City Cast Houston

Yesterday was the first day of hurricane season, and already "Alex" threatens to form from the remnants of Agatha. The good news? If Alex does form, it will surely steer clear of Houston (and Texas). But the even better news is, it will give Houstonians more time to prepare for what's sure to be a busy hurricane season. Join the City Cast Houston gang as they talk about their own hurricane experie...

It's officially hurricane season. We continue our weeklong hurricane coverage by breaking down what an actual hurricane is. To tell us more about the ins and outs of a hurricane, we invited none other than Meteorologist Eric Berger. He's one of the founders of Space City Weather, Houston's hype-free weather website. Want more Houston news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here....

Tomorrow is June 1st, which means it's hurricane season. So! We will be covering all things "hurricane" this week on City Cast Houston, starting with today's guest: KPRC Chief Meteorologist Frank Billingsley. Frank explains how hurricanes are not all born equal, and what you should watch for as news outlets cover tropical storms and hurricanes this season. You can find KPRC’s Flood Survival Guide...

The weekend following the elementary-school shooting Uvalde, the NRA shamelessly holds its convention in Houston. Host Lisa Gray, City Cast contributor Shiyam Galyon and Evan Mintz, discuss Texas and guns: Why didn’t the city send the NRA packing? Was Beto right to make a scene? Could an upcoming Supreme Court decision mean that all the U.S. will soon be as wide-open to guns as Texas? Want to join...

Roller coasters? Funnel cakes? Ferris wheels? What exactly defines an amusement park, and do we have any now near Houston? The City Cast crew — host Lisa Gray, lead producer Dina Kesbeh and roving producer Carlignon Jones — discuss childhood memories and current thrills. Follow us on Twitter at @CityCastHouston Not big on social media? Leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your t...

Ancient people dealt with sea levels that changed even faster than they are now. What does geology and archeology tell us about what’s going on here now? Today, we talk with geologist Dan Worrall about what our coast looked like in the deep past — and what that history indicates about Galveston’s future. Check out Dan's book: A Prehistory of Houston and Southeast Texas: Landscape and Culture. Want...

Magnolias are a symbol of the Old South — but they’re also so much more. Lisa Gray talks with City Cast environmental contributor Jaime González about the trees’ past and future in Houston, the Magnolia City. Want to know more about magnolias? Here are a few resources: Magnolias and Pollination Magnolias, a symbol of the Old South, should we plant it? (One perspective) About Southern Magnolias Hou...

Chris Clarke explains high-level economics on a social platform more often used for dance trends. In 60 seconds or less, his 28,000 followers learn stuff like why Bitcoin isn’t real money, and why dollar stores are often located next to each other. Host Lisa Gray asks why he’s doing this — why talk about money if you’re not getting paid? — and gets Clarke to untangle, rapid-fire, some Houston econ...

Instead of bringing the news to life, in this bonus episode, we're leaning into the sleep-inducing qualities of the rules that shape our world. Next time you're looking for something to fall asleep to, listen to this episode, where Lisa reads Chapter 42, Article 4, of Houston's Municipal Code (but be sure not to listen while driving or operating heavy machinery!). Music in this episode by Calm Sho...

On this episode of City Cast Houston’s Friday Round-Up: Texas Tribune’s Zach Despart joins Lisa and Ferrill to discuss the federal aid given to Texas for Hurricane Harvey relief, but withheld from Houston in its dispersing. Also, the team covers: the new variant threat; Wesley Hunt’s rise up the Republican ranks; more to discuss about Roe v. Wade and what its overturning could mean for Texans; and...

Is there one main Texas accent, or are there many? How differently do Texans speak from other Southerners? And what about Houston? Can you pick out a Houstonion by the words they use or the way they say them? Writer John Nova Lomax joins Lisa and Ferrill in today’s episode to talk all about Texas dialects and accents, from “y’all” and “howdy” to doodlebugs and feeder roads, and if Rice University...

From time to time, the City of Houston's sewage overflows and spews poo and other undesirable waste into our city. To ensure we have an infrastructure capable of handling it, Kristen Schlemmer — legal director of Bayou City Waterkeeper — went to bat for Houston and raised $2 billion for infrastructure, as well as helped produce the "Poo Reports": data for Houstonians who want to keep track of the...

