NewsDaily NewsSociety & CultureArts

Houston Matters

Houston Public Media

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.

Play

Open in

48 episodes
daily
Avg 49 min
English

Support the show

Goes straight to the publisher. podnod takes nothing.

Support

Episodes 48

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Yesterday · 50 min
ICE agent indicted (Nov. 2, 2026)
On Monday's show: Newly obtained body camera footage shows an ICE agent's response after running over Houston immigrant Miguel Parra Hernández on Oct. 10. Last week, the ICE agent, Mario Alberto Morales, was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Houston Chronicle columnist Lisa Falkenberg was the first to obtain the offense report, medical records, and video from the incident, and she joins us to discuss what they reveal. Also this hour: We discuss how Houstonians are dealing with anxiety, stress, and fatigue over tomorrow's elections. Then, we offer listeners a chance to vent their pet peeves about life in our city. And we get an update on the Rockets' start to the season and the relaunch of the Houston Comets. Watch
Friday · 49 min
Live from Meow Wolf (Oct. 30, 2026)
On Friday's show: We bring you radio from another era -- sort of. We’re broadcasting live from Meow Wolf Houston’s Radio Tave. The interactive museum celebrates its two-year anniversary Saturday. The Fifth Ward art installation takes you inside a sort of choose-your-own-adventure science fiction story set -- at least at first -- decades ago in a community radio station. Also this hour: Against the backdrop of Meow Wolf's Radio Tave, as we always do on Fridays, our non-experts break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we hear a performance from the Houston Chicano soul band, Los Souldees. Watch
Thursday · 49 min
Remembering Dolores Huerta (Oct. 29, 2026)
On Thursday's show: We reflect on the life and legacy of labor activist Dolores Huerta, who died this week at the age of 96. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and coined the phrase "Sí, se puede!" that became a widespread rallying cry. Also this hour: Are political parties less respectful than they used to be? We discuss the increasingly difficult task of maintaining decorum in politics. Then, we learn about Jasper, 1940: A Sound Installation at the Houston Museum for African American Culture, which is on view through Dec. 10, featuring archival recordings, oral histories, and contemporary voices. The recordings include Billy McCray, a formerly enslaved man from Jasper, Texas, who was interviewed by folklorist John Lomax. His account is mixed with recent recordings of his descendants. And we chat with William Martinez, who stars in a one-man musical at Stages Houston next week called SIGNing the Song. Martinez grew up as a hearing child in a deaf household, and the show features Broadway and popular standards…and sign language. Watch
Wednesday · 49 min
The week in politics (Oct. 28, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We take a trip through a local haunted house attraction. And we discuss the wide variety of Halloween events taking place across Greater Houston this week. Watch
October 27 · 36 min
Attitudes on data centers and AI (Oct. 27, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: New survey data from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs looks at likely Texas voters' views on data centers and AI. Also this hour: With tipping being an option at just about any kind of business these days, we discuss what tipping culture looks like in Houston. Then, we revisit a conversation that considered whether Houston needs a new "big honkin' thing" such as famous landmarks like the Gateway Arch, Golden Gate Bridge, or Statue of Liberty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8BcnYkJSxU
October 26 · 49 min
Data centers & air quality (Oct. 26, 2026)
On Monday's show: Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector Carmen Turner was arrested last week after she was indicted on federal charges of misusing public funds. We get the latest details. Also this hour: A new report sizes up how data centers could affect air quality. We take a closer look. Then, ‘tis the season -- for college visits, applications, and early admissions. We get advice for students and their parents navigating the process. And we recap the Texans' overtime loss to the Giants on Sunday.
October 23 · 50 min
Finding Shackleton’s ship (Oct. 23, 2026)
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 Explorers Club at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Then, our non-experts discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And some Houston-area magicians talk about their craft. Watch
October 22 · 50 min
‘Forever chemicals’ in bayous (Oct. 22, 2026)
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 million infusion of future sales tax revenue to fund revitalization efforts for one of the city's historic landmarks. Then, we visit the Houston Palestinian Festival, which took place Oct. 10-11 at Buffalo Bayou Park. And former Houstonian and acclaimed fiction writer Bryan Washington was recently named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow. He tells us how Houston has shaped his writing and what the unrestricted fellowship, commonly known as a “genius grant,” means as his writing continues to evolve. Watch
October 21 · 49 min
The week in politics (Oct. 21, 2026)
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 Houston? And we preview the Alley All New Festival, featuring staged readings of new plays. Watch
October 20 · 49 min
Effect of AI on literacy (Oct. 20 2026)
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 western High Noon clashed with the anti-communist fervor of the 1950s, as outlined in Glenn Frankel's book High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic. And we visit Bookish Fest, a recent event for readers and lovers of indie authors. Watch
October 19 · 50 min
ICE incident under scrutiny (Oct. 19, 2026)
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 in Texas. Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers listener questions about pet care. You can submit yours now to talk@houstonmatters.org. And we preview the new Rockets season, which begins Wednesday night against the Mavericks, with Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Rockets podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd9DmJAbDvI
October 16 · 49 min
Flock camera oversight (Oct. 16, 2026)
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
October 15 · 45 min
Astros’ next manager (Oct. 15, 2026)
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
October 14 · 49 min
The week in politics (Oct. 14, 2026)
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
October 13 · 45 min
ICE, policing, & civil rights (Oct. 13, 2026)
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
October 12 · 50 min
Limiting school takeovers (Oct. 12, 2026)
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
October 9 · 49 min
Essential Houston movies (Oct. 9, 2026)
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
October 8 · 44 min
HISD enrollment losses (Oct. 8, 2026)
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
October 7 · 50 min
The week in politics (Oct. 7, 2026)
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
October 6 · 50 min
Dr. Renu Khator (Oct. 6, 2026)
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

Showing 1–20 of 48 episodes