Energy & Environment

2014 Year In Review: A Look At Toxic Spills And A Call For More Regulations

Posted on · For the Texas oil and chemical industry, 2014 was a blockbuster year. It saw a surge in oil production and a boom in the construction of new petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast. But environmentalists warned that stricter regulation is needed to prevent the boom from leaving a toxic legacy, especially in Houston, the center of the refining and chemical industry.

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The Top Houston and Texas News Stories of 2014: Houston Matters for Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014

Posted on · As you prepare to ring in the New Year, we thought it would be a good time to revisit the old one. From the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, to the DuPont plant accident, to the fight over ride-sharing apps Uber and Lyft, 2014 was certainly a busy one for news stories. Some stories resonated with […]

Houston Matters

Offshore Technology Conference Brings Even More Oil and Gas Attention to Houston

Posted on · More than 90,000 people from more than 120 countries are expected to attend the 45th Offshore Technology Conference this week. Oil and gas industry executives, scientists and engineers will have access to the latest technical information and equipment. It's also an opportunity for local students and professionals to network. On this edition of Houston Matters, […]

Houston Matters

What Does the Latest Klineberg Study Tell Us About Houston?

Posted on · The Kinder Institute Houston Area Survey by Rice University will be released today. Now in its 33rd year, the survey is the nation’s longest-running study of any metropolitan area’s economy, population, life experiences, beliefs and attitudes. Its author, sociology professor and co-founder of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Dr. Stephen Klineberg, shares the latest […]

Houston Matters

How Winning the Spelling Bee Changed One Houstonian’s Life

Posted on · The 2014 Houston Public Media Spelling Bee takes place tomorrow (March 29, 2014). The bee features the top 55 young spellers from more than a thousand schools from East Texas to Austin. They'll compete for the opportunity to represent Greater Houston in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. It's great fun watching these […]

Houston Matters

Lt. Governor’s Primary Race Headed to Runoff

Posted on · Lt. Governor David Dewhurst placed a distant second in Tuesday’s GOP primary. He will have to make up ground to defeat State Senator Dan Patrick in a runoff election on May 27 just to be his own party’s nominee for re-election to his current post come November. We discuss this and other results from Tuesday’s […]

Houston Matters

Hockey is Alive & Well in Houston — Despite Climate & Lack of a Major Pro Team

Posted on · Hockey is one the of high-profile events of any Winter Olympics, but is the sport as prominent in Houston – a city known for its heat and that last year lost the Aeros — its minor league hockey team? As we continue our week-long look at unlikely winter sports enthusiasts in the area, Houston Matters' […]

Houston Matters

Figure Skating Is Still a Big Sport, Even in Balmy Houston

Posted on · The 2014 Winter Olympics are now underway in Sochi, Russia. Because of our warm weather climate, you wouldn’t automatically think of Houstonians engaging in winter sports. But a number of clubs here in the Bayou City are dedicated to pursuing some of the more popular events taking place at this year’s winter games. In the […]