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As new AISD trustees LaTisha Anderson and Kristin Ashy were sworn in Monday night, their predecessors Ted Gordon and Julie Cowan bid their colleagues farewell. Gordon called out the failure to address "grave racial inequalities" one last time, saying: "I intend to continue the struggle from the outside." Cowan implored taxpayers, parents, and the media to "give the district space" to "think out loud" and "offer new ideas" to solve the big challenges district leaders currently face. (Photo by John Anderson)

A Blues Note: City Council meets today (Thursday, Nov. 29) for what appears to be a fairly light agenda, offering short-term rental regs, SXSW code waivers, and a CAPCOG regional air quality plan. Music honorees: the Gypsy Drifters. See "Council Slips Into Relaxation Mode," Nov. 30.

Keep on Voting: In case you haven't noticed – early voting begins today, Thu., Nov. 29 (through Dec. 7), with election day Dec. 11 (before your last-minute holiday shopping). Three Council races (Districts 1, 3, and 8), as well as Austin ISD (At-Large Place 9) and ACC (Place 8) trustee seats hang in the balance. See our endorsements; more run-off info here and at austinchronicle.com/elections.

By Any Other Name: The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted to rename the former Allan Elementary campus in honor of former teacher and administrator Anita Ferrales Coy, but hung fire on other renamings of facilities once honoring Confederate figures – a hesitation credited to expense, alumni nostalgia, and division over new names. See "By Any Other Name," Nov. 30.

Cronking the ACMs: City Manager Spencer Cronk released the names of 10 finalists for two assistant city manager positions, overseeing "economic opportunity and affordability" and "health, environment, culture, and life-long learning." Three City Hall veterans – Joe Pantalion, Sara Hensley, and Rodney Gonzales – are among the 10, with the rest hailing from across the country. See "Cronk Meets Job Creation Goals," Nov. 30.

They'll Be Rising: Cronk also lifted the ban on city-sponsored travel to Arizona, imposed by Council in 2010 in opposition to that state's Senate Bill 1070, the "show me your papers" anti-immigrant racial profiling law. Austin was part of a wave of boycotts, travel bans, event relocations, and protests of that law, which was undermined by subsequent court actions and is largely toothless today, making Austin's ban no longer needed, Cronk said.

Below Zero Tolerance: While the Trump administration greets refugees at the border with tear gas, it continues to house thousands of young people at the "temporary" tent city in Tornillo, and The Texas Tribune reports that officials have resumed family separations under disguise: accusing parents of being unfit for vague or false reasons, seizing their children on "safety" grounds, and spiriting them away.

Reduce, Reuse, Resist: Why, Yes-You-Can! get a "Beto for 2020" add-on sticker for your bent-but-unbroken O'Rourke yard sign, courtesy of the Travis County Democratic Party swag store. The retiring congressman told supporters in El Paso he no longer is ruling out a presidential run but won't decide until he leaves office in January.