Houston Matters

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, an epic in Hindu mythology.

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 [email protected] 

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 his new book, Under the Gun: An ER Doctor's Cure for America's Gun Epidemic.

And our summer series visiting area museums and attractions continues with a visit to Children’s Museum Houston.

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.