Free Republic

In today’s column, I examine a newly announced AI product and service named Tinker that is being brought out by Thinking Machines Labs. TML is a startup company that was co-founded by the famed Mira Murati (former CTO at OpenAI). The nascent firm has been widely lauded as a shining star of top-grade AI startups. Note that Tinker is the first-ever product from TML. Expectations were high. Everyone was excitedly sitting on the edge of their seats. What would this amazing startup put together? Could their first product knock our socks off? Might they reveal some incredible, earth-shattering AI capacity,...

The longest-tenured city manager in Galveston County is resigning. Friendswood officials confirmed Wednesday that Ronald Cox would step down in April after years on the job. Cox met Friendswood Mayor Kimball Brizendine last week to inform him of his plan to resign. “It was a surprise to all of us,” said Brizendine. “We’ve been blessed to have had him for the last 15 years.” Cox shared the news with the city council in an executive session Monday and his resignation was announced to city employees Tuesday. The mayor said Cox would pursue opportunities as a private consultant for cities across...

City, county groups accused of 'drowning out' taxpayers' calls for capping rates Advocates for lower taxes say it is outrageous that associations representing cities and counties are paying lobbyists to fight legislation that would limit how much money local governments can raise from property taxes. The four biggest groups in the fight are the Texas Municipal League, the Texas Association of Counties, the Texas Conference of Urban Counties and the Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association. These groups are spending as much as $1.3 million on lobbying efforts this session. So far, they have killed legislation to lower the cap...

GALVESTON — County leaders on Monday backed legislative proposals to curb property appraisal increases, but added a condition of their own. County Judge Jim Yarbrough proposed an amendment to ask state lawmakers to stop handing down unfunded mandates if they’re going to hinder the county’s ability to raise revenue. Several bills before the Legislature would lower the cap on homestead appraisals from 10 percent to 3 percent or 5 percent. Commissioner Ken Clark, the sole Republican on the commissioners court, proposed the resolution. It calls for support of a 3 percent cap on homestead appraisals. The cities of Bayou Vista,...