Houston Matters

On Friday's show: As the government shutdown enters its third day, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw joins us to talk about the impasse and what it would take to reopen.Also this hour: We meet Abdullah Antepli, the new president of the Rothko Chapel.Then, from a controversial Halloween display depicting political hangings, to a potential new movie star being an AI creation, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd talks about the 30th anniversary of Ledbetter Heights, the album that put him on the map while he was just a teenager. He performs the album in its entirety Feb. 21 at House of Blues Houston.Watch

On Thursday's show: Much of the federal government is shut down after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a spending bill to keep the government open. Houston Rep. Lizzie Fletcher joins us to discuss the implications and what it would take to reopen.Also this hour: We learn about a program from Houston Methodist and Rice University to train Houston students and teachers to shape the future of digital health.And we preview the Nigeria Cultural Parade and Festival, which takes place this Saturday, Oct. 4, in downtown Houston.Watch

On Wednesday's show: Experts offer insight on the latest developments in local, state, and national politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: Food writers talk about some of their favorite sandwich places around Houston in this month's installment of The Full Menu.And Houston’s Black rock scene is alive and evolving, and a local band is at its heart. We hear from Nicotine & The Warmtones about what it means to carve out space in the city’s music landscape.Watch

On Tuesday's show: As hurricane season nears its end, what can Harris County do to make sure our region is prepared for all kinds of emergencies?Also this hour: The national unemployment rate held steady last month at 4.3 percent, but that remains the highest it has been in nearly four years. However, that is still a far cry from COVID-era rates. We talk about what we’re seeing in terms of jobs and unemployment benefits in the Houston area with Juliet Stipeche of Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions.Then, the new film The Long Walk takes endurance athletics to a horrific level, but some Houstonians walk or run long distances without their lives being on the line to motivate them. We meet one on this month’s edition of The Bigger Picture.And we visit Galveston’s East Beach, the site of the annual Galveston Sandcastle Festival.Watch

On Monday's show: The Astros will miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years. We discuss how much injuries plagued the team this season, and what, if anything, the Astros can do to avoid the same fate next year with Jeff Balke, co-host of the Bleav in Astros podcast. And the Texans pulled off their first shutout in 15 years, beating the Titans 26-0.Also this hour: Fort Bend County has a new budget, but it didn’t come without contention. Houston Public Media's Natalie Weber explains.Then, this week marks six months since Hello Houston launched on Houston Public Media. We check-in on how the show is going with hosts Ernie Manouse, Frank Billingsley, and Celeste Diaz-Schurman.And most of us daydream about winning the lottery, but too often people who receive such financial windfalls end up watching the money slip away. We discuss why and seek advice from Juan Hernandez Ariano, a certified financial planner from WealthCreate Financial.Watch

On Friday's show: We examine the wave of massive data centers expanding across Texas, prompting warnings from experts who say the new water demands could push the state’s already strained supply to the brink.Also this hour: We get a new perspective on local democracy by talking with self-described "local government enthusiast" Emily Hynds about observing every Houston City Council meeting for the last five years and sharing what she sees through her blog, Emily Takes Notes.Then, from Camp Mystic planning to reopen partially, to a statue of President Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein briefly showing up on the National Mall, our non-experts break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we recall how an underdog team of Major League prospects -- including some future Astros stars -- managed to pull off an upset and won the gold medal in baseball at the 2000 Olympics. We talk with Houstonian Dave Fanucchi, author of a book about that story, Miracle on Grass.Watch

On Thursday's show: Following months-long spats about how to bridge a $200 million gap in the county’s budget, the Harris County Commissioners Court has approved a $2.8 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year. We learn some details. And we get an update on striking hotel workers in Houston.Also this hour: A gunman opened fire at an ICE detention facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others. No ICE officers were injured. This raises troubling questions about safety for both immigration and customs enforcement officers and for immigrants themselves. We discuss the atmosphere around immigration policy, public discourse, and violence here in Houston.Then, earlier this week, NASA announced that Artemis II could launch as early as February on its mission sending four astronauts to orbit the moon, which would be the first time the United States has returned to the moon since 1972. We revisit a conversation about why returning there is of value for future deep-space exploration with the late Dr. Paul Spudis, author of the book, The Value of the Moon.And Houston writer Jamie Jo Hoang talks about the children of refugees from the Vietnam War navigating their parents' stories to heal intergenerational trauma. She addressed that topic in her novel My Father the Panda Killer and approaches it from another angle in her latest, My Mother the Mermaid Chaser. She holds a book launch event on Sept. 27 at Blue Willow Bookshop.Watch

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: In a time with plentiful commercial real estate vacancies, we learn one way some landlords are making their spaces stand out to potential renters.And we see some amazing work by hairstylists and artists at the Afro Hair Summit Expo.Watch

Karina Lane, a law professor and death-penalty researcher, discusses her book on lethal injection, revealing the misconceptions surrounding its humanity and the ethical issues tied to its administration. Meanwhile, Mandy Chapa, a Rice University lecturer, explores innovative redesign ideas for Houston roads, focusing on enhancing access to parks along Memorial Drive and improving safety under underpasses. Both guests highlight the need for a more thoughtful approach to urban planning and justice, linking infrastructure with community wellbeing.

On Monday's show: Striking hotel workers at the downtown Hilton Americas-Houston plan to remain on the picket line through the middle of October, marking the second significant extension of a "historic" labor action initially slated to end Sept. 9. We learn the latest on the dispute over wages.Also this hour: Scientists recently discovered evidence that could point to ancient life on Mars. We dig into what they found.Then, we discuss the latest developments in consumer technology with columnist Dwight Silverman.And we recap this weekend’s battle for the AL West division lead between the Astros and the Mariners and break down the Texans game against the Jaguars with Jeff Balke, co-host of the Bleav in Astros podcast.Watch