{"id":125749,"date":"2026-01-16T14:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/125749\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T14:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T14:03:09","slug":"faith-leaders-against-school-prayer-jan-16-2026-houston-public-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/125749\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith leaders against school prayer (Jan. 16, 2026) \u2013 Houston Public Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

Houston Matters begins at 9 a.m. CT on 88.7FM. You can also listen online<\/a> or watch live on YouTube<\/a>. Join the discussion. Call or text 713-440-8870. Email talk@houstonmatters.org<\/a> or tag us @HoustonMatters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Friday\u2019s show: More than 160 Texas faith leaders are urging school boards<\/a> to reject a new state-organized prayer law. Rabbi Joshua Fixler<\/a> of Houston\u2019s Congregation Emanu El explains why he and the other faith leaders say SB 11, which carves out time for prayer and Bible readings in public schools, threatens religious freedom.<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Hello, Houston!<\/a> daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Also this hour: We conclude our week-long Houston 2026 series with a look at the year ahead in transportation.<\/p>\n

Then, from a unified Martin Luther King Day parade, to Matthew McConaughey trademarking catchphrases, we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly<\/a> of the week.<\/p>\n

And we learn how a singing group of teenage girls from southeast Texas called The Melody Maids<\/a> traveled the world to perform for troops from World War II to Vietnam. A new documentary<\/a> tells their story, and a pair of screenings<\/a> will be held on Saturday in Beaumont.<\/p>\n

Audio from today\u2019s show will be available after 11 a.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here<\/a>, on iTunes<\/a>, Stitcher<\/a> and other apps.<\/p>\n

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