Headlines

James Comey spoke at UT last Thursday. The FBI director – one of the most identifiable figures in Washington, D.C., today – was there to deliver an address before the "Intelligence in Defense of the Homeland" symposium. He spoke mostly about security at home and abroad, but veered slightly at one point to discuss how hiring hackers is tough because they often like smoking pot. He declined to provide any response to questions about the Trump administration's fascination with Russia. (Photo by Jana Birchum)

City Council's Vacation No regular meeting this week – next is April 6, when they'll hold a public hearing on the Austin Strategic Housing Plan, hoping for 135,000 new units over the next 10 years. See "Council: Mucho Housing Needed," March 31.

Adler on Immigration Mayor Steve Adler was in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to meet with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly. Details of the discussion were still held when the Chronicle went to press. See "Jeff Sessions' Empty Threat," March 31, and our online coverage.

Keep Austin Moving: The Texas Depart­ment of Transportation approved its 2017 program, which includes $620 million for I-35, Loop 360, and U.S. 183, following the city's commitment of $46 million via last fall's Mobility Bond.

Can Cruz, Please: U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, has a press conference scheduled for Friday, likely to announce a 2018 Senate run against Ted Cruz.

Big Bad Bigots: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton leads a 13-state coalition supporting Donald Trump's revised travel ban, which halts entry to the U.S. from six Muslim-majority countries and reinstates a temporary ban on refugee resettlement. This week, Paxton filed an amicus brief to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Anti-abortion activists who filmed undercover video attempting to show the sale of fetal tissue at Planned Parenthood were charged with 15 felonies by California prosecutors this week. David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of the Center for Medical Progress were also indicted in Houston in 2016. Texas anti-choice lawmakers have based a handful of bills this session on the CMP videos, which show no wrongdoing by the health provider.

Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to begin the process of repealing several environmental regulations, including the Clean Power Plan. Barack Obama's EPA had predicted the CPP, when fully implemented, would increase population health by reducing asthma attacks and preventing "up to 6,600 premature deaths annually." Monetarily, it was expected to lower electricity bills by about 8%.

Central Health invites the public to meet the two finalists hoping to become president and chief executive officer, replacing Patricia Young Brown, who retired in December. Both meetings will be 4:30-6pm at the Central Health Board Room, 1111 E. Cesar Chavez. Mike Geeslin, executive director of the Texas Dental Association, is on Mon., April 3. Vanetta Abdellatif, ED for Integrated Clinical Services at Oregon's Multnomah County Health Dept., is on Thu., April 6. Questions may be submitted in advance to [email protected]. More info at www.centralhealth.net.