Houston Matters

On Monday's show: We preview the college football national championship game between Michigan and Washington tonight at NRG Stadium.

Also this hour: We discuss the history of the pledge of allegiance and some recent legal battles over it.

Plus, Meg Tapp from The Garden Club of Houston answers listener questions.

And we recap Saturday’s Texans game with Jeff Balke, who writes for Houston Press and co-hosts the Bleav in Astros podcast.

On Friday's show: We preview festivities this weekend leading up to the college football national championship game Monday night. Chris Massey of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority talks about the events planned and security measures for the weekend.

Also this hour: As we mark the third anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, author and historian Jeremi Suri examines the unresolved questions that have dominated the politics of our country since the end of the Civil War, which is the subject of his latest book, Civil War by Other Means. We hear an excerpt from Suri's interview on this week’s edition of I See U with Eddie Robinson.

Then, from who didn’t make it to the college football national championship game in Houston on Monday, to a change in policy regarding cups at Starbucks, our non-experts weigh in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And deciphering old photos and home movies to understand what they really say about a family – and who gets to tell a family’s story – are themes explored in the Alley Theatre’s production of the Broadway hit Pictures from Home.

On Thursday's show: When Fort Bend ISD elementary school students return to classes today, they will have armed security guards at their schools. News 88.7 reporter Natalie Weber explains why.

Also this hour: Sleep -- there’s never enough of it, it seems. Or, too often, there’s something affecting the quality of our sleep – or preventing it from happening altogether. That’s where sleep expert Dr. Sudha Tallavajhula comes in.

And does our city get snubbed or overlooked by pop culture, major events, and concert tours? Some Houstonians weigh in.

On Wednesday's show: John Whitmire has been sworn in as Houston's next mayor along with new city council members. We discuss the challenges ahead of them and the city and talk over the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: From lines of customers at Trill Burgers, to the first local chef to win a particular prestigious award, 2023 was full of exciting developments in Houston’s food scene. Food writers discuss their favorite new restaurants of the past year and look forward to 2024 in this month's installment of The Full Menu.

And we learn how the annual Fade To Black Reading Series helps up-and-coming Black playwrights take their work to the next level.

On Tuesday's show: Beginning on Jan. 8, Harris County will begin taking applications for Uplift Harris, its new income assistance pilot program. A county official explains how it works, who’s eligible, and whether it's likely to continue once the initial funding runs out. 

Also this hour: We learn about plans NASA is making to decommission the International Space Station in the coming decade and how you bring a spacecraft about the size of a football field safely back into earth’s atmosphere.

Then, we revisit a 2023 conversation with sports broadcaster and University of Houston alum Jim Nantz.

And Ernie Manouse talks with two of the actors behind TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, which runs Jan. 2-7 at The Hobby Center.

On Friday's show: We look back at the top five Houston stories of 2023.

Also this hour: We learned from NASA this week that the first hi-def video transmission sent back to Earth from deep space – from 19 million miles away…is a cat video. Our panel of non-experts discusses that and other stories on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

And we visit some particularly elaborate holiday light displays around the city to learn how much work is involved in putting them together and how those neighborhoods deal with increased traffic and crowds.

On Thursday's show: We discuss Mayor Sylvester Turner’s last city council meeting, the accomplishments he touted during it, and what challenges are first up for Mayor-elect John Whitmire and the next Houston City Council.

Also this hour: We talk with members of the youth-led nonprofit Students Engaged in Advancing Texas that alleges Katy ISD’s gender fluidity policy is discriminatory.

Also: This month’s edition of The Bigger Picture explores some serious issues raised…by a new Godzilla film.

And we learn how a math professor at Sam Houston State University's work with artificial intelligence helped restore the music of a lost opera and what that had to do with the 700th anniversary of Lithuania's capital city.

On Wednesday's show: We review the year in politics in our last weekly political roundup of 2023.

Also this hour: ‘Tis the season…for holiday-related scams, unfortunately. Agents from the FBI’s Houston Field Office tell us about some making the rounds.

And we revisit an in-studio performance by Robert Ellis. The Houston native performed for us in May of this year.

On Tuesday's show: Gov. Greg Abbott signed two immigration bills into law on Monday. One allocates more than $1.5 billion for border security The other makes it a state crime to illegally cross into Texas from Mexico. A local immigration attorney discusses their significance.

Also this hour: It’s been an especially dramatic year in education in Texas, and not just because of the state’s takeover of Houston ISD. We review some of the year’s biggest stories from the world of education with Houston Public Media reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh.

Then, we hear some highlights from an NPR Tiny Desk Concert with Houston rapper Scarface. Plus we reflect on why Pink Floyd’s seminal album, Dark Side of the Moon, is such a popular attraction at planetariums. And our producers play a Houston-themed version of Monopoly.

And actor and director Nell Teare, who grew up in Houston, talks about her debut feature film, Bolivar, which she calls a love letter to her family and includes several of her family members acting in various roles.

On Monday's show: We discuss some substantial developments for Houston-area school districts over the last week or so, including HISD’s "district of innovation" designation, Fort Bend ISD announcing a lone finalist to be its new superintendent, and Spring Branch ISD closing two elementary schools and ending a charter school contract.

When there’s big news in the world of education, we seek insight from Dr. Duncan Klussmann, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Houston. He’s also a former Superintendent of Spring Branch ISD. Dr. Klussmann, welcome back to the program…

Also this hour: After a Black a student in Barbers Hill was suspended again because of his hairstyle, we discuss how far dress codes in public schools should or should not be allowed to go and who decides where the line is, especially when it’s an effort to enforce what many characterize as racist policies.

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

And we get the latest on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.