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.
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USA Today
34 minutes ago
- USA Today
Work is worth the risk: Undocumented workers in LA say they have no choice
LOS ANGELES – Perched on a plastic lawn chair outside a Home Depot in paint-stained pants and scuffed work boots, Jose Luis Valencia, 54, kept one eye out for ICE agents and another looking for work. Days after a series of federal immigration raids across Los Angeles sparked isolated but intense protests around the city, Valencia and other undocumented immigrants risked detention as they sought a paycheck. For them, picking up work at Home Depot is their only source of income, and some work as little as one day a week. While Valencia and other day laborers sought wages, other community members in Paramount and Compton, both in Los Angeles County, are cautiously watching federal troops, bracing for more raids and trying to look to the future while looking out for each other. Some are still seaching for detained family members. And others? Well, they've seen worse. "We're a little nervous, but we're here looking for work to survive," said Valencia, who was born in the Tepito neighborhood of Mexico City. "We need money to put food on the table and support our family." Some of the fiercest clashes between police and community members protesting ICE took place in the street outside the store on June 7, and National Guard troops remained stationed in the area two days later. Small pieces of debris still littered the streets and people remained on edge following reports of continued ICE detentions. A man rushed across the parking lot toward Valencia's group, calling "la migra, la migra," his alert turning heads as they looked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. While one man immediately turned and walked away, Valencia stayed put. "There's no money," Valencia said. "The money I make doesn't stretch. I just make enough money to eat." Nicaraguan immigrant Johandry Gabriel Obando, 38, said he fled unrest at home with the hope that the United States would provide a better life for his family. Now he worries they'll be deported, forcing them to start life all over for the second time. "It's tough," he said. Updates from Los Angeles: Newsom sues over Trump's National Guard deployment in LA; 700 Marines also being sent Different perspectives on recent events The ICE raids have sparked broad concern across Los Angeles, where 32% of its residents were born in another country. The city has long been home to immigrant communities from around the world, and many families have mixed status, with undocumented parents raising children born as American citizens. And while many residents and officials in Los Angeles have sought to tamp down reactions to the sometimes-violent protests, President Donald Trump and his administration have appeared to fan the flames, hurling insults in social media posts and encouraging an aggressive response to protests. Trump sent out an email June 9 to supporters asking for campaign donations to support his approach because things are "looking really bad in LA," he said in an email to supporters. Trump ICE raids, deportation efforts: See the backlash and the administration's impact Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom have continued their longtime feud, with the governor suing the federal government over Trump's decision to send in the National Guard, and Trump threatening to have Newsom arrested for interfering. Trump on June 9 deployed at least 500 U.S. Marines to back up the 4,000 National Guard troops. The president pledged in a social media post to "liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free." But to many residents of Los Angeles, there's no invasion, no "illegals" and no freedom to be restored – the city was doing just fine until ICE began detaining people, USA TODAY found in a series of interviews. Among those frustrated by the president's approach was 30-year LA resident Ira Long, 67, a retired teacher and pastor at the Alondra Church of Christ in Compton. Speaking while volunteers prepared to distribute oats, rice, tuna and canned tomatoes to community members, just as they do every Monday, Long said there's a palpable unease in the air. Long said he still remembers when the National Guard was called out in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King riots. This, he said, is far less significant. "That was a really really terrible time. Right now I don't feel any of that tension or anxiety," said Long, a retired special education teacher. "But people are uneasy and there's a real sense of loss because we have lost people (to federal immigration authorities) who were a part of this community." 