‘When, not if it happens’: Factors favor possible Austin mega-wildfire event

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. Saturday's Top Story [ When, not if it happens : Factors favor possible Austin mega-wildfire event]( [‘When, not if it happens’: Factors favor possible Austin mega-wildfire event]( All it will take for Central Texas to become the next area engulfed by catastrophic wildfires like those seen in Australia is a dry spring and summer, an errant flame and sustained winds. [Read More »]( Local News [Baylor student joins Texas A M case being tested for coronavirus]( [Baylor student joins Texas A&M case being tested for coronavirus]( A Baylor University student who recently traveled to China is being tested for the deadly new coronavirus that has triggered health concerns around the globe, officials said Friday. [Read More »]( [Woman stabbed 5 people in downtown Austin, police say]( [Woman stabbed 5 people in downtown Austin, police say]( A woman stabbed five people Thursday night in downtown Austin, police said. [Read More »]( [Pflugerville s popular green truck drives on following owner s death]( [Pflugerville’s popular green truck drives on following owner’s death]( When Dale Lambert first laid eyes on the 1937 green vintage Chevy, he knew he had to have it for himself. [Read More »]( [UPDATE: Gov. Greg Abbott blames downtown Austin stabbing attacks on homeless ordinance changes]( [UPDATE: Gov. Greg Abbott blames downtown Austin stabbing attacks on homeless ordinance changes]( Gov. [Read More »]( [Chief Manley on pot: At this point, nothing will change ]( [Chief Manley on pot: ‘At this point, nothing will change’]( Chief Brian Manley: ‘At this point, nothing will change’A day after the Austin City Council voted to effectively end criminal action against individuals with small amounts of marijuana, Police Chief Brian Manley said officers will continue citing and arresting people for such offenses.“First and foremost, marijuana was not decriminalized. [Read More »]( Business [TRS rent at Indeed Tower starts at $326,000 per month]( [TRS rent at Indeed Tower starts at $326,000 per month]( The Teacher Retirement System of Texas has disclosed partial costs of its office lease in an upscale high-rise under construction in downtown Austin, seven months after the American-Statesman first asked for financial details about it and the state agency sought to keep them secret. [Read More »]( [TRS rent starts at $326,000 per month]( [TRS rent starts at $326,000 per month]( The Teacher Retirement System of Texas has disclosed partial costs of its office lease in an upscale high-rise under construction in downtown Austin, seven months after the American-Statesman first asked for financial details about it and the state agency sought to keep it secret. [Read More »]( [Austin jobless rate hovers near 20-year low]( [Austin jobless rate hovers near 20-year low]( Austin’s latest unemployment rate is once again near a 20-year low, a continuation of a long-running trend that is giving local businesses fits when trying to find new workers amid the stretched labor market but has made the city a beacon for anyone looking for a job. [Read More »]( [FUNDING FLOW: In 2019, big deals drove Austin VC funding to a two-decade high]( [FUNDING FLOW: In 2019, big deals drove Austin VC funding to a two-decade high]( This past October, Austin startup Rigup stunned the local startup community when it announced it had raised a $300 million round and raised its valuation to $1.9 billion, becoming what many consider to be a unicorn. [Read More »]( Sports [The Dotted Line: Texas move to four-man front helps with Landon Jackson, Marcus Burris]( [The Dotted Line: Texas’ move to four-man front helps with Landon Jackson, Marcus Burris]( A renewed interest in Texas’ defensive scheme under new coordinator Chris Ash was on display Saturday when the Longhorns hosted dozens of top targets from the 2021 class. [Read More »]( [Kirk Bohls way-too-early Top 25 for 2020]( [Kirk Bohls’ way-too-early Top 25 for 2020]( Kirk Bohls’ early look at a possible preseason Top 25 for the 2020 college football season:1. [Read More »]( [Regents Beck Brydon steps down as coach, will remain AD]( [Regents’ Beck Brydon steps down as coach, will remain AD]( After 20 seasons, Beck Brydon is stepping aside as varsity football coach at Regents, but he will remain athletic director, the school announced Friday. [Read More »]( [Texas Stars fall to Chicago Wolves]( [Texas Stars fall to Chicago Wolves]( The Texas Stars fell 2-1 to the Chicago Wolves at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on Friday night. [Read More »]( [Bohls: My way-too-early Top 25 starts with Penn State]( [Bohls: My way-too-early Top 25 starts with Penn State]( It's still January, and I’ve got Penn State. Penn who?Yep, Penn State. [Read More »]( Opinion [Like Andrew Johnson s, Trump s rhetoric was ripe for impeachment]( [Like Andrew Johnson’s, Trump’s rhetoric was ripe for impeachment]( On Wednesday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the lead Democratic impeachment manager, challenged the senators sitting in judgment of President Donald Trump, to consider their place in history.