Daily Dispatch 12/27/24: Texas Transplant Elon Musk Backs German Party With Actual Neo-Nazi Ties, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas transplant Elon Musk, already leading Donald Trump by the nose, has waded into German politics to back the extreme right-wing party AfD: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/world/europe/elon-musk-afd-germany.html The AfD, similar to American MAGA elements, is supported mainly by lower-income and disillusioned Germans: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-23/what-s-afd-the-far-right-german-party-elon-musk-embraced They're in a distant - but growing - second place in Germany's upcoming snap election in February: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-12-24/germany-s-far-right-afd-is-nobody-s-savior Musk's support for AfD, if patterns hold, is likely a precursor to Donald Trump's support once he is in office next month: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/elon-musk-jd-vance-praise-afd-german-elections-rcna185457 Even Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez notes (and relishes) Musk's outsized role in the upcoming Trump era: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/rep-tony-gonzales-says-it-feels-as-if-elon-musk-is-our-prime-minister-after-funding-chaos/ Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-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.