Your Statesman morning headlines for 1/5/2018

Austin's news in your inbox Email not displaying correctly? [View Online]( [Statesman]( MORNING HEADLINES Start your day with a fresh roundup of news, features and commentary. Friday’s Top Story [Round Rock girls safe; slain mother’s roommate charged with kidnapping ]( [Round Rock girls safe; slain mother’s roommate charged with kidnapping]( A man arrested and charged Wednesday with kidnapping two Round Rock girls who were recovered safely ... [Read More »]( Local News [Plane bound for Georgetown disappears over Gulf of Mexico ]( [Plane bound for Georgetown disappears over Gulf of Mexico]( An Oklahoma pilot flying to Georgetown to pick up a rescue dog is missing and feared dead after he w... [Read More »]( [Joseph T. McMillan Jr., former Huston-Tillotson president, dies at 73 ]( [Joseph T. McMillan Jr., former Huston-Tillotson president, dies at 73]( Years ago, when a donor provided about 300 new hymnals for the chapel at Huston-Tillotson University... [Read More »]( [Fight over Texas fetal-burial rule starts over with new judge ]( [Fight over Texas fetal-burial rule starts over with new judge]( The legal battle over state attempts to force abortion clinics to cremate or bury fetal remains — bl... [Read More »]( [In huge investment deal, Austin’s WP Engine raises $250M ]( [In huge investment deal, Austin’s WP Engine raises $250MÂ]( WP Engine, which provides hosting for WordPress-built websites, said Thursday it has raised a whoppi... [Read More »]( [Bastrop County man recounts NYE shooting by ‘celebratory gunfire’ ]( [Bastrop County man recounts NYE shooting by ‘celebratory gunfire’]( Roger Jeansonne went to bed early New Year’s Eve and woke before the clock struck midnight to sharp ... [Read More »]( Business [Austin alcohol sales up 5 percent in November ]( [Austin alcohol sales up 5 percent in November]( Alcohol sales at Austin bars, restaurants and hotels were up 5 percent in November, according to an ... [Read More »]( [Latest round of Sears closures includes Austin store ]( [Latest round of Sears closures includes Austin store]( Struggling retailer Sears Holdings is starting 2018 by announcing plans to close more than 100 Kmart... [Read More »]( [Juliet owner: ‘Fine dining was something of a trap’ ]( [Juliet owner: ‘Fine dining was something of a trap’]( Dan Wilkins is willing to admit he made a mistake. A very costly one, too.... [Read More »]( [Scrambling for storage space on your phone? Try deleting some text-message threads]( [Scrambling for storage space on your phone? Try deleting some text-message threads]( If you’re constantly running out of data storage space on your smart phone and you’ve resisted the s... [Read More »]( [Intel, other tech companies say they are working to patch computer vulnerabilities Meltdown, Spectre ]( [Intel, other tech companies say they are working to patch computer vulnerabilities Meltdown, Spectre]( Major security flaws affecting nearly every modern computer processor could allow hackers to steal s... [Read More »]( Sports [Longhorns TV schedule: Jan. 5-11 ]( [Longhorns TV schedule: Jan. 5-11]( Here’s the Longhorns TV and radio schedule heading into the weekend. It’s a look at current and form... [Read More »]( [Are Red Raiders for real in Big 12? Just ask coaches they’ve beaten ]( [Are Red Raiders for real in Big 12? Just ask coaches they’ve beaten]( The Texas Tech Red Raiders are riding high.... [Read More »]( [Our Take: Bohls, Golden weigh in on the NFL playoffs ]( [Our Take: Bohls, Golden weigh in on the NFL playoffs]( The NFL playoffs kick off on Saturday. American-Statesman columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden ta... [Read More »]( [4-star DT prospect DeMarvin Leal includes Texas in top 5 schools ]( [4-star DT prospect DeMarvin Leal includes Texas in top 5 schools]( ... [Read More »]( Opinion [Commentary: Changes to family-based immigration attack bedrock values ]( [Commentary: Changes to family-based immigration attack bedrock values]( At this time of year, those of us with healthy families are comforted by the strength and security w... [Read More »]( [Commentary: Why repealing the ‘Cole memo’ won’t solve marijuana abuse ]( [Commentary: Why repealing the ‘Cole memo’ won’t solve marijuana abuse]( It should not come as a surprise. We certainly have had enough hints that U.S. Attorney General Jeff... [Read More »]( [Herman: Democrats hope Texas voters choose politics over football game ]( [Herman: Democrats hope Texas voters choose politics over football game]( For much of Right-Thinking America (defined as those