Headlines

Austin couple Sarah Goodfriend (l) and Suzanne Bryant, flanked by their two daughters, Dawn and Ting, celebrate their historic marriage last Thursday evening during a Travis County Democratic Party-hosted event at the Highland Lounge. The first gay couple in Texas to wed, Goodfriend and Bryant are facing opposition from state officials, but their spirits remain high. See " Marriage Equality Comes to Texas," Feb. 27, 2015. (Photo by Jana Birchum)

City Council meets today (Feb. 26) with a relatively light agenda, and Mayor Steve Adler's revised staffing proposal – no private funding – on the bubble, as well as a couple of ticklish zoning matters and the re-watered proposal for a privately managed golf development at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park.

Gated Community: A new report by the University of Toronto's Martin Prosperity Institute – "Segregated City: The Geography of Economic Segregation in America's Metros" – identifies the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area as the most "economically segregated" large metro in the country – and lists San Antonio, the Houston area, and Dallas-Fort Worth among the top 10.

Paul Cruz was the popular choice to become AISD superintendent, but not with everyone. Parent group the Coalition to Strengthen Austin Urban Schools has filed an ethics complaint against trustees for hiring Cruz after saying he was excluded from the job search.

John Schaefer's son filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the city and APD officer Jonathan Whitted for shooting and killing his father, seeking unspecified damages associated with funeral expenses, mental anguish, and the alleged violation of Schaefer's Second Amendment rights. Schaefer was shot and killed in March 2013 after calling 911 to report that he'd just shot an aggressive dog in his backyard. When police arrived, he refused to put his handgun down, and was shot twice in the chest.

Real-time bus tracking has come to Capital Metro. Rather than relying on optimistic time tables, this week the transit agency launched to-the-minute arrival times, based on GPS data. Info is available via the CapMetro app or at www.capmetro.org, via text to 512/981-6221, or on the phone at 512/474-1200.

Bad polling numbers for Texas' two prospective presidential hopefuls: In a recent UT/Texas Tribune poll of likely Republican voters Sen. Ted Cruz, at 20% support, is in a statistical tie in his home state with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, while Rick Perry trails in fifth place at 8%.

High-speed trains are coming to Texas. Private firm Texas Central Railway will file a route connecting Dallas and Houston with the Federal Railroad Administration, and plans to break ground by 2017. TCR plans to eventually expand to Austin, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Mexico.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, President Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, proposed to carry Canadian tar sands oil to Texas for refining. It was only the third veto exercised by Obama; Republican leaders say they'll try to override.

The Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) has advised spring breakers to avoid traveling to Mexico. While the Mexican government has made "great strides battling the cartels," there remains an "unpredictable nature" of violence and criminal activity, DPS warns. If they choose to venture to Mexico, tourists should check the U.S. Department of State website for security-related issues first, and register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.