Houston Matters

On Monday's show: Ahead of Election Day, for those who haven't voted early, we offer an election guide for procrastinators. Also this hour: We offer listeners their monthly chance to vent their pet peeves about life in Greater Houston. You can share yours now at talk@houstonmatters.org. And we get an update on sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: As voters contemplate a school bond and battles over public education focus on resources and curriculum, there’s a more fundamental challenge schools face -- too many students not showing up to class. Producer Celeste Diaz Schurman talks with HISD Superintendent Mike Miles about the impact of chronic absenteeism at Houston-area schools. Also this hour: The Texans lost last night...to the Jets? We talk about it with Jeff Balke, who co-hosts the Bleav in Astros podcast and writes for Houston Press. Then, from many HISD middle and high schools scrapping their Halloween celebrations after new guidance from the district, to Port Arthur being named one of the worst small cities in the country, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And we preview the Houston Music Festival, featuring performances of chamber music, improv, and spoken word, including a concert of music with Houston ties, including covers of Beyoncé and Lizzo.

On Thursday's show: Dominic Anthony Walsh provides an update on why the City of Houston continues to pay dues to the Houston-Galveston Area Council after a proposition last year allowed Houston to leave the organization. Also this hour: Amid recent foodborne illness outbreaks and kids hauling buckets of Halloween candy home, we consider how to ensure that our food is safe to eat. Then, we hear from listeners and HPM staffers about some of their favorite Halloween songs. And author and former Houstonian Shea Serrano talks about Werewolf Lawyer, his latest novella about a lawyer for werewolves.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in local, state, and national politics with Party Politics co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina. Then, we consider whether adults have co-opted Halloween from kids. And we look back on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which released 50 years ago this month.

On Tuesday's show: With a hot and dry October so far, we talk with meteorologist Justin Ballard about what we can expect for trick-or-treating weather. Plus, we look at why Rice University has seen a drop in admissions for Black students over the past year. Also this hour: We consider how minors are viewed in the legal system, amid efforts to fix foster care in Texas. Then, we talk with the filmmaker of a new documentary about the film Chasing Amy. And Meow Wolf Houston officially opens this week! We get a preview of the new immersive experience.

On Monday's show: We dive into the political battle happening over the delayed execution of Robert Roberson. Also this hour: Last week we discussed why choosing an electricity provider in Texas can be complicated and intimidating. Today, we revisit how we got to this point after the state deregulated the retail electricity market and consider how that truly affected energy prices in the state. Then, columnist Dwight Silverman discusses recent developments in consumer technology. And Jeff Balke recaps the Texans' important divisional matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.

On Friday's show: While Houston ISD voters are contemplating whether to approve a record-setting bond for their school district, Fort Bend ISD is revising plans for an over-budget bond approved there last year. We discuss both with Houston Public Media’s Adam Zuvanich and Natalie Weber. Also this hour: From a Missouri woman using an Apple AirTag to track a stolen campaign sign taken from her yard and shaming the thief on social media, to the Yankees' general manager saying his team's World Series drought should’ve ended in 2017, our non-experts discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. Then, we reflect on the life and career of Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon with reporter Mirin Fader, author of Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon. And we visit the Wings Over Houston air show at Ellington Field where a local pilot explains what it's like re-enacting the attack on Pearl Harbor flying vintage World War II aircraft.

On Thursday's show: A dust-up between Houston’s mayor and controller seems to have escalated in recent days. We walk through what’s going on with News 88.7 reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh. Also this hour: We visit an event raising funds for cancer research while celebrating children who are combatting cancer. Then, this month’s installment of The Bigger Picture examines the new film Saturday Night, about the behind-the-scenes chaos leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live back in 1975. Joshua Zinn discusses the film and the show's affect on live sketch and improv comedy in the Houston area. And classical music meets hip hop tonight as the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra teams up with Houston’s Fly Dance Company and Outspoken Bean.

On Wednesday's show: More polling results are in from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs. We learn what they have to tell us about the upcoming election and opinions on the integrity of those elections. Also this hour: With early voting underway and a hyper-focus on the presidential election, we seek context and clarity about recent developments in politics in our weekly roundup. And choosing an electric provider in Texas can be quite complicated. We talk to one of those electric providers to learn how they operate and with the founder of a company that helps Texas residential electricity customers find the best plan.

On Tuesday's show: As we enter the final weeks of campaigning before Election Day, we check in with reporter Andrew Schneider on how the candidates for U.S. Senate are making their last appeals to voters. Also this hour: With early voting underway in the 2024 election, we revisit a conversation from 2022 about the television series, The West Wing, which inspired a whole generation to engage in the world of politics. But did it establish unrealistic expectations? We ask University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus, who uses clips from the show in his classes. Then, we talk with content creator Felecia for the Win, who's the host of the PBS Digital series Roots of Resistance, which is produced by Houston Public Media and examines social movements that have changed life in America throughout our nation's history. The latest episode, which is out now on YouTube, delves into the age-old question: Is voting a privilege or a fundamental right? And we visit an event called Coffee with the Composer, where Joel Thompson, composer-in-residence for Houston Grand Opera, meets with community members to share insight into his process and engages in dialogue about his music with attendees.

