Houston Matters

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.

Houston Matters is a news podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 50 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Houston Matters, a news show with 50 episodes published.

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  Houston Matters

  The week in politics (Sept. 30, 2026)

  Sep 30, 202650 min

  On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. Also this hour: We learn how the Trinity River has shaped the politics, economy, and environment of Texas and Houston from Scot McFarlane , author of The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity . And two local arts groups celebrate the works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Ayad Akhtar with events in the coming days. Akhtar will hold a reading on Oct. 5 of his latest novel, The Radiance , with Inprint Houston. And Houston's Shunya Theatre is staging a production of Disgraced, the play that won Akhtar the Pulitzer Prize for drama. We learn about both. Watch

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  Houston Matters

  Child of a mail-order bride (Sept. 29, 2026)

  Sep 29, 202650 min

  On Tuesday's show: We remember former Houston health authority Dr. David Persse , who has passed away at age 66. And we get an update on the latest step toward a proposed desalination plant in Galveston. Also this hour: Ahead of Stand Down Houston , an event on Oct. 2 promoting education, career, home ownership, and other resources for veterans, we discuss benefits available to veterans in Greater Houston and how to access them. Then, we talk with Katya Suvorova , who grew up here in Houston, and is the author of the new book Ungrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir From the Child of a Mail-Order Bride . And we preview this weekend's Festival Chicano at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Watch

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  Houston Matters

  New flu season (Sept. 28, 2026)

  Sep 28, 202651 min

  On Monday's show: We examine how the new flu season is shaping up. Also this hour: We discuss the future of commercial spaceflight, ahead of the latest SpaceX launch taking astronauts to the International Space Station. Then, we talk through the latest stories in the world of education, including how politicians statewide may address K-12 education if elected in November and how school districts like HISD exit from state control . And the Astros became the first team in MLB history to win their division with a .500 record. We talk about their chances against the White Sox in the playoffs. Watch

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  Houston Matters

  Voter registration backlog (Sept. 25, 2026)

  Sep 25, 202650 min

  On Friday's show: An error by the Texas Department of Public Safety has led to tens of thousands of voter registration applications being caught in a backlog . Natalia Contreras of Votebeat explains why, and a political analyst discusses what it means approaching the midterms. Also this hour: We discuss with a group of medical professionals h ow to mitigate health risks in youth sports, including concussions and CTE. Then, c ellist Yo-Yo Ma and his son, filmmaker Nicholas Ma, talk about “ American Revival ,” a touring performance they're a part of that's coming to The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. And we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week. Watch

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  Houston Matters

  Oversight of Flock cameras (Sept. 24, 2026)

  Sep 24, 202650 min

  On Thursday's show: City council members in League City are considering implementing a citizen-led committee to oversee the city's Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. We find out what that could look like. And we get an update on the ongoing power struggle between Fort Bend's interim county judge and the county attorney. Also this hour: A former Houston Chronicle photojournalist Meg Griffiths discusses her new documentary, The Life of the Party , which follows three Republican women elected to office in Texas as they navigate leadership, political identity, and the changing direction of their party. The film will be screened Sept. 28 at the MATCH . Then, for 30 years, the Bayou Land Conservancy has safeguarded Houston waterways by protecting the land that surrounds them. W e chat with the organization's new director, Dr. Anna Weiss. And we escape the urban noise and sprawl to visit the Lake Houston Wilderness Park . Watch

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