On Friday's show: Criminal charges against a former staffer of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will likely be dropped after Alex Triantaphyllis agreed to a pre-trial intervention deal. He is among three former staffers who were accused of steering an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract to a preferred vendor.And we learn about the findings from HISD's audit of its special education department, which found thousands of violations of district policy and hundreds of violations of students’ rights, according to reporting from Houston Landing.Also this hour: We meet Jackson Sweeney, an aerospace engineer from Pearland whose work is on board the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, which is set to land on the moon in the coming weeks.Then, from HISD students staying home from school to protest Mike Miles, to the City of Houston’s budget deficit growing some more, to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour coming to Houston for two shows this summer, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And ROCO, formerly the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, is in its 20th season, which includes a concert this weekend of world premieres about AI and last year’s solar eclipse.

On Thursday's show: Houston city officials are facing a looming budget crisis and will need to slash spending or dramatically raise revenue over the next year following a Texas Supreme Court decision on the city's infrastructure spending. The city is grappling with a $100 million price tag for required spending on streets and drainage and now faces a $330 million deficit in 2026. We learn how we got here, and City Controller Chris Hollins joins us to explain his proposed emergency task force to address the situation.Also this hour: Late last month, Houston-based midstream energy giant Kinder Morgan announced plans to move ahead with a liquefied natural gas pipeline project extending more than 200 miles from Katy to Port Arthur. The company says the Trident Intrastate Pipeline could help power millions of homes and businesses. But not everyone is thrilled about it. We discuss the pipeline, projects like it, and the environmental and legal concerns they often raise.Then, we visit the Eternal Gandhi Museum in southwest Houston. It's the first museum in the Americas dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of nonviolent conflict resolution.And we visit a weekly Mexican wrestling event in East Houston.

On Wednesday's show: From Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency items for the state legislature to address, to the debate over tariffs, to Elon Musk at the U.S. Treasury, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: Just in time for the Super Bowl, local food writers offer their suggestions for the best sports bars and pub food in town in this month's installment of The Full Menu.And we visit the Lone Star Flight Museum.

On Tuesday's show: Tariffs threatened against Mexico and Canada are on hold for a month, while new tariffs imposed on China have taken effect. And those have led to tariffs imposed by Beijing on certain goods from the United States, including on crude oil and LNG. We consider the potential economic impact of tariffs on Houstonians, the Greater Houston economy, the state of Texas, and consumers in general.Also this hour: One recent analysis found that fewer than one-fifth of HISD high school graduates from 2017 had earned enough to make a living wage six years later. And nearby districts saw numbers only slightly better. But is that the best way to evaluate the success of someone's education long term? Then, we discuss how to set healthier boundaries at work and in our relationships.And we revisit our trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston.

This episode features Blaise Ganey, a Texas Capitol reporter, and Jeff Balke, a Houston Press writer and co-host of a sports podcast. They dive into Governor Greg Abbott's recent State of the State address, discussing key legislative priorities like education vouchers and property tax reforms. The conversation lightens up with tales of Super Bowl traditions, particularly the cultural significance of guacamole. They also cover the dramatic Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade and its potential impact on the NBA landscape.

On Friday's show: We learn how immigration arrests and policy changes in the early days of the Trump administration are creating chaos and uncertainty in Houston. And we learn what a new survey suggests about Texans’ attitudes about immigration.Also this hour: We learn about the latest trends here in the Houston area related to human trafficking and efforts to prevent it.Then, from the latest test score results for Houston ISD, to an enormous mammoth skull unearthed in Central Texas, to another second ticking off the Doomsday Clock, this week’s non-experts weigh in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we discuss the future of remote work after the Trump administration ended its telework policy for federal workers and the City of Houston recently did the same.

On Thursday's show: Prosecutors are dismissing charges against two of three former Harris County staffers over a COVID-era contract process gone wrong. We learn the latest in a nearly three-year-long saga.Also this hour: Could the Texas Legislature tweak the state’s abortion ban this session in order to protect mothers at risk? Recent comments from Lt. Governor Dan Patrick hint at the possibility. But was that just talk?Then, we learn about Camp Logan, a play on stage now at Houston’s Ensemble Theatre, based on racial tensions during a riot here in Houston more than a century ago.And we revisit a conversation with NPR’s Sarah McCammon about why many Christian Americans like her are leaving the evangelical church, which is the subject of her book, The Exvangelicals.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: How much of our modern politics is about actually debating issues and how much is just good old fashioned theater? And if it's the latter, is that really anything new? We talk it over.And how do you capture the smells of a city (at least the good ones)? We visit the Color Factory and its exhibit of scents that define Houston.

On Tuesday's show: An annual count of homeless people in the Houston area takes place this week. We learn about the purpose of the Point In Time count and what trends and public policy shifts tell us about homelessness today.Also this hour: The annual Houston Autoboative Show runs Wednesday through Sunday at NRG Center. We get an update on the auto industry in Greater Houston.Then, we revisit a conversation about the challenges of living in Houston without a car.And a new season the series "Mo" arrives on Netflix Jan. 30. We revisit a 2018 conversation with Mo Amer, its star who grew up in Houston.

On Monday's show: We learn why Harris County taxpayers are on the hook for any upgrades at NRG Stadium and what that might cost.Also this hour: Earlier this month, former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory outlining how alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing at least seven kinds of cancer and called for alcohol labels to include warnings about that. But drinking is a big part of American culture in so many ways. What do we do with this revelation? Then, columnist Dwight Silverman talks about the debate over the TikTok ban and other developments surrounding consumer technology.And we discuss the latest developments in sports, including the Astros trading reliever Ryan Pressly to the Cubs.