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President Trump’s Comeback.6 Months of Power America’s Revival.

Sam Bernardo
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President Trump’s Comeback.6 Months of Power America’s Revival.

President Trump signing Executive Orders
President Trump signing Executive Orders

Today, President Donald J. Trump celebrates the most successful first six months in office for any President in modern American history.

Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, thereby delivering the largest tax cut in American history, increasing Americans’ take-home pay by as much as $13,300, and terminating benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who were gaming the system.

Congress passed President Trump’s historic rescissions package, which will save taxpayers $9 billion in wasteful, politically-motivated funding for leftwing foreign aid scams and biased NPR and PBS.

The wholesale price of a dozen eggs is down 53%, or $3.09, since the inauguration and is down 62%, or $5.08, from its March peak.

The U.S. economy has now added a net of 671,000 jobs since January 2025, with jobs numbers beating expectations four months in a row. Native-born workers have accounted for all job gains, with native-born employment increasing 2,079,000 while foreign-born employment has fallen 543,000.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered just 6,070 illegal immigrants at the southern border in June — setting a new record low (15% lower than the previous record set in March). Additionally, zero illegal immigrants were released into the U.S. on parole in June, compared to 27,766 a year prior.

The administration has ramped up deportations, breaking a record for the number of deportation flights in a month in June. President Trump’s self-deportation push has also been a massive success. Additionally, over 600 known and suspected terrorists have been removed from the United States.

At President Trump’s direction, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has arrested over 100,000 illegal alien criminals, including over 2,700 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang.

Following President Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency, the U.S. has reached its fastest rate of new oil and gas drilling permits in years, exceeding the Biden administration by 44%.

Since President Trump took office, core inflation has tracked at just 2.1% — levels not seen since the first Trump Administration, when prices were low and stable — and has come in below or at economists’ expectations every single month. Meanwhile, wholesale inflation remained flat in June, while import prices came in far below expectations.

Summer gas prices reached their lowest point since 2021, and, inflation-adjusted, are near a 20-year low.

President Trump’s deregulatory efforts have already saved Americans over $180 billion, or $2,100 per family of four, with the rollback of automobile-related rules alone expected to save consumers more than $1.1 trillion.

President Trump secured a historic agreement for NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP – a foreign policy feat long thought impossible.

Under President Trump’s strong and decisive leadership, the U.S. obliterated Iran’s nuclear program..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

President Trump secured ceasefires between India and Pakistan and Israel and Iran, a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a pathway to stability for Syria.

As a result of his historic peacemaking efforts, President Trump has already received three Nobel Peace Prize nominations since returning to office.

In May, blue-collar wage growth saw its largest increase in nearly 60 years since President Trump’s return to office.

Companies and foreign governments have pledged over $7.6 trillion in investments into the U.S.

The U.S. Treasury has taken in nearly $90 billion in tariff duties since January 2025, with the agency posting a record $27.2 billion surplus in June – the first June surplus since 2005.

President Trump has once again proved to be the Dealmaker-in-Chief, inking a minerals deal with Ukraine, a $14 billion “perpetual Golden Share” sale of U.S. Steel, and trade deals with the United Kingdom, China, and Indonesia.

President Trump has signed over 170 executive orders, delivering on key campaign promises such as closing the border, protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation, removing men from women’s sports, unleashing American energy, ending federal censorship, ending the radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling, and ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq market indices have reached multiple record highs.

The Supreme Court consistently bolstered the Trump administration’s agenda, blocking activist judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, permitting “third-country deportations,” greenlighting the revocation of temporary protected status (TPS) from more than 500,000 migrants and approving efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy.

President Trump signed several pieces of landmark legislation, including the Genius Act, the Halt Fentanyl Act, the Laken Riley Act, and the Take It Down Act.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force all reached their recruitment goals months in advance.

The Trump administration has made incredible strides in its effort to Make America Healthy Again, with roughly 35% of the American food industry making a commitment to eliminate the use of artificial dyes, including Hershey, Consumer Brands and dozens of ice cream companies representing more than 90% of the ice cream volume sold in the U.S.

