Cremations are now twice as common as burials in the U.S., reversing a norm from two decades ago, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

Why it matters: Shifting attitudes around religion, cost and the environment are reshaping how Americans — and Houstonians — handle death.

By the numbers: Cremation surpassed burial nationwide in 2015 — and the gap has only widened since, with the NFDA projecting cremation will continue gaining share.

• In Texas, the burial rate dropped from 43% in 2020 to 35% last year. The cremation rate surged from 50% to 58%.
• Burials also cost significantly more: In 2023, the median price of a casketed burial with viewing and ceremony was $8,300, compared with $2,750 for a direct cremation, according to NFDA data.

Zoom in: "With cremation, you can take care of the details of the body fairly quickly. And then once you're ready to deal with it, then you can deal with having a service or not," Joseph Earthman, owner of Joseph Earthman Generations in Houston, tells Axios, noting he's seen a rise in cremation preference in Houston, too.

• He said families are drawn to it when they're geographically spread out. He adds that cost is typically a secondary factor.

Cremation in the Houston area reached roughly parity with burial in 2024 and rose to just over half of consumer choices in 2025, Patrick Husband, Houston market director at Dignity Memorial, tells Axios.

Between the lines: Texas has seen steady growth in cremations, though its rate of increase may be lagging other states because of slower uptake in South Texas and rural areas, Harvey Hilderbran, executive director of the Texas Funeral Directors Association, tells Axios.

• Trying to meet religious rituals but also save money, some customers are doing a hybrid, Hilderbran says. "We're seeing combinations — people getting a casket, doing the visitation, embalming, and then they cremate at the end."

What they're saying: Instead of opting for a traditional burial — which requires more land use, upkeep, embalming processes and items like caskets — people are going greener, says NFDA spokesperson Jack Mitchell.

What we're watching

Alley Theatre is running the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "English" through March 8 — and it's beautiful, funny at times and both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Why it matters: The play delves into the core of what many non-native English speakers — or anyone learning a new language — wrestle with: the cost of shifting identities and living between two tongues.

• In a city as diverse as Houston, the play's tensions feel close to home.

State of play: "English" follows four Iranian students enrolled in an English-learning class, studying for the language exam that could change their futures. Their teacher insists they speak only English in class.

💭 Shafaq's thought bubble: The play encapsulates what it feels like to exist between two languages. It takes on accents, the idea of home and the hope of accessing something more.

• The conversations onstage felt familiar to regular exchanges with friends, family and strangers in Houston.
• I laughed. I teared up. And I left grateful for being able to speak two languages.

What they're saying: "For audience members who maybe have never left their town or city that they grew up in, I hope it gives them an insight into just how much work it takes to learn another language — to make the decision to leave your home and go somewhere else for work, or for school or for family," Nima Rakhshanifar, a cast member who plays a student, tells Axios.

The bottom line: It's a deeply personal and beautiful play — the kind that makes you love and hate the fleeting nature of theater. See it while you can.

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Roughly $126 billion is now potentially up for grabs after the Supreme Court struck down a swath of President Trump's tariffs on Friday.

Why it matters: The ruling could lead to a chaotic refund process — and it's unclear who gets to pocket that cash.

• The Supreme Court ultimately left that question to the Trump administration in its ruling. "The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the government should go about returning the billions of dollars that it has collected from importers," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in his dissent.

Zoom in: Texas businesses paid $11.4 billion in tariffs instituted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), according to economic research firm Trade Partnership Worldwide, based on trade from February to December 2025.

• That's the second most of any state.

What's next: Economists at TD Securities estimate the refund process could take up to 18 months as cases make their way through the federal court system.

💸 A group of Texas Democrats says the state may be discriminating by excluding Islamic schools from its $1 billion private school voucher program. (Houston Chronicle)

🚀 NASA found a critical issue with the Artemis II rocket, likely delaying the launch again. (Houston Public Media)

🤖 Houston ISD plans to open two "Future 2" schools in 2026–27, piloting a new model centered on AI literacy. (KHOU)

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🀄️ Play Mahjong on Monday at the Tejas Brewery & Taproom.

• 5:30-7:30pm. RSVP.

🏓 Head to Pickle Mania for free open play on Tuesday.

• 7pm. No prior registration is needed.

🗣️ Listen to poetry at the Black Poetry Slam and Book Fair at Rudyard's British Pub and Grill on Tuesday.

• $25. 7:30pm.

🎺 Enjoy live jazz at Axelrad on Wednesday.

• 7pm. Free.

💃 Shake your body at the women's dance party at Just Dance on Thursday.

• 7pm. Sliding scale entry.