Tilman Fertitta. A sheriff race. And Galveston’s criminal history.

Thumbs down: Maybe you only know Tilman Fertitta as the owner of the Rockets or as a billionaire battling the crippling forces of restraint and good taste. (The white tiger hot tub at his Downtown Aquarium! The $1,600 hamburger glistening with real gold leaf served at his H-Bar! The 22,000-square-foot penthouse at his Post Oak Hotel, which costs $125,000 a night, at least two nights!) But you should also know that Fertitta is naturally proud: He is a scion of the Fertitta family, which was part of the Maceo Organization, a crime syndicate that ran Galveston from the mid-1920s to 1957 – entrepreneurs, whose main business Slot machines were and pirated copies. Still, Galveston was not exactly a lawless city: the Maceos maintained a close relationship with the police and ensured that violent crimes did not affect civilians. As Gary Cartwright wrote, “They ran a clean game in a clean city, and anyone who didn’t like it slept with the fishes.” And ah, this week you could hear echoes of those days. The Chronicle reported that Fertitta and other donors continue to support Jimmy Fullen, a Galveston sheriff candidate, even though the state’s law enforcement agency has recommended that Fullen’s license be revoked because of ethical concerns. The candidate’s appeal will be heard in January; A loss would mean that he would not be able to carry out his duties. But why would anyone stop something like that? It’s fun to read Fertitta’s response in your best “Godfather” accent: “For many years, Jimmy Fullen, along with many other local law enforcement officers, has faithfully served our family in various security roles at our Galveston hotels,” he said. “Over this time, we have learned to view Jimmy as one of the most ethical officers we have ever had.”

Thumbs up: Maybe we should be thankful that Fertitta is even paying attention to his hometown when he has a big hit coming his way in New York City. Getting a reservation at his Manhattan restaurant The Corner Store has been nearly impossible since Taylor Swift and Gigi Hadid stopped by for a girls’ night out, writes Amber Elliot of the Houston Chronicle. The menu is martini-focused and chic with comfort food: adult pizza rolls, disco steak fries, Wagyu French dip, and a Samoan cracker soft serve sundae. Sounds like a clever racket.

Thumbs down: Remember when Twitter helped save lives during disasters? After Hurricane Harvey, tweets connected those in need with rescuers and volunteers. We’re appalled at how low the once-useful platform now called X has sunk since Elon Musk laid off his content moderators and disaster response staff. After Hurricane Helene, X increased posts that included threats of violence against federal workers, lies about FEMA stealing donations, and anti-Semitic attacks against government leaders. Musk is welcome to move his companies to Texas because he has We help.

Thumbs up: Just an hour before Mayor John Whitmire and City Council members were set to argue Wednesday over proposed tax increases to cover cleanup costs from derecho and Hurricane Beryl, the mayor announced that the state had come through with a $50 million lifeline. Was it Whitmire’s loving relationship with Republicans in Austin that succeeded? Probably didn’t hurt. On the other hand, the breakthrough felt like a repeat of what happened during the mayoral term of another Democrat and former state lawmaker, Sylvester Turner. The tax increase proposal has been withdrawn for now and budget arguments have been postponed for another day, but what you’re hearing isn’t a sigh of relief from City Hall. It’s the city that’s moving ever closer to the edge of the fiscal cliff that Houston controllers have been warning about for years. We hope that state money really goes into the city’s coffers and Whitmire can provide more painless solutions.