Houston Matters

10/06/2025

Governor Greg Abbott announced a new Harris County Task Force aimed at targeting repeat violent offenders — calling it a “Texas-sized effort” to strengthen public safety.

Houston Public Media Sarah Grunau reports while crime rates in Houston are trending down, Abbott says crime remains top of mind for residents in the nation’s fourth-largest city.

🎥 Tune into Houston Matters weekdays at 9 a.m. on YouTube for more discussions on the issues shaping Houston.

10/03/2025

When a self-driving car gets pulled over who gets the ticket: the car, the passenger, or the programmer?🤖🚘

Host Craig Cohen and guests had some fun with this one!

Watch the full segment now on our YouTube channel, and don’t miss Houston Matters live weekdays at 9 a.m.

10/02/2025

Did you know Houston is home to one of the largest Nigerian communities in the U.S.? 🇳🇬

In today’s episode, Jane shares just how many Nigerians call Houston home, and why this weekend’s Nigeria Culture Parade & Festival is such a special celebration.

Watch the full conversation now on our YouTube channel!

02/10/2025

Jackson Sweeney of Firefly Aerospace talks about his role on the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, which is slated to land on the moon in early March.
 
The Blue Ghost Lunar Lander is currently orbiting the earth, part of its mission to eventually land on the moon in early March.
 
Blue Ghost is made by the Austin-based commercial company Firefly Aerospace, one of many private companies under contract with NASA to land vehicles on the lunar surface in preparation for eventually sending people back to the moon through the Artemis program.
 
Jackson Sweeney is a thermal engineer for Firefly. That means he’s responsible for regulating the lander’s temperature. He grew up in Pearland and graduated from Manvel High School.
 
Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty, Sweeney talks about what the lander is doing while in orbit, what it will do once it’s on the moon, and how growing up in Houston led him to a career in space.
 
Listen to the full conversation at HoustonMatters.org.

02/07/2025

Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty visits the museum in southwest Houston, which touts itself as the first in the Americas dedicated to memorializing Mahatma Gandhi’s life and work.
 
Listen to the full conversation with co-founders Atul Kothari and Manish Wani to learn how the museum came to be in Houston and to tour its exhibits at HoustonMatters.org

02/06/2025

Looking for the best spots in Houston to watch the Super Bowl?
 
Super Bowl LIX is this Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. Ahead of the big game, food writers discuss some of their favorite places in Houston for bar food and to watch sports in this month’s installment of The Full Menu.
 
Listen to the full conversation with Eric Sandler of CultureMap Houston, Felice Sloan of the Swanky Maven lifestyle blog, and David Leftwich of Edible Houston and Houston Food Finder at HoustonMatters.org.

01/30/2025

In 1917, the U.S. Army opened Camp Logan in what is now Memorial Park. It was a training ground where soldiers from the Illinois National Guard were preparing to ship out during World War I.
Black soldiers of the 24th Infantry guarded the camp. But outside it, they encountered racism, were randomly tossed in jail, and couldn’t carry their weapons.
 
On Aug. 23, 1917 one of the soldiers of the 24th intervened in the arrest of a Black woman. After an altercation, rumors spread that the soldier died, which then sparked a riot between white civilians and Black soldiers. That culminating in 16 deaths, and 110 men were found guilty in the largest court martial in U.S. history.
 
The saga is recalled in Celeste Bedford Walker’s play, Camp Logan, on stage at Houston’s Ensemble Theatre through Feb. 23.
 
Houston Matters producer Laura Walker talks with the playwright along with director Allie Woods and actor Jason Carmichael.
 
Listen to the full conversation at HoustonMatters.org

01/29/2025

Houstonians often talk about the experiences that make Greater Houston unique, and most of those are the kinds of experiences you encounter with certain senses.

For example, you see the NASA rockets at Johnson Space Center. You hear a concert at the rodeo. You feel the humidity. You taste our abundant Tex-Mex.

But there are also smells that define our city. But what are they?
 
Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty visited the Color Factory to check it out and talk’s with Lorena Mendez, the attraction’s creative producer, about how sense of smell can conjure powerful memories.
 
Listen to the full conversatio at HoustonMatters.org

01/28/2025

The 2025 Houston AutoBoative Show takes place Wednesday through Sunday at NRG Center. It’s the combined annual auto and boat show and a good reason to take stock of the Greater Houston auto industry.
 
Houston Matters host Craig Cohen talks with Steven Wolf, chairman of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association, and the dealer principal for Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat. They discuss how 2024 ended for Wolf’s dealership and for auto dealers across the Greater Houston area.
 
Then, they talk about the state of the industry, how a new administration and changing policy may influence car and truck sales, and what Wolf is hearing from customers at his dealership about what they want in new cars and trucks.
 
Listen to the full conversation at HoustonMatters.org

01/16/2025

How a Houston physical therapist is making health care more inclusive for LGBTQ+ patients

Dr. Roy Rivera of Elation Physical Therapy explains efforts he’s made to create an environment where LGBTQ+ patients feel safe to talk about their health concerns and discusses what the entire medical community can do to be more inclusive.

01/14/2025

As a new session starts, we recall one of the giants of Texas politics in the 1970s and 80s.

A new biography examines the life and career of former longtime Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby

01/13/2025

A conservation nonprofit leader has expressed concerns that Texas lawmakers will need to review a proposed plan for Houston to sell some of its water to drought-stricken areas of the state.
 
Bob Stokes, president of the Galveston Bay Foundation, stated on Houston Matters that it’s uncertain if such a deal would be sustainable for the city.
 
Mayor John Whitmire and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are considering this deal, with potential funds aimed at improving Houston’s infrastructure.
 
Stokes emphasized the challenges in capturing excess floodwater, noting the costs and long-term commitment required for such reservoirs. He highlighted that long-term water planning has yet to begin. While the city could use the funds for repairs, it’s unclear how the sold water would be allocated.
 
Stokes warned the plan may face backlash if the water is used for industries like cooling computer servers or fracking, predicting local opposition.
 
Listen to the full conversation with Bob Stokes at HoustonMatters.org.