Daily Dispatch 2/3/25: Elon Musk and DOGE Begin Assault On Federal Institutions, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Elon Musk and DOGE have been granted access to the highly-sensitive payments system at the heart of the U.S. Treasury Department: https://abcnews.go.com/US/treasury-dept-elon-musks-team-access-federal-payment/story?id=118380399 ...Senator Elizabeth Warren, top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, is demanding answers from new Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/warren-bessent-treasury-musk-doge.html ...Meanwhile, Musk and DOGE have launched an all-out attempt to dismantle and destroy USAid, the U.S. government's primary foriegn aid agency: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/03/elon-musk-says-usaid-is-beyond-repair-and-he-is-working-to-shut-it-down Governor Greg Abbott laid out seven emergency items in his State Of The State address yesterday - limiting the 89th Legislature to dealing with those items for the rest of the session's first 60 days: https://www.keranews.org/2025-02-02/gov-abbott-lays-out-his-agenda-for-texas-with-emphasis-on-vouchers-water-and-property-taxes ...Outgoing Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa and a gathering of other Texans responded in a pre-recorded video: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-democrats-abbott-doesnt-have-a-clue-about-everyday-citizens-needs/ Next time you get targeted online by MAGA hate, keep in mind that most of that is likely coming from bots: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/texas-house-speaker-bots-20068116.php The 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.