Houston Matters

On Tuesday's show: Beginning in January, a new Medicare program in Texas and five other states will use AI to approve or deny certain services. We learn what that could mean for Houston patients and what it signals about the future of health care.Also this hour: We discuss the city of Houston’s current approach to homelessness, and, in particular, giving out tickets to homeless people who can’t possibly pay them. We discuss with Kelly Young, president and CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County.Then, we consider how Houstonians can keep the peace at home while navigating holiday traditions that might put an unfair burden on someone in the household. We discuss with Robyn Martin from The Menninger Clinic.And we take you to an immersive multimedia holiday experience at ARTECHOUSE Houston.Watch

On Monday's show: A recent study into pay equity among Harris County employees has come under fire from county commissioners and has led to some fear among county workers. We learn more.Then, Houston Mayor John Whitmire's political party of more than five decades admonished him on Sunday, barring the lifelong Democrat from receiving its endorsement in the future.And we remember longtime Houston television news anchor Dave Ward, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 86.Also this hour: We talk with longtime labor advocate Rick Levy, who recently retired from the Texas AFL-CIO.Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers questions about pet care.And we get an update on Houston sports.Watch

On Friday's show: President Donald Trump has frozen the processing of immigration requests for all Afghans pending a review of security and vetting procedures. Now, many Afghan immigrants, including many in Houston who came to the United States through the appropriate legal channels, are growing increasingly worried about their status.And we learn about a cold front arriving late Saturday that could bring Houston's first freeze of the season early Monday morning.Also this hour: From a State Department policy change involving fonts, to the debut of the world’s longest commercial flight route, to In-N-Out Burger doing away with 2025’s most annoying outburst, our non-experts consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we meet Angolan-born, Houston-based singer Vivalda Ndula, who blends traditional rhythms with Afro-contemporary sounds. But her music does more than entertain. It also confronts inequality, celebrates resilience, and uplifts unheard voices.Watch

On Thursday's show: We examine steps Texas is taking to reduce waste and other takeaways from a new report called: Trash in America. Also this hour: We talk with Brad Pritchett, the new CEO of Equality Texas, the statewide nonprofit advocating for LGBTQIA+ Texans.And we learn about a new documentary chronicling the Bum Phillips era of the old Houston Oilers, called Luv Ya, Bum!Watch

On Wednesday's show: From last-minute jockeying in races for the U.S Senate and Congress, to some calls to end investigations into a military strike that killed survivors of an attack on an alleged drug running boat, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: We talk with Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, the hosts of the podcast The War on Cars, who are bringing their war to car-centric Houston for a live event tonight at the MATCH and have a new book, Life After Cars.And we hop on board Ensemble Theatre’s production of Take the Soul Train to Christmas.Watch

On Tuesday's show: As Houstonians prepare for the holidays, new data shows they're planning to cut spending by 11 percent compared to last year, with the average person expecting to spend around $1,600. Yet, despite this local pessimism, online sales during the five-day Cyber Week period hit $44.2 billion nationally, up nearly 8 percent from last year. We make sense of those seemingly contradictory trends.Also this hour: We get an update on the longstanding nationwide nursing shortage and find out how area universities are responding to a shortage of nursing educators as well.Then, we reflect on why former Astros star Ken Caminiti admitted he’d used steroids long before anyone else did and the demons that led to his untimely death, which are the subject of a book by journalist Dan Good, called Playing Through the Pain.And Houston native director Alex Stapleton talks with us about her new Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning. Watch

On Monday's show: Colin Allred is dropping out of next year’s U.S. Senate race and is running for Congress instead. That is just the latest move ahead of today’s filing deadline, and after Supreme Court approval of the new Texas Congressional maps. We consider what other scrambling we might see today and what it all means for longtime members of Congress from here in Houston and elsewhere in Texas who have hard decisions to make.Also this hour: We discuss why the Houston metro area is one of a handful in the nation with more traffic deaths last year than homicides and what if anything can be done about it.Then, Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers questions about how to maintain the plants in your home or garden.And we discuss the latest developments in Houston sports with Jeff Balke.Watch

On Friday's show: We consider the implications of a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on redistricting.Plus: We look at the future of trash pickup in Houston.And, we get an update on some major road closures from TxDOT.Also this hour: People can pay for the opportunity to SCUBA dive into the gulf to spear and kill invasive lionfish one by one. We talk with a Texas Monthly writer who recently did just that.Then, our non-experts consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we go behind the scenes of an adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life performed as a live radio play at Stages Houston through Dec. 28.

On Thursday's show: As Houston grows, are large portions of the city's younger population missing out on the economic opportunities? A recent report digs into that question.Also this hour: Actor and musician Donald Glover, who is 42, recently revealed he suffered a stroke last year and received treatment here in Houston. That news defies the false assumption that only older people experience strokes. A local doctor discusses why more of us are facing some serious health problems earlier in life.Then, we talk with comedian Jay Jurden, who performs Dec. 5-6 at Punch Line Houston.And we meet the Jordan Family, a jazz group from New Orleans that's performing Saturday night at the Eldorado Ballroom.

On Wednesday's show: Local experts discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: A lot has been made of what President Donald Trump’s connections were to Jeffrey Epstein. But, whatever they were (and whatever we might yet learn about them), how much will it matter? University of Houston political science professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus discusses the changing nature of political scandals, which is the subject of his latest book, Scandal: Why Politicians Survive Controversy in a Partisan Era.And we visit the first-ever national showcase of Black female soccer players, held recently by the Black Women’s Player Collective at Prairie View A&M University.Watch