What effect is Texas’ booming population having on how the state’s moving politically? Some signs as we approach November.
A Texas company faces federal allegations of a price-fixing conspiracy pushing up rents across the U.S.
Want to grow a veggie garden this fall? An expert shares tips for choosing plants, protecting from freezes & more.
Two astronauts are stranded in space until next year, way beyond initial plans for their mission. A former astronaut weighs in on what’s happened and what comes next.
And: Remembering groundbreaking DJ Steve Crosno, who helped make El Paso’s music culture the rich scene it is today.
population
The state welcomed 475,000 new Texans in a year
Large parts of North Texas are cleaning up after severe storms swept the region, but weather dangers continue.
As sea levels rise, cities along the Texas Gulf Coast are sinking. A new report is raising red flags.
Boom times in Texas continue, with new census figures showing the Lone Star State growing faster than any other.
Should Texas’ senior senator, John Cornyn, be worried about a political challenge from AG Ken Paxton? Gromer Jeffers of the Dallas Morning News explains.
Plus: The week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more.
Heat and the next Great Migration
An exemption to Texas’ abortion ban is on hold after an appeal by the state attorney general. What comes next?
Just how powerful are social media algorithms? Texas researchers test whether changes could help defuse political polarization.
Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies got in a kayak to take an up-close look at Gov. Greg Abbott’s floating wall in the Rio Grande.
And a warning that climate change could reverse demographic trends showing major population growth in places like Texas: Could there be a great migration northward?
Expanded telehealth is coming to an end
A Texas couple chose midwife care over a hospital, and now their baby is in foster care. Why this story is sounding alarm bells for many across the state.
Changes are coming to telehealth with the end of a federal pandemic order – and some patients will have to return to in-person medical care.
A bill in the Texas Legislature could lead to fines for some Texans who report pollution concerns.
Texas is home to millions of bats. But according to a new report out this week, more than half of North America’s bats are in peril if action isn’t taken to protect them.
TxDOT wants to bury a highway. The Dallas City Council wants to get rid of it.
Tenure is on the agenda in the Texas Senate this week, as lawmakers weigh a bill that would end the practice for the new faculty at public colleges and universities.
The Texas Department of Transportation wants to bury Interstate 345, a 1.4-mile stretch of highway that connects Dallas to its Deep Ellum neighborhood. But the Dallas City Council wants to get rid of it.
A Hill Country destination looks beyond tourism: The city of Kerrville gets busy on a plan to attract industry.
Pro sports teams shunned gambling on games, but now, Texas’ 11 top franchises are teaming up to legalize sports betting in the Lone Star State.
Will Texas ban the death penalty for people with severe mental illness?
Thirty million people now call Texas home, but new numbers tell a story of uneven growth across the Lone Star State. Which areas are gaining and which are slipping as the Texas population continues to grow?
The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana has details on a push to outlaw the death penalty for those with severe mental illness
The rising cost of living in Texas is hitting tacos, too. But what’s with a $5 difference just five blocks away? Likely more than meets the mouth, says taco journalist Mando Rayo.
Plus the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and the Typewriter Rodeo.
Here’s what Texas teachers want to see this legislative session
Texas joins California as the only other state with 30 million residents. With massive growth in Texas, is there such a thing as too big? We take a closer look at the implications of population growth. Also the Texas Legislature reconvenes today with a record breaking surplus. What Texas’ biggest teachers group is asking for. And post-election intrigue in Odessa with the firing and rehiring of top city employees. Mitch Borden of Marfa Public Radio with the story. And are attention spans really shrinking? Expert tips for staying in focus. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: June 3, 2022
As the people of Uvalde continue to morn the loss of 19 school children and 2 teachers, new questions raised about the law enforcement response. There are new revelations about what happened during the school shooting in Uvalde indicate that 911 calls from kids inside were not relayed to the incident commander. This hour, we take a closer look at what happened, what didn’t and why. Also, how residents of Uvalde are talking about the mass shooting and about guns. Plus the census undercount in Texas, did it cost the Lone Star State a congressional seat? Also Medicaid and maternal health, the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and more today on The Standard:
Texas Standard: April 6, 2022
After a Texas law that restricted abortion access went into effect, some Texans sought abortions in Oklahoma. But now that state’s legislature has passed a bill that would make performing them a felony. Plus rural Texas is losing population. We’ll tell you about how one town in East Texas is trying to stop that trend. Also news on farmers and ranchers recovering from wildfires and the latest headlines from up and down the Lone Star State. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: March 30, 2022
The five fastest growing counties by population in Texas last year; we’ll talk with the state demographer about shifts in population during a pandemic year. And, President Biden has a new spending plan, and on his wish list: millions for Corpus Christi. Also, Camilla Alves McConaughey on her new book aimed at getting little ones to try ‘just one bite’. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
How Many People Are Too Many?
How many people are too many-psychologically?
As we’re slowly getting back to large in-person events, we thought we would revisit a 2019 episode of Two Guys on Your Head, where Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about how our brains help us to navigate crowds.
Texas Standard: August 13, 2021
Texas by the numbers: new census details for the Lone Star State kick off a new round of redistricting with major political implications. 5 of the 10 fast growing municipalities in the country are in Texas, according to the new census numbers, and Texas stands to pick up two more seats in Washington as a result of all the growth. We’ll do the numbers and discuss what that means for the state’s political maps. Also the pickup truck capitol of the world, poised to become ground zero for building the electric pickups of the future? And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: October 15, 2020
Theres the vote, and there’s that other count that will determine representation in the Lone Star State. And the deadline is tonight. Have you been counted? Although the Census Bureau says 99.9% of households are accounted for, only 62 percent of Texans have completed the census. We’ll hear about the potential impact and how to get counted before the deadline. Also, An inter party tiff turns into a potential tipping point in the U.S. Senate race in Texas. And when you wish upon a star, you turn into a streaming service? Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells us why Disney’s making a major shift amid a pandemic. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: August 5, 2020
After first asking for an extension to complete the census count, a sudden u-turn. The impact on Texas could last for a decade or more, we’ll have details. Also, more women are unemployed now than at any time since the late 1940’s, and women of color are among the hardest hit. What some are calling America’s first female recession, and what’s behind it. And residents along the gulf coast finding more effective ways to deal with an active hurricane season amid a pandemic. Plus a claim that 1 in 3 texans can’t access health insurance. A Politifact check and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: September 6, 2019
The Governor promised action, now 8 executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence. But do they go far enough? We’ll take a closer look. Also, money for a border wall? Where’s it coming from? In part, from military projects in Texas. Also a former state musician with a new release: musical, yet this one’s more a treat for the eyes. Plus the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:
How Many People Are Too Many?
Growing pains are inevitable, and the frustration associated with them can often magnify existing issues or create new ones altogether.
In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of population – and why this all matters.