Houston Matters

On Friday's show: Houston's suburbs continue to boom while the population of the city itself has remained flat in recent years, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We take a closer look at what the numbers have to tell us about our region's growth.Also this hour: An area drive-in theater rolls its final credits. Our panel of “non-experts” weighs in on that story and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.Then Houston-area film critic Joe Leydon remembers his favorite James Earl Jones films.And Prairie View A&M alum J.O. Malone, who founded Houston's National Black Film Festival, is trying his hand at supporting Black entrepreneurs with his venture BLCK Market.

On Thursday's show: The City of Houston appears likely to hike its tax rate, as it faces a budget shortfall and unexpected costs from multiple disasters. We learn more and find out what the increase might cost the average homeowner. And the council has delayed its push to require developers to build sidewalks or pay a fee for new construction.Also this hour: On the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s “moon shot” speech at Rice University, in which he challenged America’s scientific community to get to the moon and back, we ask you: what’s the next big “moon shot” that Greater Houston can achieve? What’s the one big challenge we should marshal our will, time, and resources to meeting? We welcome your suggestions at talk@houstonmatters.org.Then we learn about an area nonprofit that helps fund medical and mental health care services for Houston’s restaurant and bar workers. It’s called I’ll Have What She’s Having, and it’s holding a Rock & Roll Picnic on Sunday at the Last Concert Amphitheatre featuri

On Tuesday's show: We get the latest on what has become Hurricane Francine as the storm approaches the Louisiana coast and find out how related conditions might affect Galveston and the Greater Houston area.Also this hour: We recap the presidential debate and discuss other developments in local, state, and national politics in our weekly roundup.And we consider the future of physical retail space in Houston — where it works, where it doesn’t, and why.

Houston Matters begins at 9 a.m. CT on 88.7FM or listen online. Join the discussion at 713-440-8870, talk@houstonmatters.org or @HoustonMatters.On Tuesday's show: As Tropical Storm Francine continues to travel up the Gulf Coast, we share the latest information on the storm, and what impact -- if any -- it might have on the Houston area.And, as we keep an eye on the storm, cleanup still continues from the last one. We get an update on the second round of Beryl debris removal.Also this hour: According to analysis of Census Bureau data, 21 percent of Houston’s population that's age 65 and older still works. That’s 192,000 Houstonians. Some choose to work longer, but others have no choice. We discuss how some seniors come to the conclusion about whether to retire and when.Then we check in with Houston First CEO Michael Heckman about efforts to promote Houston’s tourism and convention business. And we seek out any developments surrounding the operation of the George R. Brown Convention Center, Jones Hall, and the

On Monday's show: A disorganized system brewing in the Gulf of Mexico is on track to be named Tropical Storm Francine on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Potential Tropical Cyclone Six is traveling up the gulf coast with maximum sustained winds at 50 miles per hour. The system could track just south of Houston by Wednesday. Meteorologist Eric Berger with Space City Weather updates us on the latest forecast.Then, we review how METRO’s priorities have changed in the months since a new board chair took over and what it means as the transit authority plans next year’s budget.Also this hour: Local restaurateurs discuss the economic impact climate change has on restaurants and chefs, ahead of a roundtable discussion on that subject organized by the James Beard Foundation on Wednesday.Then, Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers questions about gardening.And we get an update on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: The Harris County Jail has finally passed a state safety inspection -- the jail’s first passing grade in nearly two years. However, state officials provided “technical assistance” during the inspection, leading some advocates to question whether the passing grade was warranted.Also this hour: We remember longtime area college baseball coach Wayne Graham, who died this week. He won national championships at San Jacinto College and Rice. We mark his passing and then revisit our 2022 trip to the Rice baseball's pitching laboratory.And this weekend, new episodes of Texas Country Reporter will begin airing with a new host who grew up in Greater Houston. We revisit our conversation with J.B. Sauceda from last December.Then, from new grant money for the Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail line, to Simone Biles retiring one of her signature moves, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And Kingwood hosts the fifth annual In a Pickle Festival this Saturday. We learn more and talk about

