Houston Matters

On Tuesday's show: KP George, County Judge for Fort Bend County, joins us in studio to discuss his top priorities for the county this year.

Also this hour: A conversation with retired astronaut Leland Melvin, tied to the new National Geographic documentary The Space Race.

Then, we preview an upcoming conference at Rice University that looks to tackle questions on the ethics of genetic research.

And we revisit some suggestions for how to curb traffic accidents in the region.

On Monday's show: The game schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been announced. We learn all the details about how many games Houston will host and at what stage.

Also this hour: Funding to help move Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens residents living near a contaminated railyard is being reconsidered after being delayed for almost a month. Houston City Council is expected to vote Wednesday on $2 million that would go toward that effort. City Council Member Tarsha Jackson joins us to discuss the matter. 

Then, we offer you a chance to share your pet peeves about life in Greater Houston.

And we preview the Super Bowl and discuss other developments in Houston sports.

On Friday's show: Three officers are being sued for conducting a no-knock, warrantless entry of a Houston man's home in the middle of the night and holding him and his wife at gunpoint. The lawsuit alleges three Harris County Precinct 2 constables violated a Houston man’s Fourth Amendment rights.

Also this hour: From Food Not Bombs Houston suing the city, to Taylor Swift political conspiracy theories, our panel of non-experts weighs in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

Then, classical crossover trio Time for Three talks with our Joshua Zinn ahead of a Houston performance on Feb. 9.

And we learn why some Houstonians have been driven to seek medical care outside the country.

On Thursday's show: Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee discusses several issues facing the county, including the questioning of the county's new guaranteed income pilot program and legal action against a concrete batch plant located near Kashmere Gardens.

Also this hour: We have a conversation about crime prevention and perceptions of crime in the city. We discuss what the crime situation really is and why it may not match the public’s impression. We also talk about efforts to improve policing in Houston.

Then, journalist Justice Malala reflects on the tumultuous last days of apartheid in South Africa and an assassin's attempt to spark a full-blown racial civil war. It's the subject of his book, The Plot to Save South Africa, which he'll discuss on this week's edition of I See U with Eddie Robinson.

And we go inside the big business of quinceañeras.

On Wednesday's show: From the border standoff, to a Senate primary debate, to impeachment proceedings against the Homeland Security chief, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: As college student, Houston writer Chris Cander was attacked by a man while studying abroad in Spain. She used some of what she experienced during the attack and dealing with it for years afterward as the basis for her latest novel, The Young of Other Animals.

And we learn about a recent culinary conference in Houston that brought together people in the food industry to share ideas, build networks, and discuss the latest business growth trends with a focus on supporting minority-owned businesses.

On Tuesday's show: The trial of the Santa Fe High School shooter has been delayed again as Dimitrios Pagourtzis has been recommitted to a state hospital for mental health treatment. His capital murder trial remains on hold nearly six years after the 2018 shooting that killed ten and left 13 others injured.

Also this hour: We revisit a 2018 conversation with historian Jon Meacham about his book The Soul of America, which examines some particularly trying times in our nation’s history when presidents and ordinary citizens came together to overcome fear and hate.

Plus, Dr. Jim Allison, a Nobel Prize-winning cancer researcher at MD Anderson, has been named to the 2024 class of The National Inventors Hall of Fame for his efforts developing immunotherapy as a cancer treatment. We hear from him and from a man whose cancer was treated with immunotherapy.

And this weekend, the Houston Symphony is celebrating the centennial of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with a concert featuring the iconic composition and other famous Gershwin tunes.

On Monday's show: Since December, some Houstonians have been experiencing major mail delivery delays, which the Postal Service says may not be resolved anytime soon. Houston Chronicle reporter Peter Warren explains why we’re seeing delays here (and not elsewhere) and what it has to do with the post office’s long-term plans.

Also this hour: Texas writer Ben Fountain talks about what the nation of Haiti has to tell the rest of the world about looming issues that may affect us. Fountain's longtime interest in the history and plight of Haiti has influenced his latest novel, Devil Makes Three, which he discusses at an Inprint event tonight.

Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers your pet care questions.

And we get an update on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: The Houston Police Department is revising its body-worn camera policy in order to retrieve footage from inactivated body cameras. The newly revised policy would allow the department to obtain body camera footage for a period of time after a police interaction, regardless of whether an officer hit record.

Also this hour: The annual Houston Auto Show is going on through the weekend at NRG Center. We discuss the growing role women play in what certainly was once (and maybe still is) a male-dominated industry.

Then, a report released earlier this month outlines ways Harris County authorities can better respond to sexual assaults.

And from the HISD new education system expansion planned for next school year, to a man suing companies that he says used AI tech to wrongfully convict him, to longtime Astros reliever Billy Wagner falling just short in this year’s Hall of Fame vote, our non-experts weigh in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

On Thursday's show: We discuss the wave of layoffs hitting the news industry in recent days.

Also this hour: What the Oscar-nominated film “Poor Things” has to say about female liberation. That, and how women fought for their rights through the 20th century, are the subjects of this month’s edition of The Bigger Picture.

Then, saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Paul Cornish (who's an HSPVA alum) join us ahead of a performance in Houston Friday night.

And we preview a jazz concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of UH-Downtown.

On Wednesday's show: From the New Hampshire primary, to the Supreme Court’s ruling against Texas on border authority, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: Writer and former Houston poet laureate Leslie Contreras Schwartz talks about her memoir, From the Womb of Sky and Earth, which is a lyrical exercise in coming to terms with the abuse she suffered growing up and transitioning to becoming a mother herself. She discusses the book at a Brazos Bookstore event tonight.

And this year’s Oscar nominations are out. That comes on the heels of awards announced by the Houston Film Critics Society, and two of their film critics talk about their favorite movies of 2023.