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PODCAST

City Cast Houston

The daily podcast for food, culture, news, and nature in the sweaty Bayou City. Join host Raheel Ramzanali and the City Cast Houston team every weekday morning as we celebrate and interrogate this sprawling place with our favorite journalists, thinkers, leaders, neighbors, and gadflies. Learn more and subscribe to our daily morning newsletter at houston.citycast.fm.

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All Episodes

20:36

Where Houston Gets Caffeinated

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/21

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 that

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19:23

Where the Buffalo Roamed

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/20

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 dedicated

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19:22

Wondering About Solar Panels? We’ve Got Answers.

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/19

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 Hanna

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16:35

Smuggling Banned Books from Houston to Austin

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/18

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 up

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22:49

A Teacher Shortage, Rice University Masks up and...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/15

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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17:52

Houston Galleria: The Largest Mall in Texas, and So...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/14

When the Galleria opened just before Thanksgiving in 1970, it changed how the country viewed shopping malls. It was massive, completely air conditioned, and away from downtown – it was designed to be its own destination spot. Now, over fifty years later, the Galleria isn't just existing, it might still be thriving. Today on City Cast Houston, the team chats about the Galleria and what it has meant to Houston throughout the years. Here's City Cast Houston's Website - sign up for the podcast and the

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11:20

Lina Hidalgo’s First Scandal?

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/13

In 2018 Lina Hidalgo shocked pretty much everyone in the world by winning an upset election to become Harris County's county judge -- basically, the chief executive of a county with a population larger than Louisiana's. She was 27 years old then, an immigrant from Colombia who'd never held public office before. She ran promising to clean up the way that Harris County does business. But this week, a Harris County grand jury indicted three of Hidalgo's aides on charges related to an $11 million

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20:32

Our Era's Version of the Galleria

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/12

It was once the Barbara Jordan Post Office, but Houston’s new downtown spot POST Houston has become a galleria-type oasis, custom made for the modern Houstonian. Complete with a (don’t call it a food court!) “food hall,” its beautiful stairwells offer cavernous spaces for patrons to lounge on blue bean bag chairs while considering the “convivial expression of our capitalistic exuberance.” Houston Chronicle’s opinion editor Raj Mankad (who uttered the aforementioned description of Post) joins City

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20:54

Recording the Night Skies of Houston

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/11

We’re approaching the peak of birds’ spring migration, which means that soon, thousands of birds will pass over your head each night. Scientists know remarkably little about how birds manage these epic journeys. On today’s podcast, Rice University professor Cin-Ty Lee joins City Cast contributor Scott Solomon to describe to Lisa Gray a fascinating project. In 2020, when the pandemic quieted the city, Lee set up a recorder on a Rice soccer field to catch the sound of birds as they flew overhead. He’s

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25:59

The Hidalgo–Ogg War, Cutting Crime, and Sneaking Loquats

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/08

It’s a Friday round up! On this week’s episode, we discuss the ongoing conflict between Kim Ogg and Lina Hidalgo. Also on the agenda: Dan Patrick’s Don’t Say Gay push, the tragic catalytic convertor thefts around town, and a successful study showing surprising, positive data that involves the Houston Police Department. This week’s contributor is Evan Mintz, who joins Lisa Gray and Ferrill Gibbs. Sign up for our newsletter! Lisa Gray crafts it each week day to spotlight everything that's important,

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18:52

The Art Car Parade: Houston’s Strangest Point of...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/07

Art Car Weekend peaks Saturday when the 35th Annual Houston Art Car Parade rolls through downtown. The giant rolling chicken will be there — not to mention lowriders, slabs, the enormous roach, the car with a beaded foam Steve Ray Vaughan on top, and a new “Rising Strong” mechanical phoenix. Today, art-car artist Rebecca Lowe joins Lisa Gray to tell her all about it. Here’s a complete schedule of Art Car Weekend events! City Cast Houston's Website is where you can sign up for the pod *and* the

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14:53

Party Bike With the H-Town Sound

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/06

Boozy groups pedaling party bikes are a fixtures of Washington Ave. and Eado, but Trill on Wheels is different: It’s a Houston hip-hop themed pedal party through historic Third Ward. Its four wheels are bedecked with swangers. Megan Thee Stallion and DJ Screw blast from its speakers. And if the pedaling partygoers aren’t karaoke-rapping to classics from the city’s past, they might be smoking a hookah. Today, owner Johnathan Mark joins City Cast Houston cultural correspondent Antréchelle Dorsey and

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18:34

What Is Bail Reform? And Why Should I Care?

