Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Author: shailender

Secret Signal chats reveal how anti-ICE agitators coordinated Newark riots

Secret Signal chats reveal how anti-ICE agitators coordinated Newark riots

At 11:30 a.m. on June 3, an activation signal went out on social media calling protesters and agitators to swarm Delaney Hall, the Newark, N.J. ICE detention facility that has become one of the nation’s most contentious immigration battlegrounds. “CURFEW IS OVER. BACK TO DELANEY,” read an Instagram post, promoted by a fiery collection of anti-Israel, Marxist and Democratic organizations — from “Palestine Solidarity Working Group” and Al-Awda to Indivisible and 50501 — that have joined tumultuous against the ICE, Newark police and New Jersey state troopers over the past couple of weeks. Within minutes, the call to action spread through secret groups on Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, activating hundreds of anti-ICE activists with secret monikers like “framed.unrest” and “Wicked Something,” collaborating on transportation, logistics and supplies, like goggles, protections against pepper spray, respirators and protective knee pads. A Fox News Digital investigation, gathering information on the ground in Newark, in secret chat groups on Signal and from scores of tax filings, strategy documents and social media posts, reveals the protests outside Delaney Hall are no organic outpouring of spontaneous rage. They are the result of years of strategic planning by a network of well-funded, well-organized groups that have once again exploited a local controversy to wage a wider attack on federal immigration policies and the U.S. in general. The activities of this network have motivated a group of tech sleuths on the X — @DataRepublican, @Astrarce, @bitchuneedsoap and @gunshymartyr — to penetrate these groups, their Signal chats and their operations like a digital Avengers squad. BLUE STATE ICE FACILITY RAMPS UP SECURITY WITH NEW BARRICADES AMID CLASHES WITH PROTESTERS According to Fox News Digital’s analysis, the network behind the Delaney Hall protests includes about 100 groups, some of them big names like the ACLU, Indivisible and Democratic Socialists of America. Together, these organizations report collective annual revenues of about $825 million, approximately equal to the annual budget of Newark. The groups didn’t respond to requests for comment. About 70 of the groups have received special designations as charities by the IRS, have status as regular 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits, as well as labor union 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits, enjoying tax-deductible donations and certain tax-free benefits. In recent months, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee have launched investigations into the alleged abuse of nonprofit laws to instigate conflict, sow discord and even inspire political violence. The Delaneny network — which one expert calls the “Delaney Hall 100” — message around shared language assembled in a strategic communications document, called the “Delaney Hall Creator Brief,” which Fox News Digital obtained from X user @b—-uneedsoap. The strategy document directs content creators to call the detention center a “concentration camp” and label detainees “imprisoned prisoners” and “captives.” It tells activists to eschew saying detainees were arrested, but rather assert they were “kidnapped/abducted/taken.” Their tactics mirror the system deployed in Minneapolis earlier this year to protest ICE actions, and military experts say the operations resemble the tactics of an insurgency. “We should be very concerned about the Delaney Hall 100,” said Chuck Flint, a nonprofit expert and former U.S. Senate chief of staff. “Protests like the kind we’re seeing outside Delaney Hall are not organic protests. These are manufactured strategic, calculated endeavors by an army of nonprofits meant to push subversive activity. These groups generate annual revenues greater than many of the cities in which they protest. They act like military battalions with the ability to overwhelm a city’s public safety resources.” “It’s David vs. Goliath,” said Flint, who is also a former state prosecutor. FOX NEWS DIGITAL ANALYSIS: HOW MINNEAPOLIS AGITATOR NETWORKS USE INSURGENCY TACTICS TO HINDER ICE Last weekend, Fox News Digital spotlighted a series of far-left groups that self-identify as socialist, Marxist and communist blending in with immigrant groups. They included Democratic Socialists of America, the U.S. Revolutionary Communist Party, Speak Out Socialist, Refuse Fascism, Freedom Road Socialists Organization, Freedom Socialist Party and the Black Panthers. Fox News Digital observed tents stocked with respirators, goggles, protective pads, decontamination supplies and other protest-support equipment. Late last Saturday, controversial Marxist influencer Hasan Piker arrived at the protests for a quick walk-through, wearing a pink gas mask. He told Fox News Digital that he was there to advocate for the demands of the detainees inside, remaining on the scene for less than 30 minutes before driving off. Later, he responded to Fox News Digital’s images of the tents filled with riot-gear provisions and called the supplies “mutual aid.” The preparations for protests Wednesday night offer a window into how the organizations motivate, coordinate, mobilize, focus and discipline their foot soldiers. By 1:17 p.m., a user, “Pete InDC,” shared a video outside the detention facility, with a car honking nonstop and “ICE OUT” drawn in chalk on Doremus Avenue. “Come on down!” wrote “Pete InDC.” AGITATORS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL SET UP ORGANIZED LOGISTICS OPERATION BEFORE NEWARK PROTESTS BEGAN At 1:29 p.m., “yarrow” asked, “any car pools from nyc today? or any medics coming from nyc?” By 1:46 p.m., others asked if one of the main protest organizers, Cosesha, approved the protest, and yet others started organizing logistics, starting with the ordinary: food, drinks, bike racks, transportation, parking and tents, as if they were headed to a concert. “Tamale” asked “so if we do go should we be bringing supplies or only rallying? do ppl need water.” By 2:11 p.m., when “Durga” asked for others to “like” the message if they were on Doremus Avenue, another user — “tiny” — admonished “Durga,” warning “please don’t self id in the chat,” adding “or ask others to.” Often these organizations speak their own language, for example, compiling “otg” — or “on the ground” — intelligence. At 3:08 p.m., “Jay D” asked, “Is anyone otg and can give a report?” FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY Quickly, the communications moved into

