The Commuter Cut is a special 40-minute version of Houston Public Media's Hello Houston show, designed for busy commuters traveling home. This radio program brings you local news, interviews, and civic discussions that matter to our region. Recent episodes feature conversations with local leaders like Pearland's mayor-elect discussing city priorities, and energy experts explaining how Texas's changing renewable energy landscape affects our communities. The show connects you to what's happening in Houston and surrounding areas while you're stuck in traffic. Houston Public Media creates this content to keep residents informed about local government, policy changes, and community issues. The program helps you understand how decisions made at city hall, the state capitol, and in local communities impact your daily life. You learn about everything from municipal elections in nearby Pearland to statewide energy policies that affect your electricity bills. The Commuter Cut makes civic engagement accessible during your daily routine. You can listen live on Houston Public Media's radio stations or find episodes as podcasts online. Visit HoustonPublicMedia.org to access past episodes, subscribe to their podcast feed, or learn about their full programming schedule. This local news resource helps you stay connected to your community even during your busiest days.

To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code: In today's edition of "The Commuter Cut," Ernie Manouse and guest host Brandi Smith talk with Quentin Wiltz, the mayor-elect of the City of Pearland, who discusses his priorities and what residents can expect from him as he comes into office after a narrow victory. Next, we discuss what renewable energy means for Texans with Andy Uhler, a University of Texas energy reporter and host of the podcast Phases and Stages: The Texas Energy Story, who also tells us more about how his podcast explores how communities are navigating the state’s changing energy system.