President Trump has ensured U.S. benefit programs serve U.S. citizens, with the administration now having protected more than $40 billion in benefit programs from illegal aliens since POTUS signed an Executive Order in February “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”

President Trump inked an agreement to provide billions of dollars of military equipment to Ukraine, with NATO footing the bill.

President Trump has cracked down on international cartels, designating eight Latin American cartels as terrorist groups, including Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel.

President Trump has solidified the U.S.’s position as the world leader in artificial intelligence, attracting north of $1 trillion in AI investment, including $90 billion in groundbreaking AI and energy investments in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. is on track for its lowest murder rate on record following President Trump’s reinstatement of law and order.

Following President Trump’s February executive order, universities and school systems have stopped allowing men in women’s sports, including the University of Pennsylvania, the Virginia High School League and the University of Maine System.

Hospitals and hospital systems across the country have halted so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors following President Trump’s executive order “protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation.”

In his first six months, President Trump has met with 23 foreign leaders, including three visits from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as two visits from the NATO Secretary General — compared to thirteen foreign leaders and the UN Secretary General, the NATO Secretary General, and the Chinese Foreign Minister for Obama and just five in-person visits for Biden. 


Source: White House under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. 

Liberals easily win most seats at Tasmanian election, but Labor may form government

Sam Bernardo
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Liberals easily win most seats at Tasmanian election, but Labor may form government

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Tally Room Photo YouTube

THE CONVERSATION

With 63% of enrolled voters counted in today’s Tasmanian state election, The Poll Bludger is projecting that the final results will give the Liberals 39.7% of the statewide vote (up 3.0% since the March 2024 election), Labor just 25.7% (down 3.1%), the Greens 14.1% (up 0.2%), the Shooters 3.2% (up 0.9%), the Nationals 1.7% and independents 15.4%.

Tasmania uses the proportional Hare-Clark system for its lower house elections. As described previously, the five seats Tasmania has at federal elections each return seven members for a total of 35 MPs. A quota for election is one-eighth of the vote, or 12.5%.

The main Poll Bludger page gives projected quotas for each electorate for the Liberals, Labor and the Greens. The Liberals have just under four quotas in Braddon, over three in Bass and Lyons and over two in Clark and Franklin, suggesting 14 definite seats with more possible.

Labor is just above or just below two quotas in all five seats, and should win ten seats. The Greens have 1.8 quotas in Clark, over one in each of Franklin, Bass and Lyons and 0.6 in Braddon, so they should win at least five seats.

Of the independents, environmental campaigner Craig Garland has 0.8 quotas in Braddon and will be re-elected. Left-wing independent Kristie Johnston has 1.3 quotas in Clark, and will also be re-elected. In Franklin, both former Labor leader David O’Byrne and Teal Peter George (0.9 and 1.3 quotas respectively) have been elected.

In Lyons, the Shooters candidate, with 0.6 quotas, is well positioned to win the final seat. In Bass, it appears more complex, but the final seat is likely to go to either the Liberals or the Shooters. None of the three former Jacqui Lambie Network MPs who won seats at the March 2024 election have been re-elected.

Overall, the right-wing parties (Liberals and Shooters) are likely to win 16 of the 35 seats, but Labor, the Greens and left-wing independents are likely to win 19 seats. So even though the Liberals will win the most seats, Labor may be able to cobble together a government, but only if they cooperate with the Greens.

This overall result assumes a 4–3 right split in Bass, Braddon and Lyons, but a 5–2 left split in both Clark and Franklin. In Franklin, the Liberals would be unlucky not to win three with 2.7 quotas, but Labor has 1.8 quotas and preferences from George should assist Labor.

Many pre-poll votes have not yet been counted, and postals won’t be counted until next week. Postals are likely to assist the Liberals. The postal effect should be accounted for by The Poll Bludger’s projections.

YouGov poll badly understated Liberals

A late YouGov poll, conducted July 7–18 from a sample of 931, gave the Liberals 31% of the statewide vote (steady since June), Labor 30% (down four), the Greens 16% (up three), the Nationals 2%, the Shooters 1% and independents 20% (up two).

