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 more Houston news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here We’re also on Twitter...
May 25, 2022•13 min
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 Houston nicknames, including the 'Magnolia City' Have an idea you want to share or thoughts? Give us a ...
May 24, 2022•15 min
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 economic puzzles. Want to see what else Christopher can teach you? check out his TikTok page! Give us a ...
May 23, 2022•15 min
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 Shores , from the Epidemic Sound library....
May 21, 2022•16 min
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 the shaky electric grid. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the Harvey aid, written by today's gue...
May 20, 2022•20 min
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 and other schools have their own accents. What's your take on Texas accents? Give us a call/text at ...
May 19, 2022•21 min
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 City of Houston's sewage performance. Today, Kristen talks with Lisa about what is being done to he...
May 18, 2022•15 min
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 Ronen to writer John Nova Lomax and artist/connector Sarah Gish , plus love for independent booksto...
May 17, 2022•18 min
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 concerned about its closing? Loren Steffy , a longtime energy reporter, joins Ferrill Gibbs to brea...
May 16, 2022•13 min
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 producer Dina Kesbeh , producer Ferrill Gibbs , and guest Shiyam Galyon as they break it all down. We ...
May 13, 2022•24 min
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 and movie theaters. Here are some of our faves: Free concerts at Discovery Green Indoor skydiving M...
May 12, 2022•19 min
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 recruited Houston realtor Robert Searcy for the pod today, to pick his brain about good house-buyin...
May 11, 2022•19 min
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 architecture at both Rice and the University of Houston. And as a long-time Houstonian, he's though a...
May 10, 2022•16 min
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 issues, tensions with the state, and how things are different in the unincorporated parts of the county...
May 09, 2022•17 min
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 from the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, what can Texas expect to happen when Roe V. Wade is ov...
May 06, 2022•20 min
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 Houstonian probably made that meme.) The point is, every Texan believes their city to be the best Texas cit...
May 05, 2022•20 min
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 reporter for the Marshall Project. Two things about Keri! First, she recently started a Tik Tok page, and...
May 04, 2022•18 min
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 to a song. So, when the mid-90's hit, Screw did something incredible: he created quite possibly th...
May 03, 2022•21 min
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 CEO of the downtown management district Central Houston, Inc., breaks it all down for Lisa, and conv...
May 02, 2022•15 min
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 congested part of town and more news from around Houston. Here are the links to the Banh Mi mentioned in the...
Apr 29, 2022•22 min
People who are not Houstonians have no clue how full this city is of incredible sights to see, foods to taste, and cultures to experience. So! With so many choices, what's a great place you'd take an out-of-town guest if you had just one shot to show them the very best of Houston?Today, the City Cast Houston team offers up a variety of different spots, from Goode Company Barbecue to Kemah Boardwalk to Minute Maid Park – and that's just to name a few. Here's some others mentioned! The Natural Mus...
Apr 28, 2022•17 min
This weekend, hundreds of Houstonians will play along with the city nature challenge. They’ll take photos of the wild things around them, upload them using a free app and experts will help identify exactly what bird, bug or animal or plant that they are looking at. Today we talk with conservationists and nature writer, Suzanne Simpson, who is one of this year's organizers. Want more Houston news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here . We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @Cit...
Apr 27, 2022•12 min
Gaby Diaz is a teacher at Bellaire High School who recently penned an op/ed for the Houston Chronicle called, "Texas Teachers Don't Need A Task Force. We Need a New Governor." For Diaz, the past two years have been the most challenging of her 16 year career, as she and her colleagues have had to reinvent education on the fly. Adding to the difficulties caused by COVID, she and her peers have also become targets for politicians trying to score points in the Texas political game. You can check out...
Apr 26, 2022•15 min
With hurricane season just over a month away - a season forecast to be 130% more active than last year - the debate resumes over the "Ike Dike," a barrier along Galveston Bay to minimize death and destruction in the event of a 100 year storm. Evan Mintz, City Cast politics and policy contributor, believes that the Ike Dike should be the #1 concern for every Texas politician. A severe impact in the Houston ship channel could create an economic crisis for the entire country, and could devastate Ho...
Apr 25, 2022•20 min
It's Friday! And on Fridays, Lisa Gray recaps the week in Houston news, like when Lizzo appeared on SNL. She dropped the name of a Houston street last weekend when she hosted *and* performed on Saturday Night Live. Also, Simone Biles dropped a new active wear line, and Texas teachers are leaving the trade in droves, overburdened and under-salaried and worn thin from Covid. Finally, the Steven Hotze drama led to a grand jury indictment this week. Our guest this week is film maker Rafa Farihah . C...
Apr 22, 2022•14 min
It's Thursday, and this week the team chats about the best coffee in Houston: from Minuti Coffee to Koffeteria to 85°C Bakery Café. (Not to mention the places with the best whole beans for sale.) Since Houston is a caffeine town with no shortage of places to sip and enjoy the show, host Lisa Gray, lead producer Dina Kesbeh, and producer Ferrill Gibbs kick around what makes a great Houston coffee spot a great Houston coffee spot… What spots did we miss? What's the absolute best coffee in Houston ...
Apr 21, 2022•21 min
Did you ever wonder what Houston was like, before there were freeways and concrete? What was the land like before the Allen brothers founded this city? Before there was a Buffalo Speedway, did we have buffalo? Today we talk to City Cast contributor Jaime Gonzalez and Dan Worrall, author of A Prehistory of Houston and Southeast Texas: Landscape and Culture. We're talking about Houston... before it was Houston. On Thursday, April 21, at 10:30 a.m. Dan will oversee three illustrated panels dedicate...
Apr 20, 2022•19 min
Should you get solar panels? Wouldn’t Houston be the perfect place for them to soak up so much glorious sunshine and save you money while reducing strain on the power grid? City Cast Houston host Lisa Gray recently installed solar panels on her roof, and she's a big fan. Today, she speaks with Hanna Mitchell, the Texas program director for Solar United Neighbors which is a nonprofit group designed to educate Houstonians interested in solar. If you want to get more information about solar from Ha...
Apr 19, 2022•19 min
On April 29, to protest the latest wave of banned books, caravans from Houston and San Antonio will converge on Austin carrying books to launch underground libraries. The Librotraficantes, they call themselves: "Book smugglers." Tony Diaz, head of the organization, speaks with Lisa Gray on today's episode and swears that if "they ban our history, we're going to make more." Check out Tony's Website , and get all the information you need on the Librotraficantes! City Cast Houston's Website - sign ...
Apr 18, 2022•17 min
Today, we look back at the week in news. Host Lisa Gray, Lead Producer Dina Kesbeh and La Opinion reporter Gustavo Rangel dive into the COVID-19 outbreak at Rice University that led to the administration reinstating a mask mandate for all students. They also talk about moments in Houston that brought them joy, and so much more. Never miss a beat, subscribe to our morning newsletter here . We're also on Twitter, so be sure to hit the follow button here ....
Apr 15, 2022•23 min
