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Artificial intelligence in health care may sound futuristic, but doctors at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center are already using it behind the scenes to help improve performance during minimally invasive surgeries.

How it works: GE Healthcare’s Allia Moveo acts as a high-tech imaging machine that doctors use during surgery, which helps them see blood vessels and other structures more clearly, according to a news release from GE Healthcare. The machine uses AI to help improve image quality by reducing visual distortions caused by things like breathing or blood flow.

Those improvements use AI, not as a replacement for doctors, but as practical technology to help them work more confidently and efficiently, said Kat Davis, vice president and general manager for GE Healthcare’s interventional solutions business.

“This is not ChatGPT for surgeons,” Davis said. “This is about allowing the physician to make the best possible clinical choices at the point of care.”

Also of note: AI still has governance that is ruled by a committee, which ensures there is always a clinician present with a patient.

The classic seafood restaurant is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its original location on Westpark Drive in Houston. The classic seafood restaurant is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its original location on Westpark Drive in Houston.

A long time coming: To commemorate this milestone, both locations of the eatery are offering summer-long specials through Sept. 30 where guests can enjoy throwback pricing from the original menu, daily happy hours, limited edition food items inspired by the company’s history and 40% off wine bottles every Wednesday, according to a June 8 news release.

“It’s been my family’s honor to serve the people of Houston for the last 40 years at Goode Co. Seafood,” Levi Goode, the president and chef of the eatery, said. “The Gulf Coast has been an important part of my family’s history and I’m grateful for each and every guest, as well as all of the purveyors we have relationships with, that have allowed us to make it this far."

• 2621 Westpark Drive, Houston

Houston city officials estimate that the budget for citywide projects and improvements over the next five years will cost an estimated $17.9 billion, up from 2026’s estimated $16.7 billion.

Officials also estimate that fewer projects will be taken on during that time due to rising costs.

Explained: Finance department officials presented the proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Budget & Fiscal Affairs committee meeting June 8.

The plan is a rolling five-year plan of forecasted projects and can change based on budgets, funding and priorities. The CIP looks at four components of the city, which are the Public Improvement Program, Build Houston Forward, Enterprise Fund Program and Component Units.

The details: Projects under the public improvement program include Hurricane Harvey recovery projects, which will improve municipal courts for $185 million and police facilities for $13.5 million. It also includes fire station improvements for over $26.5 million, city vehicle fleet for $246 million over the next five years and technology enhancements for $22.8 million.

Officials with The Cleverley Stone Foundation, who produce the popular yearly event called Houston Restaurant Weeks, announced June 5 that last year's fundraising event generated over $1.6 million for the Houston Food Bank.

The local impact: Houston Restaurant Weeks is an annual foodie fundraising event across the Greater Houston area that hundreds of restaurants participate in every year. Restaurants that sign up serve specially priced, multi-course prix fixe menus for brunch, lunch or dinner, with a portion of proceeds going toward the Houston Food Bank.

The 2025 event, which was held from August to September, raised $1,651,698. According to the HRW website, every $1 donated equals three meals generated by the Houston Food Bank.

The next chapter: Houston Restaurant Weeks will return this year from Aug. 1 through Sept. 7. Per the release, 350 restaurants are expected to participate in 2026 across Houston, Sugar Land, Galveston and The Woodlands.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed June 3 that a case of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly, was detected on a cattle ranch in South Texas.

The overview: The case marks the first domestic detection of screwworm in a decade and the first Texas case in approximately 50 years. The flesh-eating parasite is a threat to the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry.

Zooming in: No additional infestations have been identified, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told reporters. Federal and state officials have emphasized that they do not anticipate issues with the food supply chain, as the screwworm only targets live animals and does not infest meat, fruit or vegetables.

However, experts have warned that a larger, prolonged screwworm outbreak could cause a spike in beef prices.

A widespread infestation is estimated to cost Texas at least $1.8 billion per year in damages, according to a USDA analysis of a 1976 screwworm outbreak. Texas cattle, sheep and goat producers would face about $732 million in annual losses.

The June 8 edition of CI Morning Impact contained an email subject line that incorrectly stated Island Grill was closing. 

The information was miswritten and did not match the corresponding story in the newsletter, which regards the upcoming closure of Istanbul Grill. For clarification, Island Grill locations are not closing. 

To see the original story, click here.