'This wasn't the first time and it won't be the last' Among those struggling was longtime Compton resident Isabel Ramirez, who said she is "dying of sadness" after multiple family members were detained on June 7. Waiting in line in a folding chair at the Alondra Church of Christ, Ramirez said her family was visiting from San Jose, but had left her house to buy gardening tools when they were detained by ICE. "They took them away," Ramirez says. "They're all married and have children who were born in the U.S., but they don't have papers." Ramirez said she found out about the raids on TV and is anxiously awaiting word about her family's fate. "We don't know where they are. We don't know where they took them. We're just waiting, still," Ramirez said, tearing up. "Their poor kids, what's going to happen with them? What's going to happen? We're sad, we're praying to the Virgin Mary that this gets resolved. Wherever we go, we have our cellphones with us, just in case." Just down Alondra Boulevard, longtime donut shop owner Charlie Lim looked out at the handful of broken windows and widespread anti-ICE graffiti spraypainted on buildings and the street itself. On June 8, hundreds of community members clashed with authorities outside Lim's "Dale's Donuts," and small piles of debris still sat in the intersection. Nearby, a law enforcement remote-monitoring station lay tipped on its side, smashed and spraypainted. 'Unacceptable and inhumane': Latinas for Trump founder blasts immigration arrests "I've seen worse," said Lim, who has owned the shop for 33 years. He said he started just after the King riots, when the border between Compton and Paramount was far more dangerous every night. "They would rob you just for the fun of it," Lim said, recalling a time when drug dealers ran the streets. Today, he said, the city is far safer for businesses like his. "This wasn't the first time and it won't be the last time," he said, looking at the cracked window and spray paint. 'We take care of people' On June 9, community resident and retired teacher Jose "Bear" Gallegos, 61, kept watch on the deployed National Guard troops blocking the entrance to the Paramount Business Center, which Gallegos said is home to a small federal detention site. Protests broke out there when ICE agents tried to transfer detainees from that site to a larger facility in downtown Los Angeles, he said. Gallegos, who graduated from and later taught at the adjacent Manuel Dominguez High School, said the community was fine without ICE intruding. "They're the ones snatching people who look just like me into unmarked vehicles," said Gallegos, after showing off a carton of spent tear gas canisters he collected from the street. "They had a plan all along. They wanted a reaction from us." Gallegos said he felt compelled to join the protest and calm unrest among his former students, and said that while there were a small number of agitators who clearly wanted to battle with law enforcement, the vast majority simply wanted to stop ICE. "We don't have guns. All we have is prayers and feathers," he said. "And there are going to be some young people who are going to be mad, rightfully so. We love L.A. We take care of people. But you can't blame young people when they've had enough. And they've had enough." At the Home Depot, Valencia shifted in his plastic lawn chair and considered his options. He said he's resigned to being deported if ICE catches him, but finding work remained his top priority. Valencia and the group of men, whom he said are "like brothers," immigrated from Mexico and Nicaragua. Some arrived as recently as three years ago, although Valencia has been living in the United States for more than 30 years. Valencia said they have been unable to afford attorneys to help them become legal residents. "We're not criminals, we're not thieves," he said. "We're just looking for jobs."
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘That f***ed my hair up': Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stunned by flashbang in LA riots
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was caught up in the Los Angeles riots, with footage capturing the moment he was disoriented by loud flashbangs. Piker, who lives in LA and is known for posting YouTube videos under the moniker 'HasanAbi', was interrogated by border agents last month upon returning from overseas over his anti-Trump political views. On Monday, photos and footage of him attending the protests were shared on social media. 'They're firing into the crowd now. I don't think that's fireworks, buddy,' Piker is heard saying as he streamed from the scene. 'They're already deploying flashbangs. Not great. Look, what they're going to try and do is close down the other side of the road,' he said while standing in a throng of protestors on a highway underneath a bridge. 'I think they're going to push in from this side of the road. Oh ****, oh *****. That *f***ed my hair up,' he adds as loud bangs are heard. Piker continues to walk through the crowd, as the loud bangs continue and fans are seen approaching him to shake his hand and take selfies. The riots erupted on Friday after federal immigration officers arrested large groups of undocumented immigrants in areas of the city with large Latino populations. What began as a peaceful protest has since escalated with dozens of arrests and reports of looting. President Donald Trump responded to the riots by deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, followed by 700 marines on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed his decision, calling it 'reckless' and 'pointless,' claiming that only a few hundred of the original Guard troops have been deployed, despite the president's insistence that thousands are there. Newsom has said that California will sue the government for its deployment of the National Guard to quell the protests. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. 'He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC Sunday evening.
