Shows / Houston Matters
Houston Matters
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…
Episodes
Houston MattersThe week in politics (Aug. 5, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We get to know the new host of Reading Rainbow…
- Houston Matters
Houston Restaurant Weeks (Aug. 4, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: We learn why some local restaurants are choosing to do their own versions of Houston Restaurant Weeks, which is underway during the month of…
- Houston Matters
Safety on Houston roads (Aug. 3, 2026)
On Monday's show: Nearly one in five traffic deaths in Texas happen in the 13 counties the Houston-Galveston Area Council covers. We learn about an upcoming…
- Houston Matters
THC ban begins (July 31, 2026)
On Friday's show: Starting today, Texas is banning hemp products containing certain intoxicating cannabinoids. We find out what will still be legal, what will…
- Houston Matters
City contracts & minority-owned businesses (July 30, 2026)
On Thursday's show: A longstanding city of Houston program requiring some government contracts to be awarded to minority-owned businesses was ruled…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (July 29, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We recall the influence the Student Nonviolent…
- Houston Matters
Hottest stretch of Houston summer (July 28, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: This week could be the hottest stretch of the summer in Houston, with several triple-digit days in a row possible. We learn more from…
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Limiting student AI use (July 27, 2026)
On Monday's show: Katy ISD is banning the use of AI by elementary school students. The district’s board also set limits on AI use by middle and high school…
- Houston Matters
Iran war and Houston oil (July 24, 2026)
On Friday's show: An energy industry watcher explains how the war with Iran is reshaping the oil industry and its impact on Houston.Also this hour: We break…
- Houston Matters
Preparing for intense heat (July 23, 2026)
On Thursday's show: We learn how the city is preparing to help residents as Houston and the Southeast Texas region face dangerously high heat over the next few…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (July 22, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: From the Arizona primaries, to a new tariff on Canadian goods, to the latest from the campaign trail, we discuss the latest developments…
- Houston Matters
Tropical Storm Bertha (July 21, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Meteorologist Justin Ballard of the Houston Chronicle gives us the latest on Tropical Storm Bertha, which has formed in the Gulf southwest…
- Houston Matters
Fort Bend County leadership drama (July 20, 2026)
On Monday's show: We get an update on several stories in Fort Bend County, including how drama over the leadership of the county might affect the tax rate…
- Houston Matters
Sean Teare on ICE shooting (July 17, 2026)
On Friday's show: We get the latest on dramatic flooding in the Texas Hill Country. And Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare discusses his office’s…
- Houston Matters
Calls to investigate ICE shooting (July 16, 2026)
On Thursday's show: We recap calls for and efforts to investigate last week’s shooting by an ICE agent in Magnolia Park.Also this hour: We continue our…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (July 15, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We continue our weeklong series examining the state…
- Houston Matters
Special ed at HISD (July 14, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: We get the latest on rainy weather in the forecast and the potential for flooding. And we learn about a TEA investigation of HISD's plans to…
- Houston Matters
Challenges of changing legal status (July 13, 2026)
On Monday's show: Last week’s shooting by ICE agents of a Houstonian who had entered the country illegally more than 30 years ago raised, to some, questions…
- Houston Matters
ICE shooting: What happened to de-escalation (July 10, 2026)
On Friday's show: Past officer-involved shootings have led many law enforcement agencies to train officers to de-escalate -- something that seems far less…
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Protestors demand accountability after fatal ICE shooting in East End (July 9, 2026)
On Thursday's show: More than 1,000 protesters gathered on Canal Street Wednesday night demanding answers after 36-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally…
- Houston Matters
Houstonian killed by ICE (July 8, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the shooting of an undocumented immigrant in Magnolia Park. Elected officials and immigrant rights organizations are calling…
- Houston Matters
Wealthy homes removed from floodplains (July 7, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: We learn how a little-known appeals process allowed thousands of wealthy homes to be removed from floodplain maps. Houston Chronicle…
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Houston pet peeves (July 6, 2026)
On Monday's show: We learn more about an investigative series from the Houston Chronicle examining how a Houston-based compounding pharmacy is stretching the…
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America 250 celebrations (July 2, 2026)
On Thursday's show: As Houston gears up to mark not just another Fourth of July but also the nation's semiquincentennial, there's no shortage of ways to…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (July 1, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: From the U.S. Supreme Court upholding birthright citizenship, to other decisions from the High Court, we discuss the latest developments…
- Houston Matters
Underestimating Texas droughts (June 30, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Could the Corpus Christi water crisis have been averted if Texans were a little more realistic about climate change? We learn how the state…
- Houston Matters
Tire fire and air quality (June 29, 2026)
On Monday's show: We learn how last week's tire fire in southeast Houston may be affecting air quality. And the Galveston City Council approved zoning…
- Houston Matters
Bible-infused curriculum (June 26, 2026)
On Friday's show: HISD’s state-appointed board of managers approved Bible-infused curriculum for elementary school students and also voted to adopt a $2…
- Houston Matters
New rodeo complex (June 25, 2026)
On Thursday's show: Houston City Council has approved $18 billion worth of capital projects. We find out what the money will be spent on and how that might…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (June 24, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We ponder the art of crafting a compelling story from…
