Houston Matters Houston Public Media

On Friday's show: The Harris County Jail continues to face challenges with overcrowding. And it’s not just the jail here. We learn how jails across the state are dealing with the same issue.
Also this hour: For students going to college, picking where to go can be a complicated decision. And visiting all the campuses on your wish list might not be feasible. But what if they came to you? That’s what happened recently when Houston’s NRG Center hosted the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s National College Fair, where dozens of institutions from across the country got a chance for some face time with busloads of local high school students and others there with their parents.
Then, from the Texans unveiling new uniforms, to a former college football star getting back a trophy he had to forfeit years ago, our panel of non-experts discusses The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.
And the local ensemble WindSync is celebrating its 15th anniversary at their annual Onstage Offstage Chamber Music Festival, which runs through the weekend. We reflect on the group's history and how it has changed over years.

On Wednesday's show: The Supreme Court of Texas has blocked implementation of Uplift Harris, the county’s guaranteed income pilot program for low-income households. And opening statements and testimony began in the first criminal trial of a former president. We discuss those and other developments in politics in our weekly roundup.
Also this hour: We learn about the annual Frida Festival this weekend, a celebration of creative expression and of a legend of visual art, Frida Kahlo. 
And more than 40 years ago, a film hit theaters showcasing a slice of life in Houston in the 1980s. Urban Cowboy starred John Travolta and Debra Winger – along with Gilley’s dance hall in Pasadena and one very popular mechanical bull. We listen back to a 2020 interview with the late Mickey Gilley on his memories from the film and what it did for his career and his business.

 
On Tuesday's show: From the ongoing court challenge to the county’s income assistance program, to calls for more transparency in how the county hands out contracts for infrastructure projects, we discuss issues facing Harris County with its chief executive, Judge Lina Hidalgo.
Also this hour: Term-limited Galveston City Council Member John Paul Listowski looks back on the island’s successes and challenges over the past six years.

On Monday's show: A new PBS documentary called Poisoned Ground tells the story of the Love Canal environmental disaster near Niagara Falls that led to the creation of the EPA's Superfund program. Much of the fight against that site was led by women, and we hear from one of them. And we learn how one of them inspired and mentored Houston activist Jackie Medcalf, who’s working to clean up superfund sites around this area.
Also this hour: We discuss recent developments in the world of consumer technology with columnist Dwight Silverman.
And we get an update on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: The Anti-Defamation League recently conducted an audit of antisemitic incidents that showed a 45 percent increase in the region that encompasses Houston. We learn more about the audit and what kinds of incidents have been reported.
Also this hour: From the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail project gaining new momentum, to retired NFL player Jason Kelce losing his Super Bowl ring in a pool of Skyline Chili, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.
And a new book follows women who moved to Houston from Iraq, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan as refugees and are trying to move forward with new lives. We meet two of the women and talk with Kim Meyer, author of Accidental Sisters.

On Thursday's show: While a cool front and some thunderstorms are expected to come through the region over the weekend, Houston has been experiencing plenty of warm, humid weather already this spring. We talk over some of the recent weather and climate trends with Space City Weather meteorologist Eric Berger and Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.
Also this hour: We discuss the challenges many Houston businesses face with parking and how that can affect them economically.
And Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! host Peter Sagal talks about what he's learned after 25 years of making fun of everything. Sagal is coming to town for an event with Performing Arts Houston on May 3.