Politics
Lawsuit seeking Lina Hidalgo’s removal from office filed days before her return
Posted on · The lawsuit comes days before Hidalgo is set to resume her duties as Harris County Judge.
Elections
The race for Houston city controller is likely to hinge on name recognition, partisanship
Posted on · Chris Hollins and Orlando Sanchez appear to have the edge over Dave Martin and Shannan Nobles in the four-way contest to become Houston’s next chief financial officer.
News
Beyoncé brings the Renaissance World Tour to movie theaters in December, tickets now on sale
Posted on · The movie chronicles the record-breaking Grammy winner's process to execute the 56-performance, 39-city Renaissance World Tour.
Sports
Astros beat Diamondbacks 8-1 to earn third straight AL West title
Posted on · The Astros have a first-round bye in the AL playoffs while Arizona will play at Milwaukee in a best-of-three NL wild card series that starts Tuesday.
Houston Matters
Just because there was no shutdown doesn’t mean Houston wasn’t affected
Posted on · We discuss how the budget battle in Congress was just the latest disruption to the Houston mayor's race.
Education News
Humble ISD could scrap plan for free Memorial Hermann clinic over concerns about ‘family planning’ services, gender-affirming care
Posted on · Trustees for the Houston-area school district are considering terminating a contract it signed in 2021 that would create a campus-based health clinic at Humble High School. Memorial Hermann says it does not provide gender-affirming care to anyone younger than age 18 and that parents must consent to any services provided at the clinic.
Weather
Summer 2023 was officially Houston’s hottest on record
Posted on · Statewide, summer temperatures just barely trailed those in 2011.
Energy & Environment
EPA to move forward with next steps on cleaning up San Jacinto river’s waste pits
Posted on · Contaminants from the two waste pits have been carried to nearby homes during floods since the 1960s. Residents used to play in the waste pits before they were made aware of just how toxic they are.
Sports
Space City Home Network, which will broadcast Astros and Rockets games, set for launch
Posted on · The two Houston sports franchises are rebranding AT&T SportsNet Southwest, which they acquired from Warner Bros. Discovery. The new network will air Astros postgame shows during the upcoming MLB playoffs.
Houston Matters
Houstonians have had it with technology…AND traffic (of course)
Posted on · We engage in our monthly round of Houstonian pet peeves.
Politics
Houston-area development has become a right-wing lightning rod on immigration
Posted on · After conservative media portrayed the Colony Ridge development north of Houston as a haven for illegal immigrants, Gov. Greg Abbott said the upcoming special legislative session will look into the issue.
Education
Special session at Texas Capitol on school vouchers to start Oct. 9
Posted on · Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reportedly told the leaders of the Texas House and Senate that lawmakers will be called back to Austin early next month.
Houston Matters
Shutdown avoided (Oct. 2, 2023)
Posted on · On Monday's show: We discuss how a partial government shutdown was avoided at the last minute — for now. And our listeners share their pet peeves about life in Greater Houston.
I SEE U
I SEE U, Episode 97: A Million Ways To DEI with Esteemed Professor Kathleen McElroy
Posted on · Renowned UT-Austin journalism professor, Kathleen McElroy, calls what happened to her this summer an “eye-opener” as she remains passionate in inspiring journalists for tomorrow’s newsrooms despite fallout from a botched hiring scandal at Texas A&M.
Politics
4 Texas Republicans join ultraconservatives to sink GOP attempt to keep federal government open
Posted on · The funding bill was a long shot, but far-right U.S. representatives said it didn’t go far enough in promoting their priorities, including border security and defunding investigations into Donald Trump.
Local
League City to name future roadway in honor of one of its first Black descendants
Posted on · One of the first Black settlers of League City, Alexander Winfield paid about $750 for more than 30 acres of land in the early 1900s.
Criminal Justice
Felony cases are being audited at the Galveston County DA’s Office after a prosecutor was fired for allegedly withholding evidence
Posted on · Clayten Hearrell was let go from the Galveston County DA's Office in July after allegedly failing to disclose evidence during a murder trial in 2022.
Houston Matters
From migrant farm worker to NASA astronaut
Posted on · Amazon Studios' new film "A Million Miles Away" tells the remarkable true story of Jose Hernandez.
Sports
Rice University to sport Houston Oilers-inspired uniforms during Saturday’s football game
Posted on · The University of Houston wore Oilers-like uniforms earlier this year, but a Rice official called it a coincidence, saying the Owls' plans have been in the works since January.
Politics
Lawsuit filed by Ken Paxton’s whistleblowers can move forward, Texas Supreme Court rules
Posted on · J. Mark Penley, Ryan Vassar, David Maxwell and James Blake Brickman have alleged they were terminated in violation of the state’s whistleblower protection laws.
Party Politics
Menendez in hot water while shutdown looms
Posted on · Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina delve into the latest news in national and local politics.
Transportation
A 2017 Texas law prohibits Houston officials from regulating driverless vehicles within the city
Posted on · Senate Bill 2205, which passed in 2017, prohibits cities in Texas from regulating driverless vehicles.
Energy & Environment
Texas “Ike Dike” coastal barrier project could cost $57 billion with inflation, Army Corps says
Posted on · The latest figure is 68% higher than an earlier estimate of $34 billion, and it’s unclear when — or whether — Congress will appropriate the money to build the massive system of gates intended to protect the Houston region from storm surge.
Weather
First Houston cold front of the year just days away, experts say
Posted on · August this year was the driest one on record in the past 129 years, according to drought data.
Houston Matters
Borrowing money for college (Sept. 29, 2023)
Posted on · On Friday's show: With federal student loans coming due again, we discuss a new initiative seeking to increase transparency in borrowing money for college.
Houston Matters
Falling for a fake restaurant: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
Posted on · The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
Sports
Frontline’s Houston Astros film not about exonerating or condemning, producer says
Posted on · "The Astros Edge: Triumph and Scandal in Major League Baseball," which will premiere Oct. 3 on PBS, chronicles the team's rise to prominence as well as its sign-stealing scheme.
City of Houston
Houston officials put responsibility of ditch maintenance back in hands of city, not residents
Posted on · “Previously the onus was on the property owner and now the city is taking back that responsibility,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.
News
Rice, UH, Texas A&M pledge more transparency in financial aid
Posted on · Students applying to partnered universities will see the same language in each financial aid package to more easily compare the out-of-pocket cost of college.
Transportation
Houston METRO approves $10 million for its own bike share program
Posted on · The 5-year contract will allow METRO to create its own bike share system, as the city’s current vendor, BCycle, struggles with financial difficulties.
Criminal Justice
Alan Dershowitz, Jewish groups lead last ditch clemency appeal for death row prisoner Jedidiah Murphy
Posted on · Murphy, who was convicted of the 2000 carjacking and murder of an elderly woman, is one of at least two Jewish individuals on Texas’ death row.
Houston Matters
Anita Hill didn’t find her life’s work — it found her
Posted on · Hill, whose 1991 testimony against then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas opened the national dialogue about sexual harassment, talks with Houston Matters ahead of an event at UH on Oct. 5.