Episodes

  • Before Cowboy Carter: How Black Cowboys Shaped the Rodeo

    Before Cowboy Carter: How Black Cowboys Shaped the Rodeo
    Feb 24 2025
    It’s Rodeo Week on City Cast Houston! We’re kicking things off with a look at Black cowboy culture and its impact on today’s rodeo. Host Raheel Ramzanali talks with Dr. Alicia Odewale, a University of Houston professor, about how Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album spotlights Black cowboy culture, and how we can celebrate it all year long! Plus, don’t miss our special Rodeo Week playlist on Spotify, inspired by this conversation and others all week long. Listen and add your favorite rodeo songs here. Dive deeper with these resources recommended by Dr. Odewale: Black Cowboys in the American West: On the Range, on the Stage, behind the Badge The Black West: A Documentary and Pictorial History of the African American Role in the Westward Expansion of the United States Black Cowboys of the Old West: True, Sensational, And Little-Known Stories From History African American Women of the Old West The Black Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame in Rosenberg, TX Black Heritage Day at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Learn more about the sponsors of this February 24th episode here: Inprint Wild West Brewfest Destination Bryan Sam Houston Race Park 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
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    29 mins
  • Greedy Houston Texans, Water Plant Crumbling, & Federal Cuts Impact Refugees

    Greedy Houston Texans, Water Plant Crumbling, & Federal Cuts Impact Refugees
    Feb 21 2025
    It’s Friday so we’re recapping the week that was in H-Town! Host Raheel Ramzanali is joined by executive producer Laura Isensee to talk about why the Houston Texans are catching so much backlash from fans regarding a new stadium. Plus, how much is it going to cost to build a new water treatment plant that Houston desperately needs? Oh, and our moments of joy! Stories we talked about on today’s episode: Exclusive: Houston Texans may seek public money to build new football stadium Houstonians react to news of potential new Texans stadium: 'Win a Super Bowl and we'll think about it' 'The longer it takes the more risk there is' | Houston Public Works highlights urgent need for funding replacement of aging infrastructure This program helped Afghan women learn to drive. Then Trump cut refugee resettlement. Houston’s newly arrived Afghan refugees face eviction, uncertainty after Trump cuts support What's the 'Most Houston' Thing Ever? Learn more about the sponsors of this February 21st episode here: Downtown Houston+ Inprint 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! Photo: Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • The Great Debate: Living in Houston or The Suburbs?

    The Great Debate: Living in Houston or The Suburbs?
    Feb 20 2025
    Texas is on track to become the most populous state in the nation by 2045 and that means a lot of people will be moving to H-Town! So, the City Cast Houston team is debating on where are the best places to live in Houston. Host Raheel Ramzanali is reppin’ the burbs, producer Carlignon Jones is making a case for hidden gems outside the Loop, but inside the Beltway, and Hey Houston newsletter editor Brooke Lewis is standing up for the Inner Loopers! To make things even more fun, we’ve brought on a special guest, Rozmin Virani, who’s fairly new to Houston and deciding where to live. She’ll pick today’s winner, so stay tuned until the end! This episode originally aired on August 22, 2024 Learn more about the sponsors of this February 20th episode here: Inprint 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
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    36 mins
  • Houston’s Best Cajun Food for Mardi Gras

    Houston’s Best Cajun Food for Mardi Gras
    Feb 19 2025
    Mardi Gras season is officially here, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy some gumbo, crawfish and other Cajun favorutes. But with so many great options in Houston, choosing the best can be tough. So, host Raheel Ramzanali is bringing on Eric Sandler, lifelong foodie and editor of CultureMap, to get his top picks for Cajun food in Houston and help us celebrate Mardi Gras. Learn more about the recommendations here: Viola & Agnes’ Neo Soul Café BBs Tex-Orleans Restaurant Crawfish & Noodles Crawfish Café Treebeards Winnie’s Perseid Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition CultureMap TasteMaker Awards Learn more about the sponsors of this February 19th episode here: Inprint 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
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    19 mins
  • Why This Republican Wants More Money for Public Schools

    Why This Republican Wants More Money for Public Schools
    Feb 18 2025
    70% of school districts in Texas are operating at a deficit, and now with state lawmakers pushing a program for private school vouchers, will public education have enough money to survive? Host Raheel Ramzanali is talking to Dan Huberty, former chairman of the Texas House Public Education Committee (R-Humble) and now CEO of the education consulting firm Moak Casey, about why he still believes in public schools — and how they might actually get more funding from the Texas Legislature. Dive deeper into Texas school funding: Take it from conservative former lawmakers: Texas schools need more money | Opinion Learn How Texas Funds Public Schools In 7 Easy Steps School choice, vouchers and the future of Texas education Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode here: Visit Amarillo Inprint 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
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    34 mins
  • Violent Crimes Report, Balancing the City Budget, and Loving Houston

    Violent Crimes Report, Balancing the City Budget, and Loving Houston
    Feb 14 2025
    It’s Friday so we’re talking about the big news this week in Houston! Host Raheel Ramzanali is joined by conservative commentator Charles Blain of Urban Reform Institute and education advocate and attorney Monica Flores Richart. They discuss why Houston’s budget deficit has ballooned and how Mayor Whitmire thinks he can cut costs. Plus, why students are protesting for more security at the University of Houston, and since it’s Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing why we LOVE H-town! Stories we talked about on today’s show: UH students demand increased security after string of campus violence Houston weather expert says cuts to NOAA could be ‘catastrophic’ Mayor Whitmire unveils study on waste as Houston faces daunting budget deficit Houston residents face higher violent, property crime rates than other major cities, study finds Houston Restaurants Continue to Be the Victims of Break-Ins A shorter summer vacation? These Houston schools tried it — and not everyone got on board. HISD's final proposed 2025-26 calendar would not give students day off for Muslim holiday of Eid Harris County faces $130 million shortfall for subdivision flood control projects Mo Season 2 is an emotional homecoming Learn more about the sponsors of this February 14th episode here: Visit Amarillo Downtown Houston+ Inprint The Village School 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
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    38 mins
  • The Perfect Houston Date for $25? Challenge Accepted.

    The Perfect Houston Date for $25? Challenge Accepted.
    Feb 13 2025
    From fancy restaurants to big shows, there’s plenty of easy ways to empty your wallet on a date in Houston. So, how do you have the perfect date in H-town without breaking the bank? The City Cast team, including host Raheel Ramzanali, newsletter editor Brooke Lewis, and executive producer Laura Isensee, accepted the challenge to plan a romantic outing under $25. And they have a special guest judge, dynamic media personality Antre’chelle Nova, to pick the winner! Places we talked about on today’s show: Project Row Houses Kindred Stories Rado Market Spec’s: Wines, Spirits, Finer Foods McGovern Centennial Gardens Free Fitness Classes at Discovery Green Jazzy Sundays in the Park Reza’s Persian Grill El Bolillo Follow Antre’chelle Nova on Instagram Learn more about the sponsors of this February 13th episode here: Visit Amarillo Downtown Houston+ Inprint St. Thomas High School 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
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    26 mins