We added more people this year than any other state — more than Florida, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado combined.
Demographics
Explore population trends, diversity, and data shaping Texas communities, politics, and policy.
TribBlog: Sun Bowl to Oklahoman: Drop Dead
The El Paso Brut Sun Bowl has sold out more quickly than ever in its 76-year history, officials said today. The sellout comes less than a week after the Oklahoma City daily The Oklahoman, ran a story about how the raging violence in Juarez was keeping many Sooner fans from buying tickets
¿No Se Puede?
Latinos are expected to become the majority demographic group in Texas by 2015, according to some estimates. But they’re still not voting in big numbers at the ballot box.
Narco Terror
U.S. Border Patrol agents launched Operation Detour to shock kids away from Mexican drug cartel recruiters. Now they’re expanding the program across the entire southwest border.
Shock Therapy
Border Patrol agents are combatting cartel recruitment with a graphic film designed to scare high school students straight. But some experts say the program misses the mark.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Stiles and Thevenot collaborate on the salaries paid to superintendents, and even compare them on price per student… Ramsey’s look at redistricting and next year’s elections… Aguilar’s report on jails, brought to you by the federal agency that’s in the ag business… Rapoport’s peek at the power behind Texas pre-kindergarten programs… Smith’s conversation with Dan Patrick, in three parts… Grissom’s narrative on a circular immigration and deportation route financed by two governments… Ramshaw finds doctors agreeing on public policy and split on strategy and tactics… Hu’s latest Stump Interrupted puts the camera on Farouk Shami… Hamilton’s story on two retired cops who are taking on cargo theft in Texas… And Kreighbaum and Stiles pop open the itineraries of your folks in Congress. The best of our best from December 12 to 18, 2009.
TribBlog: Forbes Says College Grads Making Bank in the 915
El Paso is in the national news today, and — for the first time in recent memory — it has nothing to do with its proximity to drug war-torn Juarez. Forbes actually has some good news about the border city: Incomes for college graduates in El Paso are rising faster than any other major metropolitan area of the nation.
Outbound Brains
Border communities struggle to keep younger, educated residents when larger cities dangle economic and quality-of-life opportunities. They’re afflicted with the reputation of being black holes of talent — where escape is necessary in order to prosper.
Guest Column: The Texas Political Atlas
On the eve of a noisy election year, the former lieutenant governor of Texas takes us on a tour through voting and demographic statistics.
Slideshow: Border Bus
On both sides of the border, there are calls to end the U.S. Border Patrol’s Alien Transfer and Exit Program. But Border Patrol officials say their plan to break the connection between smugglers and immigrants is working.

