Craig Cohen

Executive Producer & Host, Houston Matters

Craig Cohen is the executive producer and host of Houston Matters, which airs weekday mornings at 9:00 on Houston Public Media, News 88.7 FM. Craig is a 20+ year veteran of broadcast journalism. He’s spent the bulk of his career in public media, in roles ranging from programmer and manager, to talk show host, reporter, news director, and producer. He’s interviewed politicians, industry leaders, authors, newsmakers, and the occasional Muppet. Craig seeks to make the world a slightly better place every day, by informing, enlightening, and entertaining.

Photo of poppy and daisy flowers in rain

Houston Matters

Why rainy weather is good for gardens and bad for lawns

Posted on November 13, 2023 · The Garden Club of Houston's Meg Tapp answers listeners' gardening questions.

Houston Matters

Too soon: Houstonians aren’t ready for the trappings of Christmas right after Halloween

Posted on November 6, 2023 · We share that and other holiday-related Houstonian pet peeves.

Houston Matters

Political Roundup: School voucher saga and foreign aid for Israel

Posted on November 1, 2023 · Party Politics co-host Jeronimo Cortina and his fellow UH analyst Nancy Sims weigh in on local, state, and national politics.

Houston Matters

How a Houston area church revitalized its annual pumpkin patch during the pandemic

Posted on October 27, 2023 · We visit this year's volunteer effort at Westminister United Methodist Church's Pumpkin Patch in the Galleria neighborhood.

Houston Matters

Being a child of Vietnam refugees can sometimes feel like not belonging in two worlds

Posted on October 25, 2023 · Ahead of an Inprint Houston event, author Viet Thanh Nguyen shares that and other revelations from his new memoir, “A Man of Two Faces.”

Houston Matters

Political Roundup: The House Speaker saga continues

Posted on October 25, 2023 · We also discuss Congresswoman Jackson Lee's statement confirming expletive-laden audio was her.

Photo of lightning, mini-USB, and USB-C connectors

Houston Matters

What you need to know about iPhone 15 updates and the future of iPhone chargers

Posted on October 23, 2023 · We discuss that and other developments in consumer technology with the Houston Chronicle's Dwight Silverman.

Overhead view of players playing pickleball

Houston Matters

As interest in Pickleball grows, so do dedicated courts around Greater Houston

Posted on October 20, 2023 · The sport has been around since the 1960s, but has just only taken hold in the Houston area in recent years.

Houston Matters

Survey: A majority of Houstonians say they’ve thought about leaving the area in recent years

Posted on October 18, 2023 · In a Houston Matters exclusive, a Hobby School survey finds 57 percent of respondents have considered leaving the area with more than half citing extreme weather as the reason why.

Houston Matters

Texas propositions ballot language can be really vague. We explain what’s behind one of them.

Posted on October 16, 2023 · State Proposition 5 references a "Texas University Fund" and research. It could be clearer about the four universities, including UH, who would be the initial beneficiaries.

Jose Altuve of the Astros shown next to Leody Taveras of the Rangers

Houston Matters

Upset that baseball’s biggest regular season winners got bounced from this year’s playoffs? Get over it.

Posted on October 16, 2023 · It may not be about playoff seeding or the schedule. Maybe your team just wasn't built for the playoffs.

Photo of dachshund peeking out from blanket

Houston Matters

Why some dogs like to lick leather couches and other pet care revelations

Posted on October 16, 2023 · Veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller answers listener questions about their pets.

A cartoon rat drawn by Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephan Pastis

Houston Matters

Thanks to Stephan Pastis, a cartoon rat will soon appear on a Houston dive bar’s bathroom wall

Posted on October 11, 2023 · That may not be the strangest revelation from Houston Matters' conversation with the man behind the "Pearls Before Swine" cartoon strip.

Houston Matters

Political Roundup: President Biden’s address, a new election poll, and the GOP fight in Austin

Posted on October 11, 2023 · Analysts discuss those and other developments in this week's political roundup.

Houston Matters

Has John Waters become…respectable?

Posted on October 10, 2023 · The once-underground filmmaker behind the landmark "Pink Flamingos" brings his latest one-man show to Houston Friday night.

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