On today’s Hello Houston, we begin the show by talking with legendary Houston broadcaster Shara Fryer, who discusses her colleague and co-anchor from 1986 to 2003, Dave Ward, following his passing at the age of 86 on Saturday.

Also, Ed Hirs, Energy Fellow at the University of Houston, breaks down the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers by the Trump administration, and Ernie talks with Kelli Soika and Michael Fahey of the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra (ECHO), who discuss what they have in store ahead of the New Year.

In the second hour of the show, we are joined by longtime ABC13 anchor Melanie Lawson, who, after recently announcing her retirement, reflects on her more than four decades at the station, the stories that shaped Houston, and what comes next as she enters this new chapter of her life.

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss the top stories of the day, including Alejandra Salinas winning the runoff election to fill a vacant at-large seat on the Houston City Council, Houston Mayor John Whitmire being reprimanded by the Harris County Democratic Party, and the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Chet Garner, host of the six-time Emmy Award-winning travel series, The Daytripper, who tells us more about the series and where you and your family can travel during this holiday season.

Then, Daniel Ackermann, Director of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens at MFAH, joins us to tell us all about Christmas Village at Bayou Bend and how the museum’s historic mansion is transformed into an immersive holiday experience.

In the second hour of the show, Russell Boening, President of the Texas Farm Bureau, helps break down President Trump’s $12 billion aid package for American Farmers, and whether this aid package will be enough to support farmers dealing with deep financial losses.

Plus, our hosts share a rundown of events happening this weekend in Houston for our regular Friday feature, “Last Minute Plans.”

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss the top stories of the day at the top of each hour, including subsidies for the Affordable Care Act expiring by the end of the year and the Trump administration ordering national parks to remove any merchandise from their gift shops that promotes DEI.

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Houston City Councilman Edward Pollard in the show’s first hour, who fills us in on all the issues concerning District J, as well as the highlights, challenges, and what’s ahead for the district.

Then, we’re joined by Broadway stars Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, and Marissa Jaret Winokur, who tell us about reuniting for their upcoming show Mama I’m A Big Girl Now, which is coming soon to the Hobby Center.

In the second hour of the show, as we get closer to the new year and begin making our New Year’s resolutions, we revisit an episode of Celeste’s "Cold Coffee" series in which she sits down with board-certified physician Dr. Gabrielle Lyon.

Plus, our hosts and Hello Houston listeners talk about the things they’re currently obsessed with this week for our regular Thursday feature, “Current Obsessions.”

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including Australia introducing a social media ban for children under the age of 16, HPD cracking down on speeding and road rage during the holidays, and the U.S. State Department being ordered to stop using the Calibri font.

On today’s Hello Houston, we are joined by Harris County Precinct 6 Constable Silvia Trevino in the first hour of the show, who talks to us about holiday shopping safety and the threat of porch pirates during the holiday season.

Also, in the show’s first hour, engineer Dale Link joins us to explain how he comes up with his hurricane landfall predictions, as well as his forecast for the upcoming 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

In the second hour of the show, we discuss the legacy of former Houston ISD superintendent and U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, following his passing yesterday morning, with his former press secretary, Terry Abbott.

Then, we break down the latest Houston housing numbers and what they all mean for homeowners and buyers, with Kat Robinson, Vice Chair of the Houston Association of Realtors.

Plus, local actors Brandon Hearnsberger, Adam Gibbs, and Dylan Godwin join us to tell us about the Alley Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol and how they feel about being a part of a Houston tradition.

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss the top stories of the day at the top of each hour, including a proposed bill that would require fathers to provide financial support for pregnant mothers, applications opening for Houston ISD's school choice program for the 2026-27 school year, and actor Dick Van Dyke turning 100.

On today’s Hello Houston, we talk with University of Houston Law Center professor Seth Chandler in the show’s first hour, who discusses the current challenges facing birthright citizenship, as the Supreme Court reviews its constitutionality.

Then, we’re joined by Omar Samji, a spokesperson for the Ismaili Center Houston, who tells us more about the upcoming opening of this new, long-envisioned landmark, which is the first of its kind in the United States.

In the second hour of the show, we discuss a new study on climate anxiety in the Houston area with Dr. James Elliott, co-director of the Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience at Rice University, who helps us understand the study’s findings and what this means for resilience going forward.

And finally, Dr. Michael Chang, a pediatric infectious disease physician with UTHealth Houston, breaks down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee voting to roll back a recommendation for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including plans to expand chapters of Turning Point USA to every high school across Texas, the developer of the app ICEBlock suing the Trump administration after it was removed from Apple’s app store, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett launching her campaign for U.S. Senate in Texas.

On today’s Hello Houston, we’re joined by Houston City Councilwoman Abbie Kamin in the first hour of the show, who talks to us about the city’s new gun violence tracking dashboard, as well as her run for Harris County attorney.

Then, local author William Dylan Powell tells us about his new book, Lost Treasures of Houston, which explores the cultural and physical history of the Bayou City by celebrating the amazing people, places, and phenomena of our fair city’s past.

In the show's second hour, with expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) threatening to drive up insurance premiums for millions of Americans, Emma Wager, a senior policy analyst at KFF, joins us to discuss what lawmakers are weighing and what’s at stake for everyday families.

Plus, we also hear from Alison Bell, executive director of The Heritage Society, who joins us to tell us more about their organization’s historic houses in Sam Houston Park and their efforts to share the stories of Houston’s rich and diverse history.

And, as always, Ernie and Frank discuss today’s top stories at the top of each hour, including a CDC vaccine advisory panel voting to end the recommendation for newborns to receive the Hepatitis B vaccination at birth, Colin Allred dropping out of the U.S. senate race, and the Golden Globe nominations.

On today’s Hello Houston, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste begin the first hour of the show by discussing one of today's top stories, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposing a state program that would give every Texas baby $1,000 invested in the stock market.

Then, we’re joined by Houston Business Journal health care reporter, Jishnu Nair, who breaks down his story on Houston Methodist joining a massive lawsuit against several health insurance companies over alleged price fixing.

Plus, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston curators Cindi Strauss and Christine Gervais join us to tell us about their new exhibition, Louvre Couture, which showcases the work of historic and contemporary fashion houses alongside masterworks from MFAH’s collections.

In the show’s second hour, State Representative Gene Wu joins us to share his thoughts on the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Texas to use its controversial new congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections.

Also, we discuss Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, a festive celebration that transforms the Historic Strand District into 19th-century London, with Ollie Dickens, the great-great-great-grandson of celebrated author Charles Dickens.

And finally, our hosts close the show by sharing a rundown of events happening this weekend in Houston as part of our regular Friday feature, "Last Minute Plans."

On today’s Hello Houston, we discuss Proposition 15, a constitutional amendment that formally adds parental rights into the state constitution, with Nour Acosta, the senior legal clinic supervisor at the University of Houston Law Center.

Then, we’re joined by Houston-born singer and songwriter CJ Emmons, who joins us to talk about his singing career and upcoming one-man show, I’m Freaking Talented.

In the second hour of the show, we hear from Rice University political science professor Mark Jones, who breaks down the new laws set to go into effect here in Texas soon and what they each could mean for Texans.

And finally, to close the show, our hosts and listeners tell us about the things that are currently taking over all their free time for our regular Thursday feature, “Current Obsessions.”

And, as always, Ernie, Frank, and Celeste discuss the top stories of the day at the top of each hour, including Costco suing the Trump administration over tariffs, President Trump pardoning Texas Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife, and the New York Times suing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon’s new media policy.