A two-party vote is not applicable in Tasmania’s proportional system, but this poll gave Labor a 55–45 lead over the Liberals. Labor leader Dean Winter also led Liberal incumbent Jeremy Rockliff as better premier by 55–45. Rockliff was at -19 net approval and Winter at -13.

The only other public Tasmanian polls were conducted by DemosAU. The final DemosAU poll, which I covered on Tuesday, gave the Liberals 34.9%, Labor 24.7%, the Greens 15.6%, the Nationals 2.7%, the Shooters 1.8% and independents 20.3%.

The results show the Liberals headed for about a 14-point vote share win over Labor, so YouGov badly understated them.

Federal Bradfield legal challenge

Last Monday the Liberals challenged Teal Nicolette Boele’s 26-vote win in Bradfield at the May 3 federal election to the High Court, acting as the Court of Disputed Returns. Boele will be seated until the court resolves the case.

The court can either confirm Boele’s win, void the election for this seat and order a byelection in Bradfield, or overturn the result and declare the Liberal candidate elected.

After the official declaration of the election on June 12, the 40-day period for legal challenges to the results expires on Tuesday. Tuesday will also be the first sitting of federal parliament since the election, though it could have sat at any time after June 12.

The Bradfield challenge will delay a Labor vs Liberal two-party count in that seat until the challenge is resolved. It’s likely the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) current estimate in Bradfield is understating Labor, and therefore Labor is being very slightly understated nationally.

DemosAU polls on democracy in Australia and Queensland federal

a poll on democracy and voting systems in Australia. This poll was conducted in two waves in May and June from a total sample of 1,713.

By 69–12, respondents thought Australian democracy is something to be proud of, and by 71–19 they did not think Australia needs a PM like Donald Trump. By 67–15, respondents trusted the AEC. By 53–23, they did not want the number of MPs increased.

Asked for preferred voting system in the House of Representatives, 36% selected compulsory preferential voting (CPV), 27% first past the post (FPTP), 25% optional preferential voting (OPV) and 12% proportional representation (PR).

Head to head, CPV and OPV both beat FPTP by 53–47, while CPV beat OPV by 54–46. All single-member systems were much preferred to PR.

I previously covered the Queensland state DemosAU poll. In the federal Queensland poll, Labor led by 53–47 (50.6–49.4 to the Coalition at the election). Primary votes were 35% Labor, 31% Coalition, 13% One Nation, 12% Greens and 9% for all Others.

Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The LNP Crisafulli Government has delivered Jack’s Law

Sam Bernardo
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The LNP Crisafulli Government has delivered Jack’s Law


Attribution © The State of Queensland
(Department of the Premier and Cabinet)

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Crisafulli kept his Promise, Well done Mate

Crisafulli Government Launches Landmark Inquiry into CFMEU Queensland Branch

Sam Bernardo
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Crisafulli Government Launches Landmark Inquiry into CFMEU Queensland Branch

CFMEU Queensland
CFMEU Queensland
Photo YouTube

Brisbane, QLD – July 15, 2025 – The Crisafulli Government today announced a landmark Commission of Inquiry into the Queensland branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). This decisive action follows the explosive ‘Violence in the Queensland CFMEU’ report by Geoffrey Watson SC, which exposed a disturbing culture of systemic violence, intimidation, misogyny, and bullying within the union.

The newly established Commission of Inquiry will be armed with significant powers, including the ability to compel documents and witnesses and deliver crucial protections for those who testify. This aims to overcome the significant hurdles faced by the initial Watson report, where many critical witnesses and victims feared retribution, leading to only 55 people being interviewed over three months.

Deepening the Investigation: Beyond the Surface

The Watson report, which lifted the lid on the underbelly of Queensland’s construction industry, damningly found that the CFMEU’s “campaign of violence” was likely planned and directed by the union’s former secretary Michael Ravbar and assistant secretary Jade Ingham against workers, women, and children.

