Accessibility links
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.
Houston Matters

Podcast Directory
Houston Matters

Houston Matters

From Houston Public Media News 88.7

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.

Most Recent Episodes

Borrowing money for college (Sept. 29, 2023)

On Friday's show: As those with federal student loans prepare to start paying them again after a three-year hiatus, we discuss a new initiative that seeks to increase transparency in borrowing money for college. Also this hour: We talk with Jeremy Hobson, host of The Middle, a program focusing on the voices of those in the geographical and political center. It's now airing Thursday nights at 8 on News 88.7. And we remember longtime Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips, who was born 100 years ago today. Then, another week, another Katy ISD book policy revision. And some foodies in New York fall for a fake restaurant. We talk about those stories and more as we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week And Troy Schulze tells us about the fascinating life journey of NASA astronaut José Hernández, the subject of the new Amazon movie, A Million Miles Away.

Borrowing money for college (Sept. 29, 2023)

Anita Hill (Sept. 28, 2023)

On Thursday's show: News 88.7 reporter Ashley Brown recaps Mayor Sylvester Turner's final State of the City address and briefs us on some recent developments at Houston City Council. Also this hour: A conversation with lawyer, educator, and author Anita Hill ahead of her visit to the University of Houston where she will deliver a lecture Oct. 5. Then, we learn more about a planned development in Montgomery County called Two Step Farm, which its developer believes will attract people seeking a small town feel mixed with the natural world – and music. And we listen to the final installment of Hot Stops, a series from News 88.7 examining heat at Houston-area bus stops

Anita Hill (Sept. 28, 2023)

The week in politics (Sept. 27, 2023)

On Wednesday's show: From the potential government shutdown to what's next in the still-not-over Paxton saga, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: How social work students at the University of Houston-Downtown are learning to help Hispanic youth who lost parents or caregivers to COVID-19. And Houstonian Ray Blanchette, who recently stepped down as the CEO of TGI Fridays, shares the lessons he's learned from a career running chain restaurants.

The week in politics (Sept. 27, 2023)

Slightly lower 'fall' temperatures (Sept. 26, 2023)

On Tuesday's show: We talk about the slightly lower temperatures this week — what qualifies as crisp fall weather here. Also this hour: Leading up to the November election, we're interviewing candidates in some of the key races, beginning with Chris Hollins, who's running for Houston City Controller. We welcome your questions for him about running the city budget now at talk@houstonmatters.org. Then, how learning the art of filmmaking is helping some teenagers on probation in Harris County get their lives on track. And we meet some of the people reviving the Q Patrol to protect LGBTQ+ people.

Slightly lower 'fall' temperatures (Sept. 26, 2023)

Election lawsuit dropped (Sept. 25, 2023)

On Monday's show: Late last week, Alexandra del Moral Mealer, the former Republican opponent of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, dropped her lawsuit challenging the results of last November's election. We learn why and discuss whether we should just expect more challenges like this in the future in our current political climate. Also this hour: We remember the time Boris Yeltsin visited a grocery store in Clear Lake and how it influenced the eventual fall of communism in Russia. Then we discuss developments in consumer technology with columnist Dwight Silverman. And we get the latest on the Astros' push for the postseason from Jeff Balke.

Election lawsuit dropped (Sept. 25, 2023)

Outsiders' views of Texas (Sept. 22, 2023)

On Friday's show: Houston Public Media reporters Dominic Anthony Walsh and Rebecca Noel bring us the latest developments from HISD. Also this hour: We discuss why some former Californians moved to Texas and then moved away again. Then, from Drake buying a home in Houston to Rice University's marching band sending up HISD's Superintendent Mike Miles, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And have outsiders' views of Texas and Texans changed since the animated series King of the Hill left an impression?

Outsiders' views of Texas (Sept. 22, 2023)

The fate of bike sharing (Sept. 21, 2023)

On Thursday's show: The nonprofit that runs Houston BCycle, the city's only bike share system, announced last week the program would be shutting down due to multiple issues. But that might not be the case now after Mayor Sylvester Turner said he will ask City Council to approve funding to save it. Also this hour: We discuss the potential end of BCycle and other issues facing cyclists in the city with Joe Cutrufo of BikeHouston. Then, this month's edition of The Bigger Picture delves into sexual identity and race, which are issues raised in the new film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. And we hear the latest installment of News 88.7's series Hot Stops, about extreme heat at Houston-area bus stops.

The fate of bike sharing (Sept. 21, 2023)

Remembering the 'Battle of the Sexes' (Sept. 20, 2023)

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup, this week with the help of Beth Simas and Jeronimo Cortina of the University of Houston. Also this hour: Fifty years ago today, tennis star Billie Jean King struck a blow for women's equality in sports, defeating her male counterpart, Bobby Riggs, in the so-called "Battle of the Sexes" at the Astrodome. Houston tennis great Zina Garrison reflects on the significance of the match, which will be commemorated at an event tonight at The MATCH. And The Catastrophic Theatre is restaging its 2013 production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot with the same cast from back then, including our own producer, Troy Schulze.

Remembering the 'Battle of the Sexes' (Sept. 20, 2023)

The slow energy transition (Sept. 19, 2023)

On Tuesday's show: The energy transition — we see incremental changes here and there in our daily lives, like more electric cars on the road. But is that transition happening fast enough for us to meet our climate change goals? We learn what a new report has to say. Also this hour: Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold discusses efforts to establish a constitutional convention, why we should pay attention to that movement, and how, if it succeeds, it could lead to radical changes in our system of government. Feingold is the co-author of a new book called The Constitution in Jeopardy, which he'll discuss at Brazos Bookstore on Friday. Then, perhaps you've heard of "quiet quitting" – the trend of some employees doing just the absolute bare minimum required to keep their job. Well, there's an employer trend out there called "quiet cutting" – it involves moving employees around into new roles or hours in the hopes they'll eventually quit so you don't have to pay severance. It's rife with ethical and sometimes legal ramifications as we learn from a local HR expert. And French artist Laure Prouvost talks about her new exhibition at the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University, featuring surrealist installations that evoke the natural world and the environmental challenges we place on it.

The slow energy transition (Sept. 19, 2023)

Reaction to Paxton acquittal (Sept. 18, 2023)

On Monday's show: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's expected back at work today after the Texas Senate acquitted him on all impeachment charges over the weekend. We get some reaction and takeaways from the impeachment trial. And we learn why Katy ISD is removing more books from its libraries, including one from Dr. Seuss. And we learn about an upcoming Katy Pride event planned in response to some of the Katy board's recent actions. Also this hour: A federal judge has ruled that a revised version of DACA is illegal. We discuss the ruling and get a general update on immigration issues facing Texas and Greater Houston. Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers your pet care questions. And we get an update on sports from Jeff Balke.

Reaction to Paxton acquittal (Sept. 18, 2023)

Houston Matters

Podcast Directory