Daily Dispatch 12/18/24: Elon Musk Under Scrutiny As U.S. Security Threat, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas transplant Elon Musk has come under scrutiny by multiple federal agencies for his failure to properly disclose his interactions with foreign governments: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/technology/elon-musk-spacex-national-security-reporting.html ...Musk is suspected of having failed to provide required information on his meetings with foriegn leaders - and on his own drug use - since at least 2021: https://newrepublic.com/post/189501/elon-musk-federal-review-clearance-rules?utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter Add to names like Dunn and Wilks on the list of activist GOP fat cats willing to spend tens millions of their own money to promote hard-right causes Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly, who has it in for House Speaker candidate Dustin Burrows: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/17/alex-fairly-texas-republican-political-group/ ...In fact, the state GOP is threatening any Texas House Republican who dares to support Burrows with "RINO" smear campaigns in their home districts: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/17/texas-republican-party-speaker-race-attack-ads/ ...Texas Tribune reporter Robert Downen, who does great work on religion and threats to democracy, is himself profiled in a new interview: https://sojo.net/articles/interview/reconstruct/why-does-religion-journalism-matter-democracy-ask-texas-reporter ...Federal complaints about Texas churches ignoring laws that prohibit them from making political endorsements seem likely to fall on deaf ears under Trump 2.0: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/texas-churches-tax-exempt-status-19986767.php 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.