Beto is back: O’Rourke aims political star power toward flipping Texas House

News and updates from 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. Monday's Top Story [Beto is back: O Rourke aims political star power toward flipping Texas House]( [Beto is back: O’Rourke aims political star power toward flipping Texas House]( Beto is back.O'Rourke, the former El Paso congressman who transformed Texas politics with a near-win against Ted Cruz in 2018 but fell flat in 2019 seeking the Democratic nomination for president, spent the weekend, as he will the next, in Fort Bend County. [Read More »]( Local News [Fast forward: Austin metro area sees two decades of explosive growth]( [Fast forward: Austin metro area sees two decades of explosive growth]( In the past 20 years, the Austin metro area, which includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell and Bastrop counties, nearly doubled in population, from 1.2 million in 2000 to 2.1 million people in 2018, according to the latest estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. [Read More »]( [Democrats campaigning for U.S. Senate blast Abbott on refugees]( [Democrats campaigning for U.S. Senate blast Abbott on refugees]( Texas' Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, who had gathered Saturday for a joint forum at a Houston church Saturday afternoon, joined in condemning Gov. [Read More »]( [One injured after reported shooting in East Austin late Saturday]( [One injured after reported shooting in East Austin late Saturday]( One person was injured after a reported shooting in East Austin late Saturday.Austin police and Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded to a call about a shooting in the 5700 block of Manor Road around 10:42 p.m. [Read More »]( [Georgetown house fire causes ammunition to explode, police say]( [Georgetown house fire causes ammunition to explode, police say]( A fire burning a barn behind a Georgetown home is causing stored ammunition to explode, according to Williamson County first responders. [Read More »]( [Fire crews tackle blaze that damaged buildings in Hudson Bend along Lake Travis]( [Fire crews tackle blaze that damaged buildings in Hudson Bend along Lake Travis]( A handful of buildings under construction in Hudson Bend, along the south shore of Lake Travis, caught fire Sunday before fire crews brought it under control within a couple of hours, Lake Travis Fire Rescue officials said. [Read More »]( Business [RETAIL SQUEEZE: Merchants want to be in Austin, but space is tight]( [RETAIL SQUEEZE: Merchants want to be in Austin, but space is tight]( Retail space in Austin is hard to come by and can by pricey, but that hasn't stopped JuiceLand from opening two new locations in the city in less than six months. [Read More »]( [Austin companies flaunt new products, share plans at gadget show]( [Austin companies flaunt new products, share plans at gadget show]( Each year, thousands of people flock to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, where companies like Dell Technologies and AMD take the stage and show off their upcoming tech for the year. [Read More »]( [Prime site south of downtown Austin hits market]( [Prime site south of downtown Austin hits market]( A site south of downtown Austin that houses an Extended Stay America hotel is on the market, and local real estate experts say they expect the property to command strong interest and an attractive price. [Read More »]( Sports [Clemson eyes LSU with elite hopes]( [Clemson eyes LSU with elite hopes]( NEW ORLEANS - Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has this drill down. [Read More »]( [EPIC COMEBACK]( [EPIC COMEBACK]( KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are back in the AFC championship game. [Read More »]( [McBride sparks West Virginia to victory over Texas Tech]( [McBride sparks West Virginia to victory over Texas Tech]( MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Miles McBride took over when the shots weren't falling for West Virginia. [Read More »]( [Orgeron, Swinney lead evolution in coaching styles]( [Orgeron, Swinney lead evolution in coaching styles]( NEW ORLEANS - Ed Orgeron is as comfortable talking gumbo and jambalaya as he is the run-pass option, embracing his Cajun heritage and guy-next-door demeanor. [Read More »]( [Astros, Springer far apart on contract]( [Astros, Springer far apart on contract]( HOUSTON - The Houston Astros agreed to deals with five of their seven arbitration-eligible players last week but are headed toward a hearing with star outfielder George Springer. [Read More »]( Opinion [Pitts: What in the world just happened here?]( [Pitts: What in the world just happened here?]( So what in the world just happened here?That's the question of the moment as we struggle to get our heads around the latest head-snapping episode in the bizarre presidency of Donald Trump. [Read More »]( [Editorial: Texas wins if census counts every person]( [Editorial: Texas wins if census counts every person]( In conference rooms across the state, community leaders are huddling around computerized maps, poring over data sets and identifying churches and neighborhood groups that could help ensure a full, accurate count of Texans in the 2020 census. [Read More »]( [Time for Texas to become relevant in the primaries]( [Time for Texas to become relevant in the primaries]( As we welcome the new year, presidential campaigns across the country are gearing up for a whirlwind few weeks in advance of the first few primary elections. [Read More »]( [Opinion: Proposed land code lacks adequate planning for density]( [Opinion: Proposed land code lacks adequate planning for density]( Our mayor and the city council said a new land development code was needed to cut red tape