Houston Matters
Houston Public Media
Houston Matters is a radio program airing weekdays at 9 am on Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM in Houston. During each hour, we’ll investigate the issues and ideas, people and places that make Houston…well…Houston! We’ll talk about current events, politics, education, health care, the environment, business, transportation, arts and culture, literature, sports and leisure. But we also hope that what we do each day on Houston Matters serves as the beginning of a conversation — one we hope you’ll continue here, at home, at work, with family, with friends and neighbors. We hope to introduce Houstonians to one another, to celebrate our diversity, and to engage one another through stories and conversations that demonstrate depth and context. Just the sort of thing you count on from public media.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 10, 2026 • 50min
Artemis II returning home (April 10, 2026)
Maurício Campos, founder of the Brazilian Cultural Institute and organizer of Houston's Brazilian Food and Music Festival, talks about the growth of Houston’s Brazilian community. He discusses cultural programming, festival highlights like food, music and dance, and how community-building has evolved in the city.
Apr 9, 2026 • 50min
Limiting HPD’s cooperation with ICE (April 9, 2026)
On Thursday's show: Houston City Council has approved a proposal to limit Houston police officers' cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Councilmember Alejandra Salinas joins us to discuss the details and why she supported the measure.Also this hour: From changing trends to pleasing customers and thin profit margins, running a restaurant has never been easy. But is it even harder these days with on-again/off-again tariffs and rising costs? We talk it over with some folks in the business.And an upcoming performance from the Houston Chamber Choir called The Sacred Veil explores how music can be used for healing. Watch
Apr 8, 2026 • 50min
The week in politics (April 8, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: Just hours before a deadline President Trump had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face widespread destruction, the United States and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement, set to begin immediately and lasting two weeks. We consider what might happen next and examine what the president has been saying and doing regarding Iran as we discuss the latest developments in politics.Also this hour: We learn about Camp Kangaroo, which helps children who are grieving the loss of a loved one.And Captain John Dyer, a longtime Houston military and commercial pilot, shares stories from his time in the cockpit. He's among those being inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame at an event Friday at the Lone Star Flight Museum.Watch
Apr 7, 2026 • 50min
Artemis II makes history (April 7, 2026)
On Tuesday's show: Artemis II astronauts had an historic day Monday, conducting their lunar fly-by and traveling farther from earth than any other humans. We learn more about what they achieved.And we learn about HISD's plans to expand Superintendent Mike Miles' New Education System to nine more campuses.Also this hour: A handful of local breweries have closed across Houston in recent years. What are some of the market factors that are causing that? Has the craft beer bubble burst? Are people drinking other things these days -- or not drinking at all? We talk it over.And how much impact does a father figure really have? An upcoming exhibit at The Health Museum is turning to Houstonians to explore the answer.Watch
Apr 6, 2026 • 50min
Houston pet peeves (April 6, 2026)
Brittany Brito-Garley, editor-in-chief at Houstonia who oversees the magazine’s cultural coverage, discusses the recent acquisition and staff reductions. Conversation covers community papers shutting down, how city magazines record arts and food scenes, reliance on freelancers, and what these changes mean for local reporting and newsroom resilience.
Apr 3, 2026 • 53min
Texas Killing Fields update (April 3, 2026)
On Friday's show: We get the latest on the Artemis II mission as it continues into its second full day.Also this hour: From the recent death of a man law enforcement believed was connected to the murders of several Houston-area women, to the indictment this week of his longtime friend for his alleged involvement, we make sense of a flood of new developments in some murder cases that have sat unsolved for decades and are considered part of the so-called "Texas Killing Fields."Then, from a hoax involving the death of a 193-year-old tortoise, to the case of 400,000 stolen KitKat bars, we consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And we pay a visit to the sprawling complex of commerce that is the Traders Village flea market.Watch
Apr 2, 2026 • 50min
Artemis II launches (April 2, 2026)
On Thursday's show: NASA's historic Artemis II mission launched successfully, lifting off at 5.35 p.m. Central Time Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. We learn what's next for the mission and the role Houston’s Johnson Space Center will play.Also this hour: We consider the experiences of youth transitioning out of the foster care system.Then, a dermatologist offers advice on how to take care of your skin as many of us are spending more time outdoors.And we get to know the Houston Symphonic Band.Watch
Apr 1, 2026 • 50min
The week in politics (April 1, 2026)
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 food writers talk about some restaurants worth taking a short trip outside Houston to try.And a unique company in The Woodlands called Othram used DNA to identify a suspect in the 1990 "Lovers Lane" murders in Houston. We revisit a conversation about how they do that work.Watch
Mar 31, 2026 • 49min
Heat in Texas prisons (March 31, 2026)
Patricia Reif, physics professor and STEM festival organizer, highlights science fairs and youth outreach. Terry McWilliams, HVAC business owner and trade board member, shares A/C maintenance tips and tech cautions. Bayless Wagner, state politics reporter, outlines the federal trial pushing for air conditioning in Texas prisons and the legal, political stakes involved.
Mar 30, 2026 • 51min
AI and creativity (March 30, 2026)
On Monday's show: A number of No Kings protests took place in the region over the weekend. We learn what took place. And as the partial government shutdown enters its 45th day, we get an update on airport security wait times at Bush Airport.Also this hour: New research suggests AI can be helpful during the creative process. We ask a few Houston area creatives what they think.Then, as NASA prepares to launch Artemis II this week, taking humans back to the moon for the first time since the Apollo program, we recall Gemini, the program that preceded Apollo, and how it may have actually been what won the space race over the Russians.And we recap the rest of the Astros season-opening series against the Angels.Watch
