In coronavirus crisis, funeral homes take on role as ‘last responders’

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. Friday's Top Story [In coronavirus crisis, funeral homes take on role as last responders ]( [In coronavirus crisis, funeral homes take on role as ‘last responders’]( Funeral home director Robert Falcon remembers the tragic but seamless process to take victims from a local fire station to the Travis County medical examiner's office after a tornado sliced through Jarrell in 1997. [Read More »]( Local News [What you need to know about Texas businesses reopening]( [What you need to know about Texas businesses reopening]( Gov. Greg Abbott's order to begin the gradual reopening of Texas businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak goes into effect Friday morning. [Read More »]( [Could llamas be the key to fighting the coronavirus? UT researchers propose unique antibody theory]( [Could llamas be the key to fighting the coronavirus? UT researchers propose unique antibody theory]( A Belgian llama named Winter could hold the key to fighting the coronavirus.Researchers at the University of Texas, in coordination with the National Institutes of Health and Ghent University in Belgium, this week are publishing a paper about the potential use of antibodies found in llamas to fight the coronavirus. [Read More »]( [Texas coronavirus cases, deaths surge as businesses prepare to reopen]( [Texas coronavirus cases, deaths surge as businesses prepare to reopen]( Texas health authorities reported a record 50 new deaths related to the coronavirus Thursday, as restaurants, retail stores and malls prepared to reopen across the state. [Read More »]( [Child abuse reports rising in Austin amid coronavirus outbreak, group says]( [Child abuse reports rising in Austin amid coronavirus outbreak, group says]( An Austin-based child abuse organization says it has seen a significant rise in reports of violence toward children since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. [Read More »]( [$3.4 billion added to I-35 project paves way to reconstruct entire highway in Austin]( [$3.4 billion added to I-35 project paves way to reconstruct entire highway in Austin]( The Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body that decides what Texas highways get state funding, voted Thursday to allocate $3.4 billion to Interstate 35, paving the way for a complete reconstruction of the highway in Austin. [Read More »]( Business [Texas jobless benefits extended to some people who turn down work amid pandemic]( [Texas jobless benefits extended to some people who turn down work amid pandemic]( Some people who have lost jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic won't automatically lose unemployment benefits for declining to go back to work during the crisis, state officials announced Thursday. [Read More »]( [After receiving loan, Austin Pets Alive delays reopening stores]( [After receiving loan, Austin Pets Alive delays reopening stores]( After planning to reopen its thrift stores on Friday, Austin Pets Alive said Thursday that it has received a small business loan and will postpone the openings."Austin Pets Alive just heard that it is receiving the Paycheck Protection Program loan," the animal shelter and rescue organization said in a statement. [Read More »]( [Ontic Technologies to expand to new markets with new $12M funding]( [Ontic Technologies to expand to new markets with new $12M funding]( Austin-based software firm Ontic Technologies says a new $12 million funding round will allow the company to expand to new markets. [Read More »]( Sports [PCL president: No minor league baseball without fans in stands]( [PCL president: No minor league baseball without fans in stands]( While Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey remains hopeful for a 2020 season, he said Thursday there will be no minor league baseball without fans in the stands."We cannot play games at the minor league level with no fans," Rickey told the American-Statesman. [Read More »]( [Bowie QB Evan Mallett recovering from injuries suffered in weekend accident]( [Bowie QB Evan Mallett recovering from injuries suffered in weekend accident]( Bowie High football player Evan Mallett is recovering from back, lung and other assorted injuries suffered in a serious car accident Saturday afternoon in South Austin. [Read More »]( [Thorndale s possible return to state title game whispered away ]( [Thorndale’s possible return to state title game ‘whispered away’]( Senior pitching standout Riley White and the Lady Bulldogs of Thorndale made an appearance at the UIL Class 2A state softball tournament last season by beating a previous champion Weimar in the regional finals. [Read More »]( [Faces off the field: Grant Mitzelfelt, senior pitcher, Round Rock]( [Faces off the field: Grant Mitzelfelt, senior pitcher, Round Rock]( Tell me something about the first time you played organized baseball. [Read More »]( [Centex spring football series: Other than teams with new coaches, which needed a strong spring?]