Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has thus far insisted that however the city’s pension woes are resolved won’t include changing from a defined benefits to a defined compensation system. On this edition of Houston Matters, we explore the differences between the two structures. We also consider what each means for city employees and why the mayor […]
Posted on · A local activist group called Residents Against Flooding lays blame for our recent woes not on Mother Nature but on bad permitting, variance approvals and other decisions. On this edition of Houston Matters, we explore the role city regulations and policies might play in flooding. Houston Matters‘ Paige Phelps talks with Ed Browne and Cynthia Neely from […]
Posted on · Schools, surveys and other institutions often ask participants to check off a box on how they identify themselves. These racial categories include Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian and White. But Al Martinez argues these categories are outdated and should be modified. He’s a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and he recently […]
Posted on · Episode: 1113 How can we talk to our children about mathematics? Today, three mathematicians wonder how to teach math.
Posted on · If politics is indeed the art of the possible, does that possibility lessen when youâre under indictment? With Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton facing this reality, we explore the history of elected officials in Texas in charge while being charged on this edition of Houston Matters. We welcome your questions for Brandon Rottinghaus, an associate professor […]
Posted on · A recent data report from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates nearly 69 percent of workers are in occupations dominated by one gender or the other. We talk with Rice University Assistant Professor of Sociology Erin Cech, who has sought to find out what’s behind that statistic, and whether preconceived notions about what motivates […]
Posted on · Brent Crude Oil — a major benchmark for worldwide oil prices — dropped below $30 a barrel Wednesday (Jan. 13, 2016) for the first time in more than a decade, a day after West Texas Intermediate crude — the U.S. benchmark — fell below the same threshold. Meanwhile, with a glut of oil production, sparked […]
Posted on · Episode: 1088 Housework: In which work doesn’t exactly expand to fill the time Today, “Man may work from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done!”
Posted on · On the road, at work, at school, at home — we, our friends, neighbors, co-workers and loved ones average less than seven hours of sleep each weekday. That’s a lot of sleep-deprived Houstonians. And we’re not just tired, we’re inattentive, less productive, and it’s not good for us. That’s why every six months or so, we […]
Posted on · Recently, the Houston City Council contemplated whether to pay police officers more money to live in the city and closer to the communities they serve. Council members shelved the topic after struggling to find common ground. It’s not a new concept, and not unique to law enforcement. Some propose it’s beneficial for educators to live where […]
Posted on · A couple weeks back, cyclists staged a “die-in” outside Houston’s City Hall, to send a message to the City Council that cyclists need safer roads and that motorists need to be held accountable for bike-related accidents, especially in light of four bicycle-related fatalities that occurred over a recent three-week period. The demonstration outside City Hall […]
Posted on · Back in March, following a stretch of several murders in just over a day, a sergeant with the Houston Police Department’s homicide division told the Houston Chronicle he was expecting “a heavy summer” for homicides. That comment prompted the Houston Matters team to wonder how much murder rates correspond to the seasons here – are […]
Posted on · Findings from the 34th annual Houston Area Survey will be revealed Thursday. The report from Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research is the nation’s longest-running study of any metropolitan area’s economy, population, life experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. We have the first detailed look at it on Thursday’s Houston Matters, as we speak with its author, and […]
Posted on · Business is bustling in neighborhoods near and along Westheimer toward Post Oak Boulevard. A lot of people work and shop in the Uptown/Galleria area, River Oaks, and surrounding communities. That also means a lot of traffic. A variety of ideas have been floated over the years to address such traffic snarls, including the idea of […]
Posted on · The 2007 best-selling book (and 2013 film adaptation) Lone Survivor tells the story of Navy SEAL and Houston native Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of a gun battle during a mission in Afghanistan in 2005. Luttrell was badly wounded, and wasn’t rescued until several days after the battle. It’s a harrowing story, but as is […]