Houston Matters

Texans advance in the playoffs (Jan. 13, 2026)

On Tuesday's show: The Texans are moving on to face the New England Patriots after a decisive 30-6 victory over the Steelers Monday night. We recap the game and look ahead to the next round.Also this hour: We continue our series looking at the year ahead with a discussion about the issues in energy and the environment facing Greater Houston.Then, a new study explores links between sports betting and crime rates. It turns out, once a game starts, those crime rates go up -- even in some states, like Texas, that technically don’t allow sports betting. We learn more.And, ahead of the My 15 Expo at NRG Center on Sunday, we learn about how quinceañeras have developed and grown over the years.Watch

Writer Salman Rushdie (Jan. 12, 2026)

On Monday's show: We talk with writer Salman Rushdie about his latest book, The Eleventh Hour. He speaks at an event tonight with Inprint Houston.Also this hour: We begin a weeklong series looking ahead at issues facing Houston in 2026, beginning with immigration.Then, Meg Tapp from the Garden Club of Houston answers questions about how to maintain the plants in your home or garden.And we preview the Texans’ Monday night AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Steelers.

Houstonians protest ICE (Jan. 9, 2026)

On Friday's show: We learn what took place at Houston protests in connection with the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis.Also this hour: We find out why the state teacher's union is suing the TEA following investigations into teachers’ social media posts last fall.Then, our non-experts consider The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And the series Movies Houstonians Love returns this weekend to the MFAH with a documentary decades in the making. The 2023 film Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird focuses on Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler Zavala, the duo behind the El Paso progressive rock band The Mars Volta. It’s culled from hundreds of hours of footage filmed across decades. Houston DJ and producer Gracie Chavez talks about why this film means so much to her.Watch

Houston Marathon preview (Jan. 8, 2026)

On Thursday's show: The Chevron Houston Marathon is this Sunday. That means a lot of runners, a lot of spectators, and a lot of traffic. We talk with one of the organizers about what Houstonians need to know ahead of this weekend's events.And we find out why the mayor and the city controller are clashing again, this time over how flood mitigation funds are being used.Also this hour: We recall great speakers and speeches in Houston’s history.Then, we discuss the long term impact of GLP-1 medications on Houstonians’ health.And we chat with reggae musician Shaggy ahead of his performance with the Houston Symphony on Sunday.Watch

The week in politics (Jan. 7, 2026)

On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.Also this hour: In this month's installment of The Full Menu, Houston food writers discuss their favorite new restaurants that opened in 2025.And we chat with Puerto Rican composer and saxophonist Miguel Zenón about his upcoming performance with Kinetic Ensemble.Watchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3yBFRAOI_M