Mr. Watson himself expressed concern that his investigation only “scratched the surface” of the violence, stating, “There are many other potential witnesses and many other stories which could have been told.” He also highlighted an “obstinate refusal to co-operate from some critical witnesses with connections to the CFMEU,” noting a “widespread memory loss” among officials. A key factor hindering cooperation was the unresolved CFMEU constitutional challenge to the administration, with potential witnesses reluctant to come forward while Michael Ravbar and Jade Ingham’s reinstatement was a possibility.

The Crisafulli Government has already referred the Watson report to the Queensland Police Service for their consideration.

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Inflation Nears Target But RBA Remains Cautious on Outlook

Sam Bernardo
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Inflation Nears Target But RBA Remains Cautious on Outlook

Men working around Money
Men working around Money
mage by Jose Conejo Saenz from Pixabay

Inflation Continues to Ease, But Uncertainties Linger for Australian Economy

Australia’s inflation continues its downward trend, significantly moderating since its 2022 peak, as higher interest rates work to bring economic demand and supply back into equilibrium. However, the path ahead remains uncertain, with global complexities and domestic nuances creating a cautious outlook.

In the March quarter, headline inflation — partially softened by temporary cost-of-living relief — landed squarely within the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) target range. Trimmed mean inflation, a key underlying measure, registered at 2.9 per cent. The RBA’s May forecast projected underlying inflation to gradually cool further, aiming for the midpoint of the 2-3 per cent target range, anticipating a measured easing of the cash rate.

While recent monthly CPI Indicator data suggests June quarter inflation is likely to align with forecasts, it was “at the margin, slightly stronger than expected,” according to the RBA. With the cash rate 50 basis points lower than five months ago and broader economic conditions evolving largely as anticipated, the RBA Board opted to await further data to confirm inflation’s sustained trajectory towards 2.5 per cent.

Global Headwinds and Domestic Resilience

The global economic landscape remains fraught with uncertainty. The full impact of US tariffs and potential policy responses from other nations is still unknown, though financial markets have shown some rebound amid hopes that the most extreme outcomes will be avoided. Nevertheless, trade policy developments are still expected to exert a negative influence on global economic activity, and there’s a lingering risk that households and businesses may postpone spending until greater clarity emerges.

Domestically, private demand appears to be on a gradual recovery path. Real household incomes have seen an uptick, and some indicators of financial stress have eased. Despite this, businesses in certain sectors report ongoing weakness in demand, making it challenging to pass on cost increases to consumers.

Tight Labor Market, Productivity Woes Meanwhile, the labour market remains tight. Measures of labour underutilisation are at relatively low levels, and business surveys consistently indicate that labour availability continues to be a constraint for many employers. While wage growth has softened from its peak, productivity growth has not kept pace, resulting in continued high growth in unit labour costs.

The outlook for domestic economic activity and inflation is subject to various uncertainties. March quarter national accounts confirmed that domestic demand has been picking up over the past six months, with May forecasts predicting continued growth in household consumption as real incomes rise. However, there’s a risk that this pick-up could be slower than anticipated, potentially leading to subdued aggregate demand and a sharper deterioration in the labour market than currently projected. Conversely, leading indicators suggest that labour market outcomes could prove stronger than expected.

Further uncertainties surround the time lag of recent monetary policy easing and how firms’ pricing decisions and wages will react to the balance of demand and supply, tight labour market conditions, and persistent weak productivity.

Prioritising Stability Amidst Caution

The RBA Board maintains that the risks to inflation have become more balanced, and the labour market remains robust. Nevertheless, it remains cautious about the outlook, especially given the heightened uncertainty surrounding both aggregate demand and supply. The Board’s decision to wait for more information underscores its commitment to ensuring inflation is sustainably on track to reach 2.5 per cent. The RBA also noted its readiness to respond decisively to international developments if they were to significantly impact Australian activity and inflation.

The Board will continue to closely monitor incoming data and evolving risk assessments to guide its decisions, paying particular attention to the global economy, financial markets, domestic demand trends, and the outlook for inflation and the labour market. The RBA remains steadfast in its mandate to deliver price stability and full employment, pledging to take all necessary measures to achieve these outcomes.

In a move towards increased transparency, the RBA Board has decided to publish an unattributed record of votes in its post-meeting statement. Today’s policy decision was made by majority, with six members voting in favour and three against.

