Daily Dispatch 12/13/24: Elon Musk's Foundation Falling Hundreds Of Millions Short of Federal Giving Requirements, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas transplant Elon Musk, hard at work trying to slash federal jobs and your Social Security benefits, is also keeping hundreds of millions of dollars that his Musk Foundation is required by law to convert to charitable donations: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/us/politics/musk-foundation-taxes-donations.html ...Musk's efforts at DOGE jeopardize the careers of hundreds of thousands of federal workers in Texas, a great many of whom certainly voted for Donald Trump: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/elon-musk-trump-doge-19974216.php ...Fellow billionaire (and supposed Trump oppenent) Jeff Bezos is set to give $1 million to the President-elect's inaugural fund - further demonstrating the struggle lines not between left and right, but between top and bottom: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/jeff-bezos-amazon-plans-to-donate-1-million-to-trumps-inauguration-dc3705ac Advocacy orgs supporting migrant across Texas have begun advising them to prepare their children and assets for their eventual deportation: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/13/texas-mass-deportation-plan-immigrants/ ...While right-wing militia groups have begun volunteering their services in Trump's roundup of undocumented workers and families: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/us/politics/far-right-militias-border-trump.html Texas is at the top of a new ranking of states with the most to gain in revenue from legalizing marijuana - we're leaving almost $500 million on the table, every year: https://cannabis.net/blog/news/how-much-money-could-your-state-make-by-legalizing-weed-5-billion-in-tax-revenue-up-for-grabs-i Great to see everyone at our first holiday gathering in Austin! The second is in Dallas on December 16 - there are sponsorship opportunities available, and individual tickets are now on sale here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.