• U.S. had early signals of a terror plot, Obama says
• Karl Rove and wife divorce after 24 years of marriage
• Mother Teresa, Gene Autry, Katherine Hepburn to be honored on stamps next year

Still looking to nail down your New Years Eve plans? Holding out for an extra special party? Well, try Malverde’s NYE party sponsored by Hornitos Tequila. The party at this casual 2nd Street bar starts at 8pm and includes a top shelf open bar, mischievous Hornitos cocktails all night long, a midnight champagne toast, and hors d’oeuvres provided by La Condesa. There will also be music by DJ Big Face and a Michael Jackson tribute at midnight. Tickets for this event are $125, but Austinist is going to give you a chance to win a pair of tickets at no cost to you. Well, maybe at the cost of your shame.

Following months of discussion, Austin's expanded ban on texting while driving goes into effect on Friday. The law makes it illegal to text, use a mobile device for GPS, or access websites while behind the wheel.

• Detroit terror case: explosive could have blown hole in plane
• Western counter-terrorism help 'not enough for Yemen'
• Transportation Security Chief nomination still on political hold

First Night Austin and general New Year's Eve festivities this Thursday will leave many downtown streets closed throughout the day. Here's a breakdown of the major closures:

• Suicide bombing kills at least 20 during a religious procession in Karachi earlier today.
• Intelligence officials had been warned by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's father of his extremist tendencies, and on Christmas day he attempted to blow up a plane bound for Detroit.
• The takes a deeper look into sexual abuse within our armed forces.

"I have held the Chairman title since Whole Foods Market’s beginning in 1978, but the reality is that today it is merely a title with no authority or responsibilities," wrote Mackey, who will retain his CEO role. "The authority and responsibilities normally associated with the Chairman position were all shifted over time to John Elstrott, after he became our Lead Director back in January 2001."

If you're not part of City of Austin's garbage service and want an environmentally-friendly way to dispose of your Christmas tree, you can drop it off at Zilker Park today, where it'll be recycled into mulch. Drop off dates are today (Sunday, December 27th), next weekend, and Saturday, January 9th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Constellation Records has confirmed tragic news that beloved musician Vic Chesnutt has passed away, issuing this statement: "Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59. In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic’s absence unfathomable. We will make more information available according to the wishes of Vic’s family and friends." Conflicting stories of Chesnutt's medical condition first broke on the internet late Wednesday, and on Thursday, several sites which earlier stated Chesnutt had died were corrected to read that he was lying in a coma. An official statement on his death was released around 6pm today. We are still waiting for confirmation of the circumstances surrounding Chesnutt's untimely death. Kristin Hersh, a friend and collaborator of Chesnutt's, has updated her twitter account to include details of a suicide note. The coma was rumored to be the result of an overdose of muscle relaxants.

Dave Longstreth's polarizing vocals and his ensemble's teetering, off-kilter support structure have always been interesting. This year, Bitte Orca proved their ability to be accessible as well as challenging.

• Dozens injured as U.S. flight overshoots runway in Jamaica
• Republicans assail "Cornhusker Kickback" deals in health debate
• Blackberry users hit with second major outage this month

Bill checks to see if Santa got his letter.

Ruben Rodriguez was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year, and facing mounting medical expenses, the family had initially planned to sell the business. As Beetsolonely posted last Thursday, It appears that the restaurant's lease is about to expire and the family has no plans to reopen.