Houston Matters

On Thursday's show: Memorial Hermann Health Systems has halted a kidney transplant program days after abruptly announcing they also stopped liver transplants. A public health expert helps us understand why and considers the impact the news might have on patients.Also this hour: A new book called Space Shuttle Stories from veteran astronaut Tom Jones chronicles the history of the space shuttle program -- its successes and failures -- along with details, oral histories, and photographs from all 135 missions.And Eddie Robinson talks with musician, composer, and filmmaker Samora Pinderhughes, who brought his work, The Healing Project, to Houston last month. The multi-media project uses a variety of creative works to examine policing, violence, and the U.S. prison system. We hear an excerpt of their hourlong conversation from this week's edition of I See U.

On Wednesday's show: The Biden administration is trying again to provide student debt relief. We discuss how that proposal is being received and other developments in Washington and back here in Texas in our weekly political roundup.Also this hour: We preview a discussion tonight at the University of Houston examining the threats rising sea levels pose to coastal communities.And we listen to an expanded conversation News 88.7's Andrew Schneider had with Texas Republican Congressman Randy Weber on topics including the future of liquefied natural gas.

 On Tuesday's show: A Harris County inmate has died after being transferred to a private prison in Louisiana. News 88.7 reporter Lucio Vasquez brings us the latest on the second reported in-custody death this year.Also this hour: Highway expansion was once deemed essential to Houston’s future. Today, it’s criticized for displacing homes and businesses and dividing cities. Texas-based journalist Megan Kimble discusses how highways affect Texans in her book, City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways.Then: Ahead of his appearance tomorrow at Blue Willow Bookshop, we talk with Keith O’Brien, author of the new book Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball. We discuss Rose, the re-emergence of gambling in professional sports, and the recent scandal involving the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani.And we visit the cat circus. Yes, the cat circus. The Amazing Acro-Cats are in Houston for shows this week at The MATCH.

On Monday's show: As much of Texas watches today's eclipse, we learn about some experiments some University of Houston researchers will be doing with a balloon  during it.Also this hour: We discuss the tradeoffs we as citizens often make, exchanging freedoms for convenience or safety.Then, Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers questions about gardening.And we get an update on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: Dominic Anthony Walsh joins us to discuss Thursday’s sick out by some HISD teachers protesting reforms put in place by the state-appointed superintendent and board. Also this hour: Deryl Tumlinson of CenterPoint Energy explains how electric poles, power lines, and other elements of Houston’s electric delivery system are maintained. Then, our panel of non-experts breaks down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. And, with the annual Mecum Auction taking place this weekend at NRG Center, we revisit a conversation with the company's CEO, who says most people bidding to buy a classic car at the event are doing so for reasons far deeper than just collecting.

On Thursday's show: We examine ITC's recent settlement deal stemming from the 2019 Deer Park fire and discuss the larger ramifications it could have on environmental regulation. Also this hour: We learn why some universities are reinstating policies requiring standardized test scores for admission. Then, we find out why it takes so long to remove harmful -- even toxic -- materials like asbestos from public exposure. And we preview this year’s Art Car Parade with the executive director of The Orange Show and this year’s Grand Marshal, Brock Wagner of Saint Arnold Brewing Company.

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.

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: Entomologist Erin Mills of the Houston Botanic Garden joins us to talk about insects and bugs. And, as interest in pickleball grows, so do dedicated courts around Greater Houston.

On Tuesday's show: Harris County is paying millions to outsource many of its inmates, sending hundreds of people to privately owned, out-of-state prisons — one of which is accredited by an organization with an “irreconcilable conflict of interest,” according to a congressional investigation. News 88.7's Lucio Vasquez explains how the county is "surrendering control" of its inmates to private prisons with questionable oversight. Also this hour: As the annual CERAWeek conference continues this week in Houston, S&P Global’s Daniel Yergin discusses the role mining may need to play in the global energy transition. Then, we learn how Houston researchers help patients with the rarest diseases find elusive medical answers. Plus: Some signs suggest our region is more consistently embracing renovation over demolition. And the latest installment of the Movies Houstonians Love series at the MFAH takes moviegoers back to the 1904 World’s Fair with Meet Me in St. Louis.

On Monday's show: CERAWeek starts today. We preview the annual energy conference and listen back to a conversation with Stephanie Hertzog, CEO of Houston-based Sodexo Energy & Resources North America, about the role women play in the oil and gas industry’s “great crew change.” Also this hour: It’s Women’s History Month. We revisit our 2022 conversation with NASA's Jennifer Ross-Nazzal, author of the book Making Space for Women. Then, veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers your pet care questions. And we learn how the bracket shapes up for the UH Cougars as we preview the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments with the help of Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: How often do court-appointed defense attorneys in Harris County visit their clients who are facing the death penalty? We learn more about a new report and what it says about the criminal justice system. And we get the latest on some off-and-on stormy weather expected Friday and through the weekend in and around the Houston area. Also this hour: Amid rising prices over the past few years, how are Houston's renters doing? And, from artists dropping out of SXSW in protest of certain event sponsors, to universities once again requiring students to submit SAT and ACT scores for admission, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.