The growing list of controversies threatening Democrat Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid

The growing list of controversies threatening Democrat Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has emerged as one of the party’s fastest-rising political figures, drawing national attention for his populist message and outsider image. But as his profile has grown, so has scrutiny of his past conduct, with controversies ranging from sexually explicit messages and offensive social media posts to a Nazi-linked tattoo and campaign staff upheaval. PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION In continued clean-up of those scandals, Platner came to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to huddle with party figures at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters just one week before his primary election. The Marine veteran and oyster farmer has defended himself against the criticism and retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Still, some have questioned whether the allegations could complicate Democrats’ efforts to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races. Here’s a look at the major controversies that have engulfed Platner’s campaign. The most recent controversy surrounding Platner stems from reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with multiple women during his marriage, an issue that campaign aides were reportedly aware of as his Senate bid was taking shape. The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner’s wife, Amy Gertner, informed a campaign aide about the text exchanges shortly after he launched his Senate bid as staffers were assessing potential political liabilities. According to the report, Gertner discovered the messages months after the couple married in 2024 and disclosed their existence before her husband held a campaign rally alongside progressive Sen. Sanders. The campaign told Politico that the aide viewed the matter as a private issue between the couple and did not raise concerns about it publicly. SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT Platner’s campaign later confirmed the existence of the text exchanges to Politico. He also told Fox News Digital in a statement: “Amy and I went through something hard — because of me. We did the work, and I’m grateful for her every hour of every day.” “I’ve learned throughout this campaign is that people don’t care about gossip or headlines, they care that you’re fighting for their hospitals, their paycheck, their kids… Our opponents want politics to be empty of content and empty of actual change — and beating that is exactly what our movement is about,” he added. In a statement to the Journal, Gertner criticized the disclosure of the information, saying she had shared “deeply personal details” about her marriage with someone she considered a friend, only to see those details become public. She revealed that the two attended couple’s counseling, worked through the issues in their marriage and have since emerged as a stronger couple. “I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life,” Gertner said. “That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.” Platner’s campaign also faced intense scrutiny after it was revealed he once had a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest closely resembling the “Totenkopf” symbol used by Hitler’s SS paramilitary forces. The Maine Democrat said he got the tattoo during a “night of drinking” while on leave in Croatia in 2007 as a Marine and claimed he was entirely unaware of its meaning at the time. In an Instagram video posted in May, Platner elaborated on the tattoo’s origins. He explained that he merely selected the design from a flash tattoo wall while “carousing” with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia. “We thought it looked cool,” he downplayed. Platner said he was later “appalled” to learn the image resembled a Nazi symbol, arguing that his life and career have been defined by opposition to fascism, racism and Nazism. He also noted that he was never questioned about the tattoo during his military service. MAINE DEM SENATE HOPEFUL BACKED BY BERNIE SANDERS APOLOGIZES FOR NAZI-STYLE TATTOO, VOWS TO STAY IN RACE Rather than undergo removal, Platner said he chose to cover the tattoo because tattoo removal services were not readily available near his rural Maine home. “Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,” he told The Associated Press. “I wanted this thing off my body.” The symbol was ultimately covered with a tattoo featuring a Celtic knot and images of dogs, which Platner said were meant to honor his family pets. The keystone scrutiny Platner has faced during his bid stemmed from thousands of now-deleted Reddit posts that resurfaced after he launched his Senate campaign. In posts first reported by CNN and Politico, Platner referred to himself as a “communist” and “socialist” and endorsed the slogan “all cops are b—–ds.” In other posts, he argued that those who “expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history” and said that “an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice.” DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE The posts under his since-retired username “P-hustle” were deleted before Platner announced his Democratic Senate bid in August. The candidate has since addressed the posts multiple times, telling CNN and Politico that he was “f—ing around on the internet” during a period when he felt “lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die.” “I made dumb jokes and picked fights,” Platner said. “But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s—poster.” In the posts Platner made crude comments about masturbating in port-a-potties and claimed a U.S. service member who took enemy fire in Afghanistan “didn’t deserve to live.” GRAHAM PLATNER VOWS TO ‘COME AFTER’ BEZOS AS SENATE HOPEFUL ESCALATES BILLIONAIRE TAX FIGHT The controversies have done little to erode Platner’s standing within the Democratic Party as he has continued to