- Houston Matters
Data centers and heat (June 23, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: A Tesla crashed into a Katy home on Friday, killing a 76-year-old woman. The driver told police the vehicle was in an automated driving…
- Houston Matters
State oversight of local elections (June 22, 2026)
On Monday's show: Three years ago, Texas Republican lawmakers approved a state law eliminating Harris County’s chief elections official and allowing state…
- Houston Matters
The first Juneteenth celebrations (June 19, 2026)
On Friday's show: Today is Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in this country. And while we tend to think of Galveston when we…
- Houston Matters
Intense heat after Tropical Storm Arthur (June 18, 2026)
On Thursday's show: Greater Houston may have dodged a bullet in terms of widespread flooding when Tropical Storm Arthur bypassed our region on its way to…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (June 17, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We get an update on the forecast for rainy weather across the region. And we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly…
- Houston Matters
Potential flooding amid heavy rain (June 16, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: We get an update on the potential for "life-threatening flooding" this week as the Houston area faces sustained heavy rains amid a flood…
- Houston Matters
World Cup underway (June 15, 2026)
On Monday's show: More stormy weather is inbound and brings with it the threat of potential flooding this week. We get the latest on two storm systems headed…
- Houston Matters
How to watch soccer (June 12, 2026)
On Friday's show: Tina Petersen, the head of the Harris County Flood Control District has resigned amid pressure to address looming deadlines. We learn why she…
- Houston Matters
STAAR test results (June 11, 2026)
On Thursday's show: STAAR test results are out. We learn how Houston-area schools fared. And we find out if the City of Houston passed its $7.5 billion…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (June 10, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: The U.S. House has approved ICE and border patrol money. Houston City Council is poised to vote on the mayor’s budget. And Senate…
- Houston Matters
Where new data centers hope to open (June 9, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Information from ERCOT shows there are some hot spots in Texas where more large data centers want to open and join the state's power grid…
- Houston Matters
How grocery stores influence neighborhoods (June 8, 2026)
On Monday's show: We get updates on the goings-on in Fort Bend and Galveston Counties.Also this hour: We discuss why some food deserts persist in Greater…
- Houston Matters
Quality of life for Harris County children (June 5, 2026)
On Friday's show: We discuss a report from Children at Risk that assesses the quality of life for children in Harris County.Also this hour: We talk with two…
- Houston Matters
Corpus Christi reconsidering desalination (June 4, 2026)
On Thursday's show: We get the latest on the City of Corpus Christi's attempts to delay its looming water crisis.Also this hour: We revisit the original plans…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (June 3, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: Two local foodies talk about restaurants with good…
- Houston Matters
Campus police incidents in Texas (June 2, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: A new investigation looks into a number of use of force incidents by campus police in Texas school districts.Also this hour: We learn why…
- Houston Matters
Hurricane season begins (June 1, 2026)
On Monday's show: The Atlantic hurricane season begins today. We get a reminder about what you need to know as we head into the season.Also this hour: We offer…
- Houston Matters
Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ (May 29, 2026)
On Friday's show: The U.S. Department of Justice has created a new "Anti-Weaponization Fund" as a way to compensate victims of "weaponization and lawfare." Two…
- Houston Matters
NASA’s moon base contracts (May 28, 2026)
On Thursday's show: As NASA continues to work toward building a base on the moon, it has awarded some contracts to commercial companies to take the next steps…
- Houston Matters
Runoff election results (May 27, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: Ken Paxton will take on James Talarico for a U.S. Senate seat in November. And there was a surprise -- at least to some -- in the…
- Houston Matters
Election Day for primary runoffs (May 26, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Today is election day for the primary runoff races. We check in with Houston Public Media reporters at polling places across Greater…
- Houston Matters
Hurricane season forecast (May 22, 2026)
On Friday's show: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a below-average number of storms during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane…
- Houston Matters
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles (May 21, 2026)
On Thursday's show: HISD Superintendent Mike Miles joins us to discuss the state of the district, changes in special education, and to address listener…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (May 20, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: From President Trump endorsing Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate primary runoff, to other primary votes happening across the county, we…
- Houston Matters
Concerns about Ebola (May 19, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak in Africa a global health emergency. We talk with local epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Troisi of…
- Houston Matters
Early voting begins for primary runoffs (May 18, 2026)
On Monday's show: Early voting begins today and runs through May 22 in the runoffs for the Texas primary races. We discuss that and Joe Panzarella's victory in…
- Houston Matters
HISD outlines special ed plans (May 15, 2026)
On Friday's show: HISD officially outlined its plans to centralize special education services at its board meeting Thursday night. This came after draft…
- Houston Matters
Security at Jeep Weekend (May 14, 2026)
On Thursday's show: Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Bolivar Peninsula this weekend for the annual gathering known as Jeep Weekend, and…
- Houston Matters
The week in politics (May 13, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We reflect on the life of aviator, engineer, and…
- Houston Matters
The cost of the World Cup (May 12, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Texas public schools saw a decline in enrollment this academic year. Outside of the pandemic, that is the first drop in nearly four decades…