Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Presidents' Day is about noting ALL of the Presidents - not just the current one, who falls at the very bottom of the most recent ranking done by the Presidential Greatness Project: https://presidentialgreatnessproject.com/

Trump's prospects of improving that dead-last ranking appear dismal as Elon Musk and his DOGE hackers are now this close to having their hands on your most personal financial data, stored by the IRS: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/business/musk-irs-doge.html

...Musk and his wild frenzy of federal firings came close to leaving the American nuclear arsenal unattended last week, including the Pantex plant near Amarillo: https://time.com/7225798/doge-fires-national-nuclear-security-administration-energy-rehires-musk-trump/

Governor Abbott all but admitted last week that the GOP private school voucher scam will negatively impact funding for public schools across Texas: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/abbott-school-choice-20167741.php

As frigid weather approaches Texas again and the fourth anniversary of the Winter Storm Uri energy disaster arrives, the Texas grid remains unconnected to outside power sources, and not a single of the 30,000 lawsuits filed over Uri have made it to court: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/2025/02/17/texas-courts-blocking-jury-trials-for-30000-victims-of-2021-winter-storm/

...Those same energy execs are likely involved in the 5.0 earthquake that struck West Texas on Friday night, almost certainly associated with increased oilfield fracking: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/15/texas-west-earthquake-magnitude/

The 50501 group has organized protests nationwide this Presidents' Day, including at both the Dallas and Houston City Halls from 12 noon to 4pm today: https://www.commondreams.org/news/anti-trump-protests

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.

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/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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