City Cast Houston

What happened this week in Houston? Host Lisa Gray, producer Carlignon Jones, and journalist and podcaster Donnie Houston recap it for you. Our daily newsletter has a new name. It's now called Hey Houston! Our twitter bio got a shiny upgrade! Follow us at @CityCastHouston Get a visual of our stories by following our Instagram! follow us at @citycasthouston We love hearing from y'all! Leave us a vo...

Outdoor horror movies, costume ideas, and other suggestions from the City Cast crew — host Lisa Gray, producers Carlignon Jones and AK AL-Moumen, and “Hey Houston” writer Brooke Lewis. Hocus Pocus Movie screening at Levy Park next Friday, Oct. 28th. Hermann Park Centennial Gardens has a screening of Ghostbusters on Thursday. Rooftop Movie always has endless Halloween movies throughout the month. T...

What does the poet laureate of Houston do? Can poetry be a day job? Emmanuel Outspoken Bean, Houston’s poet laureate, talks about his career — as well as his latest project, “The Space City Mixtape.”  Want to find out more about Outspoken Bean? Check out his Website , Twitter, and Instagram Want more Houston news at your fingertips? sign up for our morning newsletter here. Get in touch with us on...

Standing sewage, gang extortion, and guards who carry knives to protect themselves: Keri Blakinger, of the Marshall Project, recently reported on the post-pandemic breakdown of our overcrowded, understaffed jail. Keri Blakinger's Book Corrections in Ink Keri's article on the conditions in Harris county Jail The meltdown at Harris County Jail by the numbers The consequences of the breakdown at HCJ...

Last week Joe Biden pardoned people for federal marijuana possession. Does that change anything in Houston or Texas? What’s the deal with Delta-8 here? And what would it take for the state to legalize marijuana completely? Katherine Neill Harris, a Baker Institute researcher on drug policy, explains. More about Katharine Neil Harris. Texas Tribune on whether the pardons have an effect on Texas. AB...

What happened this week in Houston? Scott Braddock, of “Texas Take” and “The Quorum Report,” joins host Lisa Gray and producer AK AL-Moumen to unpack the news. Harry styles endorsement of Beto O'Rourke Uvalde shooting still shakes the state Yordan Alvarez' smashes one home into the record books Want a deeper dive into the city? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Want updates at a...

If you could designate four great people who represent this city, who would they be? Barbara Jordan? Beyoncé? The City Cast crew — host Lisa Gray and producers Carlignon Jones and AK Al-Moumen — discuss their picks. Want to know more about why we picked some of these Houston greats like Phyllis Frye and DJ Screw? Check out these episodes! Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning...

Why was Houston picked to play a dystopian, crime-ridden Detroit in “RoboCop 2”? What did that wretched movie have to say about us in 1990, the year it came out? And why, for Houstonians, is it still worth watching? Host Lisa Gray is joined by graphic artist and RoboCop fan Evan O’Neil; and by City Cast culture contributor Allyn West to explain. Searching for some daily news to get you more in tou...

In Harris County, early voting starts October 23. What’s at stake this year? Will Beto have coattails? How is a normal human being supposed to deal with our super-long ballots — to pick the best probate judge or justice of the peace? City Cast politics contributor Evan Mintz helps host Lisa Gray make sense of it all. Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter here. Foll...

Can the Astros win the World Series? What do roller-coaster oil prices mean for Houston’s economy? And can police find the man who, on downtown Main Street, bit a chunk out of a stranger’s ear? The City Cast crew — host Lisa Gray, producer Carlignon Jones, and cultural contributor Antréchelle Dorsey — break down the week’s news. Authorities are asking for any info on a man who bit a chunk off a vi...

How should we savor this glorious weather? The City Cast crew — Lisa Gray, Carlignon Jones and Brooke Lewis — weigh in on the best spots to enjoy the outdoors! ⁠ Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts! Learn more about your ad...

Rodeo Goat, in EaDo, serves great burgers. But what really wows its guest is the welcoming spirit and the wildly diverse staff that makes everyone who enters feel at home. General manager Kelsey Rabah sits down with producer AK AL-Moumen to explain how she pulls it together. Sign up for our newsletter here. It'll make your mornings much brighter! Food for thought? Follow us on Twitter! Delicious M...

