Daily Dispatch 2/14/25: Russians Seek USAID Intel From Elon Musk, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Spurred by Elon Musk's commentary that USAID is a "criminal organization", Russian officials who have suspected that organization of supporting anti-Putin dissidents wants Musk and Trump to turn over their names: https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/russia-elon-musk-list-names-dissidents-usaid-s798gktd7About 100 suspected undocumented migrants have been sent to the shadowy detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba over the last couple of weeks with no public information of their identities, nor legal representation or contact provided: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/immigration-flights-elpaso-guantanamo/Governor Greg Abbott has asserted that he knows more about the contents and meaning of the Holy Bible than Pope Francis does: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/abbott-pope-border-20165198.phpHuman Rights Watch says over 100 deaths and over 300 injuries can be attributed to dangerous high speed chases by Operation Lone Star officers since 2021: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/13/us-texas-vehicle-pursuits-kill-least-106-injure-301A Texas judge has slapped a New York doctor with a $100,000 fine for providing abortion medication to Texas patients via telemedicine: https://www.kut.org/health/2025-02-13/texas-abortion-law-new-york-doctor-prescription-pillsERCOT issues a forecast that allows the possibility that new drains on the power grid coming online may exceed their capacity to keep up by the summer of next year - but don't panic: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-power-grid-ercot-energy-forecast/We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠The early giving period for this year's Amplify Austin Day has begun! Support Progress Texas at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Progress Texas is now ranked in the top 3% of all podcasts worldwide for listenership - thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/progress-texas-podcasts-progress-texas-pHdPjbaN-7B/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits 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 https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.