Houston Matters Houston Public Media

On Thursday's show: One week after deadly storms struck parts of Greater Houston and knocked out power for thousands, we take stock of the recovery effort so far.
Also this hour: Former Houston Chronicle reporter Mike Hixenbaugh talks about increased political battles in public education, which is the subject of his new book: They Came for the Schools.
Then, ahead of this weekend’s Comicpalooza, we hear from a star of the comic book world who’s appearing there: writer and illustrator Chip Zdarsky. He’s written for popular DC and Marvel comics, including Batman, Spider-Man, and Daredevil.
And, ahead of a concert next week celebrating the music of Joe Sample, we revisit a 2013 conversation with the late Houston jazz musician.

On Wednesday's show: We get an update on cleanup efforts across Greater Houston from last Thursday's severe storms.
Also this hour: Is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton auditioning to be the U.S. Attorney General, should former President Trump win in November? We discuss that, the latest in the former’ President’s hush money trial in New York, and other developments in our regular Wednesday’s political roundup.
Then, with Compicpalooza this weekend featuring some stars of various iterations of Star Trek, we revisit our 2019 conversation with Ben Harrison and Adam Pranica, the hosts of the Maximum Fun comedy podcast The Greatest Generation.
And we talk with author and historian Tristan Smith about his latest book, A History Lover’s Guide to Galveston.

On Tuesday's show: We discuss this week’s heat and what it means for Houstonians still without power following Thursday’s severe storms. Space City Weather meteorologist Eric Berger brings us the latest. And we get some advice from the Texas Department of Insurance on what to do if your home was damaged during last week’s storm.
Also this hour: We find out what the annual Houston Area Survey from Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research has to tell us about Houstonians' opinions on a wide range of subjects.
Then, we learn why two Houston-based artists are showcasing the shared experiences of Asian American and Black communities.
And we talk with Houstonians Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb, co-directors of Butterfly in the Sky, a documentary about the PBS series Reading Rainbow.

On Monday's show: Some 200,000+ CenterPoint customers are still without power following Thursday’s dramatic storm. We discuss the restoration efforts and other looming energy grid threats this week.
Also, we preview a town hall discussion tonight between HISD Superintendent Mike Miles and four graduating seniors from high schools impacted by his new policies. Asher Lehrer-Small, who covers K-12 education for Houston Landing, will be moderating the discussion, and he joins us to preview it.
Event Info: Doors open at 6 p.m. with the town hall beginning at 7 p.m. The conversation is a general admission, pay-what-you-can, ticketed event, with a suggested cost of $5. Tickets are available at thehobbycenter.org.
We also talk with University of Houston Energy Fellow Ed Hirs about the process of restoring power after Thursday night's severe weather left many Houstonians without.
Also this hour: Adam Higginbotham, the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl, discusses, his book, Challenger, which offers a dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Higginbotham will be in town for a Brazos Bookstore event on Monday night.
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: A major storm system tore through the region last night, causing significant damage and leading to at least four fatalities from powerful winds and possible tornadic activity. We get the latest from our reporters in the field and Space City Weather's Eric Berger.
Then: A judge ordered a new election for a seat decided in 2022. The Fifth Circuit heard Galveston County's defense of its redistricting plan. And House Speaker Dade Phelan has 11 days to convince GOP voters in a primary runoff to let him run again. We discuss recent election-related developments with News 88.7's politics and government reporter Andrew Schneider.
Also this hour: Ernie Manouse chats with Martha Davis, the longtime lead singer for the American new wave band The Motels, whose ‘80’s hits, including Suddenly Last Summer and Only the Lonely were part of the soundtrack of many a Gen Xers’ youth. Davis and The Motels perform in Katy on Saturday night.
And we talk about Houston's Salvadoran community and its food ahead of events in town next week celebrating a new cookbook all about it.

On Thursday's show: We learn what revelations are coming from an independent panel that’s reviewing the scandal involving Houston Police Department officers suspending thousands of criminal investigations because of a lack of personnel and resources. The committee shared its preliminary report with Houston City Council members on Wednesday.
Also this hour: NPR reporter Sarah McCammon discusses her new book, The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church.
Then, we discuss the role music can play in maintaining good mental health.
And Cy-Fair ISD theater arts teacher and actor Kedrick Brown joins us. Brown was recently seen on the ABC series The Rookie and has also appeared on Black Lightning, New Amsterdam, Greenleaf and other shows. He talks about how he balances being a teacher and a professional actor.