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Houston Matters

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Rating
★★★★☆
4.4
from
95 reviews
This podcast has
57 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2013/04/29
Latest episode
2026/10/16
Average duration
49 min.
Release period
2 days

Description

Houston Matters is a radio program airing weekdays at 9 am on Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM in Houston. During each hour, we’ll investigate the issues and ideas, people and places that make Houston…well…Houston! We’ll talk about current events, politics, education, health care, the environment, business, transportation, arts and culture, literature, sports and leisure. But we also hope that what we do each day on Houston Matters serves as the beginning of a conversation — one we hope you’ll continue here, at home, at work, with family, with friends and neighbors. We hope to introduce Houstonians to one another, to celebrate our diversity, and to engage one another through stories and conversations that demonstrate depth and context. Just the sort of thing you count on from public media.

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Flock camera oversight (Oct. 16, 2026)
2026/10/16
On Friday's show: Harris County commissioners have delayed action on the county’s Flock cameras after a county report found gaps in their oversight. Separately, two commissioners and the county attorney also warned about the rapid spread of data centers that the county has little power to regulate. Houston Public Media’s Harris County reporter Sarah Grunau updates us on both stories. Also this hour: Our non-experts break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we visit Happy Hour Readings, a monthly event at Rec Room Arts where audiences can hear readings of experimental and lesser-known plays, often performed for the first time by local actors. Watch
Astros’ next manager (Oct. 15, 2026)
2026/10/15
On Thursday's show: With the news that the Astros are parting ways with Joe Espada, we discuss who might succeed him as the team's manager. Also this hour: As a new historical marker is set to be unveiled, we take a look back at Colt Stadium, the first home of Major League Baseball in the state of Texas, which is where the Colt .45s played for three seasons before becoming the Astros and moving (mercifully) indoors to the Astrodome nextdoor. A new state historical marker honoring the ballpark will be unveiled at a ceremony on Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Reliant Park. And we reminisce about the 1982 sci-fi/horror film, The Thing, which will be screened Oct. 17 as a part of the series, Movies Houstonians Love at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Comedy writer T. Sean Shannon tells us what the movie means to him. Watch
The week in politics (Oct. 14, 2026)
2026/10/14
On Wednesday's show: Early voting begins in less than a week, and we’re t-minus three weeks and counting to Election Day itself. We break down the latest election-related news, and other developments in local, state, and national politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We reflect on some of the One-Hit Wonders of Texas High School Football, teams that seemingly came out of nowhere to win one unexpected state championship, with Robert Jacobus, the author of a new book of the same name. Watch
ICE, policing, & civil rights (Oct. 13, 2026)
2026/10/13
On Tuesday's show: ICE agents in an unmarked SUV struck a Houston man during a pursuit over the weekend. That incident comes just months after an ICE officer shot and killed another Houston man, thrusting Houston into the center of the national debate over ICE tactics. A longtime civil rights attorney discusses how federal agents identify themselves and what that means for the rights of anyone they encounter -- be it immigrants or U.S. citizens. Also this hour: Amid worries about an AI-driven, automated future, Galveston College is leaning in, teaching students how to maintain the tech behind it all by launching a new robotics program. We visit a class to see what students are learning. And we discuss how two pioneering Black women from Houston have used their voices to advocate for issues on a local and global stage: rapper Megan Thee Stallion and the late transgender activist Monica Roberts. They're the subject of a new book called Bringing Wreck by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley, who will be in Houston for an Oct. 18 event at Kindred Stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2_Zvlih71g
Limiting school takeovers (Oct. 12, 2026)
2026/10/12
On Monday's show: A group of educators, lawmakers, and education experts are calling on the state of Texas to limit the power that appointed boards and superintendents have during the state takeover of public school districts. We learn what their 81-page report had to say. And dozens of Flock cameras have been decommissioned in western Harris County after residents raised security concerns. Also this hour: Local gardener Erandi Treviño of Verandi Secret Garden offers advice on composting. And we get an update on the Houston Texans after their game against the Titans. Watch
Essential Houston movies (Oct. 9, 2026)
2026/10/09
On Friday's show: While Hurricane Isaias is heading far east of Texas, we take a closer look at the first Atlantic hurricane of the season and how it might affect weather here with the help of Eric Berger, meteorologist with Space City Weather. Also this hour: Our non-experts break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And Houston Chronicle arts editor Cary Darling considers the essential films set in Houston or about our city that all of us should see. Watch
HISD enrollment losses (Oct. 8, 2026)
2026/10/08
On Thursday's show: Houston ISD has lost roughly twice the number of students district leaders had initially projected. We learn what the loss of nearly 10,000 in enrollment means for the district. Also this hour: We talk with organist Roger Sayer ahead of a performance this week at St. Luke’s Methodist Church. Sayer was the organist who collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the rousing score to the movie Interstellar. And Tony Diaz, founder and director of Nuestra Palabra, tells us about the organization’s first Houston Text Fest on Oct. 17, a day of workshops, panels, readings, and open mics amplifying Latino literary voices across Greater Houston. Watch
