Headlines

Take your pick: He's either bull moose crazy or a conniving charlatan. Those are the choices facing Austin's most famous radio demagogue, "male vitality" huckster Alex Jones, currently embroiled in a custody lawsuit with his ex-wife Kelly Jones over the couple's three children. (The couple divorced in 2015.) Jury selection began Monday in District Judge Orlinda Naranjo's court, with testimony beginning the following morning. Jones (the wild one) took the stand on Wednesday, after a big ol' bowl of chili. (Photo by Jana Birchum)

City Council had a very busy week, with the release of CodeNEXT maps on Tuesday ("Chill Out Day"), kickoff of budget season Wednesday, and today's (April 20) regular meeting, without a heavy agenda but likely public advocates' pushback on the public safety contract briefing. See "Council: It's Always Something," Apr. 21.

More Housing, Always: Following the "Strategic Housing Blueprint" with 10-year goals passed by Council last week, City Hall is simmering with polarized reactions to Tuesday's release of the CodeNEXT mapping draft. Either Austin needs a whole lotta housing, or not so much – as suburban growth increasingly outstrips the in-city totals.

It's Next to Shipley's: District 6 Council Mem­ber Jimmy Flannigan has a new field office: the same one at 10401 Anderson Mill that predecessor Don Zimmerman occupied during his two-year term. A grand opening is scheduled for Friday, 5-7pm.

Private Prisons Prosper: The first private immigration detention center built under the Trump administration is slated for completion in Conroe by 2018. The GEO Group's $110 million, 1,000-bed center is part of a 10-year contract with ICE. The for-profit prison company has a lengthy history of cost-cutting, understaffing, and allegations of prisoner abuse.

The ACLU of Texas filed a Freedom of Infor­ma­tion Act lawsuit demanding the Trump administration produce documents about the Muslim travel ban as part of 13 suits filed across the country. The filing seeks more information concerning how U.S. Customs and Border Protection implemented the policy at Texas airports.

Texas on Immigration: The majority of Texans oppose Trump's plans to build a border wall and most (particularly among younger residents) believe immigration helps the country more than it hurts it, according to a new poll from the Texas Lyceum group. The poll also found 63% of Texas residents strongly support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. 49% oppose "sanctuary cities"; 45% support them.

For the love of Science: Protesters across the country – and here at the state Capitol – will spend Earth Day demanding that the government consider science's vital role in our daily lives and the environment. See "Civics 101," Apr. 21.

Tom Moore, father of District Attorney Margaret Moore, died Sunday morning in Waco. He was 98. Moore was the District Attorney of McLennan County from 1952-59 and served as a state representative from 1967-72.

House Bill 100, which would essentially deregulate transportation network companies statewide, passed in the House on second reading, 110-37. A third and final vote could hit the floor this week.