On Monday's show: A new report sheds light on how much lead is showing up in drinking water at Texas schools. Also this hour: Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers, author of 14 novels including The Overstory and The Echo Maker, talks about his work and his latest book, Playground, ahead of an event with Inprint tonight at 7:30 at The Alley Theatre. Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller talks about issues affecting pet health. And we get an update on sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: We get the latest results from an election survey from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs. And two Houston elected officials traded barbs on Thursday in the latest round of a political fight that’s been escalating over the last few months. Also this hour: Our non-experts consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And musician Big Mama Thornton will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this weekend. She recorded "Hound Dog" at Houston's Peacock Records, and it was a No. 1 hit three years before Elvis Presley put his mark on it. We reflect on her life and musical career.

On Thursday's show: We get updates on several stories happening in Fort Bend County, including the latest on the scandal involving County Judge KP George, and a wave of petitions by landowners wanted to de-annex from the city of Fulshear. Also this hour: Local entomologist Erin Mills of the Houston Botanic Garden answers listener questions about bugs and insects. And we learn about a play in Pasadena called Shelter in Place that sets some family drama against a background many Houstonians will find familiar -- an approaching hurricane.

On Wednesday's show: Senator Ted Cruz and his challenger, Rep. Colin Allred, took to the stage last night in their only debate of the campaign. We get reaction on each of their performances and discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We talk with Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter and author Mary Gauthier, who performs at The Heights Theater Oct. 18.

On Tuesday's show: Exactly three weeks from Election Day, a new poll finds former President Donald Trump holds a five point lead in Texas over Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senator Ted Cruz is up four points in his race against Congressman Colin Allred. We discuss that and other findings in the latest pre-election survey from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs. Also this hour: How you feel about an issue may have a lot to do with how close you are to it -- not in terms of impact, just geography. Party Politics co-host Jeronimo Cortina discusses that concept in his new book, Proximity Politics. And we meet pianist Adam J. Ivey and hear him perform. His story illustrates how minorities who grow up in the inner city often don't have opportunities to learn classical music. He talks about overcoming that and being born deaf to become a performer and composer.

On Monday's show: We discuss environmental concerns raised by chemical leaks, fires, and other accidents following last week’s deadly leak at the Pemex chemical plant in Deer Park. Also this hour: Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers listeners' gardening questions. And we discuss Sunday's Texans game against the Patriots with Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Alexander.

On Friday's show: The U.S. Supreme Court’s latest term started this week. So far, highlights seem to be about what the High Court is not considering and speculation over what it might have to do if next month’s election results are disputed. We talk it over with a constitutional law expert. Also this hour: From questions still swirling around that blue alert that woke up Texas to teachers in Spring ISD being accused of giving children sleeping aid patches, our panel of non-experts mull over The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week's news. And we celebrate the joys of pinball machines and arcade games ahead of the Houston Arcade Expo this weekend.

On Thursday's show: We meet Bryan Brown, the new president of the Energy Corridor District. Also this hour: We talk with Frank Lorenzo, the former CEO of Continental Airlines, which was based in Houston, about his new memoir. It's called Flying for Peanuts: Tough Deals, Steep Bargains, and Revolution in the Skies. And we tour the latest renovations at Jones Hall.

On Wednesday's show: We talk to meteorologist Eric Berger of Space City Weather as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida. And former Houston police officer Gerald Goines has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after being convicted on two counts of felony murder for his role in the Harding Street drug raid in 2019. Reporter Lucio Vasquez gives us the details. Also this hour: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Then, we meet Houstonian Marcus Bridgewater, the personality behind Garden Marcus on social media. He discusses his passion for plants and his new book, Seasons of Growth. And, from the 1970s to the early 2000s, some radio stations were doing things a little bit differently -- including here in Houston. The documentary Runaway Radio tells the story of KLOL-FM, an iconic rock station and a different time in radio. Ahead of an Oct. 28 screening at the River Oaks Theatre, we revisit our conversation from March about the film.

On Tuesday's show: Have budget cuts affecting how kids get to and from school at Cy-Fair ISD contributed to recent accidents? Also this hour: We talk with Dean Gladden, the managing director of The Alley Theatre, who has just announced he’s retiring in June. Then, we talk with some people who participated in last week’s Week Without Driving challenge and learn what it says about mobility in the Houston area. Plus, Chef Chris Shepherd tells us about his love for the animated film Ratatouille, which he’s selected for the next screening in the Movies Houstonians Love series at the MFAH. And Brenda Valdivia reports on last weekend’s Southern Smoke Festival, proceeds from which benefit food and beverage workers nationwide.