Trump’s defense shifts to not ‘impeachable’ even if true

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. Thursday's Top Story [Trump s defense shifts to not impeachable even if true]( [Trump’s defense shifts to not ‘impeachable’ even if true]( In a striking shift from President Donald Trump's claim of "perfect" dealings with Ukraine, his defense asserted at his Senate trial that a trade of U.S. military aid for political favors - even if proven - could not be grounds for his impeachment. [Read More »]( Local News [UT suspends undergraduate student travel to China amid coronavirus outbreak]( [UT suspends undergraduate student travel to China amid coronavirus outbreak]( The University of Texas announced Wednesday it would suspend all undergraduate student trips to China in response to the outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus that is thought to have to have originated in that country. [Read More »]( [Zilker Zephyr managers say they re done running Austin s tiny train]( [Zilker Zephyr managers say they’re done running Austin’s tiny train]( After 22 years chugging through Zilker Park with cars full of giggling children and smiling families, managers of the Zilker Zephyr announced Wednesday they would not repair or continue to manage the miniature train. [Read More »]( [Austin district to reduce number of portable classrooms by 2022]( [Austin district to reduce number of portable classrooms by 2022]( Sixteen portable structures dot the outside of Blazier Elementary School, the Austin district grade school with the highest number of temporary classrooms. [Read More »]( [ Thanks a billion : Cap Metro celebrates 10-figure milestone with year of free rides]( [‘Thanks a billion’: Cap Metro celebrates 10-figure milestone with year of free rides]( A handful of Capital Metro bus riders Wednesday were surprised with a year's worth of free shuttle services in celebration of the agency reaching a billion rides. [Read More »]( [Lyceum poll: Bernie is Trump s toughest rival in Texas]( [Lyceum poll: Bernie is Trump’s toughest rival in Texas]( Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are running neck-and-neck among Texas Democrats, but it is the socialist U.S. senator from Vermont who poses the strongest challenge to President Donald Trump in the Lone Star state, according to a Texas Lyceum poll released Wednesday. [Read More »]( Business [OFFICE UPTURN: Austin market finishes 2019 strong, and 2020 outlook positive]( [OFFICE UPTURN: Austin market finishes 2019 strong, and 2020 outlook positive]( Central Texas' job and population growth continued to drive demand for office space in the region as 2019 came to a close, sending average rents to a record high, new reports show. [Read More »]( [Austin s Mitratech acquires London data privacy firm]( [Austin’s Mitratech acquires London data privacy firm]( Austin-based software maker Mitratech has acquired London-based software provider ClusterSeven to add to its suite of products, the company said Wednesday. [Read More »]( Sports [Golden: After Kobe tragedy, America needs this Super Bowl]( [Golden: After Kobe tragedy, America needs this Super Bowl]( Is there really a football game on Sunday?For the first time in forever, the Super Bowl was relegated to secondary status with the news of Sunday's helicopter crash outside Los Angeles that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his daughter. [Read More »]( [Rebranded under new ownership, Austin Gilgronis bring rugby to COTA]( [Rebranded under new ownership, Austin Gilgronis bring rugby to COTA]( For the second time this offseason, the Major League Rugby team in Austin has a new name and a new home. [Read More »]( [Soccer notebook: With new left back on board, Austin Bold roster taking shape]( [Soccer notebook: With new left back on board, Austin Bold roster taking shape]( The Austin Bold filled the most glaring hole in its roster on Tuesday, announcing the signing of left back Ismaila Jome. [Read More »]( [Westlake, Lake Travis battle to draw in boys soccer showdown]( [Westlake, Lake Travis battle to draw in boys soccer showdown]( Lake Travis struck first, then Westlake. [Read More »]( [Westlake girls exact revenge, hand Lake Travis first district loss]( [Westlake girls exact revenge, hand Lake Travis first district loss]( With the game they had been waiting for more than a month finally here, Westlake and its senior class did what teams with deep aspirations of a playoff run do in the biggest district game of the season. [Read More »]( Opinion [Commentary: Trump has become the planet s diligent destroyer]( [Commentary: Trump has become the planet’s diligent destroyer]( While President Donald Trump's impeachment and the crisis with Iran distracted the public, the Trump administration demonstrated again that it is more concerned about coddling polluters than protecting our planet. [Read More »]( [Letter: Smithville dumpster fosters dumping ground near river]( [Letter: Smithville dumpster fosters dumping ground near river]( I was pleased to read on the front page of the Jan. 16 edition of the Smithville Times that Bastrop County commissioners are taking steps toward curtailing illegal dumping. [Read More »]( [Opinion: The cost of free tuition will be our nation s solvency]( [Opinion: The cost of ‘free’ tuition will be our nation’s solvency]( Much can be learned about liberals when they are cornered and accidentally speak the truth. [Read More »]( Nation [Buttigieg endorsed by major California, Nevada LGBTQ group]( [Buttigieg endorsed by major California, Nevada LGBTQ group]( Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has won the backing of Equality California, one of the nation's largest LGBTQ membership organizations, and