Houston Matters

On Friday's show: We learn what's next in the case of Robert Roberson, whose execution was halted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals this week.Also this hour: We break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we visit the Houston Quilt Festival.Watch:https://www.youtube.com/live/R-VCcQEjrOs?si=WqXuCDoM-dzCOEN-&t=706

On Thursday's show: Houston police recovered the body of a man in White Oak Bayou Wednesday morning, the seventh body found in the bayous in about a month. Investigators do not suspect foul play. Houston Public Media's Michael Adkison brings us the latest on this particular instance and what law enforcement has to say about the frequency in which human remains are found in the city's bayous.Also this hour: We examine what renewed efforts to ramp up coal production might mean for the energy industry here in Texas.And Chef Adán Medrano discusses his new cookbook celebrating the plant-based traditions of Texas Mexican-American families and their ancestors.Watch

On Wednesday's show: We get insight on the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We reflect on the legacy of Monica Roberts, an influential activist for transgender rights who passed away five years ago. We remember her work fighting for equality and visibility during a time of progress and pushback, and we discuss where Houston’s transgender community is headed next.And how can something as innocuous as design fight racism? Author Omari Souza discusses his book, Design Against Racism, ahead of an event at Kindred Stories Thursday night.Watch

On Tuesday's show: A new Texas-based national stock exchange has moved one step closer to becoming a reality. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is allowing the Texas Stock Exchange, operated by a Dallas-based startup, to move forward as a direct competitor to the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. We learn what this could mean for Texas and its economy.Also this hour: From solitary confinement, to group recreation, we learn how small changes are reshaping life on Texas death row.Then, comedian Maria Bamford has an amazing ability to slip into and out of characters on stage. We talk with her in her real voice (and maybe some others) ahead of a performance at Houston Improv Wednesday night.And we learn how Houston’s Korean community is shaping the city’s cultural landscape ahead of the annual Korean Festival this weekend at Discovery Green.Watch

On Monday's show: Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that the Department of Public Safety is launching a new task force in Harris County aimed at targeting what he called “repeat violent offenders.” The governor says the DPS-led effort will bring more resources to Houston and Harris County law enforcement. But questions remain about what this task force will actually do, how it will operate alongside local agencies, and what role politics may play in its creation.Also this hour: We offer Houstonians a chance to vent about their pet peeves about life in our city.And we discuss the latest developments in Houston sports.Watch

On Friday's show: As the government shutdown enters its third day, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw joins us to talk about the impasse and what it would take to reopen.Also this hour: We meet Abdullah Antepli, the new president of the Rothko Chapel.Then, from a controversial Halloween display depicting political hangings, to a potential new movie star being an AI creation, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd talks about the 30th anniversary of Ledbetter Heights, the album that put him on the map while he was just a teenager. He performs the album in its entirety Feb. 21 at House of Blues Houston.Watch

On Thursday's show: Much of the federal government is shut down after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending bill to keep the government open. Houston Rep. Lizzie Fletcher joins us to discuss the implications and what it would take to reopen.Also this hour: We learn about a program from Houston Methodist and Rice University to train Houston students and teachers to shape the future of digital health.And we preview the Nigeria Cultural Parade and Festival, which takes place this Saturday, Oct. 4, in downtown Houston.Watch

On Wednesday's show: Experts offer insight on the latest developments in local, state, and national politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: Food writers talk about some of their favorite sandwich places around Houston in this month's installment of The Full Menu.And Houston’s Black rock scene is alive and evolving, and a local band is at its heart. We hear from Nicotine & The Warmtones about what it means to carve out space in the city’s music landscape.Watch

On Tuesday's show: As hurricane season nears its end, what can Harris County do to make sure our region is prepared for all kinds of emergencies?Also this hour: The national unemployment rate held steady last month at 4.3 percent, but that remains the highest it has been in nearly four years. However, that is still a far cry from COVID-era rates. We talk about what we’re seeing in terms of jobs and unemployment benefits in the Houston area with Juliet Stipeche of Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions.Then, the new film The Long Walk takes endurance athletics to a horrific level, but some Houstonians walk or run long distances without their lives being on the line to motivate them. We meet one on this month’s edition of The Bigger Picture.And we visit Galveston’s East Beach, the site of the annual Galveston Sandcastle Festival.Watch

On Monday's show: The Astros will miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years. We discuss how much injuries plagued the team this season, and what, if anything, the Astros can do to avoid the same fate next year with Jeff Balke, co-host of the Bleav in Astros podcast. And the Texans pulled off their first shutout in 15 years, beating the Titans 26-0.Also this hour: Fort Bend County has a new budget, but it didn’t come without contention. Houston Public Media's Natalie Weber explains.Then, this week marks six months since Hello Houston launched on Houston Public Media. We check-in on how the show is going with hosts Ernie Manouse, Frank Billingsley, and Celeste Diaz-Schurman.And most of us daydream about winning the lottery, but too often people who receive such financial windfalls end up watching the money slip away. We discuss why and seek advice from Juan Hernandez Ariano, a certified financial planner from WealthCreate Financial.Watch

