On Thursday's show: Texas Comptroller Don Huffines has requested legislators double the money behind the state’s private school voucher program to $2 billion. More than 100,000 students sit on the waitlist, but critics argue there is little evidence vouchers are delivering on their promises to justify expanding the program.

Also this hour: We consider why the federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised in 17 years.

Then, as the Taliban retook Afghanistan in 2021, The New York Times scrambled to evacuate people that worked for its bureau there and their families. They ended up here in Houston. Why, how, and what happened next is the subject of the new book, The Last Free Women. We talk with the co-authors, Rebecca Blumenstein and Diana Kapp, ahead of an event at Brazos Bookstore Friday.

And, this weekend, Performing Arts Houston will present a concert at Jones Hall featuring the complete piano etudes of Philip Glass. Among the performers is Jiani Wu, an HSPVA alum and a current Rice University piano student, who performs and talks about Glass' music.

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On Wednesday's show: From this week’s GOP mid-term convention in Dallas, to the New Hampshire primary and other stories, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: We consider the challenges and importance of communicating with the public about science and scientific research as Rice University launches a new center dedicated to that mission.

And we revisit a 2025 conversation with chef, food writer, and filmmaker Adán Medrano about his work honoring the plant-based cooking traditions of Texas-Mexicans.

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On Tuesday's show: After years of scarcity, there is now a much greater selection of homes for sale in the Houston market. Despite that, Houston Chronicle reporter Marissa Luck talks to us about why there still aren't many good bargains out there. And we take the pulse of the Houston real estate market with Theresa Hill, chair of the Houston Association of Realtors.

For years during the pandemic, Houston homebuyers were told there just weren’t enough homes on the market to bring down prices. Now, buyers have a much bigger selection of homes to choose from – but they still aren’t finding major discounts.

Also this hour: We offer listeners a chance to vent their pet peeves about life in our city.

And we learn about Slime in the Ice Machine, a new video game featuring Houston as its setting.

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On Friday's show: A Galveston County jury has sentenced James Elmore, 61, to 20 years in prison for his role in a decades-old "Texas Killing Fields" case that went unsolved for over 40 years. We get the details on his trial and sentencing.

Also this hour: NASA just launched a new telescope. We learn what makes the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope different than others before it, like the Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, and what the agency hopes to discover with new snapshots of the universe.

Then, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And members of the ensemble WindSync tell us about their joint performance with Musiqa tonight at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

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On Thursday's show: We discuss the recent deal the city of Houston made promising to never absorb The Woodlands in exchange for $50 million over the next four years.

Also this hour: We discuss how the growth of AI is shaping the medical field for doctors and patients.

Then, a DPS trooper tells us what to do if (and, let's face it when) you’re in a fender bender on Houston roads and highways.

And the folks behind Houston's online radio station Ice House Radio talk about their mission to share and document Southern music culture.

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On Wednesday's show: We get an update on the after effects of Tropical Storm Edouard after it made its way through southeast Texas.

Also this hour: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Then, what's the holy grail of memorabilia from NASA's Apollo program? We find out as we learn about the realm of space memorabilia.

And a new art exhibit at Rice called Radiant Geometries explores academic concepts like math, science, and technology through Indigenous and Latin American traditions.

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On Tuesday's show: Tropical Storm Edouard has formed moving in the Gulf and could bring heavy rain to parts of Greater Houston today. We have the very latest on the forecast and how area communities are preparing.

Also this hour: In this month's installment of The Full Menu, Houston foodies offer their suggestions for the best breakfast and brunch options in town.

And, last week, Houston Audubon announced its rebranding itself as Birds Houston, to better describe the organization’s mission to connect people with birds and to champion conservation. Birds and birding are surprisingly big in Greater Houston, which explains why there’s a Texas-sized field guide, called Birds of Texas, describing the hundreds of bird species you can find here. We learn more about it from its author.

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On Monday's show: Fort Bend County commissioners voted last week to strip funding and staff from the office of elected County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson, creating a new civil legal department under the court's own control. We learn what it could mean for the county and its residents.

Also this hour: A tropical disturbance in the Gulf could develop into a tropical depression -- or even a tropical storm -- by Tuesday, the National Weather Service predicts, with several inches of rain falling in southeast Texas. We get the latest information on how it might affect Greater Houston.

Then, during his visit to Johnson Space Center last week, President Trump signed an executive order to get the ball rolling on a U.S. Space Academy. We learn what it would do and consider whether the announcement signals an intent to place it here in Space City. And we reflect on how the often-overlooked Gemini missions won the space race.

Plus, we discuss hair loss, hair changes, and signs of a need for medical attention with Dr. Oyetewa Asempa from Align Dermatology.

And we preview the Texans season with Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.

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On Friday's show: We get details on Pres. Trump's visit to Houston, with a RNC fundraiser last night and plans to bestow the Artemis II astronauts with a Congressional Space Medals of Honor today.

Also this hour: we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

Then, restaurants come and go. So, how are some able to stand the test of time and become dining institutions that have stuck around 50, 80, or even more than a hundred years? We visit three of Houston's longest-lived eateries to find out.

And we learn about an exhibition called Anomalous, which features works by a pair of Houston artists examining the beauty in imperfections.

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On Thursday's show: We talk with Houston Public Media’s Dominic Anthony Walsh about Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz being a no-show at a Houston City Council public safety committee meeting this week examining a report on HPD calls involving ICE. We also discuss a $50 million agreement under consideration by Houston City Council that would, in part, include a decision not to absorb Woodlands Township.

Also this hour: We get an update on developments in the bid for an NHL expansion team in Houston or Austin.

Then, many companies promote drinks or supplements as health-forward, but what works best for you and when should you put them down?

And we preview this weekend’s Houston Mariachi Festival.

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On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: We learn how the concept of cohousing works by visiting East End Commons, a first-of-its kind in Houston housing concept that just opened in the East End.

And two local ensembles come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of composer Arvo Pärt with a pair of concerts Aug. 29 and 30. We learn more from the founders of Kinetic and Cor Mundi.

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