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/05

A lawsuit forced Harris County to release most people accused of misdemeanors while they await trial, rather than keep them in jail. Two years later, that’s working great, says City Cast Houston contributor Evan Mintz (who’s also Arnold Ventures’ communications manager for criminal justice issues). It’s the rare change supported by Crime Stoppers, the county sheriff and the ACLU. And it’s ridiculous to blame it for the rise in violent crime. Sign up for our newsletter! Lisa Gray crafts it each week

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18:37

Making Sense of Ted Cruz

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/04

Is Trump with Ted Cruz or against him these days? Is Tucker Carlson an ally or an enemy now? And one more time: What did Houston’s hometown senator really think of January 6? Keeping track of Cruz is harder than remembering Marvel Cinematic Universe lore — but Ben Wermund, the Houston Chronicle’s Washington correspondent, walks us through his twists and turns. Sign up for the City Cast Houston newsletter! It's a great way to wake up to the news of the city every day. Our number is 713-489-6972. Text

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16:26

MFAH Goes to Court, Texas Is Stressed, Glorious Spring

City Cast Houston ·

2022/04/01

On today’s episode of City Cast Houston, it’s a Friday news round up! Todays topics include whether there’s much of a case to be made against aides of Lina Hidalgo for illegally steering a contract (Texas Monthly says it’s pretty flimsy), and if there’s a case to be made against the Museum of Fine Arts Houston for a piece that once was sold to a Nazi art collector. Also, with booster shots now available for Houstonians over 50 this week, will there be citywide motivation to get them with COVID

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19:41

Ramadan in Houston: Reflection, Spiritual Growth and...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/03/31

Ramadan begins this weekend in Houston, and it means a time of fasting, prayer and self-reflection for Houston's Muslim Community. When it concludes 29 days later, it will bring about a time of celebration, friends, family and the great tradition of food and community. In this episode, Dina Kesbeh, City Cast Houston's lead producer, is among the devout who will observe Ramadan this month. She shares her fond Houston memories of the observance with host Lisa Gray and producer Ferrill Gibbs, and

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15:26

We don’t think of Houston as a nature hotspot. But it...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/03/30

We think of Houston as a city of skyscrapers, sprawl and freeways — but it's also a surprisingly natural place. Today we’re talking with City Cast Houston's environmental contributor, Jaime Gonzales about Houston's designation as a "hotspot city" for biodiversity. Here's where to find the iNaturalist app. Here's where to find the SEEK app. Have a thought or an idea you'd like to share with us? Call and leave us a voicemail or text us at 713-489-6972. We love hearing from y'all! We're also Tweeting

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17:23

What Texas Can Learn From Illinois about Cannabis

City Cast Houston ·

2022/03/29

Recreational weed has been available in Illinois since 2020. Meanwhile, in Texas, Beto O'Rourke will be stomping for weed legalization while he makes his case for Governor. On the other side of the aisle, the Republican contingent is still resistant to the idea, even though there's evidence that they, too, might be softening. City Cast Houston’s Lisa Gray and City Cast Chicago’s Jacoby Cochran talk about the status of legal weed in both states, as Jacoby offers his tips on what Texas should watch

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14:26

More Oil? Less Oil? Where Does Houston Go From Here?

City Cast Houston ·

2022/03/28

What should Houston do? The sanctions against Russia sent the world scrambling to make up for hundreds of thousands of lost barrels, which could force Houston's energy sector to consider the pursuit of even more oil and gas development – at least in the short run. Business writer Loren Steffy stops by the show to give his thoughts on why Houston should develop more fossil fuels in the here-and-now, while continuing to be a "city of big ideas" in the pursuit of green energy. Sign up for our

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15:41

39 Wildfires, One Space Station, and Four Houstonians...

City Cast Houston ·

2022/03/25

First-time guest and journalist Claudia Kolker joins City Cast Host Lisa Gray and Lead Producer Dina Kesbeh to talk about the news of the week, from Russia’s uncertain future with the International Space Station to the refugee crisis and the Texas wildfires. We also had to mention some Houstonians doing cool things right now, like Douglas Mills, who wowed the judges with his audition on American Idol this week, and Brené Brown, whose HBO Max show based on her latest book, “Atlas of the Heart,” will

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