On Friday's show: CenterPoint Energy appeared Thursday before the Public Utility Commission and faces a Texas Senate special committee on Monday to answer questions about its response to Hurricane Beryl. Reporter Andrew Schneider explains what the hearings entail.

Also this hour: From exploding soda cans on Southwest Airlines flights, to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile getting in a bit of a pickle, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week's news with our panel of non-experts.

Then, the Paris Olympics get underway today. A number of Houston-area athletes will be taking part, including gymnast Simone Biles, who will be back in the spotlight after stepping back from some events in the Tokyo games in 2021. But don't call it a "comeback." A new book called The Price She Pays explains why and explores the mental health challenges many female athletes face.

And we meet Houstonian Jeffrey Louis, aka "Bboy Jeffro" who's competing in the Olympics in breakdancing.

On Thursday's show: Former HPD Chief Troy Finner is speaking out about a police department scandal ahead of a forthcoming final report about it.

Also this hour: July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and we discuss the particular issues facing people of color when it comes to mental health and resources available.

Then, this month’s installment of The Bigger Picture dives into conspiracy theories and theorists and the new film Fly Me To The Moon.

And we check in with singer and guitarist Ray Benson of the band Asleep at the Wheel. He has a new single out this week, part of an album out next month that fuses Western swing and reggae.

On Wednesday's show: Has anything interesting happened in politics lately? We can't recall. So, we enlist the help of some local political analysts to discuss the latest developments in the news in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: While much of the fun things we have to do here in Houston take place indoors in air-conditioning, we have outdoor attractions, too. So, how do they keep things cool during Houston’s hot summer months?

And we visit a sound sculpture from artist Steve Parker called “Invisible Music.”

On Tuesday's show: We’re expecting rain the rest of the week, with some potentially significant downpours and flash flooding possible. But Houston Chronicle meteorologist Justin Ballard is characterizing the forecast as “tricky.” He joins us to explain.

Also this hour: Layoffs, restructuring, and the state takeover of HISD may all be leading to a brain drain of experienced educators. Will Houston’s schools face a big teacher shortage come fall?

Then, writer Jennifer Mathieu talks about her latest novel, Faculty Lounge. The story shows a "different side of school life" through a chain of events that begins when an elderly substitute teacher is found dead in the faculty lounge of a high school. Mathieu, who's a Houston-area teacher, wrote the 2017 novel, Moxie, which was turned into a Netflix movie in 2021.

And we continue our summer series visiting area museums and attractions with a visit to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum.

On Monday's show: Before President Biden's announcement over the weekend, the last time a sitting U.S. president dropped his re-election bid, he was a Texan. And when Lyndon B. Johnson did so in 1968, it was amid a period of somewhat similar turmoil. We discuss those parallels with Rice University political science professor Bob Stein, who was at the contentious 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Then, former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and our own Andrew Schneider reflect on the life and career of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died Friday.

Also this hour: What are some of the biggest mistakes Houston has made over the years? What in your view is the single biggest whopper of a screwup we’ve made as a city?

Then, columnist Dwight Silverman discusses recent developments in consumer technology, including last week's Crowdstrike glitch that messed with Houston airports, banks, hospitals, and media.

And we get an update on the Astros from Jeff Balke.

On Friday's show: We check in with Houston Public Media’s Dominic Anthony Walsh about a pair of transportation developments: highlights from Thursday’s METRO board meeting, and the latest on the controversial TxDOT I-45 expansion project.

Also this hour: We talk with some Houston-area restaurant owners about the impact Beryl and the derecho before it have had on their businesses and the restaurant industry overall.

Then, from Astros mascot Orbit’s inspired reversal against booing Rangers fans at baseball’s All-Star Game, to Elon Musk’s announcement he’s relocating two more company headquarters to Texas, this week’s “non-expert” panel weighs in on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.

And we visit a rehearsal for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston’s production of Ruddigore.

On Thursday's show: For some, that was it. Beryl was the last straw. They're considering leaving Houston (there’s even a “Leaving Texas Support Meet-Up” planned Thursday night for those considering leaving town).

For others, there’s a growing sense of unease about how long to stay in a community continuously threatened by extreme weather. Last fall, a Houston Matters exclusive survey question posed by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston found a majority of residents say they’ve thought about leaving the area in recent years, with more than half of those folks citing extreme weather as the reason why.

Meanwhile others are defiant and prepared to ride out any future storm.

We discuss whether extreme weather, power outages, and other factors in recent memory have Houstonians thinking about leaving our city.

Also this hour: New analysis places the economic impact of Beryl in the billions of dollars. But who pays for what? We talk it over with some experts.

Then, the abstract expressionist paintings of Janet Sobel influenced Jackson Pollock. So, why isn't she a household name like he is? An exhibit at the Menil Collection aims to remedy that with the help of her grandson, who lives here.

And the George R. Brown Convention Center will host DJ Screw Day on Saturday. We listen back to a 2022 conversation about DJ Screw, the Houston music pioneer who continues to influence H-town and hip-hop culture.

On Wednesday's show: From the Republican National Convention and the response to the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life, to the ongoing response in Houston to the slow recovery from Hurricane Beryl, we discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup.

Also this hour: In light of Saturday’s assassination attempt, we revisit our 2016 conversation with retired U.S. Secret Service agent Clint Hill, who served five U.S. Presidents and was in Dallas when JFK was killed in 1963. (He’s the agent who famously leapt onto the back of the presidential limousine and shielded First Lady Jackie Kennedy as the car raced to Parkland Hospital).

And we learn about The Ensemble Theater’s production of Pullman Porter Blues, which is on stage through July 28. Cheryl L. West’s play tells the story of three generations of Pullman train porters from the same family, struggling to come to terms with one another, racial tension, and an uncertain future. (For a century, Pullman porters worked in sleeping cars on U.S. railroads, serving passengers by carrying baggage, shining shoes, and maintaining sleeping cars. They were named for George Pullman who, starting in the late 1860s, hired formerly enslaved people to work on his sleeper cars. At one time, the company was the single largest employer of Black Americans).