Houston Matters

Astros even the World Series with a combined no-hitter (Nov. 3, 2022)

Posted on · On Thursday's show: We get an update on the World Series, which is now tied at two games apiece after Astros pitchers no-hit the Phillies. And we learn how participating in college sports and resulting concussions can affect brain wellness later in life.

Houston Matters

Full Show: Age Limits For Tackle Football, And Houston’s Connections To New Orleans (April 2, 2018)

Posted on · On Monday's Houston Matters: We learn the latest on an incident at the Chevron Phillips facility in Baytown. Then, we discuss potential age limits on tackle football. Plus, we learn about Houston's connections to New Orleans as that city celebrates its tricentennial. And Jeff Balke updates us on Houston sports.

Full Show

President Trump, and Civil Rights in the Space Race: Houston Matters Weekend for Jan. 28, 2017

Posted on · President Donald Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2017. And before the ceremony, we asked you to share what you want him to know about Houston as part of NPR's A Nation Engaged project. On this edition of Houston Matters Weekend, we hear some of your answers and discuss them with Brandon Rottinghaus, […]

Houston Matters

New Study Aims to Protect High School Athletes from Concussions

Posted on · We learned recently that many Texas high schools are failing to meet many of the national guidelines intended to protect young athletes from head injuries. Now, the organization that governs high school sports in Texas, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), is participating in a new study examining how concussions are happening to young athletes and […]

Full Show

The Year in Houston Politics and Two Views on Religion: Thursday’s Show (December 15, 2016)

Posted on · We continue our look back at the biggest stories of 2016 by examining the year in Houston politics. Of course, the biggest story of the year was the presidential election. But there were plenty of local stories too. We talk with Andrew Schneider, News 88.7’s political reporter, about all the Houston and Texas stories stemming […]

Good, Bad and Ugly

Uber Agreement and High School Concussions: The Good, Bad and Ugly of the News

Posted on · A lot can happen in a week. Some of it good. Some of it bad. Some of it downright ugly. When faced with intriguing developments in the week's news, we turn to our rotating panel of "non-experts" to parse The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of it all. This week, our panel weighs in […]

Houston Matters

How Do Concussions Affect Women Differently Than Men?

Posted on · Retired soccer star Brandi Chastain has just announced her intention to donate her brain to CTE research. It’s welcome news for researchers exploring growing concerns about concussions and traumatic brain injuries among women. There may well be some differences between how men and women sustain — and then recover — from such injuries, as we […]

Houston Matters

Football and Brain Damage: Is the NFL Doing Enough?

Posted on · Late last month, as Will Smith's film Concussion debuted in the theaters, ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported that supposedly the NFL backed out of giving “unrestricted” funds to the National Institutes of Health for a study exploring football’s relationship to brain damage because the league didn’t like the doctor who would lead it. We learn […]

Full Show

Concussions, Potholes, and Sandra Bland: Friday’s Show (January 8, 2016)

Posted on · Late last month, as Will Smith's film Concussion debuted in the theaters, ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported that supposedly the NFL backed out of giving “unrestricted” funds to the National Institutes of Health for a study exploring football’s relationship to brain damage because the league didn’t like the doctor who would lead it. On this […]

Houston Matters

Do You Have a Concussion? There’s an App for That

Posted on · Growing concern about concussions has led to new rules in various sports, and a new movie starring Will Smith as a crusading doctor. But concussions are not easy injuries to treat – or even diagnose. David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine, has developed an iPad app called "BrainCheck." It uses research-backed […]

Houston Matters

Are Attitudes About Football Slowly Starting to Change?

Posted on · Last month, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL after just one season. He wasn't injured. He was, however, concerned about the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma. With all that we know – and all that we don't know – about the physical and emotional toll exacted on […]

Full Show

Changing Attitudes About Football and East Texas Church Arson: Monday’s Show (April 6, 2015)

Posted on · Last month, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland abruptly announced his retirement from the NFL after just one season. He wasn't injured. He was, however, concerned about the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma. With all that we know – and all that we don't know – about the physical and emotional toll exacted on […]

Houston Matters

How to Protect Your Child From Sports Injuries This School Year

Posted on · With another school year comes another year of youth sports, and sports injuries. We welcome your questions about how Houston area schools, coaches and parents can try to protect their young athletes from serious injury, including the latest thinking on treating concussions. Our guests are: Dr. Alfred Mansour, Pediatric Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Surgeon at […]