who accept college football as a deity), attent... [Read More »]( [Letters to the editor: Jan. 5, 2018]( Re: Dec. 30 article, “Austin will appeal its most recent court loss involving the Texas Open Meeting... [Read More »]( [INSIGHT: What women should know before joining the gig economy ]( [INSIGHT: What women should know before joining the gig economy]( Martin Schneider often got things done faster than a female colleague, Nicole Hallberg, who worked a... [Read More »]( Nation [US holding back security assistance provided to Pakistan ]( [US holding back security assistance provided to Pakistan]( The Trump administration's frustration with Pakistan's cooperation in fighting terrorist networks h... [Read More »]( [AP source: Trump had lawyer urge Sessions not to recuse self ]( [AP source: Trump had lawyer urge Sessions not to recuse self]( President Donald Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Attorney General Jeff Sessions to n... [Read More »]( [Q&A: Plan to expand offshore drilling draws cheers, jeers ]( [Q&A: Plan to expand offshore drilling draws cheers, jeers]( The energy industry is cheering the Trump administration's proposal to open nearly all U.S. coastli... [Read More »]( [California has ample weapons to fight Trump on drilling ]( [California has ample weapons to fight Trump on drilling]( In the decades since a 1969 oil spill near Santa Barbara tarred sea-life and gave rise to the U.S. ... [Read More »]( [Fight for Virginia House continues with court hearing ]( [Fight for Virginia House continues with court hearing]( The long-running fight for control of the Virginia House of Delegates isn't over.... [Read More »]( World [Egypt: Hot air balloon crashes in Luxor, 1 tourist killed]( A hot air balloon with foreign tourists sightseeing over the southern city of Luxor crash landed on... [Read More »]( [Press freedom on the agenda as Erdogan meets Macron in Paris ]( [Press freedom on the agenda as Erdogan meets Macron in Paris]( Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is traveling to Paris for talks with French counterpart Emma... [Read More »]( [Hard-line cleric says social media fed Iran protests, unrest ]( [Hard-line cleric says social media fed Iran protests, unrest]( A hard-line cleric leading Friday prayers in Iran's capital called on the Islamic Republic to build... [Read More »]( [Red Square, Bangkok temple among ice festival sculptures ]( [Red Square, Bangkok temple among ice festival sculptures]( Ice sculptures of Moscow's Red Square and Bangkok's Temple of the Emerald Buddha are among landmark... [Read More »]( [Let the Games begin? Why Kim Jong Un might be interested ]( [Let the Games begin? Why Kim Jong Un might be interested]( With little time to spare, North and South Korea are preparing to hash out Kim Jong Un's offer to s... [Read More »]( Austin360 [ILSYM bonus! Our words of the year for 2018 ]( [ILSYM bonus! Our words of the year for 2018]( We’re back with a full new episode next week, but in the meantime, "I Love You So Much" co-hosts Tol... [Read More »]( [They didn’t know that they were great shepherds of Austin’s lake ]( [They didn’t know that they were great shepherds of Austin’s lake]( Imagine Lady Bird Lake without a mantle of green wrapped around its shores.... [Read More »]( [American Girl heads to space with 2018 doll of the year ]( [American Girl heads to space with 2018 doll of the year]( American Girl is headed to space with its 2018 Girl of the Year, Luciana Vega.... [Read More »]( [Celebrate David Bowie, Free Week, children’s books and more Saturday ]( [Celebrate David Bowie, Free Week, children’s books and more Saturday]( Comedy ... [Read More »]( [This winter, grow greens and know how to cook them ]( [This winter, grow greens and know how to cook them]( If you grew up in the South, your mother most likely told you to “eat your greens!” “Greens” is a lo... [Read More »]( [Manage Account]( | [Contact Us](mailto:customercare@statesman.com) | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Newsletters]( We have an app for whatever you want — news, weather, entertainment and more. Statesman Live: [iPhone®]( | [Android]( Statesman Weather: [iPhone®]( | [Android]( Austin360: [iPhone®]( | [Android]( Statesman does not participate in unsolicited email. This is a recurring email and was sent to you because you subscribed to receive promotional emails and updates from Statesman during a previous program, promotion or contest. © 2018 Cox Media Group and Austin American-Statesman. All rights reserved. 305 S. Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 (512) 445-3500