Militia Used As An FBI Front Group In 2020 Is Again Proliferating On Facebook

 by Ken Silva via Headline USA,

The tech publication Wired reported Thursday that the Three Percenter, or III%er, militia is again proliferating on Facebook ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

The Three Percenters are a national network of militias, the name being a reference to the fact that only about 3% of colonists took up arms against King George in the American Revolution. The Three Percenters were involved in both the Whitmer kidnap plot and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill uprising.

However, what Wired didn’t mention in its report is that the Three Percenters were heavily infiltrated by the FBI. In fact, the FBI used the Three Percenters as a front group in the Whitmer plot—going so far as to have its informants run fake III%er Facebook groups.

The FBI’s creation of Three Percenter Facebook pages was revealed during the first Whitmer trial in 2022.

Defense attorney Christopher Gibbons, who represented militia “ringleader” Adam Fox, said during the trial that FBI informant Steve Robeson created the Facebook page of the Michigan Three Percenters.

According to Gibbons, Robeson announced on the Three Percenters’ Facebook page that Fox had become the leader of the Michigan branch in June 2020. It was around that time that Fox became active with the Wolverine Watchmen, the group associated with the alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer.

Fox was made administrator of the Michigan Three Percenters’ Facebook page created by the FBI informants, Gibbons said.

“He got that Facebook page courtesy of the federal government,” the attorney said.

After being made administrator of the Facebook page, Gibbons said, Fox received a message from another FBI informant named “Mark.” Fox then attended a militia training event in Munith, Michigan, on June 28, 2020, Gibbons said.

The alleged plot escalated from there, until Fox was arrested along with Barry Croft, Daniel Harris, Brandon Caserta, Ty Garbin, and Kaleb Franks in October 2020.

After the arrests, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg bragged about alerting the FBI to the Whitmer plot—apparently unaware that his company was alerting the FBI to its own informants.

More recently, The Intercept reported that FBI informant Jenny Plunk was also involved in creating the fake Michigan Three Percenters.

“FBI informant, Jenny Plunk, created a private Facebook group called ‘Michigan Patriot III%ers.’ (The FBI classifies Three Percenters as a domestic terrorism threat.),” The Intercept reported in March.

“The Facebook group’s first members were Plunk and Robeson, both on the FBI’s payroll, and Fox and his girlfriend, Amanda Keller.”

But none of that is mentioned in Wired’s article, which instead fearmongered over an apparent resurgence in extremism.

“After lying low for several years in the aftermath of the US Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorganizing, ramping up recruitment and rhetoric on Facebook—with apparently little concern that Meta will enforce its ban against them,” Wired reported.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/militia-used-fbi-front-group-2020-again-proliferating-facebook

Tyson Foods Warns Low-Income Consumers Are Cracking Under Inflation

 Tyson Foods, the second-largest producer of animal protein globally, plunged the most in one year after cautioning that heightened inflation is severely impacting its working poor customers, leading them to reduce their purchases of ready-to-eat products from its brands. This ominous warning comes one week after McDonald's and Starbucks warned that low-income consumers are starting to crack.  

During an earnings call on Monday, Melanie Boulden, who oversees Tyson's Prepared Foods business, was asked by BofA's Peter Galbo about "commentary around quick-service, casual dining and non-commercial." 

Boulden responded: 

"So, Peter, in both retail and foodservice, as you know, the consumer is under pressure, especially the lower-income households. And in retail, we're seeing roughly 20% cumulative inflation over the last three years." 

"Now the inflation impact coupled with historically low savings rates has created a more cautious, price-sensitive consumer. And we're also seeing a cautious consumer prioritize essential staples over discretionary categories." 

Boulden's comments raise serious questions about the company's ability to boost profitability after sliding in recent quarters.

As for the rest of the year, Chief Financial Officer John Tyson warned investors, "uncertainties remain around consumer strength and behavior." 

Tyson added, "When we factor in these variables with Pork and Prepared Foods seasonality, there are reasons to believe that Q3 could be weaker than Q4." 

The gloomier outlook weighed on shares in New York on Monday, sliding more than 8%. If intraday losses hold, it will be the worst day since May 8, 2023. 

Last week, McDonald's and Starbucks both warned about faltering consumer demand. 

Notably, working-poor consumers are pulling back spending in a period of stagflation (read here & here). 

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tyson-foods-warns-low-income-consumers-are-cracking-under-inflation

Boehringer raises hope of diabetic macular ischaemia therapy

 Boehringer Ingelheim says it may have found the first therapy for diabetic macular ischaemia (DMI), a common and irreversible complication of the eye in people with diabetes.