Trump Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks

Sam Bernardo
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Trump Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks

Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
Image by Julia from Pixabay


By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Policy.  From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, America’s national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories.  It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy America’s splendid national treasures.

Sec. 2.  Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks.  (a)  The Secretary of the Interior shall develop a strategy to increase revenue and improve the recreational experience at national parks by appropriately increasing entrance fees and recreation pass fees for nonresidents in areas of the National Park System that charge entrance fees or recreation pass fees as defined in 16 U.S.C. 6801.  Additionally, to the extent consistent with applicable law, the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Agriculture as appropriate, shall take steps to increase the prices at which the America the Beautiful Pass — the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass — and any site-specific agency or regional multi-entity passes are sold to nonresidents.

(b)  The Secretary of the Interior shall use any increased fee revenue generated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to improve the infrastructure of, or otherwise enhance enjoyment of or access to, America’s Federal recreational areas, consistent with 16 U.S.C. 6807.

(c)  The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of Agriculture as appropriate, shall take steps to improve services and affordability for United States residents visiting national parks, as consistent with applicable law.

(d)  The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretary of State, shall work to encourage international tourism to America’s national parks and outdoor recreation areas, and especially wider utilization of America’s many such areas that may be underutilized.

(e)  The Secretary of the Interior shall review the maintenance backlog within the National Park Service and take all appropriate action to fully implement the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund established in the Great American Outdoors Act (Public Law 116-152), invest in the infrastructure of national parks, and increase visitor capacity to allow more Americans to visit national parks.

(f)  The Secretary of the Interior shall review all of the Department of the Interior‘s rules and policies related to public use of national parks and take actions consistent with applicable law to ensure that the National Park Service manages national parks consistent with the policy of this order.  The Secretary of the Interior shall review all of the Department’s recreational access rules and take steps to rescind any that unnecessarily restrict recreation in national parks.  In conducting this review, the Secretary of the Interior shall especially scrutinize all recreational access rules or other restrictions promulgated or enacted during the prior administration.  The Secretary of the Interior shall take appropriate actions to grant American residents preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules, consistent with applicable law.

Sec. 3.  Revocation.  The Presidential Memorandum of January 12, 2017 (Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Our National Parks, National Forests, and Other Public Lands and Waters), is hereby revoked.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:  

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or 

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.  

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.  

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.  

(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Interior.

                             DONALD J. TRUMP

Attribution THE WHITE HOUSE, under  Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum

Sam Bernardo
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Vladimir Putin addressed the plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum

Vladimir Putin Speaking


Speech by the President of Russia


President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Lukashenko, friends, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,


Before taking the questions, I would like to join my colleagues in greeting all participants of the Eurasian Economic Forum’s plenary session.


I would like to note that several hundred representatives of Russia’s major, medium-sized, and small businesses have come to Minsk. They are directly engaged in developing business ties with the EAEU countries and know from their own experience the advantages offered by integration and what else should be done to improve the conditions for mutual trade and investment.


I am aware that today – at least our colleagues said so – workshops were held as part of the forum which addressed a variety of issues, including the ones I just mentioned. I would like to emphasise that your Russian colleagues will take into account all valuable ideas, recommendations, and proposals and use them in our further work to strengthen the Eurasian Economic Union.


With regard to the EAEU’s role in shaping new multipolar architecture of international relations, let me remind you that… I will have to repeat some points. President Lukashenko has cited some figures, but these matters are important, and some points may bear repeating.



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As you are aware, the Eurasian Union marked its 10th anniversary on January 1. Over this decade, it has undoubtedly grown stronger establishing itself as a successful integration association. The combined economic potential of the five member states has significantly increased, and the EAEU has rightfully become one of the key centres of global development.

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Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why

Sam Bernardo
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Australians will soon need their age checked to log into online search tools – here’s why

 

Online Login Computer
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

https://theconversation.com/au

By the end of this year, the experience of using search engines in Australia won’t be as simple as it has always been.

That’s thanks to a new online safety code announced yesterday by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant. Among other measures, it will require all Australian users to provide assurance of their age when they sign into a search engine account.