its Nevada partner organization, an endorsement that could give him a boost in critical Western primaries. [Read More »]( [Los Angeles high-rise that caught fire lacked sprinklers]( [Los Angeles high-rise that caught fire lacked sprinklers]( LOS ANGELES (AP) " A 25-story West Los Angeles apartment tower that caught fire, forcing firefighters to pluck stranded people from the rooftop and a ledge, had no sprinklers even though the same building burned seven years ago, authorities said. [Read More »]( [Prosecutor: Michael Avenatti saw dollar signs in Nike fraud]( [Prosecutor: Michael Avenatti saw dollar signs in Nike fraud]( NEW YORK (AP) " A deep-in-debt Michael Avenatti threatened to deploy his big social media and television presence like a 'modern weapon' to try to extort up to $25 million from Nike, a prosecutor claimed Wednesday while a lawyer for the California attorney told jurors at a trial's opening not to criminalize his client's 'aggressive, tenacious, demanding behavior.' [Read More »]( [Police: Couple set fire after kids taken; skeleton found]( [Police: Couple set fire after kids taken; skeleton found]( PHOENIX (AP) " A Phoenix couple is facing charges they set their house on fire only an hour after authorities had been there to remove a 9-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl over child abuse allegations, authorities said Wednesday. [Read More »]( [Authorities find longest Southwest border smuggling tunnel]( [Authorities find longest Southwest border smuggling tunnel]( SAN DIEGO (AP) " U.S. authorities on Wednesday announced the discovery of the longest smuggling tunnel ever found on the Southwest border, stretching more than three-quarters of a mile from Tijuana, Mexico, into the San Diego area. [Read More »]( World [Deutsche Bank loss widens in Q4 on restructuring costs]( [Deutsche Bank loss widens in Q4 on restructuring costs]( BERLIN (AP) " Germany's Deutsche Bank said Thursday that its net loss widened in the fourth quarter as a result of charges related to a sweeping restructuring program. [Read More »]( [Israeli PM in Moscow to discuss US Mideast peace plan]( [Israeli PM in Moscow to discuss US Mideast peace plan]( The Israeli prime minister came to Moscow on Thursday to discuss the U.S. Mideast peace plan and take an Israeli woman who had been jailed in Russia back home. [Read More »]( [Post-Brexit trade deal, Huawei top Pompeo agenda in Britain]( [Post-Brexit trade deal, Huawei top Pompeo agenda in Britain]( LONDON (AP) " U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in London on the cusp of Britain's departure from the European Union for talks focused on a post-Brexit free trade deal and the U.K.'s decision to allow the Chinese tech company Huawei to play a role in the country's high-speed wireless network. [Read More »]( [Amnesty Int l: Asia seeing growing repression, resistance]( [Amnesty Int’l: Asia seeing growing repression, resistance]( BANGKOK (AP) " Authoritarian governments in Asia are undermining human rights and demonizing their critics, but they face a rising tide of protest from young people who defy grave risks to protest such repression, Amnesty International said in its annual report on the region. [Read More »]( [China virus death toll rises to 170, transmission a concern]( [China virus death toll rises to 170, transmission a concern]( BEIJING (AP) " The death toll rose to 170 in the new virus outbreak in China on Thursday as foreign evacuees from the worst-hit region begin returning home under close observation and world health officials expressed 'great concern' that the disease is starting to spread between people outside of China. [Read More »]( Austin360 [SXSW 2020 isn t here, but side party clues already trickling in]( [SXSW 2020 isn’t here, but side party clues already trickling in]( We're roughly six weeks out from the 2020 South by Southwest Festival and Conference, and the sharp-eyed bloggers over at festivalsaviors.com stumbled upon a calendar on the Austin Center for Events website that shows city special event permit applications. [Read More »]( [Best Thing I Ate This Week: Barbecue pulled jackfruit sandwich at Kinda Tropical]( [Best Thing I Ate This Week: Barbecue pulled jackfruit sandwich at Kinda Tropical]( I don't believe vegetarian dishes need to approximate meat dishes in order to persuade carnivores. That said, the barbecue jackfruit sandwich at Kinda Tropical in East Austin is better than most pulled pork sandwiches in town. [Read More »]( [ Supernatural star Jared Padalecki to run Austin Marathon for second year in a row]( [‘Supernatural’ star Jared Padalecki to run Austin Marathon for second year in a row]( Jared Padalecki will race the Austin Marathon for the second year in a row, the CW "Supernatural" star announced via social media on Tuesday night. [Read More »]( [Punch Bowl Social and Bouldin Acres bring adult playground-bar fun to downtown and South Austin]( [Punch Bowl Social and Bouldin Acres bring adult playground-bar fun to downtown and South Austin]( A boozy playland for adults feels like a concept perfectly suited for the Peter Pan vibes of Austin. And now adults have two new choices for playing games, [Read More »]( [Report: Matthew McConaughey teaming back up with True Detective creator]( [Report: Matthew McConaughey teaming back up with ‘True Detective’ creator]( Matthew McConaughey is joining forces - again - with "True Detective" creator/writer Nic Pizzolatto for a potential new TV series on FX. [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. 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 GateHouse Media, LLC and Austin American-Statesman. All rights reserved. 305 S. Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 (512) 445-3500