“The House believes that an impartial juror, upon hearing the evidence that the managers will lay out in the coming days, will find that the Constitution demands the removal of Donald J. [Read More »]( [Letters to the editor: Jan. 25, 2020]( [Letters to the editor: Jan. 25, 2020]( When all is said and done,our democracy will endureOur long national nightmare will soon be over. [Read More »]( [Commentary: I thought my baby had measles in Austin]( [Commentary: I thought my baby had measles in Austin]( Two days before Christmas, while nursing my five-month-old son, I read on the news that for the first time in 20 years, measles had been detected in Austin, where we live. [Read More »]( Nation [Wuhan bans cars, Hong Kong closes schools as virus spreads]( [Wuhan bans cars, Hong Kong closes schools as virus spreads]( BEIJING (AP) " The virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, already on lockdown, banned most vehicle use downtown and Hong Kong said it would close schools for two weeks as authorities scrambled Saturday to stop the spread of an illness that has infected more than 1,200 people and killed 41. [Read More »]( [Spacewalking astronauts close to fixing cosmic ray detector]( [Spacewalking astronauts close to fixing cosmic ray detector]( CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. [Read More »]( [Woman fatally shoots man, self at cigar bar near Chicago]( [Woman fatally shoots man, self at cigar bar near Chicago]( LISLE, Ill. (AP) " A shooting at a cigar lounge in the Chicago suburbs left one man dead and two others injured, police said. [Read More »]( [Parts of Phoenix airport briefly evacuated; flights delayed]( [Parts of Phoenix airport briefly evacuated; flights delayed]( PHOENIX (AP) " Hundreds of travelers were temporarily evacuated from parts of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Friday after American Airlines called police to deal with a disruptive passenger, airport officials and witnesses said. [Read More »]( [3 Americans killed in Australia all had military backgrounds]( [3 Americans killed in Australia all had military backgrounds]( DENVER (AP) " Growing up in a small rural community on Colorado's plains, Ian McBeth went to work as a ranch hand in neighboring Nebraska at 14 and was a standout athlete in football, wrestling and track. [Read More »]( World [Death toll stands at 22 in Turkish earthquake; 1,000 hurt]( [Death toll stands at 22 in Turkish earthquake; 1,000 hurt]( ANKARA, Turkey (AP) " The death toll from a strong earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey climbed to 22 Saturday, with more than 1,000 people injured, officials said. [Read More »]( [China virus outbreak revives calls to stop wildlife trade]( [China virus outbreak revives calls to stop wildlife trade]( BEIJING (AP) " The outbreak of a new virus linked to a wildlife market in central China is prompting renewed calls for enforcement of laws against the trade in and consumption of exotic species. [Read More »]( [Outbreak casts pall over China new year as deaths surpass 40]( [Outbreak casts pall over China new year as deaths surpass 40]( BEIJING (AP) " China's most festive holiday began in the shadow of a worrying new virus Saturday as the death toll surpassed 40, an unprecedented lockdown kept 36 million people from traveling and authorities canceled a host of Lunar New Year events. [Read More »]( [For businesses, China s virus fans fear and uncertainty]( [For businesses, China’s virus fans fear and uncertainty]( China's worst health crisis in years has sparked fear and uncertainty for businesses from North America to Asia that depend on trade in the affected region. [Read More »]( [Bolivia religious debate: The Bible vs Andean earth deity]( [Bolivia religious debate: The Bible vs Andean earth deity]( LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) " Hoisting a large leather Bible above her head, Bolivia's new interim president delivered an emphatic message hours after Evo Morales fled under pressure, the end of a nearly 14-year presidency that celebrated the country's indigenous religious beliefs like never before. [Read More »]( Austin360 [Season for Caring close to $900,000 in donations with one more week to give]( [Season for Caring close to $900,000 in donations with one more week to give]( Season for Caring close to $900,000 in donations with one more week to give [Read More »]( [Grammys 2020: Our predictions for the top awards and hometown faves]( [Grammys 2020: Our predictions for the top awards and hometown faves]( Grammys 2020: Our predictions for the top awards and hometown faves [Read More »]( [Photos: Famous people born in the Year of the Rat]( [Photos: Famous people born in the Year of the Rat]( Photos: Famous people born in the Year of the Rat [Read More »]( [Photos: Best and worst Matthew McConaughey movies, definitively ranked]( [Photos: Best and worst Matthew McConaughey movies, definitively ranked]( Photos: Best and worst Matthew McConaughey movies, definitively ranked [Read More »]( [Listen: Trail of Dead talk to us about how a band makes it to 25 years]( [Listen: Trail of Dead talk to us about how a band makes it to 25 years]( The new album from ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, "X: The Godless Void and Other Stories" (Dine Alone), is a milestone for a few reasons. It's the band's first in five and a half years. Oh, and Trail of Dead turns 25 this year. [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. 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