The week in politics (Oct. 7, 2026)
2026/10/07
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: In the latest installment of The Full Menu, local foodies talk about good places to get dishes with a comforting fall vibe. And we preview this week's Adventurous Electric Guitar Festival at Rice University and hear a performance from one of its participants, Houston musician Kelly Doyle. Watch
Dr. Renu Khator (Oct. 6, 2026)
2026/10/06
On Tuesday's show: From core curriculum changes, to a centennial construction project, a lot is happening at the University of Houston these days. We talk with UH Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator about the state of the university system and the issues facing it, its flagship campus, and higher education as a whole. Also this hour: Pianist Daniel Anastasio, ahead a concert in Houston on Friday. And we talk with Houston filmmaker Cristopher Rodriguez, director of the film, Journey, screening this week at the Regal Edwards Houston Marq’E. It tells the story of a young undocumented man who’s deported to Mexico, but tries to find his way back to his family across the border. Watch
Money lost to vouchers (Oct. 5, 2026)
2026/10/05
On Monday's show: Watchdog groups say Texas public schools lost nearly $300 million because of school vouchers. And Galveston ISD has a week to comply with a court order to display the Ten Commandments in its classrooms. We discuss those developments in public education. Also this hour: We offer listeners a chance to vent their pet peeves about life in our city. And we get an update on Houston sports. Watch
AI and jobs (Oct. 2, 2026)
2026/10/02
On Friday's show: The Trump administration is seeking to ban diesel exports for 90 days to stifle rising fuel prices. But how might that hurt refineries and oil and gas companies in Greater Houston? Also this hour: We consider how the growth of AI is affecting jobs here in Greater Houston and what our future workforce will look like as the technology develops. Then, from Astros players criticizing fans who booed their playoff performance, to a new junior hockey team in Houston being forced to delay their debut, our panel of non-experts weighs in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we talk with filmmaker Mye Hoang, the director of a new documentary called 25 Cats from Qatar, which will be shown Sunday at River Oaks Theatre. The film tells the story of a Milwaukee woman who flew to Qatar to rescue 25 cats, bring them back to the United States, and get them adopted. It was not easy. Watch
Prisons and punishment (Oct. 1, 2026)
2026/10/01
On Thursday's show: Chris Brown, who serves as Mayor John Whitmire’s financial integrity director, has admitted to working 15-hour weeks for a $127,000 salary but defended his work at a tense city council meeting. Houston Public Media's Dominic Anthony Walsh tells us what happened and updates us on the latest developments from City Hall. Also this hour: A federal judge has ruled that Texas has to accelerate its timeline to install air conditioning in all state prisons by the end of 2029. The judge seemed to suggest the state was slow-playing the installation, which may fit an attitude about prison conditions built around the notion that people in prison are being punished not by doing time, but how they do that time. We discuss that and other observations about the ethics surrounding Texas prisons. Then, since we Houstonians tend to do a lot of driving and gas prices are so high these days, keeping our cars in peak condition is more important than ever. In that spirit, we welcome your long-term car care questions for Jeremy Robertson of Christian Brothers Automotive. And we talk with Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, who’s also a musician. He and his band The Hi-Seas will perform Friday night at the Continental Club. Watch
The week in politics (Sept. 30, 2026)
2026/09/30
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We learn how the Trinity River has shaped the politics, economy, and environment of Texas and Houston from Scot McFarlane, author of The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity. And two local arts groups celebrate the works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Ayad Akhtar with events in the coming days. Akhtar will hold a reading on Oct. 5 of his latest novel, The Radiance, with Inprint Houston. And Houston's Shunya Theatre is staging a production of Disgraced, the play that won Akhtar the Pulitzer Prize for drama. We learn about both. Watch
Child of a mail-order bride (Sept. 29, 2026)
2026/09/29
On Tuesday's show: We remember former Houston health authority Dr. David Persse, who has passed away at age 66. And we get an update on the latest step toward a proposed desalination plant in Galveston. Also this hour: Ahead of Stand Down Houston, an event on Oct. 2 promoting education, career, home ownership, and other resources for veterans, we discuss benefits available to veterans in Greater Houston and how to access them. Then, we talk with Katya Suvorova, who grew up here in Houston, and is the author of the new book Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From the Child of a Mail-Order Bride. And we preview this weekend's Festival Chicano at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Watch
New flu season (Sept. 28, 2026)
2026/09/28
On Monday's show: We examine how the new flu season is shaping up. Also this hour: We discuss the future of commercial spaceflight, ahead of the latest SpaceX launch taking astronauts to the International Space Station. Then, we talk through the latest stories in the world of education, including how politicians statewide may address K-12 education if elected in November and how school districts like HISD exit from state control. And the Astros became the first team in MLB history to win their division with a .500 record. We talk about their chances against the White Sox in the playoffs. Watch

