c...

Since 1969, China Garden has been a downtown institution with a legendary lunch rush which included some of the biggest names in Houston as customers. But now the restaurant is still struggling after the pandemic due to the decline in office workers in downtown. Carol Churchill, partner at China Garden, is on the show to explain how the community embraced her family from the start and the most fam...

After burning for over 70 hours, the Shell fire in Deer Park was finally put out, but now the real work starts as officials determine what the environmental and health impacts will be from the chemical blaze. So, should we be worried about dangerous chemicals in our air? What about the impacts on our health? Jennifer Hadayia from the Air Alliance Houston joins the show to break it all down. More o...

It’s Friday so that means it’s time to talk about the biggest stories of the week. Will the recent attacks on drag shows be the reason a historic lesbian bar in Montrose might have to shutdown? Plus, The City of Houston celebrated ‘Houston Week’ in Mexico, but what does that mean for us? Political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and contributor and author Shiyam Galyon join Rahe...

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month is here and with so many events going on, we’re bringing on Stephanie Wong from the Asia Society to preview some of her favorites and to talk about the importance of the month. Plus, our very own newsletter editor Brooke Lewis joins the chat to preview the BIPOC Book Fest, one of the biggest AAPI Month events in Houston! If you're looking for AAPI E...

The Art Car parade needs no introduction, but there’s another parade cementing its place in our city. The Art Bike Festival is back for its second annual parade this weekend. Host Raheel Ramzanali talks with the Houston Parks Board COO Matt Nielson and the Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts Curator of Programs Pete Gershon about what a bike parade means for cyclists in our city and how this aim...

Texas has had some of the worst and deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. Most recently, in Allen, a suburb outside of Dallas, a gunman open fire at shoppers at an outlet mall. This tragedy along with the many others that have occurred, has us asking questions like "why are lawmakers stalling on taking action to combat gun violence?" and "why does it seem like gun violence is so prominent in T...

Harris County and UTHealth Houston have made great strides when it comes to providing mental health help for Houstonians through their partnership, but there’s still not enough workers in the field to help those in need. Could a new school help solve that problem? Joining us today is Jair C. Soares, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas He...

We have our first crime report of the year and the statistics are promising. Plus, two major Houston institutions are hiring for jobs that impact Houstonians. It’s time to talk about those stories and more with political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and culture contributor Antre’chelle Dorsey. Want more info on these stories? Check out these links: More trees in Gulfton Katy...

No need to scramble next week to find a great Mother’s Day gift because lead producer Dina Kesbeh, producer Carlignon Jones, newsletter editor Brooke Lewis, and host Raheel Ramzanali are giving you some great gifting ideas for mom in today’s team chat! Check out some of the team's Mother's Day ideas below: Love and Make Candles Pergola Houston  The Rouxpour Nirmanz Food Boutique Paint and Sip  Tex...

Why is it we only think of Galveston when Houstonians want to hit up a beach? Surfside Beach is only an hour away and offers surfing, fishing, and has even been designated as a Bird City by Texas Parks and Wildlife. Today on City Cast Houston, tourism specialist Michelle Booth with The Village of Surfside Beach helps us answer why Surfside Beach isn’t as popular as Galveston, what to do in Surfsid...

If you’re anything like our host Raheel then you have a massive sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied. Sure you could go to your local ice cream shop or grab something from the grocery store, but that wouldn’t be fun, now would it? Instead, check out these hidden dessert spots in H-Town from Houston food blogger Shawn The Food Sheep! For more hidden food gems, follow @shawnthefoodsheep on instagr...

Right now is the perfect time to rent a bike from one of the many BCycle stations around Houston parks and stroll around enjoying the weather, but why are prices going up at bike sharing stations in Houston today? Maya Ford, Executive Director at Houston Bike Share, joins us today to explain what is causing the price spike, their failed partnership with Metro, and the future of bike sharing in Hou...

Could we be getting new state parks in our area? Also, what’s the latest on the Ike Dike? Raheel is joined by Political contributor and Pulitzer Prize finalist Evan Mintz and writer and contributor Shiyam Galyon to break down some of the biggest and most overlooked stories of the week in Houston.  2022 Election Reporting from the Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, and Houston Public Media.  New state...

It’s a different type of team chat today because Houston sports legends George Foreman and Wade Phillips join Raheel on the show. First, former world heavyweight boxing champ George Foreman talks about the new movie Big George Foreman and what it was like seeing his Houston childhood depicted on the big screen. Then, Houston Roughnecks coach Wade Phillips explains the most important lesson he lear...

Houston has become a destination for major sporting events like The Final Four, the Super Bowl, and the World Cup in 2026, but that wasn’t always the case. The Harris County Houston Sports Authority has been bidding and landing these major events for the city since it was created in 1997. CEO Janis Burke joins the show to explain why Houston is such a great city for major sporting events, how the...