Around a third of people with diabetes go on to develop diabetic retinopathy, a sight-robbing condition that can be treated with anti-VEGF therapies like Bayer/Regeneron’s Eylea (aflibercept) and Roche/Novartis’ Lucentis (ranibizumab) or laser therapy. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage the retina’s blood vessels, leading to fluid and blood leakage into the macula area of the retina.

For patients with diabetic retinopathy that do not respond to anti-VEGF therapies, however, there are few treatment options – and none that are approved to treat DMI, a serious complication in which the light-sensitive tissues of the central retina do not receive adequate blood supply.

DMI occurs when there is retinal non-perfusion, in which the vasculature in an area of the retina becomes degraded. Enter Boehringer’s BI 764524, an anti-Sema3A antibody that is hypothesised to regrow the vascular network in areas of the retina that have been starved of oxygen, as well as reduce retinal leakage.

Results of the phase 1/2a HORNBILL study, which looked at the safety of injections of BI 764524 into the eye as well as initial efficacy measures, were presented yesterday at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Seattle, US.

Quan Dong Nguyen of Byers Eye Institute and Stanford School of Medicine, the lead investigator in the trial told delegates that the drug appeared to be safe at all the doses tested in the study, with just two adverse events linked to the drug, neither of which was serious.

In addition, the study also met its objective of showing early signs of stabilising the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) of the retina compared to sham injections at week 16.

“The results from the HORNBILL study are really encouraging,” said Prof Nguyen. “They suggest there may be a pathway for earlier intervention that could decrease the risk of, and maybe even prevent, people with diabetic retinopathy from developing irreversible and vision-threatening complications, such as DMI.”

He also said that while retinal non-perfusion is a key driver of vision loss in people living with diabetic retinopathy, the HORNBILL study is the first to investigate a drug that attempts to target it.

Boehringer’s head of retinal health Ulrike Graefe-Mody said the company now plans to start recruiting patients into a phase 2b trial called CRIMSON later this year as it works towards “delivering the right treatment for the right patient at the right time to prevent vision loss before irreversible damage occurs.”

Last month, Boehringer – which has reportedly just overtaken Bayer to become the largest Germany-headquartered pharma group – said its pipeline is currently the best in its 139-year history with 25 new treatments set for launch between now and 2030.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/boehringer-raises-hope-diabetic-macular-ischaemia-therapy

'Medicare Insurance Fund Outlook Improves on Stronger Economy'

 

• Retirement fund seen solvent until 2033, like past estimates
• Medicare hospital fund seen solvent for five extra years

Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund will be able to pay full benefits until 2036, five years later than projected a year ago, according to a report released Monday by the Treasury Department.

The hospital fund’s long-term financial picture improved thanks to higher income, stemming from both a higher number of workers and higher average wages, as well as from lower expenditures compared to last year’s estimates.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-06/medicare-insurance-fund-outlook-improves-on-stronger-economy

Vertex tops Q1 profit estimates on robust demand for cystic fibrosis treatments

 Vertex Pharmaceuticals beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit on Monday, driven by robust uptake for its cystic fibrosis treatments.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) - an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs - affects an estimated 105,000 people across 94 countries, according to data from U.S.-based CF Foundation.

Sales from Vertex's top-selling CF drug Trikafta, also sold as Kaftrio in some markets, rose more than 18% from a year earlier to $2.48 billion in the quarter, beating analysts' expectations of $2.38 billion.

Vertex reported adjusted earnings per share of $4.76 on revenue of $2.69 billion, topping market estimates $4.06 on revenue of $2.58 billion, according to LSEG data, for the quarter ended March 31.

The drugmaker reiterated its annual revenue forecast of between $10.55 billion and $10.75 billion.

The Boston, Massachusetts-based company has been making efforts to expand its product pipeline by adding new products for different disease indications while also focusing on development of other CF treatments.

Vertex's gene therapy, branded as Casgevy, earlier this year earned a second U.S. approval to treat a rare blood disorder requiring regular blood transfusions, after it was greenlighted in December for sickle cell disease. The company co-developed Casgevy with Swiss-American firm CRISPR Therapeutics.

As of mid-April, Vertex said it activated more than 25 authorized treatment centers globally and multiple patients across all regions, where it has approval, have initiated cell collection.

The gene therapy maker also signed multiple agreements with both commercial and government health insurance providers in the U.S. to provide access to Casgevy. 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vertex-tops-q1-profit-estimates-200200456.html

US Soldier Detained In Russia

 NBC News is reporting that an American soldier has been detained in Russia at a moment of ratcheting nuclear warnings and ongoing heightened tensions with the West.

