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A record share of Americans are living alone

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

(The Hill) - Nearly 30 percent of American households comprise a single person, a record high. Scholars say living alone is not a trend so much as a transformation: Across much of the world, large numbers of people are living alone for the first time in recorded history. “It’s just a stunning social change,” said Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist at New York University and author of the book "Going Solo." “I came to see it as the biggest demographic change in the last century that we failed to recognize and take seriously.” Homo sapiens is a social animal. Historians tapped ancient census rolls to show that our species has lived in groups for as long as such records have existed, stretching back at least to 1600.  The U.S. Census shows that "solitaries" made up 8 percent of all households in 1940. The share of solo households doubled to 18 percent in 1970 and more than tripled, to an estimated 29 percent, by 2022. The solo-living movement intersects with severa...

Report: Austin's population could hit 22 million by 2100, third-largest metro in the US

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, but a new report suggests explosive growth is only just beginning.The city recently climbed into the top 10 largest cities in the U.S., with a 2022 population estimate of about 975,000. New population estimates show which areas of Texas grew the most in 2022 In the 2020 census, the Austin metro as a whole had more than 2.2 million residents. The metro is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.A new report by moving company MoveBuddha predicts that by the end of the century, the Austin metro will jump to the third-largest in the country, behind only Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. That means all three would surpass the current largest metro areas, like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.The report suggests the Austin metro's population would skyrocket, from 2.2 million in 2020 to more than 22 million by 2100. The Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston metros would ...

Watershed Protection continues treatment of Lady Bird Lake for blue-green algae

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Lady Bird Lake will have a cloudy, greyish look on Monday and Tuesday as the city of Austin and its partners continue a pilot program to get rid of the toxic blue-green algae that mats the surface of the water. This week will be the second treatment this summer, after the first application in early June.Dr. Brent Bellinger, the city's conservation program supervisor, said he has already seen a reduction of the toxic blue-green algae on the surface of the water at spots like Red Bud Isle and east of I-35, but the toxic algae is still present and there is still a risk. How the city is treating the waterA barge will be spraying lanthanum-modified bentonite into the water. The substance is designed to limit the amount of phosphorus in the water, a key nutrient in the growth of the toxic algae. The program has had mixed results, according to the city's website. In 2021, the treatment program led to a reduction in the amount of phosphorus near Red Bud isle, but phosphorus...

RESULTS: This is the best KXAN viewer photo of June 2023, as voted by you

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Here at KXAN, we get hundreds of photos sent to us each month by viewers just like you.We want to showcase some of the best pictures we receive, so we narrowed them down to our 10 favorites for the month.The winning photo will move on to represent June in the best viewer photos of the year competition once 2023 is said and done.#10. Along the River (2.1% of votes)Llano, June 9. Courtesy Cari North.Wildflowers along the Llano River in Llano on June 9, 2023. (Courtesy Cari North)#9. Sunny Scene (3.5% of votes)Snook, June 12. Courtesy Lori Rosenbaum Hardage.A field of sunflowers at Wilder Family Sunflowers in Snook on June 12, 2023. (Courtesy Lori Rosenbaum Hardage)#8. Reflection (3.8% of votes)Lake Buchanan, June 4. Courtesy Jason Howell.Sunset over Lake Buchanan on June 4, 2023. (Courtesy Jason Howell)#7. Ray of Sunshine (5.1% of votes)Austin, June 22.Crepuscular rays over Austin on June 22, 2023. (KXAN Viewer Photo)#5 (tie). Stormy Street (8.5% of votes)Johnson City,...

Texas coyote sightings, attacks on pets increase during denning season

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some Central Texas residents have reported seeing more coyotes recently, leading to concerns about potential attacks on people and pets. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) tells KXAN that coyote attacks on people are "extremely rare." The agency's main focus with coyotes is in assisting local governments, such as the City of Austin, in "coordinating nuisance coyote control and public education.""Coyotes live with and among people in all urban areas in Texas," TPWD said, "Coyotes typically avoid people. In fact, people are often surprised to learn that coyotes are important predators in urban areas and keep other wildlife populations in check (especially rodents and rabbits but also skunks and raccoons)."TPWD also compared urban and suburban coyotes to deer, calling both "symptoms of a broader issue" -- human expansion into habitats."People continue to expand housing subdivisions and other human development into what used to be open range wildlife ...