On Thursday's show: We get the latest on possible stormy weather in the region and learn about a new report on coastal flooding from NOAA and what it suggests for Galveston and other Texas Gulf Coast communities.Also this hour: Plastic waste is piling up in a Houston facility awaiting the promise of new "advanced" or chemical forms of recycling. Some say those methods could solve the world's mounting plastic waste problem while others worry it could create another set of environmental problems. So, are we truly on the cusp of solving our plastic problem -- or is it all just a waste?Then, how vulnerable is Greater Houston’s economy to risks stemming from climate change? The directors of Rice University’s just-established Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience (CFAR) share their insights.And we chat with Michael Moore, the president of Uptown Houston.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest in state, local, and national politics in our weekly political roundup.Also: Local food writers discuss their favorite places for small plates and things to share in our latest installment of The Full Menu.And we talk with actress Michelle Azar about her role playing the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a new play called All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on stage at the Hobby Center this week.

On Tuesday's show: We discuss the economic and electoral impact Hispanics have on our region on on the heels of a summit on that subject from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.Also this hour: We offer Houstonians their monthly opportunity to vent about their pet peeves.And Texas country star Pat Green talks with Ernie Manouse about his career and music.

On Friday's show: A record number of Harris County residents applied for FEMA aid after Hurricane Beryl. We learn more about that revelation from the Houston Chronicle's Rebekah Ward.Also this hour: From the Houston area now being home to the third-largest statue in the country (but not without a little controversy), to a draft brochure advertising an opening for the position of Dallas city manager that featured a photo of Houston on its cover, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we learn about this weekend's Houston Black Dance Festival, which celebrates traditions of African and diasporic dance.

On Thursday's show: We hear some varying points of view on Houston ISD's $4.4 billion bond proposal, which would address aging campuses with pressing needs, according to the district.But about three weeks before they are set to decide whether to place a bond package on the Nov. 5 ballot, the state-appointed leaders of Texas' largest school district signaled support for the plan. They also expressed a sense of urgency for making schools across the city safer and more secure.Also this hour: With multiple mosquito-borne illnesses in the news lately along with lingering questions about the latest COVID variant, infectious diseases expert Dr. Peter Hotez walks us through what we should know about those and other public health concerns of late.And we visit the Gulfton Story Trail Mural Project, a series of 12 murals in the Gulfton neighborhood reflecting the experiences of people who live there.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in the presidential race and other news in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: As the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games kick off in Paris, we learn about a local running group called Eye Can Alliance, which supports blind and vision-impaired athletes.

On Tuesday's show: Two school boards on Greater Houston’s west side have passed new library book policies. We learn what was decided at Fort Bend ISD and Katy ISD.Also this hour: We saw a familiar face among the folks doing state-by-state roll calls at last week’s DNC -- actor Sean Astin. He visited Houston back in 2018 to discuss mental health. We revisit our conversation with him.Then: Houston-based Halliburton suffered an apparent cyberattack last week. We discuss what steps businesses can take to ensure cybersecurity -- and how it affects the rest of us when that doesn’t work.And we revisit the story of an all-Latino Houston homicide squad from the 1970s, which is the subject of a two-part docuseries called The Chicano Squad, airing Sept. 2-3 on A&E. We talk with comedian and actor Cristela Alonzo, who hosted Chicano Squad, a podcast that told that same story and was released in 2021.

On Monday's show: August and September have always been considered the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. And right now there’s no sort of real threat out in the Atlantic for the Houston area. So, when you consider how early in the season Beryl came along and the derecho before it, it seems to the untrained eye as if this hurricane season is not going at all the way past years have. We ask an expert is that's true -- and find out why.Also this hour: We learn about a recent investigation into efforts to contend with so-called zombie oil wells in West Texas -- old wells that are suddenly bursting with fluids after years of dormancy.Then, columnist Dwight Silverman discusses recent developments in consumer technology.And we preview the upcoming Texans season with Jonathan Alexander, who covers the team for the Houston Chronicle.