Newsweek
44 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Map and List of Anti-ICE Protests Nationwide Following LA Riots
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Protests against actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement erupted in several cities across the United States on Monday after clashes between protesters and authorities intensified in Los Angeles over the weekend. Demonstrators gathered in major cities including New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Tampa, San Francisco against ICE raids and in solidarity with the protesters in Los Angeles. Why It Matters The protests have highlighted ongoing divisions over U.S. immigration policy and its impact on communities across the country. Protests against ICE erupted in Los Angeles on Friday, as federal authorities arrested immigrants in several locations throughout the city. Tensions escalated Sunday as thousands took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard. Trump and other administration officials have seized on the images of burning cars, graffiti and Mexican flags to bolster their cause, while California sued the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops. Los Angeles Clashes escalated in Los Angeles over the weekend after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city, in areas including the Fashion District and a Home Depot parking lot. On Sunday, demonstrators blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Thousands peacefully attended a rally at City Hall on Monday, while hundreds protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held, The Associated Press reported. ICE denied these allegations, a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles." Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops into the city as well as 700 Marines, which California Governor Gavin Newsom has blasted as "reckless" and "disrespectful to our troops." Austin Demonstrators gathered at the Texas Capitol on Monday evening in solidarity with those protesting ICE actions in Los Angeles. Law enforcement used tear gas and pepper spray against protesters and at least two people were arrested, KXAN reported. People march through downtown during an "ICE Out of Austin" demonstration on June 09, 2025 in Austin, Texas. People march through downtown during an "ICE Out of Austin" demonstration on June 09, 2025 in Austin, Protesters gathered in Daley Plaza on Monday to demonstrate against ICE raids in Chicago and Los Angeles, ABC7 reported. On Monday evening, protesters also gathered outside the Chicago Police Department's headquarters, accusing the department of helping ICE with crowd control, which the department denies. Dallas Dozens of protesters gathered on Monday evening to protest the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to Fox4. The demonstration began on the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge before moving to the streets. Officers used pepper balls to disperse protesters and at least one person was arrested, said Fox News reporter Brooke Taylor on X. New York City At least 20 people were arrested after protesters occupied Trump Tower on Monday, demanding the return of migrants who were sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador. Rise and Resist, the group that organized the protest, said the demonstrators "went to Trump Tower to protest the illegal kidnappings and deportations of immigrants with due process. We are demanding the Trump regime halt these deportations and bring everyone home who was sent to CECOT." Video posted on social media showed police officers placing demonstrators in zip ties and escorting them from the building. Tampa Hundreds of people gathered outside Tampa City Hall on Monday to demand an end to ICE raids across the country. There were some heated moments between anti-ICE protesters and counter-protesters, but no violence was reported, according to Fox13. Other Cities There were also reports of anti-ICE demonstrations in Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans and other cities. More than 30 protests were planned for Monday across the country in support of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union of California (SEIU) after he was detained during a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles on Friday. He was released on Monday. What People Are Saying April Verrett, president of the SEIU, said in a statement on Monday: "We are relieved that David is free and reunited with his family and we are deeply grateful to the hundreds of elected officials, civil rights leaders, labor partners and allies from across the nation who stood in solidarity and demanded David's release. "But this struggle is about much more than just one man. Thousands of workers remain unjustly detained and separated from their families. At this very moment, immigrant communities are being terrorized by heavily militarized armed forces. The Trump regime calling in the National Guard is a dangerous escalation to target people who disagree with them. It is a threat to our democracy. The federal government should never be used as a weapon against people who disagree with them." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X late Monday: "Stop the raids. There is a real fear in Los Angeles right now. Parents, workers, grandparents, young people scared to go about their daily lives. We are a city of immigrants. Washington is attacking our people, our neighborhoods and our economy." California Governor Gavin Newsom said on X that the president "is trying to provoke chaos by sending 4,000 soldiers onto American soil. Foolish agitators who take advantage of Trump's chaos will be held accountable. Stay safe. Stay calm. Look out for one another." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated." What Happens Next Demonstrations against ICE actions are expected to continue in Los Angeles and other major cities in the coming days. Coordinated nationwide protests against Trump and his administration's policies are also planned to take place in cities in all 50 states on the president's birthday on June 14.