07/10/2023: Ongoing flooding concerns

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

The latest Storm Tracker Forecast from Meteorologist Jill Szwed.Happy Monday! Two weeks ago we were asking, "where is the rain?" Now we've gotten too much in a short period of time. A number of spots have received over two inches of rain over the past 24 hours. Isolated spots downstate picked a summer's worth of rain! And it's still raining.The heavy rain and flooding threats will continue through Tuesday. The area-wide Flood Watch remains in effect through mid-day tomorrow. Even once the rain comes to an end, it will take time for all of this water to drain into the larger rivers and creeks. There is a Flood Warning along the Hoosic River at Williamstown, which is expected to crest in minor flood stage this afternoon.This is a slow-moving system that will keep periods of heavy rain in play throughout the day. Today's heaviest rain will fall northeast of Albany and across Vermont. Western New England could see an isolated gusty storm.How much more rain will fall? Areas northeast of ...

Juvenile arrested in S. Pearl St. car-jacking was arrested in May

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 17-year-old from Albany was arrested on Wednesday after forcibly stealing a car from a woman on South Pearl Street. According to Albany Police, the same 17-year-old was arrested for a robbery in May. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Wednesday, around 11:20 a.m., police responded near South Pearl and Howard Streets for reports of a robbery. After arriving, police say the victim reported that a male suspect had opened the car's passenger side door while near the intersection. Police say she claimed he displayed what appeared to be a handgun and forcibly stole her car. The car was later found in Colonie by New York State Police and Albany Detectives. Police say the suspect attempted to flee on foot but was quickly taken into custody. The juvenile was charged with one count of first-degree robbery. GasBuddy: Avg. Albany prices fall 1.1 cents in last week On Wednesday, May 7, around 4:30 p.m., the...

Last Missouri I-64 exit mural to be completed today

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Two men put the final touches today on a new art project in Downtown St. Louis. Artist William Lachance and Painter Robert Fishbone will complete a new mural visible from the last Missouri exit on I-64. It's 25 feet by 100 feet with more than 80 colors. It's part of a downtown beautification project commissioned by greater St. Louis Inc.

Broncos position preview: Denver’s biggest offseason move at quarterback wasn’t a quarterback at all

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

Editor’s note: First in a series previewing the Broncos’ position groups entering training camp. Today, quarterbacks.On the roster (four): Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, Ben DiNucci, Jarrett Guarantano.How many on the 53? Likely two, maybe three.Most impactful offseason move: Hiring Sean Payton as the head coach.Payton takes pride in the culture he builds, the way he details work, the way he manages games. He’s confident across the board. But there’s no doubt his hiring also has an impact on the quarterback room. Wilson glowed about Payton before he ever interviewed for the job. Payton has the gravitas to demand a lot out of Wilson and also to make the call on how much leash to give the nine-time Pro Bowler if he doesn’t improve from a career-worst 2022.If all goes to plan, that won’t be an issue. That’s kind of the point of making this hire.Biggest question to answer in camp: Two or three?In reality, the only question that fully matters is whether Wilson bounces...

Innovative backcountry ski area near Kremmling will close 

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:00:11 GMT

Bluebird Backcountry, an innovative ski area without lifts that was designed to expose beginners to backcountry skiing and educate them on how to enjoy it safely, is closing permanently after three seasons for financial reasons.Located 30 miles north of Kremmling at Bear Mountain near the east side of Rabbit Ear’s Pass, Bluebird had ideal terrain for teaching introductory backcountry skills, but it was 125 miles from Denver. It was situated on 1,200 acres of land leased from a private landowner.“The business hasn’t been profitable,” said Jeff Woodward, co-founder and CEO. “We’ve been able to fundraise for it historically, but we haven’t been able to raise money for it this year to keep going. The first challenge was that Bear Mountain is far from the Front Range, and a little over 60% of our guests come from the Front Range. It’s a very long drive for them.“When we talk to our customers, they absolutely love it. The thing that pr...