 On Thursday's Houston Matters: NPR's John Burnett joins us to talk about his recent visit to the Port of Houston to learn about the global supply chain crisis. Also this hour: Immigration, abortion, education, the environment – seems like, no matter what the topic, whatever controversy has reared its head, Texas is at the center of it. Does that get old after a while? Can’t some other state be the test case for, well, everything? We talk it over and take your comments. And local author and teacher Jackie Anders talks about her books, which she describes “clean romance.”

Houston Matters

Why Texas is always at the center of controversy (Oct. 21, 2021)

 On Wednesday's Houston Matters: We discuss all the latest news in our weekly politcal roundup. Also this hour: Do the benefits of social media outweigh its potential negatives? And author Jonathan Franzen discusses his new novel, Crossroads, and explains why he loves visiting Texas – even though his latest visit to Houston for an event with Inprint Oct. 25 will be a virtual one.

The week in politics, deleting Facebook, & Jonathan Franzen (Oct. 20, 2021)

 On Tuesday's Houston Matters: City Council member Tarsha Jackson answers your questions about issues affecting city government. Also this hour: We talk with comedian and Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! panelist Paula Poundstone. She performs at the Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston on Oct. 30. And local writer Jennifer Mathieu talks about her latest young adult novel, Bad Girls Never Say Die. It's a retelling of The Outsiders with female characters.

Tarsha Jackson, Paula Poundstone, & Jennifer Mathieu (Oct. 19, 2021)

 On Monday's Houston Matters: A new study from a University of Houston professor explores the impact the pandemic has had on Hispanic/Latinx youth from their perspective. It’s a follow up to a study from the spring. We learn more. Also this hour: We get an update on the health of Galveston Bay and efforts to learn more about future industrial runoff risks. And we get an update on the Astros in the ALCS and other developments in sports.

The pandemic’s effect on Latinx youth, & the health of Galveston Bay (Oct. 18, 2021)

 On Friday's Houston Matters: We learn why the union for Harris County law enforcement has filed a lawsuit against the county. Also this hour: We break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we bid farewell to longtime News 88.7 reporter Florian Martin.  

A lawsuit against Harris County, & the good, bad, & ugly of the week (Oct. 15, 2021)

 On Thursday's Houston Matters: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would let people fired for refusing the get a COVID-19 vaccine to sue their former employers. This, of course, could have repercussions for a number of businesses in the Houston area. We talk with News 88.7’s Andrew Schneider about the hearing, and whether this bill is likely to pass. Also this hour: Jason Woods, aka DJ Flash Gordon Parks, is a living encyclopedia of Houston music history. We talk with him about Houston music and why certain genres flourished here. And Tex-Mex cuisine is spreading throughout the country, but is it spreading in Mexico itself? Chef David Cordúa talks it over and discusses the different kinds of Mexican cuisine you can find in Texas.  

Fired for not getting vaccinated, & types of Mexican cuisine (Oct. 14, 2021)

 On Wednesday's Houston Matters: Local leaders and businesses are pushing back against Gov. Greg Abbott’s new executive order banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations from employees or customers. Also this hour: We discuss the latest news in our weekly political roundup. Then, we discuss the future of downtown with Bob Eury, the outgoing president of the downtown revitalization organization Central Houston. And Catherine Lu talks with former Houston Poet Laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, who was just named a resident artist for the American Lyric Theater in New York City.

Vaccine mandate ban, & the week in politics (Oct. 13, 2021)

 On Tuesday's Houston Matters: Mayor Sylvester Turner is reversing course on a controversial housing contract. We learn more from News 88.7's Jen Rice. Also this hour: Houston City Council Member Greg Travis discusses issues facing the city. You can send questions now to talk@houstonmatters.org. Then, we discuss some recent growth in the Katy area and what it signals about what is drawing Houstonians to live in communities like it. And Houston-based artist Joni Zavitsanos has created a memorial to Houstonians lost to COVID-19 which will be on display at the Health Museum beginning Oct. 16.