So what’s the new code about? How will it work in practice? And how exactly will it affect kids – and adults – in Australia who use search engines such as Google?

What’s in the new code?

The code orders providers of internet search-engine services such as Google and Microsoft (which owns Bing) to “implement appropriate age assurance measures for account holders” within six months.

The code requires providers to review and mitigate “the risk that Australian children will access or be exposed to online pornography, high-impact violence material, and self-harm material” in search engine results.

While the code does not define the age of a “child” as being under 18, or another age, a search engine must apply tools and settings that “at a minimum” filter out online pornography and extremely violent material from search results. Providers must also ensure advertising in these content areas is not served up in search results to child account holders.

Currently, Google account holders must be at least 13 years old.

The code creates several other rules for search engine providers that will impact everyone.

For example, providers must “prevent autocomplete predictions that are sexually explicit or violent” and prominently display crisis-prevention information, such as helplines, in the results for queries relating to topics such as self-harm, suicide and eating disorders.

Search engine providers will also have to blur some images in search results by default to reduce the risk of kids inadvertently accessing or being exposed to pornographic or violent material. And they will have to provide parental controls to limit or alter children’s access to adult material.

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Inside Elon Musk’s Stellar Year at the Texas Capitol

Sam Bernardo
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Inside Elon Musk’s Stellar Year at the Texas Capitol

 

Elon Musk and Donald Trump standing in front of Tesla
Elon Musk and Donald Trump at the White House

by Lauren McGaughy, The Texas Newsroom

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

Reporting Highlights

  • Winning Record: In the Texas Capitol, where the vast majority of bills fail to pass, all but three of Elon Musk’s public priorities became law this legislative session.
  • Company Gains: Musk’s wins include laws that will benefit companies like SpaceX and Tesla.
  • Playing the Long Game: Musk has steadily invested his personal and professional capital in Texas over more than a decade. Most of his businesses are now headquartered here.

These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

Elon Musk was pleading.

It was April 2013, and Musk stood at a podium in a small committee room in the basement of the Texas Capitol. The Tesla CEO asked the legislators gathered before him to change state law, allowing him to bypass the state’s powerful car dealership lobby and sell his electric vehicles directly to the public.

He painted a bleak picture of what could happen if they didn’t give him his way.

“We would, I’m afraid, we would fail,” Musk told the assembled representatives. “So for us, it’s a matter of life or death.”

Clad in a dark suit instead of his now ubiquitous black T-shirt and baseball hat, the younger Musk was unable to persuade lawmakers in Austin. That year, the bill he wanted to pass died.

More than a decade later, however, Musk’s fortunes inside the Texas Capitol have changed — dramatically.

Musk is now not only one of the richest people in the world, who, until recently, was a key member of President Donald Trump’s second administration, but he’s also become one of the most powerful business and political figures in the state.

During this year’s legislative session, Musk’s lobbyists and representatives publicly advocated for almost a dozen bills that would benefit his companies. The Texas Newsroom identified these priorities by searching legislative records for committee testimony and other evidence of his public stances.

Musk wanted legislators to pass new laws that would make it faster and easier for homeowners to install backup power generators, like the kind Tesla makes, on their properties. He wanted them to create new crimes so people who fly drones or interfere with operations at his rocket company SpaceX can be arrested. And he wanted to change who controlled the highway and public beach near SpaceX’s South Texas site so he can launch his rockets according to his timeline.

Musk got them all.

In a Capitol where the vast majority of bills fail to pass, all but three of Musk’s public priorities will become law. The two bills his lobbyists openly opposed are dead, including a measure that would have regulated autonomous vehicles.

Musk made gains even on bills he didn’t publicly endorse. Texas lawmakers followed the tech giant’s lead by rewriting the state’s corporate laws and creating a new office modeled after the Department of Government Efficiency, the controversial effort he led in the Trump administration to cut federal spending.

By all accounts, Musk’s influence was great enough that he did not have to formally address lawmakers in person this session to make the case for any of his priorities.