The City of Houston already buys more renewable energy “than any other place,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told us when we sat with him this past week — and that’s only part of his plan for the city’s green future. But can the city handle climate change and the economic turmoil of the energy transition by itself? City Cast policy contributor Evan Mintz says we’re going to need help. Sign up for...

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, we thought you might be wondering: How do hurricanes work? And what's the best way to prepare for one? So, to help answer your questions, Meteorologist Eric Berger from Space City Weather joins host Lisa Gray to talk all things hurricanes. Want more local Houston news? Sign up for our morning newsletter here. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram  @CityCastH...

It’s that time of the week y’all! We’re diving into a weeks worth of news from around Houston with producer AK AlMoumen, host Lisa Gray and special guest Gabriela Barahona, program associate at Texas Jail Project. Fight Toxic Prisons Harris County Jail Spaghetti Western Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter here. Want to see what we are thinking? Follow our Twitter...

What are this city’s best places to relax with friends? To meet them for a night of drinks? Or after a heartbreak? The City Cast crew — Lisa, Carlignon, AK and Brooke — have loads of ideas. Some Karaoke at Spotlight? Or maybe canoeing in Conroe? How about some ritual healing then? Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter here. Want to see what we are thinking? Follow...

ChopnBlok serves up smoky jollof rice with a side of West African culture, and in less than a year, it’s become one of Houston’s most talked-about restaurants. But its founder, Ope Amosu, is still surprised when people call him “chef.” To keep up with ChopnBlok, follow it on Instagram. Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram ...

Houston is the most diverse city in America, but one thing that makes us even more unique is the deep rooted hispanic history here that's unlike any other place in the U.S.! It goes far beyond Tex-Mex and our love for Latin music. Today producer Carlignon Jones sits with University of Houston History professor Raul Ramos to discuss the wide variety of Hispanic cultural contributions from a communi...

Hispanics, Latinos, Latinx people. However you define this overlapping set of groups, whatever you call it. It is clearly the fastest growing demographic in the state of Texas. And one that does not yet command the political power that its numbers would make you expect. Today we’re talking to Tony Diaz, a political analyst and college professor, about his definite ideas as to why that is the case....

It’s been a long week, which means we have a lot of news to roundup! Don’t worry, Lead Producer Dina Kesbeh is here with editor at OutSmart Magazine Olivia Flores Alvarez and City Cast Houston producer AK Almoumen to cover all the stories you may have missed! From book bans to Hungry Howies expansion. Book Ban Fort Bend County Judge Hungry Howie's Want more local Houston news? Sign up for our morn...

Today the team chats all things museums in Houston. In addition to producer Carlignon Jones and newsletter writer Brooke Lewis, joining us is our newest producer, AK Al Moumen, who is here to help out the team as lead producer Dina Kesbeh prepares to head out for Maternity leave. Join us for our weekly roundtable discussions where we gush over the best things in Houston. Station Museum The Menil C...

Houston Chronicle columnist Joy Sewing grew up in Third Ward and is raising her own kids there now. Today she gives us a crash course on the neighborhood: Where to go and what you should know. Want more local Houston news? Sign up for our morning newsletter here. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram  @CityCastHouston OR if you have thoughts on the show, leave us a voicemail or text us a...

With cooler temperatures on the horizon, City Cast contributor Evan Mintz can’t wait for Houston’s best season to grow veggies. Year-Round Food Gardening: For Houston And Southeast Texas Want more local Houston news? Sign up for our morning newsletter here. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram  @CityCastHouston OR if you have thoughts on the show, leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 7...

Today, host Lisa Gray sits down with Phyllis Frye. She's dubbed the grandmother of transgender rights who pioneered transgender law. She's also an activist who fought hard to put the T in LGBTQ+. Phyllis is the subject of a new biography called Phyllis Frye and the Fight for Transgender Rights, by Michael G. Long and Shea Tuttle. Learn more about it here.  Want more local Houston news? Sign up for...

It’s that time of the week y’all where we dive into a weeks worth of news. Today, producer Carlignon Jones is joined by contributors Shiyam Galyon and Abdulla Kais ALMoumen. They’ll chat about how well the Astros are doing, Ted Cruz’s reaction to gun control, gun buybacks, and so much more. More on gun buybacks More on Little Mermaid Want more local Houston news? Sign up for our morning newsletter...