( [Centex spring football series: Other than teams with new coaches, which needed a strong spring?]( Other than teams with new coaches, which programs most needed a strong spring? [Read More »]( Opinion [Editorial: Traffic arrests aren t making Bastrop safer]( [Editorial: Traffic arrests aren’t making Bastrop safer]( Hauling 430 people to jail last year for minor driving infractions did not make Bastrop County any safer. [Read More »]( [Opinion: The time to cut spending in Texas is now]( [Opinion: The time to cut spending in Texas is now]( Texas has weathered many a budgetary crisis before, and while we don't know how deep this downturn will be, we know the strength of the Texas spirit and our state's determination to secure a better future for our children. [Read More »]( [Column: Reading tips during the coronavirus]( [Column: Reading tips during the coronavirus]( On the surface, it seems like we should all have so much time for reading now. After all, we can't go out to eat or to the movies. [Read More »]( Nation [The Latest: Russian Prime Minister says he tested positive]( [The Latest: Russian Prime Minister says he tested positive]( The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. [Read More »]( [The Latest: South Korea reports 9 new cases, none in Daegu]( [The Latest: South Korea reports 9 new cases, none in Daegu]( The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. [Read More »]( [AP-NORC poll: Seeking virus data, people struggle with trust]( [AP-NORC poll: Seeking virus data, people struggle with trust]( WASHINGTON (AP) " When John Manley tested positive for COVID-19, his sister urged him to get on the malaria drug that she'd heard Fox News hosts plugging and that President Donald Trump was heralding as a potential 'game changer' for fighting the coronavirus. [Read More »]( [DC police: Suspect arrested for shooting at Cuban Embassy]( [DC police: Suspect arrested for shooting at Cuban Embassy]( WASHINGTON (AP) " Someone opened fire using an assault rifle outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington early Thursday and was arrested, authorities said. [Read More »]( [John Bolton book again delayed, this time to June 23]( [John Bolton book again delayed, this time to June 23]( NEW YORK (AP) " John Bolton's book has again been delayed, according to listings on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, both of which say 'What Happened In the Room' has been pushed back from May 12 to June 23. [Read More »]( World [The Latest: Nearly 2,000 cases in India, another daily high]( [The Latest: Nearly 2,000 cases in India, another daily high]( The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. [Read More »]( [Germany relaxes lockdown for playgrounds, churches and zoos]( [Germany relaxes lockdown for playgrounds, churches and zoos]( BERLIN (AP) " German authorities agreed Thursday to reopen playgrounds, churches and cultural institutions such as museums and zoos that have been shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they postponed a decision on whether to relax the rules for restaurants, hotels and kindergartens. [Read More »]( [US jobless claims soar past 30 million; Europe reeling also]( [US jobless claims soar past 30 million; Europe reeling also]( NEW YORK (AP) " The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits because of the coronavirus has soared past 30 million, worsening a crisis unmatched since the 1930s and turning up the pressure on political leaders to lift restrictions that are choking the economy. [Read More »]( Austin360 [ We miss the roar : Austin restaurants on empty tables, coronavirus and when to open]( [‘We miss the roar’: Austin restaurants on empty tables, coronavirus and when to open]( The glasses stopped clinking, the laughter subsided and the music went silent. [Read More »]( [Alamo Drafthouse gets new CEO; Tim League staying with company]( [Alamo Drafthouse gets new CEO; Tim League staying with company]( A beloved Austin brand is shaking things up at the top. [Read More »]( [Coronavirus in Austin: Fighting to survive, music venues lobby for relief]( [Coronavirus in Austin: Fighting to survive, music venues lobby for relief]( A few days after the South by Southwest Music Festival was canceled but before Austin shut down completely, a line snaked from the door of Empire Control Room. [Read More »]( [In appreciation of Shirley Knight, an acting model for others]( [In appreciation of Shirley Knight, an acting model for others]( Luminous is an overused word in theater criticism, but the word is aptly applied to Shirley Knight, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actress who died at age 83 on April 22 in San Marcos. [Read More »]( [Cultura en Austin: Must-see virtual concerts, new music releases]( [Cultura en Austin: Must-see virtual concerts, new music releases]( Cinco de Mayo celebrations and beloved spring festivals such as the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival are typically cultural events I look forward to in May. [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. 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