and make regulations easier to understand, and that adding density would bring down housing prices and promote mass transit. [Read More »]( [Herman: Mike Bloomberg zags through Austin]( [Herman: Mike Bloomberg zags through Austin]( Mike Bloomberg was in town Saturday. You know him from TV, where his ads appear constantly. Bloomberg wants to be your president. [Read More »]( Nation [Ex-prisoners who can vote sought for Wisconsin 2020 election]( [Ex-prisoners who can vote sought for Wisconsin 2020 election]( MILWAUKEE (AP) " When Quentin Blackburn was sent to prison for his first felony conviction in the 1990s, the consequences were clear: he could no longer vote or possess a firearm. [Read More »]( [Alaska man rescued weeks after remote cabin burned down]( [Alaska man rescued weeks after remote cabin burned down]( ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) " Weeks after an Alaska man's remote cabin burned down, he was rescued by Alaska State Troopers who found him by a makeshift shelter with an SOS signal stamped in the snow. [Read More »]( [Second day of record warmth bathes parts of New England]( [Second day of record warmth bathes parts of New England]( BOSTON (AP) " Bostonians ditched their parkas, mittens and thermal underwear for a second day as record-breaking warm temperatures again bathed the region in springlike temperatures. [Read More »]( [12 shot, five dead, in single day of shootings in Baltimore]( [12 shot, five dead, in single day of shootings in Baltimore]( BALTIMORE (AP) " Authorities say 12 people were shot, five of them fatally, in eight separate weekend shootings in Baltimore. [Read More »]( [Suit over Border Patrol detention conditions goes to trial]( [Suit over Border Patrol detention conditions goes to trial]( PHOENIX (AP) " A years-old lawsuit challenging detention conditions in several of the Border Patrol's Arizona stations will go to trial Monday as the agency as a whole has come under fire following several migrant deaths. [Read More »]( World [Video: Iran police shoot at those protesting plane shootdown]( [Video: Iran police shoot at those protesting plane shootdown]( DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) " Iranian police and security forces fired both live ammunition and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the Islamic Republic's initial denial that it shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, online videos purported to show Monday. [Read More »]( [Moscow to host meeting of Libya s rival leaders]( [Moscow to host meeting of Libya’s rival leaders]( MOSCOW (AP) " Russia is set to host a meeting of Libya's rival leaders Monday " a mediation effort closely coordinated with Turkey. [Read More »]( [Lava gushes from Philippine volcano as ash spreads to Manila]( [Lava gushes from Philippine volcano as ash spreads to Manila]( TAGAYTAY, Philippines (AP) " Red-hot lava gushed out of a Philippine volcano Monday after a sudden eruption of ash and steam that forced villagers to flee and shut down Manila's international airport, offices and schools. [Read More »]( [Australian is 20th fatality in New Zealand volcano eruption]( [Australian is 20th fatality in New Zealand volcano eruption]( WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) " A man who died in an Australian hospital became the 20th casualty of a New Zealand volcano eruption more than a month ago, officials said on Monday. [Read More »]( [Hong Kong denies entry to Human Rights Watch director]( [Hong Kong denies entry to Human Rights Watch director]( HONG KONG (AP) " Hong Kong authorities barred the head of Human Rights Watch from entering the Chinese territory Sunday, the advocacy group said. [Read More »]( Austin360 [Season for Caring recipient dies after getting biggest wish: To see Christmas one more time]( [Season for Caring recipient dies after getting biggest wish: To see Christmas one more time]( Last month, when Catherine Swieter found out that Austin Flower Company was going to deliver fresh flowers to her ever other week for the next six months, she said, "I asked for once a month for six months, but I'm not going to live that long."She knew her time was fleeting. [Read More »]( [How to tackle an overnight relay race (without destroying your sanity)]( [How to tackle an overnight relay race (without destroying your sanity)]( You haven't lived until you've raced three times in 24 hours. Napped inside a minivan parked outside a Walmart with six other sweaty, shower-deprived runners. Brushed your teeth off the side of a highway in a dusty, nameless Texas town before shotgunning a beer at 6 a.m., because you're finally done running. [Read More »]( [Neil Peart of Rush has died at 67: A tribute to rock s greatest drummer]( [Neil Peart of Rush has died at 67: A tribute to rock’s greatest drummer]( Rush drummer Neil Peart died on Tuesday after a private battle with brain cancer, Rolling Stone reported Friday afternoon. [Read More »]( [Party with Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Nas X on South Padre Island for spring break]( [Party with Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Nas X on South Padre Island for spring break]( Are you 1) in college and 2) sad that Megan Thee Stallion didn't make it to the Austin City Limits Music Festival stage this year? Do we have spring [Read More »]( [Meet friends, make pasta through this new social club]( [Meet friends, make pasta through this new social club]( Meryl Feinstein learned how to make pasta when she was on her honeymoon in Italy, and she says it was love at first sight.When she and her husband [Read More »](   [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [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. 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