Podcast reviews

Read Houston Matters podcast reviews


4.4 out of 5
95 reviews
★★★★★
Scubarru 2025/11/19
Insightfully informative & fun
So glad to have this program available to Houston ! Objectively approachable discussions about issues THAT MATTER to Houstonians.
★☆☆☆☆
Nostrathomas. 2022/07/21
Extreme political bias
It’s so unfortunate that so many great shows have been ruined by their obsession with partisan politics with no attempt at neutrality. Any deviation ...
★★★☆☆
elh713 2020/07/31
Special Edition
I am typically a fan of this show when it’s led by Craig Cohen & I have appreciated the local doctors and scientists that have contributed, but Ernie ...
★☆☆☆☆
Ayjayrose 2020/07/13
Give it a rest
I used to listen to this show for daily local news. In recent months the fear mongering and aggrandizement of COVID related issues is insufferable. Th...
★☆☆☆☆
htx2020! 2020/06/13
Partisan
If you enjoy one-sided, bias discussions, you will enjoy this dumpster fire.
★☆☆☆☆
El De Smith 2020/05/18
Giving Houston a bad name
Before Trump, this was a 4 star show. Downhill ever since.
★★★★★
scott @ 2020/03/15
Love the show: Information without bias or hyperbole.
A great way to hear timely information affecting the Houston Area without being subjected to guests (or hosts) spouting unsupported opinion, bias, or ...
★★★☆☆
JCAD1983 2019/05/26
A way to keep in touch with Houston
I live abroad 10 months out of the year so this programming keeps me in the loop and grounded to all the local happenings going on back at home. Such ...
★★★★★
BernieorBust!!!! 2018/05/31
Great Houston News
Thank you to everyone at Houston Matters for providing a fun, informative, show concerning all things Have
★★★★★
Adam-Wade 2017/03/30
Any Houstonian who wants to be aware should subscribe to this!
I'm a News 88.7 addict, and love that this airs at noon and at 7 pm. Wonderful to listen to Craig Cohen when I'm at work late. Thanks to this, people ...
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