On today’s Hello Houston, New York Times Texas bureau chief David Goodman breaks down the state’s governor's race, the U.S. Senate race, and the controversy over the thousands of voter registration applications that went unprocessed due to an error at the Texas DPS.

Then, in this week’s Producer Spotlight, Hello Houston producer Laura Walker talks with the founder and owner of Houston's Upstream Fitness and its coaches to find out how they’re using fitness to empower its participants.

In the second hour, Harel Shapira, a sociologist at the University of Texas, discusses his new book, Basic Pistol: Living and Dying by the Gun in America, which looks at how gun owners are taught to think about risk and safety and the role a “good guy with a gun” should play in our society.

And finally, Adam Fetterman, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston, talks about a new study that examines how the proximity of food can influence our everyday eating habits.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including gas prices becoming a major talking point ahead of the midterms, Harris County election officials processing more than 75,000 additional voter registrations after a DPS error, the Paxton-Talarico contest possibly breaking a record for campaign spending in a U.S. Senate election, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with Andrew Rothman, the Wildlife Campaigns Director for Environment America, who discusses the Trump administration’s major changes to the Endangered Species Act and how these changes could impact us in the state of Texas.

Then, we hear from the winner of the 2026 Houston Blues Challenge, Sara Van Buskirk, who sits down with Hello Houston executive producer Jim Kovacik for this week’s Five Simple Questions, where she shares the experiences and influences behind her music.

In the second hour, we learn about the University of Houston’s Institute for Housing, Homelessness, and Health, with its founding director Ben King, who explains how it brings together researchers, experts, and community groups to better understand the causes of homelessness and find solutions for long-term housing stability.

And finally, we close the show with a special performance by singer, songwriter, and Houston Blues Challenge winner Sara Van Buskirk, featuring music from her upcoming self-titled album and her debut album.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including former Houston Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse's passing, which they discuss with Dr. Catherine Troisi, Harris County receiving a one-year extension to use federal funds for post-Hurricane Harvey flood bond projects, and New York prosecutors reopening an investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University.

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss Prairie View A&M’s 150th anniversary with the university’s president, Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, who also tells us about its remarkable journey becoming a nationally recognized HBCU, what its legacy means today, and what's ahead in its future.

Then, in this week’s On the Marquee, Ernie talks with Kevin Earley, who’s playing Captain Georg Von Trapp in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, which is running at the Hobby Center through Sunday, October 4.

In the second hour of the show, we turn to the economy and talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs, who helps us understand what record-high diesel prices could mean for consumers, truckers, farmers, and supply chains.

Plus, we talk with six-time Grammy-winning musician, producer, and composer Don Was, who tells us about his new album, the Detroit sound that inspired it, and what audiences can expect when he hits the stage at his upcoming show in Houston tomorrow night.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the Austin man shot by ICE earlier this month getting charged with assaulting and resisting a federal officer, Sen. Ted Cruz’s college sports bill passing in the Senate, Ken Paxton saying President Trump's convention hurt his polling numbers, and more.

On today’s Hello Houston, writer-director Bassam Tariq, who grew up in the Houston area, joins us to discuss his new film, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, what inspired it, and its connection to Houston, with the film being set in the Bayou City.

Then, we talk with Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison, who helps us make sense of an unusually busy week in space exploration, from Starship's latest milestone to NASA's plans for Boeing's Starliner, for this week’s HPM in Focus.

In the second hour, we turn to a personal conversation and speak with Kay Matthews, founder of The Shades of Blue Project, and Houstonian Morgan McCord, who both talk about infant loss, the grief that follows, and how families can find the support they need to move forward.

And finally, our hosts and listeners share the latest things that have been taking over all their free time as part of our regular Thursday feature, Current Obsessions. Share your Current Obsessions with us anytime by emailing us at talk@hellohouston.org.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Mayor Whitmire’s financial integrity advisor defending his value amid scrutiny over his pay, Cornell University not sharing the victim report from an alleged 2024 gang rape, and the Governor of Tennessee calling off the execution of Christa Pike.

On today’s Hello Houston, we're LIVE at the 60th Original Greek Festival on the grounds of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral to explore what keeps this decades-long tradition thriving with festival leader Dana Kantalis.

