Houston Matters

On Friday's show: We recap last night's debate between candidates for Harris County Judge, Orlando Sanchez and Letitia Plummer.

Also this hour: Maritime archaeologist Mensun Bound details his 2022 expedition that led to the discovery of Endurance, explorer Ernest Shackleton's wooden ship that was lost in 1915 during an expedition to reach the South Pole. Bound will speak Saturday night at an event with the Texas chapter of The ...

On Thursday's show: PFAs, those “forever chemicals,” have turned up in Houston’s bayous along with a lot of other waterways, according to a new report from Environment Texas and The Frontier Group. We take a closer look at the report and discuss what can be done about it.

Also this hour: We discuss plans to refurbish the Imperial Sugar Char House in Sugar Land after the city council there approved a $15 millio...

On Wednesday's show: We preview the upcoming debate between candidates for Harris County Judge, which you can catch Thursday night at 7 on News 88.7, on TV 8, and at houstonpublicmedia.org. And we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: Twenty-five years after 9/11, how has growing up in the shadow of the terrorist attacks changed how Muslims grew up in America and H...

On Tuesday's show: Houston ISD has spent millions of taxpayer dollars building its own curriculum, and it is now sharing those materials with other school systems for free. We learn more from Houston Chronicle education reporter Nusaiba Mizan.

Also this hour: AI can summarize just about any article or book you could throw at it. But what does that mean for the future of reading and literacy?

Then, we reflect on how the classic wester...

On Monday's show: When ICE agents ran into a man with a vehicle in Houston injuring him last week, the man they were targeting had actually been dead for several years, according to the man's family and a New York Times report. We discuss that development and the latest on ICE interactions with the public.

Also this hour: We learn about Elon Musk's role in funding an advertising blitz on behalf of Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race ...

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-exp...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 Trevi...

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...

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...

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.

Watc...

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 Frida...

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 perform...

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 ins...

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 ...

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.

Th...