Missing: Heidi Broussard and her infant Margot Carey disappeared a week ago. The two were last seen dropping Broussard’s son off at school on Dec. 12; police believe she then returned to her South Austin apartment, where her car and belongings – including the baby’s car seat – remained when her fiancé returned home that afternoon. Only Broussard’s cell phone was missing. The FBI, DPS, and the Texas Rangers are among the agencies investigating alongside APD. If you have information, call 512/974-5100; if you see Broussard or Carey, please call 911 immediately.
Every Person Matters: The annual “Point in Time Count” of local people experiencing homelessness, organized by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, will take place Jan. 25. ECHO continues to recruit volunteers to help count, part of a federal effort to get accurate data for funding and other resources. Volunteers can sign up at www.austinecho.org/pit.
Children at Risk: According to a new report from D.C.’s Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, 11.2% of Texas children (873,000) were uninsured for health care in 2018, a 16% increase since 2016 (national average: 5.2%); 20% of Texans (under 65) were without insurance (the national average: 10.4%).
R.I.P. Walter: Lifelong labor hero and Democratic activist Walter Timberlake, 89, passed away Sunday after years of health problems he never let interfere with his political engagement.
Bill to Pay: U.S. House Democrats hailed the passage of H.R. 3, aka the “Lower Drug Costs Now Act,” saying it would “reduce negotiated drug prices by as much as 55% … saving patients an estimated $158 billion over the next few years” and decreasing deficits by $345 billion.
More Debaters? Progress Texas has called on the Democratic National Committee to waive polling and fundraising standards for the upcoming presidential debates, arguing that the process has inadvertently excluded some viable candidates, particularly those of color.
Mad Emperor: As the Chronicle went to press, the U.S. House of Representatives was poised to vote to impeach President Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected impartiality and witnesses, and Trump sent a ranting, dishonest, incoherent letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denouncing impeachment as a sham.
This article appears in Top 10s 2019.