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Outsourcing jail inmates (March 19, 2024)
On Tuesday's show: Harris County is paying millions to outsource many of its inmates, sending hundreds of people to privately owned, out-of-state prisons. News 88.7's Lucio Vasquez explains how the county is "surrendering control" of its inmates to private prisons with questionable oversight.
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MORE stories
Houston kicks off CERAWeek 2024 as participants from 85 countries come to discuss energy
“We couldn’t do this conference anywhere other than Houston, because Houston still is really the energy capital of the world and that means the energy transition capital of ...
Was UH’s loss in the Big 12 Tournament final a blessing in disguise?
Houston Matters contemplates how the 30-4 Cougars might fare in the NCAA tournament.
Allergies aren’t just a problem for you – dogs and cats struggle with them too
Houston area veterinarian Dr. Lori Teller offers tips on that and other pet owners' concerns.
The state of oil and gas in Houston (March 18, 2024)
On Monday's show: As the CERAWeek conference begins, we discuss the state of the oil and gas industry in Houston right now. Then, we learn what it's like ...
Steep rent increases and an ‘eviction epidemic’ — three perspectives on renting in Houston
Houston Matters hears stories from a longtime renter, an apartment broker, and a lawyer for tenants about the challenges renters face here these days.
Renting in Houston (March 15, 2024)
On Friday's show: A new report examines how often court-appointed attorneys in Harris County visit their clients who are facing the death penalty. And, amid rising prices over ...
Artists dropping out of SXSW in protest: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
Appointed attorneys are ‘doing less than the bare minimum’ for capital murder defendants in Harris County, report says
The report found hundreds of people charged with capital murder in Harris County were rarely visited by their court-appointed attorneys.
Don’t be surprised if you begin hearing opera at your local brewery
We introduce “Hopera” and discuss how it’s bringing the art form to the masses.
Flood and heat mitigation funding comes to Houston (March 14, 2024)
On Friday's show: We hear from Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher about federal funding coming to Houston for infrastructure improvements. We'll also meet a local opera company that performs at ...
Gulfton, Alief to benefit from $43 million grant aimed at rebuilding sidewalks, increasing tree canopy to mitigate heat
The Department of Transportation grant will target two neighborhoods recently found among the most dangerous in Houston in terms of traffic injuries and fatalities for children.
Political Roundup: Runoffs, Robert Hur’s testimony, and politics at the Oscars
We weigh in on the latest developments in local, state, and national politics with University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims.
FotoFest 2024 features a collaboration with students from Jack Yates High School
The biennial, citywide festival is in its 20th incarnation this year.
It’s been four years since the COVID pandemic started—where are we now?
Dr. Peter Hotez discusses the state of COVID-19 and whether we're prepared for our next pandemic.
How a horrific story exposes the ills of Texas’ child welfare system
Roxanna Asgarian discusses her book on the tragedy of the Hart family and their adopted children.
Our future with coronaviruses (March 13, 2024)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics, including whether runoffs ever have dramatically different results. Then we consider if we are ready for the next ...