New Hope Mayor Jess Herbst joined hundreds of civil rights activists and Texas business leaders in Austin today to testify against the so-called “bathroom bill” being considered by the state legislature.

The first openly transgender mayor in the state, profiled in the June issue of D Magazine, was the first of 250 speakers to address a Senate panel weighing a pair of bills that would limit transgender people’s access to public restrooms, requiring every individual to use the restroom corresponding with their sex at birth. The bathroom bill has drawn condemnation from transgender activists, local leaders concerned about the state smashing city anti-discrimination ordinances, and executives fearful that its passage would, as in North Carolina, drive away business and sports events. Its supporters, who have found a sympathetic audience in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and socially conservative Texas lawmakers, call it a public safety issue.

"He amazes me with the pace that he plays with.."

the BEST of @Dennis1SmithJr at the @NBASummerLeague! pic.twitter.com/42eqwiJokJ

— NBA (@NBA) July 20, 2017

The Basically Beethoven Festival this year, put on by Dallas’ Fine Arts Chamber Players, presents free concerts on Sunday afternoons in July at Moody Performance Hall (formerly Dallas City Performance Hall). Awesome. But the lineup this Sunday, in particular, makes it even better.

The featured performers are my dad, Stephen Nielson, and my sister, Caroline. As my dad is a concert pianist and my sister is a mezzo soprano, he’ll be playing and she’ll be singing. Dallas Symphony Orchestra violinist Motoi Takeda will also be joining them for works by Beethoven (of course), Francis Poulenc, and Amy Beach. It’s going to be great. And it won’t cost you a thing.

To recap:

When: Sunday at 3 p.m., but get there early to snag a seat.

Where: 2520 Flora St.

Why: You’ll get to hear quality music from quality musicians (I would know). And it’s free. Did I mention it’s free?

This morning on The KERA Friday Conversation, Rick Holter asked Renee Hall, Dallas’ newly tapped police chief, one of the dumbest questions you can ask anyone at the top of her male-dominated police career. Her answer is smart.

Rick Holter: You’re the first woman to get the job as chief here. How do you win over the guys?

Renee Hall: I’ve been in law enforcement for nearly 19 years, and I’m a leader in the organization that I’m in. I really want people not to just look at me as a woman chief; I want you to look at me as a chief. I’m here because I have the ability. I don’t want to win over anybody based on my sex. I want to win over the officers because they believe in me, that I’m supporting them, that I’m giving them what they need to be successful in the streets of Dallas. So, you know, I am a woman, and I’m proud to be a woman. But I need people to understand that I’m a chief.

Man, oh, man. Show notes DO make things more interesting, don’t they? YOU WON’T GET ANY SHOW NOTES! Just this: Lauren Smart is an SMU professor. She’s a writer. And she programs events at Wild Detectives, everyone’s favorite Oak Cliff bookstore. Zac and I talk with Lauren about why the name “Lauren” sounds ditzy, how the Cowboys cleaned up the Zeke Elliott mess at Clutch, and when Boogotti Kasino will become the name of an Uptown club. Oh, plus we talk about books and art and stuff. Use your ears to listen with the streaming player below, or download EarBurner with your favorite podcatcher.

New Dallas Police Chief Says She’s Up to the Challenge. Some of the problems Ulysha Renee Hall will need to tackle are a shrinking department, increased crime, and police morale and pay issues. “The city of Detroit has experienced the same elements and challenges that the city of Dallas has right now. We’ve come out on top,” Hall said.

North Texas College Professors Want to Fight Fake News. Professors from UT Arlington and UT Dallas are working on a proposal that would use technology to help get rid of fake claims in the news. They have a one-year grant of $30,000 from UT Austin’s Texas National Security Network Excellence Fund.

Former Lab Tech Says Workers Celebrated Payday by…Groping Each Other? Yes, seriously. Holly Pinks, a former employee at Southwest Laboratory in Old East Dallas, is suing the company for sexual harassment during events called “Gropening Day.” The suit says that male employees, including her boss, told her that on Fridays “everyone would be getting groped or touched inappropriately.” Pinks said that “It was almost like a cloud of sexual harassment and assault on a daily basis.” Can someone help me understand how a group of people got together and thought this was a good idea? I am thoroughly disgusted.

Heat Advisory Today. It’s going to hit 100. We’re officially in the triple digits, people. Stay cool.