On Friday's show: A new poll finds the gap closing in the race for President here in Texas. We get details on the UH/TSU survey from one of its authors.Also this hour: We preview the 10th anniversary of the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands, which showcases the marching bands of historically Black colleges and universities. We talk with the directors of our local HBCU’s -- Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M -- before they battle it out this Sunday at NRG Stadium.Then, from Beryl-related price-gouging prosecutions, to a local restaurant chain cutting servers' wages and warning them not to talk about, to a potential never-before-seen oddity for Major League Baseball, we ask our “non-expert” panel to weigh in on intrigues in the news on our Friday conversation The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.And, next weekend, Asia Society Texas will present a performance called Transcending Borders: The Ramayana Project, featuring music and dance from various cultures across South Asia, telling the story of the Ramayana,

On Thursday's show: Half a year after the Houston Police Department was rocked by a scandal involving 264,000 suspended cases, Mayor John Whitmire's Independent Review Committee released its findings on the matter. We learn what it had to say. And, we remember a Houston icon, Dr. Tatcho Mindiola, Jr, who passed this week.Also this hour: These hottest days of the summer are rough on Texas prisoners who, with rare exception, don’t have access to air conditioning. Is that cruel or unusual punishment? A court case may resolve that soon.Then, from sold out screenings of 80’s films, to new sequels of the Alien, Ghostbusters, and Beetlejuice movies, it appears nostalgia for the decade on film is not slowing down. We explore why on this month’s edition of The Bigger Picture.And we bid farewell to one of our producers who's departing: Troy Schulze.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss highlights from the first couple nights of the Democratic National Convention and other developments in local, state, and national politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: Longtime Houstonians have strong opinions about things you should and should not do in the Bayou City. A trio of longtime residents share their Houston Do's and Don'ts and we hear listener suggestions, which you can submit now to at talk@houstonmatters.org And we learn about the growing practice of music therapy in Houston hospitals and health care.

On Tuesday's show: The Houston Chronicle reported last week that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing immigrant rights organization FIEL Houston, seeking to shut it down for violating a ban on nonprofits participating or intervening in political campaigns. His reported basis? Social media posts from the group that speak negatively about Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump. We learn more what happened and about the legal challenge.Also this hour: With a new school year under way, how can Houstonians with school-aged children protect themselves and their kids from a wide array of viruses that tend to spread each fall? On the one hand, vaccination exemptions have been rising for years. On the other, school enrollment is down, so maybe that means fewer sick kids at school, anyway. We discuss and consider whether Texas lawmakers may revisit vaccine exemptions next legislative session.Then, Houston-area emergency room doctor Cedric Dark is proposing a public health approach to gun violence in h

On Monday's show: It was a busy first week of school at Houston ISD filled with some good news, some frustration, and a tragic student death. We learn the latest from reporter Adam Zuvanich.Also this hour: Ernie Manouse talks with singer and actor Melissa Manchester about her career and her role in Funny Girl at the Hobby Center.Then, we welcome your dog and cat care questions for veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller.And we learn what's behind the Astros' recent hot streak and talk about a potential rule change for starting pitchers in MLB with Jesus Ortiz of Our Esquina.

On Friday's show: CenterPoint Energy executives spent much of the latest Public Utility Commission meeting defending their leases of mobile generators, costing more than $800 million, that went unused during and after Hurricane Beryl. And Harris County Commissioners approved a new version of the county's income assistance program. We learn more about both developments.Also this hour: NASA has a decision to make before the end of the month about when and how to bring two astronauts home who have been aboard the ISS for two months on a journey originally intended to last just a week. We discuss the circumstances surrounding Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams’ mission, the problems detected with the Starliner vehicle that took them up there, and the safety culture at NASA today.Then, we talk with astronomer Dr. David Levy, who co-discovered Shoemaker-Levy 9, a comet that hit Jupiter in 1994. He’s in town to meet with a local astronomy club.And from Disney wanting a wrongful death lawsuit thrown out because the plai