NOAA warns staff a militia group thinks its radars are 'weather weapons'
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned the National Weather Service of possible attacks from an armed conspiracy group targeting Doppler radar stations, according to a report from CNN . The group, Veterans on Patrol, is going after government radars because it believes they're being used as "weather weapons."
CNN learned of the possible attacks through NOAA emails warning NWS staff that Veterans on Patrol was planning to conduct "penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses," with the ultimate goal of destroying NEXRAD. Despite its cooler-than-average name, the NWS uses NEXRAD or "Next Generation Weather Radar" for a fairly mundane purpose: detecting precipitation in the atmosphere. NEXRAD plays a vital role in locating thunderstorms and tornados, making it easier to evacuate vulnerable communities before disaster strikes.
It's not clear what Veterans on Patrol sees as threatening about radar — the group was previously focused on white nationalism and Pizzagate-style government conspiracies — but concern over the effects of being exposed to radio waves is a common bugbear for conspiracy-types. For example, groups set fire to cell towers early in the COVID-19 pandemic because of a belief that 5G somehow spread the virus. Viewing radar as a weapon could originate from some similar misconceptions.
NWS staff have been advised to use the buddy system when working at remote radar sites and report anything suspicious to the authorities. Even without the threat of physical violence, though, the NWS and NOAA at large have already been devastated in 2025. Hundreds of weather forecasters were fired because of the cuts made by the Trump administration, just one of many attempts to dismantle government services.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
First Thing: Donald Trump sends Marines to LA as mayor says city being used as ‘experiment'
Good morning. About 700 US marines were en route to Los Angeles on Tuesday after Donald Trump mobilized them the day before in response to protests over immigration raids. The president also doubled the number of national guard members to 4,000, in an extraordinary mobilization of troops against US residents that California leaders have called 'authoritarian'. The Pentagon mobilized the 700 active-duty marines after tensions between the federal government and the nation's second-largest city dramatically escalated over the weekend, with residents taking to the streets to demonstrate against a series of brutal crackdowns on immigrant communities. The raids have affected garment district works, day laborers and restaurants. Federal agents also arrested the president of a major California union who was serving as a community observer during the raids. Despite facing teargas and other munitions over the weekend, protesters continued to rally yesterday, and families of detained immigrants pleaded for their loved ones to be released. How is California responding? The state has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the US president of 'unlawfully' federalizing the state's national guard to quell a domestic protest. Days before Pete Hegseth fired three top aides last month over a Pentagon leak investigation into the disclosure of classified materials, according to four people familiar with the episode, a recently hired senior adviser said he could help with the inquiry. The adviser, Justin Fulcher, suggested to Hegseth's then chief of staff, and Hegseth's personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore, that he knew of warrantless surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) that had identified the leakers. Fulcher offered to share the supposed evidence as long as he could help run the investigation, three of the people said. But when he eventually sat down with officials, it became clear he had no evidence of a wiretap, and the Pentagon had been duped. The extraordinary episode adds to the growing portrait of dysfunction inside Hegseth's front office. What happened next? The development was not communicated to the White House – so several Trump advisers who were told of the NSA wiretap claim believed that was part of the 'smoking gun' evidence against the three aides fired by Hegseth, until they developed their own doubts. The Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg was leaving Tel Aviv on a flight to France after having been detained earlier with other activists on a Gaza-bound aid boat, Israel said today. 'Greta Thunberg is departing Israel on a flight to France,' Israel's foreign ministry said on its official X account, along with two photos of the activist on board a plane. The group of activists departed Italy on 1 June aboard the Madleen carrying a symbolic amount of food and supplies for Gaza, whose population is at risk of famine. Israeli forces intercepted the boat in international waters yesterday and towed it to the port of Ashdod. What about the other activists? 'The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries,' the Israeli foreign ministry said. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority.' The health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, is getting rid of all 17 members on a key panel of vaccine experts and will replace them, he said yesterday. A former girlfriend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs told jurors in his sex-trafficking and racketeering trial that she repeatedly told the music mogul she didn't want to have sex with other men. Authorities said a Chinese scientist was arrested while arriving at a Detroit airport for the alleged smuggling of biological material, the second such case in two days. Donald Trump unveiled a federal program yesterday providing $1,000 government-funded investment accounts for American babies, getting backing from top business leaders who said they plan to contribute billions more to an initiative tied to 'the big beautiful bill'. Graphic sexual content, bullying, abuse and threats of violence are rife on Meta-owned products. Now Meta is pumping billions of dollars a year into building its metaverse, a virtual world for education, business, shopping and live events. But if Meta has utterly failed to keep women