Rubio distances himself from Netanyahu’s Gaza plan

Rubio distances himself from Netanyahu’s Gaza plan

NewsFeed House Democrats question US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the lack of progress on Trump’s 20 point Gaza plan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to seize 70 percent of territory. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)

Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyes $1.77tn valuation ahead of historic IPO

Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyes .77tn valuation ahead of historic IPO

Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is targeting a valuation of nearly $1.77 trillion in its blockbuster initial public offering (IPO), paving the way for the largest stock market debut in history. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, SpaceX said that it plans to sell 555.6 million shares at $135 apiece, raising approximately $75bn. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The eye-popping valuation would make SpaceX the world’s seventh-largest company by market capitalisation, ahead of Musk’s electric vehicle maker Tesla and social media giant Meta, and just behind Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC. It would also eclipse energy giant Saudi Aramco’s 2019 debut, which raised $26bn at a valuation of $1.7 trillion. Musk, who holds a roughly 42 percent stake in SpaceX, is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire upon the public offering next week. SpaceX shares are expected to trade on the New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange from June 12. Despite the public listing, Musk will retain effective control of SpaceX with more than 82 percent of voting rights, the result of a dual-class stock structure that grants certain shares 10 votes instead of one. The Texas-based firm’s decision to set a specific share price ahead of its IPO marks a break from usual practice. Companies preparing for a public listing usually announce a preliminary price range that can be adjusted based on investor interest. “The genuine surprise is that SpaceX fixed a price before the investor roadshow began,” Fabien Yip, a market analyst at online trading and investment company IG Group, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement “To me, this reflects Musk’s control over the deal terms and his confidence that the book will fill.” Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2026 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP] Founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX is best known for designing and launching rockets, spacecraft and reusable launch vehicles on behalf of NASA and private companies. The company also provides internet services and artificial intelligence models through its Starlink and xAI divisions. Musk has outlined lofty ambitions for SpaceX, including to establish a “self-sustaining” city on Mars, “make life multiplanetary”, and “extend the light of consciousness to the stars”. SpaceX’s listing will be a test of investors’ confidence in Musk’s vision, which has yet to translate into profits at the company. SpaceX reported a net loss of $4.9bn on revenue of 18.7bn in 2025, followed by a $4.3bn loss in the first quarter of this year. Jay R Ritter, an emeritus professor at the University of Florida who specialises in IPOs, said the SpaceX IPO differs from Saudi Aramco’s blockbuster listing as the state-owned oil company had a track record of generating large revenues and profits. “SpaceX, in contrast, has trailing annual revenue of less than $20bn, and is not profitable,” Ritter told Al Jazeera. “So, one company’s valuation was – and is – based on its demonstrated profitability, while the other company’s valuation is based on potential.” “With SpaceX, there is a risk that cash flows will be used to send hundreds of thousands of people to Mars, at a loss,” Ritter added. Despite SpaceX’s lack of profitability, market sentiment is strong, said IG’s Yip, noting that buyers of investment products linked to the listing are pricing the company’s end-of-first-day market capitalisation at $2.2 trillion. “The Tesla parallel is perhaps worth drawing: It debuted in 2010 as a loss-making company and largely tracked the S&P 500 for years, only breaking away decisively once it turned profitable for the first time in Q1 2013,” Yip said, referring to the benchmark stock index on Wall Street. “SpaceX investors are making a similar bet on future growth, with the added complexity that SpaceX’s addressable market – rockets, satellite internet, AI – is considerably broader than Tesla’s was at listing.” SpaceX’s debut is the first of three mega-IPOs expected this year, along with AI startups OpenAI and Anthropic. The listings are poised to add trillions of dollars in value to the US stock market, which is already hovering at record highs on the back of the AI boom. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)

UK far-right accused of exploiting killing of Henry Nowak

UK far-right accused of exploiting killing of Henry Nowak

NewsFeed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused right-wing figures of exploiting the killing of Henry Nowak for political gain, after they argued his treatment by police was evidence of so-called ‘two-tier policing’. Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)