Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

In a bizarre moment, Elon Musk casually towered over Donald Trump in the Oval Office during a press conference on DOGE's federal cost-cutting efforts:https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/02/12/unelected-musk-holds-court-in-trumps-oval-office-as-he-defends-efficiency-drive/

...MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell analyzes this crazy, telling moment at length:https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=dZaa8zBlwP8

...Musk's awkward diatribe of techbro-speak is fact checked by the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/elon-musk-doge-fact-check.html

Texas research universities - and a group of 22 state Attorneys General - are pushing back in court against Trump's reckless budget cuts:https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/10/texas-universities-research-nih/

...The Association Of American Medical Colleges celebrates a restraining order against funding changes that would jeopardize important ongoing research:https://www.aamc.org/news/press-releases/aamc-lawsuit-results-nationwide-temporary-restraining-order-proposed-drastic-cuts-nih-funding

...This is the kind of pushback that was lacking as Texas universities rolled over for lawmakers attacking DEI college initiatives at the beginning of last year:https://truthout.org/articles/texas-colleges-rolled-over-for-anti-dei-bill-now-they-face-a-broader-attack/

We're watching the Senate Committee On Energy and Natural Resources, GOP members of which may be compromised by the campaign donations they've received from oil and gas lobbyists:https://www.energy.senate.gov/2025/2/heinrich-murray-merkley-klobuchar-demand-answers-from-usda-on-wildfire-mitigation-projects-firefighting-hiring-halted-by-trump-s-funding-freeze

Today at 12 noon Central, the Houston Chronicle will host and interview and Q&A with Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee:https://events.zoom.us/ev/AkYP3aeQBQDMKgLqSsKWTQjvcGGfEKLSbiVZ4e7d9nNSGnMnH0nj~AsaoGmyvnx2jfKJ-Ud9iwv2JnRnlBorxPtwMoIFf2duVwzfwQfByrTcPl6kpr-O-QlMvt9fRFtnYt_vqDrwdP6ADTQ?sid=66fb145d7332661617053154&ss=P&st_rid=null&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=news&utm_campaign=hcrn%20%7C%20hc-live

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-work⁠

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.

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