Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (September 2, 2025)

In today’s edition of “The Commuter Cut,” we hear from Lexi Churchill, a research reporter for the ProPublica–Texas Tribune investigative unit, who discusses a report that found more than 60 instances of nepotism, self-dealing, and outright conflicts of interest at 27 Texas private schools – practices that would break the law in public schools.

Also, Terry Gosliner, Senior Curator of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology at the California Academy of Sciences, tells us about the recent rediscovery of a coral species that was named after a University of Houston professor.

Then, Frank and Celeste talk with Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor and co-host of Houston Public Media’s Party Politics, who helps us break down the more than 800 new Texas laws that went into effect on September 1, 2025.