Hello Houston: The Commuter Cut

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Houston Public Media reporter Michael Adkison tells us more about the Artemis II mission and the crew entering quarantine in preparation for a possible February launch to the moon.Then, we hear from Khori Dastoor, the General Director and CEO of Houston Grand Opera, who discusses the much-anticipated HGO production of Hansel and Gretel, and what audiences can expect.Plus, we also hear Ernie, Frank, and Celeste talk with Texas State Representative James Talarico, who discusses his run for Senate, as well as the issues he faces, his relationship with his challenger, U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett, and the future of Texas.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we discuss a new study from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research about Houston’s Asian American population, with the institute’s Dan Potter and Katherine Yang Bao, who break down the study’s findings.Then, we hear from actor Zachary Keller, who talks about playing the character Jacob Jankowski in the hit Broadway musical Water for Elephants, currently running at the Hobby Center through Sunday.Also, we’re joined by Cindy Peña, assistant curator of Latin American and Latino Art at MFAH and Arden Decker, associate director of the International Center for Art of the Americas, who discuss the museum's new exhibition, Frida: The Making of an Icon, which explores how Frida Kahlo became one of the world’s most influential artists.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," we discuss the latest issues impacting the Federal Reserve with John Diamond, senior fellow in public finance at Rice University's Baker Institute, who also helps us understand what's at stake for the Fed and the markets.Then, we hear from Jim Kovach, who’s running for re-election as judge for Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2. He tells Ernie, Frank, and Celeste about his platform, what makes him qualified to continue serving as judge, his endorsements, and more.Plus, we also talk with Karen Kennard, assistant executive director of The Children’s Assessment Center, about how we can protect children from falling victim to human trafficking, as well as the signs to be aware of to prevent this crime.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we discuss how you can protect your pipes from the freezing weather with Joe Bany, director of operations at John Moore Services, who also takes questions from Hello Houston listeners.Then, Andrea Leinfelder, the space reporter for the Houston Chronicle, joins us to tell us about Congress approving a $24.4 billion budget for NASA, what impact this could have on the agency's future, and what we know about the upcoming Artemis II mission.Plus, we also learn about the closure of an oyster harvesting area in Matagorda Bay, from Kelley Kowal, the regional director of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division, who also explains what factors hinder oyster habitats.