Also, we hear the newest edition of Tessa’s regular feature, Tessa Takes On, in which she sits down with author and podcaster Princella Clark for a conversation about relationships, feminism, and personal growth that has sparked a devoted following and plenty of debate.

In the second hour, we turn to the spiritual side of Greek culture and talk with Fr. Efstratios Magoulias, who talks to us about the remarkable iconography inside the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral and how it tells the Christian story through images rather than words. To learn more about the Cathedral's iconography, click here.

Plus, we wrap up the week with our regular Friday feature, Last Minute Plans, in which our hosts share a comprehensive rundown of events going down in the Houston area this weekend, while they, and Hello Houston listeners, share their own plans for the weekend.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including the City of Houston “not taking any action” on an application for the DOJ’s model cities imitative, the METRO board approving a $1.7 billion budget for 2027, and the family of Renee Good filing a lawsuit against the federal government over her death.

On today’s Hello Houston, Houston Public Media reporter Bianca Seward joins us to discuss her story on Barbers Hill ISD and the controversy surrounding their superintendent’s unconventional strategy to grow the district’s finances.

Then, we hear this week’s Producer Spotlight, in which Hello Houston producer Laura Walker talks with Asia Society Texas curator Owen Duffy about Yoshitaka Amano: Big Bang, a new exhibition that highlights the celebrated animator’s work.

In the second hour of the show, we’re joined by Houston City Councilmember Tiffany Thomas, who tells us all about the upcoming third annual Faith and Affordable Housing Summit that she’s hosting, and how Houston is turning faith into action.

And finally, University of Houston political science professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus explores the history of the State Fair of Texas and its origins in the Houston area in the latest episode of his recurring feature, Texperts.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including President Trump heading to San Antonio to rally for Ken Paxton, Harris County Commissioner Leslie Briones spending more than $220,000 on billboards, and more. Plus, Tessa talks with former Hells Angels enforcer Joby Walters about his book Cut Free: A Hells Angel’s Ride to Redemption.

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Joshua McGinty, a professor and agronomist at Texas A&M University, who discusses this year’s widespread drought and what it could mean for Texas farmers, food production, and the growing season ahead.

Then, in this week’s Five Simple Questions, Hello Houston Executive Producer Jim Kovacik sits down with Andrew Youngblood, founder of The Secret Group, for a conversation about work, life, and the experiences that have shaped him.

In the second hour, we turn to health and talk with Dr. Gary Seale, Regional Director of the Centre for Neuro Skills, who talks to us about concussions, the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries, and the misconceptions that still surround these kinds of injuries.

And finally, Angle Bush, a Houstonian and the founder and CEO of Black Women in Artificial Intelligence, discusses being named to the TIME100 AI list, why diversity in artificial intelligence matters, and how she’s helping shape the next generation of AI innovators.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Michael Adkison discuss today’s top stories, including Mayor Whitmire withdrawing Houston's application for the DOJ's "Model Cities Initiative,” a federal appeals court deciding if a Texas law restricting protests on college campuses is constitutional, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth creating an Office of Religious Affairs.

Plus, at the top of the show, we talk with Kimberly Smith, Regional Clinical Manager with The Forensic Center of Excellence, and trauma therapist Chau Nguyen, who both share their thoughts on the latest on the alleged gang rape at Cornell University and the psychological tolls of sexual assault.

On today’s Hello Houston, with a federal judge ordering Texas to air condition all its prisons by the end of 2029, we talk with Amite Dominick, the founder and president of Texas Prisons Community Advocates, who’s also one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to this ruling.

Next, Ernie talks with musician and composer Nathan Felix for this week’s edition of On the Marquee, who discusses his new immersive opera La Gran Esperanza, which will be performed at the Blaffer Art Museum on Saturday, October 10.

In the second hour, we turn to music and hear an excerpt from the latest installment of Ernie’s InnerVIEWS series, in which he chats with Swedish singer Martin Rolinski of the international best-selling group BWO to reflect on his career and a variety of different topics.

Plus, author Louise Barnett talks to us about her new book Tainted Love: A Bipolar Memoir, which shares her personal journey navigating the challenges of Bipolar One disorder and how she began to understand what recovery really looks like.

And, as always, our hosts Tessa Barrera and Ernie Manouse talk about today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including protests being planned at President Trump’s rally at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Houston ISD losing roughly 9,000 students, and new Galveston signs raising concerns for pedestrians and bikers.