News

This is no joke: Fort Worth is the least funny big city in the country.

Yes, scholars have researched the topic and have even produced a book showcasing their work: The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner.

They surveyed the 50 biggest cities in the country. They say they discovered that humor has a “local flavor” – what’s funny in Dallas might not be as hilarious in Chicago.

Fort Worth isn't too funny for words. Cowtown ranked dead last on a list that ranks the funniness of the 50 cities. Arlington, you’re a bit funnier, but not by much. Arlington placed No. 46 on the list.

Residents near Dallas’ White Rock Lake unloaded on developers Tuesday night as they pitched their plan for building a restaurant in the park at a location known as Boy Scout Hill.

Tech whiz Skylar Tibbits is an artist, architect and professor at MIT with his own lab. And he just turned 29.

Tibbits has grabbed global interest with his research into “self-assembly.” That’s where man-made objects build themselves. This stuff is catnip for college STEM students -- and Tibbits was in Dallas recently to talk with some of them.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: the U.S. Chemical Safety Board says the West fertilizer plant could have been prevented; Austin City Limits announces its lineup; Gov. Rick Perry talks up Texas in New York; and more.

A standing-room only crowd is expected Tuesday night when developers try to sell East Dallas residents on their plan to build a restaurant in White Rock Lake Park. So far, opposition from those living near the lake has been loud and far outweighs any visible community support.

State Rep. Stefani Carter, R-Dallas, might have had an easy time seeking re-election to her seat in House District 102. But after she reversed a decision to run a statewide campaign for railroad commissioner last year, she re-entered what had become a crowded contest for her House seat. She ultimately finished second in the GOP primary, with 33 percent of the vote.

That leaves the two-term incumbent in a tight spot going into her May runoff with Linda Koop, a former Dallas city councilwoman, who finished with just under 35 percent.

The Dallas Stars and goalie Kari Lehtonen shut down the top-seeded Anaheim Ducks 3-0 Monday night in the third game of their best of seven playoff series.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: how many Texans text while driving?; University of Texas at Dallas alums score big on “Shark Tank;” Wichita Falls is short on water; and more.

Are local journalists more in touch with the public's views on Dallas architecture than actual architects?

On Monday night, architects, local politicians, journalists and others gathered to compete in “Firmily Feud,” an architecture game show based on “Family Feud,” the classic game show. Four teams faced off: developers vs. the press; the city of Dallas vs. non-profits.

North Texas is a battleground for pro and anti-fracking camps -- especially Denton, where residents have signed a petition to ban fracking in the city. Russell Gold, author of The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World, will speak with KERA's Krys Boyd today at noon on "Think" to talk about the process and future of fracking.