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667 episodes
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City Cast Houston City Cast
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4.6 • 187 Ratings
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Food, culture, news and nature in the sweaty Bayou City. Join Host Raheel Ramzanali and the City Cast Houston team 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, Hey Houston, at houston.citycast.fm.
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Kamala Harris in Houston, FBI Bust and Who’ll Replace Sheila Jackson Lee
Another week is in the books, so that means it’s time to recap the local news stories you need to know. City Cast Houston producer Carlignon Jones is filling in for Raheel Ramzanali this week and is joined by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Evan Mintz to discuss a massive bust on bail bond fraud, why COVID is on the rise, the growing list of politicians vying for Shelia Jackson Lee’s spot, and much more!
Dive deeper into the stories we talked about in this episode:
Houston candidates pitching themselves to replace the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on November ballot
‘Colossal’: 50 in custody following two-year long bail bond fraud investigation in Harris County
Exclusive: Former Police Chief Troy Finner alleges he was pushed out to bury HPD scandal
COVID is on the rise again
Felix Fraga, former Houston City Council member and longtime activist, dies at 94
Here's what VP Kamala Harris did once she landed in Houston
Watch Live: Kamala Harris addresses teachers union in Houston
40,000 Black women rally behind Kamala Harris' campaign, raising $1.5 million in 3 hours
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 26th episode here:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Downtown Houston+
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Houstonians To Watch at the Olympics in Paris
The opening ceremonies for the Olympics go down tomorrow and Houston is going to reppin’ big time with so many athletes and coaches competing for Team USA and other countries. So, to learn more about our local Olympians, host Raheel Ramzanali is talking to Danielle Lerner, sports enterprise reporter at the Houston Chronicle, about Houstonians competing in Paris, just how much it costs to be an Olympian, and under-the-radar events to check out at the games.
Learn more about the Paris Olympics with the links below:
Read all of Danielle’s Olympic coverage from Paris here.
Every Houstonian competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics
How much does it cost to be an Olympian? Most of Team USA earns less than you think
In with the new: What are the new sports and events at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 25th episode here:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
Follow us on Instagram @CityCastHouston
Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
And the Official Food of H-Town Is…
It’s been a long month in Houston since Hurricane Beryl hit. And one of the best ways to recover is with your favorite comfort food. Luckily, here in H-town we have so many options, from Tex-Mex to Viet Cajun! So today, host Raheel Raheel Ramzanali is revisiting this conversation with Abbas Dhanani, owner of Burger Bodega and the guy behind @HoustonEatz, where they try to pick the official food of Houston.
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 24th episode here:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Check out Burger Bodega . And get more food tips from Abbas Dhanani on Instagram.
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Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston. Follow us on Instagram. Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know! or leave us a voicemail/text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts, we love hearing from you!
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Texas Reacts to Biden, Sheila Jackson Lee’s Legacy, and Toll Road Rodeo
President Biden dropping out of the presidential race has caused major ripples in the political world, but how will it impact Houston? Plus, we remember Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and all the work she did for Houston. And, you won’t believe why traffic on the Hardy Toll Road came to a stop over the weekend. Host Raheel Ramzanali is joined by Joy Sewing, Houston Chronicle columnist, and Jim Kovacik, executive producer at Houston Public Media, to recap those stories and more to start the week.
Here’s more about the stories from today’s episode:
No one loved Houston more than Sheila Jackson Lee
Houston sees multi-day flood risk this week. Here's how much rain you can expect
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a champion of civil rights and progressive causes, dies
From high praise to calls for resignation, Texas officials react to Biden decision
Joe Biden drops out of the presidential race. Democrats could see an election bump in Texas.
"Win With Black Women" group raises $1 million for Harris' election campaign
Lawsuit claims to show CenterPoint has one of country's least reliable power grids
Hurricane Beryl debris pick up could take six to eight weeks for some Houston neighborhoods
Cow spotted on the 'moo-ve' across the Hardy Toll Road in north Harris County
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 23rd episode here:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
Follow us on Instagram @CityCastHouston
Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let’s Talk!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Are Houstonians Ready to Break Up With the City?
The last two weeks since Hurricane Beryl have been physically and emotionally draining. So much that a lot of Houstonians are questioning their relationship to the city. Host Raheel Ramzanali is talking with Houston’s Poet Laureate Aris Kian about the emotional aftermath of Beryl, and also hearing from listeners about their frustrations.
Read Aris’ poem “Tired of #HoustonStrong.” And check out more of her work here.
And if you want to donate to a group working on Beryl recovery efforts, consider West Street Recovery.
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 22nd episode here:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston.
Follow us on Instagram @CityCastHouston
Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let’s Talk!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Houstonians Want To Move, CenterPoint’s Resiliency Plan, and Michelin Stars
It’s Friday so host Raheel Ramzanali recapping all of the big news from the week. Monique Welch, Houston Landing’s diverse communities reporter, and Marco Torres, Houston Chronicle taco columnist, are joining him to talk about CenterPoint’s new resiliency plan (and who will pay for it!), a new survey about some Houstonians wanting to leave the city, the Michelin Guide finally coming to H-town, and so much more!
Dive deeper into the stories we talked about today:
CenterPoint being held accountable? A look at Gov. Abbott’s demands from the energy company
3 in 10 Houstonians surveyed by UH is considering leaving due in part to severe weather
Tony Buzbee’s class-action lawsuit against CenterPoint now includes more than 100 restaurants
Public Utility Commission of Texas launches investigation into CenterPoint Energy after Hurricane Beryl
CenterPoint is working on a $2 billion resiliency plan. Here’s what it means for Houston
'Houston’s frustrated': City Council says residents are tired of being 'Houston Strong' after Beryl
Hurricane Beryl death toll: 22 killed in Houston-area by fallen trees, flooding, fire
Texas had the most power outages in the country in last 5 years, new report finds
As Beryl left millions in the dark, a network of moms stepped in to help feed Houston babies
It’s official! Houston breakdancer Jeffrey Louis qualifies for Paris Olympics
The Lion King Comes to Houston
Latin Restaurant Weeks
Mamajuana Cafe
City Cast Houston’s episode on why Houston didn’t have the Michelin Guide ratings
What Restaurants Should Make The Michelin Guide?
Michelin Guide restaurant reviews coming to Houston, other Texas cities
Artisans Restaurant
Learn more about the sponsors of this July 19th episode here:
Incogni - Use code CityCast for 55% off the annual plan.
Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston
Follow us on Instagram @CityCastHouston
Don’t have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts!
Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let’s Talk!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Refreshing
Good solid work from these folks! It’s refreshing to listen to news & current events delivered from reporters who don’t hide their opinions.
I don’t always agree with them but I appreciate the openness.
Spammy Feed
About a month ago City Cast started including a second ‘you might also like’ episode of a different podcast in the daily feed. To me, this is equal to email spam. I’m okay with ads in episodes of free podcasts because I chose to subscribe but to include a second unwanted podcast in the feed is annoying. Sometimes the second podcast is in the feed twice in a day… will come through in the morning with the City Cast podcast episode and again in the afternoon. A shame.
Need better investigating
1. HPD is understaffed… academy would take 5+years to fill retirement voids alone and $$$$ - they are obscuring the dilemma- Houston is >2500 officers below FBI estimates for this sized city.
2. The “real” story was not reported for MHH transplant. This was a hatchet job not a surgeons manipulation of records.