Houston Matters

On Friday's show: Past officer-involved shootings have led many law enforcement agencies to train officers to de-escalate -- something that seems far less evident from encounters between Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers since the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. So, what happened to the concept of de-escalation? We talk it over with Dr. Everette Penn from the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center.

Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And we hear from spiritual jazz legend, Kahil El’Zabar ahead of his performance at the Houston Museum of African American Culture as part of the museum’s latest exhibition, “Bayou City Stewards: America From Our Perspective." 

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On Thursday's show: More than 1,000 protesters gathered on Canal Street Wednesday night demanding answers after 36-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston's Magnolia Park neighborhood Tuesday morning.

We speak with two elected officials who represent the area: Houston City Council Member Joaquin Martinez and State Senator Carol Alvarado: District 6, about the shooting, the community's response, and what comes next.

Also this hour, East End residents discuss how this week's shooting has intensified longstanding frustrations over public safety, policing, and the challenges facing their neighborhood.

Then, we examine America's relationship with guns and gun violence with longtime public radio host David Greene, who's screening his new documentary, Louder Than Guns, in Houston tonight.

And we preview the latest episode of the podcast, After the Flood, a podcast collaboration of The Texas Newsroom and the PBS series Frontline.

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On Wednesday's show: We discuss the shooting of an undocumented immigrant in Magnolia Park. Elected officials and immigrant rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation.

And we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: We find out what kinds of protections exist for those who work outside in Houston’s summer heat.

And we learn about Texas Southern University's aviation program with a visit to its hangar at Ellington Field.

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On Tuesday's show: We learn how a little-known appeals process allowed thousands of wealthy homes to be removed from floodplain maps. Houston Chronicle investigative reporter Yilun Cheng explains how it happened and what it means.

And we get details about a lawsuit filed by Daniel Wong, who had been appointed to serve as Fort Bend Couty Judge, the latest development in a battle over who should be the leader of that county.

Also this hour: Houston's Venezuelan community is stepping up after that recent devastating earthquake there. We learn more about the effort here to help.

Then, we talk with Houstonians from different generations about their experiences here as teenagers.

And, 45 years ago today, President Ronald Reagan announced his intention to nominate Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. And, while she was the first woman on the High Court, she was not the first to appear on a presidential short list. We revisit a conversation about O'Connor's career with Renee Knake Jefferson, co-author of Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court.

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On Monday's show: We learn more about an investigative series from the Houston Chronicle examining how a Houston-based compounding pharmacy is stretching the boundaries of health care regulation and creating potential dangers for patients.

Also this hour: We offer listeners a chance to vent their pet peeves about life in our city.

And we get an update on the FIFA World Cup matches and, now that Houston has hosted its last match, we reflect on how the city did as a host city.

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On Thursday's show: As Houston gears up to mark not just another Fourth of July but also the nation's semiquincentennial, there's no shortage of ways to celebrate -- from fireworks over Buffalo Bayou to a tree-planting event that had to work around a protected bird's nest. We walk through some of the ways people are celebrating across Greater Houston.

Also this hour: Sure, Lee Greenwood sang about being proud to be an American. And so we, naturally, discuss what makes you proud to be a Houstonian.

Then, we learn how Texas helped shape aviation in America, the subject of an exhibit called Made in Texas at the Lone Star Flight Museum.

And we preview the latest episode of the podcast After the Flood, about the aftermath of the July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country.

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On Wednesday's show: From the U.S. Supreme Court upholding birthright citizenship, to other decisions from the High Court, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: Foodies discuss their favorite places for happy hour food and drink in the latest installment of The Full Menu.

And, as the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of independence, we consider the nation's story through the lens of several pieces of art on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in conjunction with America 250 festivities.

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On Tuesday's show: Could the Corpus Christi water crisis have been averted if Texans were a little more realistic about climate change? We learn how the state may have underestimated the increasing size and scope of droughts.

Also this hour: We consider Houston's role in international business and culture and whether that is changing lately.

Then, we revisit a conversation from last year with Bryan Burrough, author of The Gunfighters, about the role Texas played in the rise of Old West legends.

And we go bird watching in the Bayou City.

On Monday's show: We learn how last week's tire fire in southeast Houston may be affecting air quality. And the Galveston City Council approved zoning exemptions for the Discovery Sands development that has sparked controversy across the island.

Also this hour: We discuss how last week’s Supreme Court decision allowing the president to end the nation’s Temporary Protected Status program might affect families, businesses, and industries across Greater Houston.

Then, ahead of America’s 250th birthday, we discuss what was happening in 1776 in what became Texas, which was under Spanish rule, and who else inhabited what became Greater Houston.

And we dig deeper on news that the NHL might add an expansion team in Houston or Austin.

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On Friday's show: HISD’s state-appointed board of managers approved Bible-infused curriculum for elementary school students and also voted to adopt a $2 billion operating budget for the 2026-27 school year. We get details on both.

And, Fort Bend County government ground to a halt after two Democratic commissioners walked out of a meeting, breaking quorum and leaving county business in limbo. The standoff is the latest escalation in a partisan dispute over who legally leads the county.

Also this hour: We mark an anniversary for a few key landmark Supreme Court rulings impacting gay rights: Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, the 2013 striking down of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and, in 2015, Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the High Court ruled same-sex couples had a Constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment.

Then, our non-experts contemplate The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And we preview the Ensemble Theatre’s production of Get Ready, which explores the impact that shifts in popular music had on Black musicians starting in the 1950s.

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