It’s time to get past the cliché. Who are the people that make Houston great? We put out the call last month for listeners to share their stories of individuals, communities, and institutions that make Houston special, and we heard from so many people! In this episode, we're sharing some of our favorite listener stories and shoutouts about everyone from the “Tan Man” Phil Brayton and muralist Anat...

LyondellBasell, in a recent announcement, said it would shutter its Houston refinery at the end of 2023 — a site that’s over 100 years old and can process up to 268,000 barrels of crude a day. According to company execs, it’s been increasingly difficult, what with rising costs and global volatility, for the refinery to stay profitable. Since the refinery is one of only ten in Houston, should we be...

It's Friday — and the City Cast Houston gang rounds up the week! This week's coverage: the Roe V. Wade protest at Discovery Green; the skyrocketing price of goods around Houston; the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh; H-E-B opening a home goods line; Thai Gourmet shocking Houston by closing its doors; and a Sugarland resident hauling in an enormous alligator gar. Join lead produce...

It’s hot, y’all! With temperatures already in the 90s, we figured it wasn’t too early to talk about how to survive Houston’s crazy summer heat — and have fun in the process! Producers Dina and Ferrill are joined by City Cast contributor Antre'chelle Dorsey to share their advice on staying cool, and their suggestions for places to go in Houston this time of year, from beaches and parks to libraries...

City Cast lead producer Dina Kesbeh has been in the market for a house for a while now, in Houston. But every time she rushes over to see a new listing — particularly one near her family in Alief — another buyer swoops in and makes an offer before she can get there, often offering well over the asking price. It’s a hot, wonky market in Houston, and it’s a tough time to buy a new home. So, Dina has...

Houston is changing. It's getting hotter here, and summer lasts longer. We're getting bigger storms. Energy is way more expensive. And now, lots of Houstonians are thinking about ways to live here that won't wreck the planet for generations to come. So how do we DO that? Today, Dina talks with Rives Taylor, co-leader of Global Design Resilience for the architecture firm Gensler. He also teaches ar...

4.7 million people live in Harris County, making it the third-most populous county in the country … and one run by powerful people with a multibillion dollar budget. But what does all that mean for the people who live here? Lisa talks with Texas Tribune reporter Zach Despart about everything — and everyone — Harris County, from County Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Commissioners Court, to election iss...

On this week's news round-up, contributor Olivia Flores Alvarez joins producer Ferrill Gibbs and host Lisa Gray. They dive into Texas Southern University's uptick in applications and how that's likely attributed to none other than Megan Thee Stallion. The rise in housing costs is pushing local Houstonians out of the market, but who is to blame? And in light of the leaked draft majority opinion fro...

You’ve probably seen the meme: Texas cities as depicted by different versions of Matthew McConaughey. Dallas: the Tuxedoed McConaughey. San Antonio: the sexy, cowboy-hat wearing McConaughey. Austin: the weird, strung out, hippie-fied McConaughey — and Houston? Houston is the slick, confident, coat-and-tie wearing McConaughey driving a fine, Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring. (Ok, alright. Some Houston...

Most Houstonians know Crime Stoppers as that nonpartisan, nonprofit group who pays rewards for tips that help police solve crimes. Well, last month, the group found itself on the front page of the New York Times. The headline? "Crime-Fighting Group Takes Turn to the Right in Texas." Today, Lisa Gray speaks with one of the two reporters who wrote that story: Keri Blakinger, criminal-justice reporte...

In the early 90's, Houston hip-hop artist DJ Screw developed a sound called "chopped and screwed." It drew from artists he'd appreciated from a decade earlier – like DJ Glove, Ice T's DJ whose appearance on the movie Breakin' inspired him. Screw was not drawn by the rappers in that movie, nor the breakdancers, but, rather, the turntables and what the spinning of albums at different speeds could do...

The pandemic forced many Houstonians to work from home, and it left vacant office buildings in the lurch. It's still anybody's guess as to what comes next in the progression of office work, but in Houston, the numbers have pointed to a gradual return to the office – 55% returning, actually, which is above the national average (compared to other major U.S. cities). Kristopher Larson, president and...

It's Friday, and we're talking news. This week advocates for asylum seekers are calling for an investigation into Houston’s Asylum Office. Some of the reasons are over conducting fear interviews without the asylum seekers lawyers knowledge, and forcing asylum seekers to be interviewed in a language they don't know well. We also talk about an upcoming two year closure of a ramp in the most congeste...