and girls safe in its existing online spaces, why should we trust it with the future? The unexplained deaths of hundreds of elephants near watering holes across the Okavango delta in May 2020 alarmed conservationists. Nearly five years later, scientists finally published a paper indicating what they believe to be the reason behind the deaths: toxic water caused by an algal bloom. Millions of people are prevented from having the number of children they want by a toxic mix of economic barriers and sexism, a new UN report has warned. While right-wing governments, including the US and Hungary, are increasingly blaming falling fertility rates on a rejection of parenthood, the report found most people wanted children. Gen Z are making headlines for their hesitancy to use bar tabs – instead preferring to close out and pay after every single drink, no matter how many rounds they order. But do younger people have a monopoly on poor bar etiquette? Alaina Demopoulos spoke to bartenders across the US about which generation behaves best. First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you're not already signed up, subscribe now. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump takes action against 'orchestrated attack' on law enforcement by deploying Marines to LA: assemblyman
Immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles served as the ignition point over the weekend, as coordinated ICE raids across the city sparked violent clashes with law enforcement, leading to the arrival of military forces. The Trump administration's crackdown culminated in the president's decisive action Monday to deploy a battalion of hundreds of U.S. Marines to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots, Fox News has learned. "Approximately 700 Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division will seamlessly integrate with the Title 10 forces under Task Force 51 who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area," U.S. Northern Command said in a statement. Assemblyman David Tangipa, R-Calif., called the protests an "orchestrated attack." California Lt. Governor Says Los Angeles Riots Are 'Generated By Donald Trump' "Law enforcement is under violent assault—pelted with bricks and weapons by rioters," he told Fox News Digital. "This isn't peaceful protest, it's an orchestrated attack. Organizers aren't just enabling it—they're inciting it. Now, even the Marines are being deployed to restore order." Read On The Fox News App "Violence must be condemned and stopped before more lives are put at risk." President Donald Trump described the demonstrators as "violent, insurrectionist mobs" and praised the 2,000 National Guard troops for their role in restoring order after hoards of protesters clashed with law enforcement in Los Angeles. Here is a timeline of key events surrounding the immigration enforcement actions and ensuing protests in Los Angeles: Federal immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles began on Friday, June 6, with coordinated ICE raids across the city targeting migrants. These operations, which resulted in more than 100 arrests, focused on known areas of unlawful employment and activity, including the Fashion District and commercial hubs. Among those arrested was 49-year-old Cuong Chanh Phan, an illegal immigrant from Vietnam with a criminal history that includes a conviction for second-degree murder. Phan was convicted of shooting up a high school graduation party after a dispute, killing an 18-year-old and a 15-year-old. Seven others were injured in the incident, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). One man has already been sent back to Mexico after being picked up at a Home Depot on Friday morning. During the demonstrations, David Huerta, president of SEIU California, a labor union, was arrested and charged with impeding a federal agent while protesting. Trump deployed California National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday following the chaotic standoff between protesters and federal immigration authorities. Photos from the scene in California captured protesters blocking streets, throwing bricks at law enforcement and setting cars ablaze. California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the administration to rescind the deployment, saying Trump is trying "to manufacture a crisis" and that the president is "hoping for chaos so he can justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized California's Democratic leadership, stating they had "completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens." She declared that the Trump administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when directed at law enforcement officers, and that such individuals "will be arrested and swiftly brought to justice." Ice Sweeps Through La Businesses As Local Democrats Cry Foul Over Trump Administration's Enforcement Actions DHS released a statement on Saturday noting it took the LAPD two hours to respond to the Roybal Federal Building, despite multiple calls. "Last night, over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property," according to DHS. "Our ICE enforcement officers are facing a 413% increase in assaults against them. Disturbingly, in recent days, ICE officers' family members have been dox[x]ed and targeted as well." Newsom, meanwhile, strongly condemned President Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles without state consent, labeling the move as "purposefully inflammatory." "California – Don't give Donald Trump what he wants," Newsom wrote in a X post. "Speak up. Stay peaceful. Stay calm. Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers that are trying their best to keep the peace." Federal Officials Slam Democrats For 'Dangerous' Rhetoric As Ice Agents Face Violent Mobs In La, Nyc On Sunday, rioters gathered downtown, including near the Metropolitan Detention Center, to protest ongoing immigration enforcement and the arrival of National Guard personnel. Law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD and National Guard troops, employed crowd-control measures such as tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse protesters. Newsom arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday evening to oversee the response to the anti-ICE riots and meet with state emergency officials. "We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games," Newsom wrote. WATCH: DESTRUCTION TO LAPD HQ Rioters were seen targeting the LAPD headquarters on Sunday night as violent demonstrations continued. The LAPD declared an "unlawful assembly" Sunday evening as protesters failed to disperse in the downtown area. "Agitators have splintered into and through out [sic] the Downtown Area," the LAPD's Central Division wrote on X. "Residents, businesses and visitors to the Downtown Area should be alert and report any criminal activity. Officers are responding to several different locations to disperse crowds." Ice Official Puts Politicians On Blast, Demanding They 'Stop Putting My People In Danger' Other video footage from the weekend shows protesters spitting on the American flag and setting it on fire while chanting "F Trump," setting fire to vehicles and throwing objects and fireworks at police. DHS on Monday called on California's politicians to "call off their rioting mob," asking why Newsom was supporting what the department called "foreign criminals." The post included a video that shows a masked, shirtless man holding a Mexican flag while standing on top of a vehicle covered in graffiti. A second vehicle is seen burning in the middle of a street as crowds of people gathered nearby. Newsom continued to spar with Trump over the riots erupting in Los Angeles, calling the president "unhinged" on Monday. Newsom has peppered Trump with criticisms over federalizing the National Guard in a series of posts on X. "We're suing him," Newsom added. WATCH: On Monday afternoon, Fox News learned that hundreds of Marines were mobilizing in Los Angeles. They will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended. The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it Is unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them. The Marines are from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, California. Moments before the deployment, Trump expressed optimism that the situation in Los Angeles was improving. "I mean, I think we have it very well under control," he told reporters. "I think it would have been a very bad situation. It was heading in the wrong direction. It's now heading in the right direction." Newsom expressed his outrage at the possibility of the presence of Marines, writing on X, "U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes. They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American." The California governor initially said that the information they have is that Marines are not being deployed, but moving "from one base to another base." "From our understanding, this is moving Marines from one base to another base," Newsom wrote in a statement on X. "At this time, the information we have is that Marines are not being deployed (there is a difference between that and being mobilized)," he continued. "The level of escalation is completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented — mobilizing the best in class branch of the U.S. military against its own citizens," Newsom said. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Greg Wehner, Stepheny Price and Audrey Conklin contributed to this article source: Trump takes action against 'orchestrated attack' on law enforcement by deploying Marines to LA: assemblyman
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Was Right, Trump Is Compromised and Knows It: Ex-Aide
Even if Donald Trump's not in the Epstein files, Anthony Scaramucci suspects the president's real vulnerability lies somewhere even more alarming. Elon Musk lobbed a bombshell allegation last week that his former pal has previously unknown ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming that's why the case files have not been made public. Musk later deleted the post without explanation. Scaramucci, who briefly served as Trump's White House communications director in 2017, told The Daily Beast Podcast he doesn't have the answers, but he believes the Epstein claims are not true. However, he thinks Russia's President Vladimir Putin is the one who holds leverage over Trump. 'Did he go over the line with Jeff Epstein and do something super-malevolent and super-nefarious? I don't believe that's the case, because I think that would have come out. But again, I don't know,' said Scaramucci, a financier and Trump ally-turned-critic. 'But the flip side is, while I'm saying that to you, I believe there is kompromat on Donald Trump,' he continued. 'I don't know what it is. We all used to say, 'OK, what is it? What is the hold that Vladimir Putin has on this guy?'' Scaramucci said it defies logic that Trump would show such deference to a leader like Putin, whose power on the world stage is waning amid economic strain and a faltering war effort in Ukraine. 'He's in a trainwreck situation at home, and yet he owns the president of the United States,' he said of Putin. 'How does he own the president of the United States? You tell me. He has to have something on him, OK, that we don't understand.' He speculated that the Kremlin could have gathered compromising material on Trump in the '80s and '90s during his prime years as a real estate mogul. He appeared to be alluding to long-standing but unverified claims that the KGB sought to recruit Trump as a Russian asset in the '80s. 'Not a pee pee tape,' Scaramucci suggested, but 'something that would be too much for Trump, even Trump himself, to deal with.' Scaramucci dismissed the idea that Trump is soft on Putin because he admires authoritarian leaders, saying Trump only cares about himself. 'It's bulls--t,' he said. 'Trump doesn't love authoritarians. He loves himself, OK? And he would not be kowtowing to Putin, sitting in the biggest economy with the biggest military.' 'He would be shoving Putin, but he doesn't shove Putin because they got something on him,' he added. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. No evidence has emerged publicly to support the idea that Russia possesses compromising material on Trump, and Trump has explicitly denied ever having worked for Russia. But Trump's long history of praising Putin, avoiding direct criticism of the authoritarian leader and downplaying election interference, has fueled questions for years.