Dec. 22, 2017

Photo by Todd V. Wolfson

Volume 37, Number 17

ON THE COVER:
news

Fear & Loathing

Travis County says goodbye to a coyote-killing machine

BY LINDSAY STAFFORD MADER

Beside the Point: What a Mess

Police impasse throws city system into disarray

BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

Public Notice: Peace on Earth, Good Will to Most

A final look forward at the start of the end of the CodeNEXT process

BY NICK BARBARO

Headlines

Quote of the Week: Kathy Mitchell

Community activist speaks on life after meet-and-confer

Civics 101

NAKED CITY

Indicted Former Firefighter’s Court Hearing Postponed

Jim Baker’s court appearance rescheduled for Jan. 17

BY NINA HERNANDEZ

Meet Our Revolution’s New Class of Bernie Spin-Offs

Can they turn Texas blue?

BY MICHAEL KING

Weed Classes Now Shorter

County commissioners approve four-hour cite-and-release class

BY CHASE HOFFBERGER

(Blake) Farenthold Your Nose

Are we finally done with the congressman?

BY MARY TUMA

Spencer Cronk Named City Manager

Minneapolis city coordinator selected Tuesday by City Council

BY NINA HERNANDEZ

Council: And to All a Good Night

Last regular meeting reprises a very difficult year

BY MICHAEL KING

Austin Women: Underrepresented and Underpaid

City commissions bring Council recommendations for improving gender equality

BY MARY TUMA

Champion Tract Hoax

Developer's attorney falls for fake website

BY MICHAEL KING

Life After Meet-and-Confer

City, police get ready for civil service

BY NINA HERNANDEZ

A Grisly Weekend for APD

Two officer-involved shootings, one viral use of force

BY NINA HERNANDEZ

Wish List: Still Time for Year-End Giving

The growing list lives online

BY SARAH MARLOFF

State Capitol Sexual Abuse Policies Remain a Work in Progress

After flood of allegations, House and Senate pressed to revise rules

BY MARY TUMA

food

Who Knew Eating Chicken Heads Would Be So Satisfying?

A list of some of Austin's offal offerings

BY ADRIENNE WHITE

Review: Le Politique

Austin’s newest Downtown French brasserie holds court

BY MELANIE HAUPT

ICYMI: Din Ho Chinese BBQ

The holiday season just isn’t the same without Chinese barbecue

BY BETH SULLIVAN

Food Events

music

Savannah Welch a Year Later

After losing her leg, the Trishas singer revisits the accident and her blessings

BY WILLIAM HARRIES GRAHAM

Playback: Best Austin Music Controversies of 2017

The year in quarrel

BY KEVIN CURTIN

Texas Platters

Pocket Fishrmen

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Exploded Drawing

7 Years

Ray Prim

To Whom It May Concern

Bill Carter

Bill Carter

Bubble Puppy

Certified Badass

Mazel Tov Kocktail Hour

Shoyn Avek Der Nekhtn

Wild Bill Ogden

Fighting for the Title

Queue Queue

Queue Queue

Schisms

Moon
screens

The End of the Free and Open Internet?

Austin's creative class worries what the FCC net neutrality ruling means for life online

BY RICHARD WHITTAKER

Where to See Christmas Classics on the Big Screen in Austin

Here’s your cure for cabin fever and forced family bonding

BY RICHARD WHITTAKER

What’cha Watchin’?

Get in the spirit of the season with these holiday movie recommendations

Film Reviews

All the Money in the World

Christopher Plummer mesmerizes as the greediest man alive

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

The engineering secrets of a Hollywood great

Call Me by Your Name

Tenderness comes in many tongues in this coming-of-age romance

Downsizing

Alexander Payne creates a small word with big ambitions

The Greatest Showman

Don't be fooled by this whitewashed version of the great huckster

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

High adventure and fun times in an unexpectedly entertaining sequel

Molly's Game

Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut plays a high stakes game with Jessica Chastain

Pitch Perfect 3

Third time really isn't the charm for the Bellas
arts & culture

Art in Public Places' Wander

This interactive public artwork creates narrative pathways for you to travel in Downtown Austin

BY ROBERT FAIRES

Seen / Soon: Dec. 22

Getting down to earth with Wangechi Mutu's solo show and easing into New Year's with a Hideout improv sampler

Arts Reviews

Zach Theatre's A Christmas Carol

This slick and polished musical adaptation of the Dickens classic serves up holiday cheer in abundance

The Hideout Theatre’s Local on the Eights

Improvised local news for the fictional town of DeWitt turned up some big stories (and funny ones) before and behind the camera

“Naomi Schlinke: What You See” at Flatbed

The vibrant colors, organic forms, and transparency in the show’s captivating ink on paper works offer exotic archipelagos to explore
columns

Gay Place

A long December

BY SARAH MARLOFF

Day Trips: River Trail Cottages, Kerrville

Old-fashioned motor court has new life with modern amenities

BY GERALD E. MCLEOD

The Luv Doc: Sacrifice

It's always best to seize the moral high ground

BY THE LUV DOC

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

BY MR. SMARTY PANTS

Feedback

Letters to the editor, published daily
comics

Eyebeam

BY SAM HURT

Jen Sorensen Comics

BY JEN SORENSEN

Why So Much?

BY LANCE MYERS

This Modern World

BY TOM TOMORROW

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