Craig Cohen
Houston Public Media
Houston, TX, United States
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Past articles by Craig:
Some Highs, And A Whole Lot Of Lows: Reflecting On Houston’s Difficult Sports History
The Astros cheating scandal and the Texans playoff collapse against the Chiefs are only the latest in a long line of painful Houston sports moments. → Read More
Houstonian Pet Peeves Day: Monday’s Show (September 19, 2016)
Every few months, we give you the opportunity to vent. It could be something about Houston — like the traffic or the weather. It could be something about your life. It could be something you just wished was a little bit different. It’s your pet peeve, that one thing that sticks in your craw that you just have to vent about, that makes your life in Houston just a little bit less than it could be.… → Read More
Star Trek’s Impact on Space City: Thursday’s Show (September 8, 2016)
Fifty years ago today, on Sept. 8, 1966, Star Trek debuted on American television. The original television series lasted just three seasons, but a legion of fans kept Trek culture alive for a decade, leading to a series of films, which spawned a new TV series, which led to three additional series, and more movies, and then a reboot, and even now another series is launching. But Star Trek‘s… → Read More
Star Trek’s Impact on Space City: Thursday’s Show (September 8, 2016)
Fifty years ago today, on Sept. 8, 1966, Star Trek debuted on American television. The original television series lasted just three seasons, but a legion of fans kept Trek culture alive for a decade, leading to a series of films, which spawned a new TV series, which led to three additional series, and more movies, and then a reboot, and even now another series is launching. But Star Trek‘s… → Read More
Dueling Visions for Houston’s Pensions: Tuesday’s Show (June 28, 2016)
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 and the city’s three pension boards are holding firm… → Read More
Why The Halliburton And Baker Hughes Merger Failed
In November 2014, Halliburton and Baker Hughes announced a merger that would create a new oil industry giant right here in Houston. Last week, it was scuttled. Why? And what’s the impact on the region’s economy? Houston Matters Host Craig Cohen sat down with oil industry expert Loren Steffy for some answers. Listen to the conversation in the above player. → Read More
City Regulations and Flooding: Wednesday’s Show (May 4, 2016)
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 Residents Against Flooding. We also hear… → Read More
Live from Houston’s Theater District: Tuesday’s Show (April 5, 2016)
Today, Houston Matters broadcasts live from Jones Plaza, in the heart of Houston’s theater district! The district, in collaboration with Houston First, is presenting a series of “Food Truck Tuesdays” as a way to encourage Houstonians who work in nearby downtown offices to interact with one another and learn more about the city’s theater offerings. We talk with Carolyn Campbell with Houston First… → Read More
Nursing, Housing, and Rattlesnakes: Thursday’s Show (March 10, 2016)
Houston Community College has faced a fair amount of criticism in recent years for some land development plans that haven’t worked out. But while that’s gained a lot of notice, and HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado admits “course corrections” need to be made, there’s another challenge – an academic challenge – facing HCC: Its associate degree nursing program is on probation. The Texas Board of… → Read More
GOP Presidential Race in Texas: Wednesday’s show (February 24, 2016)
Houston Public Media and the Hobby Center for Public Policy have conducted their first statewide election poll, examining the GOP presidential race here in Texas ahead of Super Tuesday. We unveil the findings on today’s Houston Matters. As we dig into the numbers (which will be made available starting at noon here), we also explore what’s motivating likely Republican voters in Texas ahead of… → Read More
Planet Taco: A Global History Of Mexican Food
Here's Craig Cohen’s conversation with Professor Jeffrey Pilcher about the globalization of Mexican food. → Read More
The Unintended Consequences of Open Carry: Monday’s Show (February 1, 2016)
Open carry has been in effect in the state of Texas for a month now. The new law allows concealed handgun license holders to carry pistols openly. But private businesses can ban it on their premises, providing — at every entrance — they post 30.07 signs, so named for the statute which requires them. Those signs are popping up more and more in Houston, sometimes accompanied by 30.06 signs, which… → Read More
LGBT Workers in the Energy Sector: Friday’s Show (January 29, 2016)
Times are uncertain for many folks in the oil and gas industry, with crude oil prices continuing to drop. But some LGBT workers say there’s always been plenty of uncertainty in the industry for them – and maybe more so now. That uncertainty was the subject of a recent article by the Houston Chronicle’s Jordan Blum, who talked with a number of oil and gas employees, some on the condition of… → Read More
Thirty Years After Challenger: Thursday’s Show (January 28, 2016)
STS-51-L crew: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Image Courtesy: NASA Human Space Flight Gallery A ceremony is taking place today (Jan. 28, 2016) at Houston’s Johnson Space Center in remembrance of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster 30 years ago today. On January 28th, 1986, seven astronauts… → Read More
Planned Parenthood Video Stingers Indicted: Tuesday’s Show (January 26, 2016)
In a surprising turn of events, a Harris County grand jury — convened to investigate whether Houston-based Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast sold fetal tissue — declined Monday to take any action against the women’s health service provider. Instead it indicted the undercover videographers behind those allegations. On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with News 88.7 health and science reporter… → Read More
Oil Impact on Nonprofits, and Houston Voter Apathy: Monday’s Show (January 25, 2016)
As oil prices continue to fall, there’s been some hand-wringing in Greater Houston over the potential impact to the region’s nonprofits. Some philanthropic organizations rely heavily on support from some of Houston’s major oil and gas companies, and as belt tightening continues in some portions of the energy sector, there’s concern that it could lead to funding challenges for nonprofits here. Is… → Read More
Happy Houston and Finding Lost Pets: Friday’s Show (January 22, 2016)
It’s been mighty serious around here lately. On recent programs, we’ve discussed political power in Texas, campus carry, medical power of attorney – all important issues, to be sure. But let’s face it, sometimes, the news can be downright depressing. When faced with a cavalcade of such seriousness, we devote a portion of a show to discussing some good news — those things happening in your life… → Read More
Filling Houston’s Potholes: Thursday’s Show (January 21, 2016)
Earlier this month, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the official launch of his pothole repair initiative. Potholes reported to 311 are to be “assessed and addressed” by the next business day. We have, on this program, explored the political and judicial battles over street maintenance in Houston. During the campaign for mayor, potholes and street repairs were a routine topic of… → Read More
Katy Freeway Congestion and Gus Wortham Renovation: Wednesday’s Show (January 20, 2016)
In 2004, the American Highway Users Alliance labeled the Katy Freeway at 610 as the second worst bottleneck in the nation. Of course, the group had a motive: they were lobbying to increase federal highway spending. But after a $2.5 billion-plus expansion of the Katy Freeway, was it worth the headache and cost? In the final analysis, was it wise to expand the highway to such a degree that we now… → Read More
Constitutional Convention and Campus Carry: Wednesday’s Show (January 13, 2016)
On Tuesday night (Jan. 12, 2016), President Obama delivered his final State of the Union address. On this edition of Houston Matters, University of St. Thomas Political Science Professor Jon Taylor joins us to examine what, if any, implications the President’s remarks may have on Greater Houston. Then, we follow up on comments made last week by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who’s pushing for the first… → Read More