Critics said these new laws will hand Musk’s companies more cash, more power and more protection from scrutiny as his business footprint continues to expand across Texas.

“The real harm is the influence of a private company on the decisions made by government,” Cyrus Reed, the conservation director for the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter, told The Texas Newsroom. The Sierra Club is part of a group suing the state over SpaceX’s activities in South Texas.

Musk and his representatives did not respond to requests for an interview. He recently ended his run with DOGE, and his relationship with Trump has increasingly frayed.

Contrary to his slash-and-burn tactics in Washington, D.C., where he bulldozed his way onto the scene after Trump’s reelection, Musk has played the long game to amass power in Texas. He still hasn’t succeeded in changing Texas law to allow for Tesla direct sales, but that hasn’t stopped him from steadily investing his personal and professional capital in the state over more than a decade. Most of his businesses, including the tunneling firm The Boring Company, social media giant X and Tesla, are now headquartered here. While it’s still based in California, SpaceX operates production, testing and launch sites across Texas.

Musk has also moved his personal home to the state, reportedly securing properties in the Austin area and South Texas.

In the Texas Capitol, Musk’s power is subtle but undeniable.

Calendars and emails obtained by The Texas Newsroom through public information requests show his company’s representatives met regularly with lawmakers backing his priority bills and invited Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to tour SpaceX. Patrick, who leads the state Senate, also penned a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration supporting the rocket company’s request to increase its launches in South Texas.

Texas politics, with its long history of outsize characters, has never seen the likes of Musk, said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones.

“Even in the heyday of the [George W.] Bush era, you couldn’t find somebody who had such dramatic wealth as Musk, who also had the same level of access and business interests here in Texas,” Jones told The Texas Newsroom. “Today, Elon Musk is arguably the most powerful and influential private citizen in the country.”

“It’s All to Help Elon”

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Centrelink participants when you need to lodge tax returns

Sam Bernardo
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Centrelink participants when you need to lodge tax returns

Centrelink Tax forms
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay


It’s easier to lodge your tax return if you wait for your income statement to be marked as tax-ready and for your information to be pre-filled before you lodge.

The best time to lodge your tax return is from late July when most of your information has been pre-filled into your return. This helps you to avoid mistakes. All you need to do is check the pre-filled information is correct and add any income or other information that is missing

If you lodge before you’re tax ready, you’ll need to find, calculate and add the information about your financial situation yourself.

Your Centrelink payment information will pre-fill in ATO’s myTax by late-July. If you got other payments from us that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary, for example an emergency payment, you need to add these yourself.

You should check all your information is right before you lodge your tax return, otherwise you may have to amend your tax return later and lodge it again.

The information you provide about your income, and any dependents you have, helps when you do your tax return.

It can help with any of the following:

  • the ATO calculate the amount of Medicare levy you need to pay, and if you need to pay a Medicare Levy Surcharge
  • work out if you had enough tax deducted or withheld from your income and any government payments, including Centrelink
  • balance your Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) to make sure you got the right amount
  • calculate and confirm your child support assessment.

Each year is different so your outcome may change each time. Getting a tax refund, FTB or CCS top up, or family supplement payment can change depending on your family’s income and circumstances.

To lodge your tax return online, you’ll need to link the ATO to your myGov account. You can set this up any time.

Follow the instructions on the myGov website to create and use a myGov account.

If you need help to do your tax, find out how the ATO can help and support you to lodge your tax return on their website.

When you don’t need to lodge

If you don’t need to lodge a tax return you need to tell the ATO. It’s best to wait until late July when most of your information has been pre-filled for you.

If you got CCS, you still need to confirm your income with us too. You need to do this even if you had no income or you’ve already told the ATO you don’t need to lodge. This is so we can balance your CCS. You can do this in your Centrelink online account linked to myGov or Express Plus Centrelink app.

How to protect yourself online at tax time

Scams and identity threats often increase during tax time.

When you’re doing your tax and waiting for your outcome, make sure you’re only dealing with genuine websites. To safely access your myGov account and linked services, use the official myGov app or enter my.gov.au into your browser to sign in.


Attributed to Services Australia as © Commonwealth of Australia. 








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