"A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend according to three U.S. officials. He has been stationed in Korea and traveled to Russia on his own," according to national security correspondent Courtney Kube.

The early reporting further says, "He is accused of stealing but it’s not clear if those charges are legit or not." According emerging details from NBC:

He had been stationed in Korea and traveled to Russia on his own and not on official business.

The soldier is accused of stealing from a woman. 

"The U.S. Army did not immediately return a request for comment," the outlet wrote further.

Currently, several Americans remain in Russian detention, with one case in particular having been focus of international media attention: the arrest last year of the Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich, who has recently seen his pretrial detention extended. 

There has been widespread speculation that Russia is using Gershkovich to do a prisoner swap deal with the West. Additionally ex-Marine Paul Whelan is serving a prison sentence on espionage-related charges, and school teacher Marc Fogel is also in prison for drug charges.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/american-soldier-based-skorea-has-been-detained-russia

Florida Bans 'Indoctrination' In Teacher-Training Programs

 by Patricia Tolson via The Epoch Times,

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law on May 2 banning “indoctrination” programs for teachers.

The measure, HB 1291, prohibits programs, courses, and curricula in teacher training from “distorting” historical events or promoting political ideologies regarding race, sex, and gender.

Accredited postsecondary institutions can seek Florida Department of Education approval to create institutes to educate teachers on improving classroom instruction and meeting requirements for certification or recertification.

They can also seek approval for instruction on educating existing and potential substitute teachers on how to perform classroom duties and to teach those with baccalaureate degrees how to become certified.

However, teacher preparation, training, and certification programs will not be allowed to teach “identity politics” or to make claims that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or white privilege are inherent in America’s culture.

In addition, Gov. DeSantis’s office said in a statement that he is working with Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office to safeguard Florida’s workforce from being subjected to ideological discrimination and harassment.

The governor said he does not believe that companies have the right to force their employees to attend training courses designed to convince them that they are “inherently racist or sexist” or to diminish their sense of self-worth because of their religious or social upbringing.

At a press briefing and signing ceremony at the VyStar Tower in Jacksonville, Mr. DeSantis said he did not want teacher-preparation programs “to become captive to someone’s ideological agenda.”

“This bill prohibits the indoctrination in teacher preparation,” he summarized.

“So, there’s not going to be DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion]. There’s not going to be any of the bogus history. It’s just going to be standard, teacher preparation without having an ideological agenda.”

The law becomes effective on July 1.

‘You Have to Be Precise’

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman Senior Research Fellow in Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, said there is ambiguity in the legislation that should be addressed.

It isn’t readily clear in the bill’s introduction which kind of teachers are subject to the mandates. He said it isn’t until the list at the bottom of page two of the bill that you learn it applies to substitute teachers, teachers’ assistants, baccalaureate holders who want to become certified teachers, and college graduates who didn’t major in education.

It applies to part-time and full-time, non-degreed teachers for “career programs” associated with higher education programs, such as technical colleges.

Given the context of this bill, he said, it will be important to make sure definitions are clear and that enforcement is kept “within the bounds of appropriate civil rights law.”

“You have to be precise in your language,” he said. “I think the intent of the bill is laudable. Evidence is clear that teacher training programs regularly use materials that is Marxist in nature.”

“When you look at the terms used in these provisions,” he explained, “it will be incumbent on the State Board of Education to say very precisely what they mean by ‘identity politics’ and what they mean by the word ’distort,‘ because the language says they ’may not distort significant historical events.’

“You should define that whole thing. What does ‘distort’ mean? What does ’significant' mean?”

Other parts of the legislation, he said, are sound, such as the requirement that training courses for teachers cannot  teach students that the United States is built upon racism and is a racist nation.

He noted that Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” has been one of the most assigned books in teacher training programs for 50 years.

“Pablo Freire’s stuff is Marxist. Critical race theory is racially discriminatory,” he said.

Federal grant programs also encouraged teaching critical race theory until public backlash caused them to strip the words from the grant descriptions. But they simply changed the name to social emotional learning.

The U.S. Department of Education announced in 2023 that President Joe Biden’s administration was awarding $14 million in federal grant money to foster more inclusive diversity programs to address racial inequity.

Grants offered by nonprofit organizations like FIRST also push DEI policies in education.

“There is no disputing the idea that teacher training programs use radical ideas that are being passed on to prospective teachers,” Mr. Butcher said.

Mr. Butcher adds that he expects the law to be challenged by leftist groups whose goal, he said, is to establish protected classes, not equality under the law.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/florida-bans-indoctrination-teacher-training-programs