Mayor’s Reversal On Housing Deal, Greg Travis, & Growth in Katy (Oct. 12, 2021)

 On Monday's Houston Matters: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez discusses efforts to curb street racing and other law enforcement issues. Also this hour: We discuss how the Biden administration is handling immigration enforcement differently since coming to power. Then, bug expert Erin Mills of the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land answers your questions. And we get an update on the Astros playoff series against the White Sox and other Houston sports stories.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Immigration Enforcement, & Houston Bugs (Oct. 11, 2021)

 On Friday's Houston Matters: Mayor Sylvester Turner’s handling of a development deal went unaddressed at a special council meeting yesterday that focused on the housing department’s budget. News 88.7’s Jen Rice fills us in on what happened. Also this hour: With the process of redrawing Texas Congressional maps underway, we examine a different way of handling it altogether. Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we preview a conversation about how – and what – the spaces we inhabit teach us about race. It's the topic of this week's edition of I See U.

Controversial development deal goes unaddressed, and a different way to handle redistricting (Oct. 8, 2021)

 On Thursday's show: Houston sometimes struggles to get out of its own way environmentally. There were a couple notable examples Wednesday. First, in the morning, an oil spill at the Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City – just the latest in a series of leaks and spills nationwide recently. Later Wednesday, Air Alliance Houston released a new report finding public transit use is way down in the region. Refinery accidents, our car-centric culture -- they have a cumulative effect. We talk it over with Rachel Powers, executive director of the Citizens' Environmental Coalition. Also this hour: A University of Houston forum on Oct. 21 will discuss how to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline – the problem of students getting kicked out of school and all too often ending up in the criminal justice system. We talk with two experts involved in the discussion. Then, local food writers discuss their favorite places to get vegan and vegetarian food around the city these days in our monthly food segment, The Full Menu. And we learn about Latino rap and hip-hop in Houston.

Houston’s environmental flubs, vegan and vegetarian restaurants, and Latino rap (Oct. 7, 2021)

 On Wednesday's Houston Matters: Two area members of Congress have weighed in on draft district maps in the state's redistricting process. It's safe to say they’re not happy. News 88.7's Andrew Schneider explains. Also this hour: We discuss the latest news in our weekly political roundup with University of Houston political scientists Jeronimo Cortina and Brandon Rottinghaus, co-hosts of Houston Public Media's Party Politics program. New episodes debut this week and can be heard Fridays at 10:30 p.m. on News 88.7. Then, we talk with Dr. Laura Murillo, the president and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, about her new book called Lead in Life, People. Passion. Persistence: Succeed in the New Era of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. And singer/songwriter Thomas Csorba performs in studio.

Complaints about new Congressional maps, & the week in politics (Oct. 6, 2021)

 On Tuesday's Houston Matters: Houston City Council Member Tiffany Thomas answers your questions about issues facing the city. Also this hour: She’s received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony – despite constant efforts to typecast her. We revisit a 2014 conversation with Rita Moreno, who discusses her career and her work advocating for the arts. The PBS series American Masters profiles Moreno tonight at 8 on Houston Public Media, TV 8. And we learn about items in an archive at the University of Houston from legendary Houston TV news reporter Marvin Zindler.

Tiffany Thomas, Rita Moreno, & Marvin Zindler’s archives (Oct. 5, 2021)

 On Monday's Houston Matters: We get the latest COVID-19 numbers and trends from the Houston Health Authority, Dr. David Persse. Also this hour: We offer you your monthly opportunity to vent about your pet peeves about life in Housotn. And we get an update on Houston sports.

What’s your pet peeve about life in Houston? (Oct. 4, 2021)

 On Friday's Houston Matters: We get an update on developments in Congress regarding the infrastructure bill and avoiding a government shutdown. And we preview the November election here in Texas, with the deadline to register to vote coming up on Monday. Also this hour: We talk with a local organizer of the Houston Women’s March, which will be one of many taking place around the country on Saturday regarding reproductive rights. Then, we talk with Michael López-Alegría from the Houston-based company Axiom Space, which has begun training private astronauts (including López-Alegría himself) who will head to the International Space Station in January. The company is also building the first commercial space station. Plus, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we preview a conversation with Wendy and Lisa from Prince’s band The Revolution from this week’s edition of I See U with Eddie Robinson.

Marchers plan to demonstrate for women’s rights Saturday (Oct. 1, 2021)

Houston Matters is a radio program airing weekdays at 9 am and 7pm 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.

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