(l-r) Rev. Jim Rigby, Austin Council Member Greg Casar, Sister Pamela Buganski, Rev. Chuck Freeman, and ACC Trustee Julie Ann Nitsch sing during a sit-in Monday at the State Insurance Building (the site of Gov. Greg Abbott’s office) to protest Senate Bill 4, the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill that was recently approved by the state House. An estimated 40 people joined the sit-in following an arranged protest on the south steps of the Capitol that morning, and stayed in the Insurance Building’s lobby until 5pm, when DPS troopers began threatening arrest. Eighteen protesters, including Casar and Nitsch, were handcuffed and cited for criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor, though no one went to jail. For more, see “Resistance in the ‘Sanctuary,'” and Mary Tuma’s coverage online. Credit: Photo by Jana Birchum

City Council meets today, May 4, with a 66-Item agenda lacking in obvious contentiousness: initial authorization of Mobility Bond spending, executive session personnel reviews, and a few robots to entertain. See “Council: Day of the Robots.”

UT Stabbing Monday: University junior Kendrex White attacked several fellow students with a knife, killing Harrison Brown and injuring three others. White was quickly apprehended, and any motive for his actions remained uncertain in the immediate aftermath. “Monday Mayhem at UT.”

Texas’ New Observer: Michael Kanin, daparting publisher of wonky watchdog the Austin Mon­itor, has been named publisher of the Texas Observer. He takes over the statewide monthly in June.

Abortion Services Restored: The Planned Parenthood Audre Rapoport Women’s Health Center in Waco has reopened. The clinic is the third in the state to resume abortion services following SCOTUS’s 2016 ruling striking down parts of HB 2.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro announced Mon­day that he will not challenge Ted Cruz (and Beto O’Rourke) for Cruz’s U.S. Senate seat in 2018.

CD 21 Getting Crowded: The pool of challengers in Lamar Smith‘s 21st Congressional Dis­trict continues to fill up. This week, criminal defense attorney Chris Perri and B-Cycle Executive Director Elliott McFadden joined six others in pursuit of the longstanding, wildly conservative congressman.

United For Life: President Donald Trump named zealous anti-choice leader Charmaine Yoest to help lead the country’s top health agency. Yoest headed anti-abortion group Americans United for Life; she takes over as assistant secretary of public affairs at the Dept. of Health and Human Services.

That’s Commissioner Warren: Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren, whose company is responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Trans-Pecos Pipeline in West Texas, was appointed to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission last Wednesday.

C3’s Economic Impact: According to an AngelouEconomics study announced Monday, the 2016 Austin City Limits Festival generated $277 million in local economic activity, and also resulted in a $6.3 million donation to Austin parks from sponsoring company C3 Presents. Since 2002, C3 has donated $26 million.

Officer-Involved Shooting: A 20-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday by a 17-year APD veteran, who responded to two calls about the man’s mental health – one indicating the man was suicidal and another that said he was outside his home waving a gun in an “erratic fashion.” APD has yet to release the names of anyone involved.

This article appears in May 5 • 2017.

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