In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host Katharine Shilcutt talk with Gina Plata-Nino, the SNAP Director at the Food Research and Action Center, who discusses a new report that examines how changes to SNAP policies are impacting recipients.

Next, we learn about the Bayou Bend exhibition “George Washington: America’s Enduring Icon,” with Daniel Kurt Ackermann, the Director of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, who also discusses how Americans view the nation’s first president today.

Also, we hear from Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, the chefs behind the Houston-area restaurant JŪN, who both share the story of how they went from being ambitious newcomers to the top of Texas' culinary world, having also recently earned one of the restaurant industry's highest honors, the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie and guest host HPM reporter Michael Adkison talk again with Chris Canetti, President of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Houston Host Committee, who discusses how Houston fared as a host city for this massive event.

Then, we hear from best-selling author Christina Diaz Gonzalez, who talks about her new middle-grade graphic novel, Offside, which follows five very different students on a middle school soccer team that becomes co-ed.

Also, Julianna Washburn, the Galveston County reporter at Houston Public Media, discusses Galveston County’s new approved precinct map, which some residents have criticized for not fairly representing minority communities, what comes next, and other recent Galveston stories she’s been covering.

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” Ernie and guest host Katharine Shilcutt talk with Timothy Malcolm, the Deputy Managing Editor of Texas Lifestyle at Chron, who tells us about their new list ranking the 250 most influential Texans since 1776 and how this list was put together.

Next, Houston Public Media reporters Dominic Anthony Walsh and Sarah Grunau unpack the latest episode of the new podcast series After the Flood, which examines the Texas Hill Country’s history with flooding and why it’s so susceptible to massive floods.

And finally, we hear from director Katie Camosy, who discusses her new documentary Gaslit, which follows actress and activist Jane Fonda as she travels through Texas and Louisiana to talk with people impacted by the country’s fossil fuel expansion.