On Friday's show: We examine the wave of massive data centers expanding across Texas, prompting warnings from experts who say the new water demands could push the state’s already strained supply to the brink.Also this hour: We get a new perspective on local democracy by talking with self-described "local government enthusiast" Emily Hynds about observing every Houston City Council meeting for the last five years and sharing what she sees through her blog, Emily Takes Notes.Then, from Camp Mystic planning to reopen partially, to a statue of President Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein briefly showing up on the National Mall, our non-experts break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we recall how an underdog team of Major League prospects -- including some future Astros stars -- managed to pull off an upset and won the gold medal in baseball at the 2000 Olympics. We talk with Houstonian Dave Fanucchi, author of a book about that story, Miracle on Grass.Watch

On Thursday's show: Following months-long spats about how to bridge a $200 million gap in the county’s budget, the Harris County Commissioners Court has approved a $2.8 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year. We learn some details. And we get an update on striking hotel workers in Houston.Also this hour: A gunman opened fire at an ICE detention facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others. No ICE officers were injured. This raises troubling questions about safety for both immigration and customs enforcement officers and for immigrants themselves. We discuss the atmosphere around immigration policy, public discourse, and violence here in Houston.Then, earlier this week, NASA announced that Artemis II could launch as early as February on its mission sending four astronauts to orbit the moon, which would be the first time the United States has returned to the moon since 1972. We revisit a conversation about why returning there is of value for future deep-space exploration with the late Dr. Paul Spudis, author of the book, The Value of the Moon.And Houston writer Jamie Jo Hoang talks about the children of refugees from the Vietnam War navigating their parents' stories to heal intergenerational trauma. She addressed that topic in her novel My Father the Panda Killer and approaches it from another angle in her latest, My Mother the Mermaid Chaser. She holds a book launch event on Sept. 27 at Blue Willow Bookshop.Watch

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: In a time with plentiful commercial real estate vacancies, we learn one way some landlords are making their spaces stand out to potential renters.And we see some amazing work by hairstylists and artists at the Afro Hair Summit Expo.Watch

On Tuesday's show: If you could wave a magic wand and change the design of any roadway in Houston, what would you change and why? We welcome your suggestions.Also this hour: We discuss the history of lethal injection, which is the subject of Secrets of the Killing State, a book by legal scholar and former criminal prosecutor Corinna Lain, who will be in Houston for an event at Brazos Bookstore Friday evening at 6:30.And writer Sasha Bonét reflects on how Houston has shaped her and discusses her new memoir, The Waterbearers. Bonét will be at Kindred Stories tonight at 7.Watch

On Monday's show: Striking hotel workers at the downtown Hilton Americas-Houston plan to remain on the picket line through the middle of October, marking the second significant extension of a "historic" labor action initially slated to end Sept. 9. We learn the latest on the dispute over wages.Also this hour: Scientists recently discovered evidence that could point to ancient life on Mars. We dig into what they found.Then, we discuss the latest developments in consumer technology with columnist Dwight Silverman.And we recap this weekend’s battle for the AL West division lead between the Astros and the Mariners and break down the Texans game against the Jaguars with Jeff Balke, co-host of the Bleav in Astros podcast.Watch

On Friday's show: With the state's newly redrawn congressional maps, does the creation of several predominantly Hispanic districts help those areas or disenfranchise them? Gabby Birenbaum of the Texas Tribune tells us more.Also this hour: Sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee joins us and performs in studio ahead of a concert Saturday at the University of Houston.Then, from military helicopters flying over Houston as part of a training exercise, to a Houston-based company that owns strip clubs across the nation facing bribery charges over an alleged scheme to avoid paying taxes, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we reflect on the iconic Houston music station KLOL with the director of a documentary about it called Runaway Radio.

On Thursday's show: From ABC pulling Jimmy Kimmel off the air, to firings and reviews of Texas public school teachers and staff, what some have said about the shooting of Charlie Kirk has come back to bite them. But is it all legal? A constitutional law professor explains the nuances.Also this hour: We explore how a new law is affecting what public school nurses can and cannot do for sick students.Then, are some public schools too intent on finding that next "star principal" to lead them?And we reflect on the legacy of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.Watch

On Wednesday's show: We get insight on the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Then, we take a nature walk along the Bayou Greenways. And an event this week allows community members to share how Houston’s Fifth Ward shaped their lives.Watch

On Tuesday's show: In the years 2022 to 2024, the percentage of children without health insurance made its highest increase in almost a decade, according to a Georgetown University report. And Texas continues to have the highest percentage of uninsured children in the nation. We discuss what this means for the state with Elena Marks of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.Also this hour: So far this year, it has been an awfully quiet hurricane season. We explore why as we chat with Houston Chronicle meteorologist Justin Ballard.Then, singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell joins us in studio to perform and discuss his new album, Airline Highway. Crowell will appear at an in-store event at Cactus Music today at 5:30.And we preview the 2025 Gay Softball World Series, which takes place in Houston Sept. 21-27. We discuss what the tournament means for the city, for the athletes taking part, and for their fans.Watch

On Monday's show: We preview this week's vote on the Harris County budget. The budget process this year has often been contentious as tensions rise over funding cuts.Also this hour: Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine discusses his book, Science Under Siege, which examines growing opposition to science and the threat it poses.Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers listeners’ questions about their pets.And Jeff Balke previews a season-defining week ahead for the Astros and the Monday Night Football matchup between the Texans and the Buccaneers. Watch