Houston Matters

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: In this month's installment of The Full Menu, local foodies discuss their favorite places for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in Greater Houston. And we visit an exhibit at POST Houston promoting UNICEF, called Heart Strings: Creating Connection to the World’s Children.

On Tuesday's show: Houston City Council is considering extending the hours for paid parking downtown. And TxDOT is ending its agreement with a private company to run the toll lanes on State Highway 288. We discuss both stories. Also this hour: Houston-area author Leah Lax talks about her new book, Not From Here: The Song of America, which features stories about her Jewish roots interwoven with local immigrant accounts of coming to the United States. We speak to her ahead of an event at Brazos Bookstore on April 4. Then, on the heels of the Houston Open, we explore Houston’s golf culture. And we revisit a 2014 conversation with Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett, Jr., who died last week at the age of 87.

On Monday's show: Rapper Travis Scott wants to be removed from a lawsuit against numerous parties connected to the deaths at the 2021 Astroworld Music Festival. We learn why and discuss what legal standing he might have. Also this hour: We offer Houstonians their monthly opportunity to vent about their pet peeves. And we get an update on a busy stretch for Houston sports with Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: With the bridge collapse in Baltimore after a container ship struck it, we talk with Roger Guenther of the Port of Houston, about whether something like that could happen in the Houston Ship Channel and about what measures are being taken to make our port safer. Also this hour: We discuss the future of in vitro fertilization in Texas in light of a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision. Then, from record visitors to Houston, to Buc-ee’s partnering with the Houston Museum of Natural Science to prepare students for the upcoming eclipse, to an actor from the TV series Yellowstone getting booted off a flight here in Houston, this week’s non-experts weigh in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And more light is being shed on HISD's controversial performance evaluation system for teachers from an unexpected source: the Texas Education Agency itself.

On Thursday's show: It’s Opening Day. The Astros begin their 2024 regular season at home this afternoon against the New York Yankees. Are the 'Stros World Series contenders again? We preview the season with Jeff Balke, who co-hosts the Bleav in Astros podcast. Also this hour: The Houston Buffaloes adopting a kid. A Houston outfielder throwing in a ball from the ocean. Astros minor leaguers turning a triple play without ever touching the ball. Those are just some of the Houston stories featured in Tales from the Dugout, a collection of odd stories and anecdotes from the history of Minor League Baseball. We talk with its author, baseball broadcaster Tim Hagerty. Then, in this month's installment of The Bigger Picture, we look at how two recent films tackle tropes about Black characters and culture. And we learn about Drunk Shakespeare, which is just what it sounds like – actors performing Shakespeare’s works while inebriated. (Don’t try this at home, kids).

On Wednesday's show: From the deal struck by Attorney General Ken Paxton to avoid a trial and possible conviction for securities fraud, to the latest on former Pres. Trump's legal battles, we discuss recent developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We learn about the concept of greenwashing -- companies misleading the public about what they're doing to protect the environment -- and how to know when companies are doing it.  And we hear another conversation from I See U with Eddie Robinson about Black artists in the world of country music as we meet Reyna Roberts.

On Tuesday's show: The energy transition is complicated and will require more than one solution to reduce carbon emissions. The Texas Tribune has published the first article in a series examining the role hydrogen might play in moving that transition forward. Also this hour: Space City is heavily involved in the Artemis missions, getting us back to the moon and then on to Mars. For some, it’s all about preparing for the day we put colonies on one or the other. But Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, the authors of the book A City on Mars, pump the brakes on that idea a bit. MORE: Kelly Weinersmith speaks at Rice Univ. April 2 Then, we meet the founders of a Houston record label aiming to elevate the voices of Black country artists. Their conversation is an excerpt from this week's edition of I See U with Eddie Robinson. And, we learn where and how to get a good view of the total solar eclipse on April 8.

On Monday's show: The Texas Medical Board on Friday published what it sees as guidance for doctors about how to define what constitutes a medical exception under the state’s strict abortion ban. We learn what that guidance entails and some of the legal questions it raises. Also this hour: A recent report from Rice University examines cost and quality at Houston hospitals and found, among other things, there’s a wide range of costs for customers with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas depending on which hospital they go to for care. Then, columnist Dwight Silverman discusses some recent developments in consumer technology. And we discuss the University of Houston's overtime win against Texas A&M in the NCAA tournament. And dramatic off-field developments involving Shohei Ohtani and his now former translator once again raise the specter of how sports and gambling are more intertwined than ever. And will MLB investigate it as aggressively as it did the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal? We talk it over with Jeff

On Friday's show: In a stunning reversal, mid-year proficiency screenings of Houston ISD principals will not be used to evaluate them this school year. That decision came after protests Thursday the annual State of the District event, hours of public comment from angry parents at last night’s HISD management board meeting, and hours more still of a closed session involving that state-appointed board and Superintendent Mike Miles, who then announced the change just after 2 a.m. Friday. News 88.7 reporter Dominic Anthony Walsh tells us what took place. Also this hour: We hear highlights from this week’s I See U interview with Tiffany Jewell, author of Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School. And, from a Katy woman illegally smuggling spider monkeys, to Blue Bell's new flavor inspired by St. Louis (what??), we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

On Thursday's show: A new investigation from the Houston Chronicle called Unchecked Forces examines the growing number and power of Harris County constables. We learn what their reporting found and why it matters. Also this hour: We meet Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, the new board chair for Houston METRO, the agency that oversees public transit in Harris County. She's the first Hispanic woman to serve in that role. We discuss what she's focusing on in that position as METRO aims to increase ridership and improve the customer experience on buses and rail lines. Then, Ernie Manouse chats with Broadway legend Patti LuPone. The three-time Tony Award winner performs tonight at the Hobby Center. And writer Michael Arceneaux talks about writing and working through upheaval and grief -- along with his discontent with the trolls on social media. The Houston native has a new book of essays called I Finally Bought Some Jordans.