Latest news with #VeteransonPatrol
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Far-right extremist group threatens to take weather radars offline
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City news station's weather radar was attacked not long after a far-right extremist group threatened to take 'as many NexRads offline as possible.' 'It started with the chemtrails, and then it moved into Hurricane Helene,' said Southern Poverty Law Center senior research analyst Rachel Goldwasser. Goldwasser and her colleagues have been monitoring the far-right group known as 'Veterans on Patrol.' She said their threats to take weather radars offline are relatively new. Oklahoma City Police could not confirm yet that the attack on the local news station's radar and the group's threat are connected. However, the group made similar threats around the time Hurricane Helene went through South Carolina. 'We intend to take as many NexRads offline as possible once our attack simulations have prepared us,' posted the group's leader, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer. 'He has now moved to Oklahoma,' said Goldwasser. Meyer has been arrested several times and has been outspoken often in the past on issues that have turned out to be conspiracy theories. 'He's become very vehemently against the military and its members, and I do think that could pose a danger in the future as well,' said Goldwasser. Sebastian Torres, who works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has worked with weather radars for decades, was asked if weather radars could be used as weather weapons. 'Yeah, that's impossible,' he said. 'Our goal is to provide the best information that we can to our forecasters so that they can make the best interpretation of that data. And issue timely warnings to save lives and property,' Torres said. 'You don't see it. There's nothing that can be done to change things (weather).' 'They shouldn't believe it,' Robert Palmer, dean of Oklahoma University's College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, said of the conspiracy theories. When asked what people should do when they hear about the existence of a conspiracy like 'weather weapons,' Palmer, who is also the director of the National Weather Center, said, 'Maybe they talk to their friends and tell them, you know, why it doesn't make any sense. I mean, a weather radar is a system just to protect lives and property. That's the only goal.' This conspiracy follows the devastating and deadly flooding in Texas as well. Goldwasser said that combined with the ideas that Veterans on Patrol pushes out, it more than likely inspired others to either believe or act on them. Law Enforcement said they are aware of the group and the threats made on social media. Oklahoma City Police, as of Wednesday afternoon, said they hadn't made an arrest directly connected to the radar attack in the metro. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Newsweek
Anti-Government Militia Targets Weather Radars: What To Know
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. An "anti-government militia" called Veterans on Patrol has declared that it is targeting weather radar installations in Oklahoma. In an interview with News 9 on Tuesday, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer, the founder of VOP, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as an anti-government militia, confirmed the group's intentions. When asked whether they were targeting the radars, Meyer replied, "Absolutely." Newsweek contacted the SPLC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for comment on Friday via an online form and email, respectively, outside usual working hours. Why It Matters Following widespread floods that have devastated Texas in the past week, a number of conspiracy theories have swirled online around cloud seeding and weather manipulation. Founded in 2015, Veterans on Patrol initially focused on vigilante activities along the U.S.-Mexico border but has since shifted toward conspiracy-driven campaigns, including those involving weather manipulation. The group's rhetoric has grown more extreme in recent months, raising concerns among public safety officials. A radar during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's media day about a field campaign to study southeast U.S. tornadoes in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 8, 2023. A radar during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's media day about a field campaign to study southeast U.S. tornadoes in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 8, 2023. Seth Herald/ AFP/ Getty/Getty Images What To Know Meyer's recent admission follows the vandalism of News 9's radar system in northeast Oklahoma City. Surveillance footage captured an individual tampering with electrical components, disabling power to the radar, damaging the generator and control panels, and knocking the system offline for several hours on Sunday. CBS affiliate KWTV reported having footage of a man disabling the power supply to its NextGen Live radar. The station suggested the incident may be connected to rhetoric from VOP. Police arrested Anthony Tyler Mitchell, 39, in connection with the incident on suspicion of felony malicious injury to property, burglary and damaging critical infrastructure, NBC News reported, citing Oklahoma City Police. Investigators have not confirmed whether he is affiliated with VOP. NOAA previously warned of escalating threats to the Next Generation Weather Radar network, a nationwide system of more than 160 radars used to monitor severe weather. In Oklahoma, where tornadoes and extreme storms are frequent, damage to these systems could have deadly consequences. VOP has said weather radars are being used for sinister purposes. Meyer alleged that the radars, along with other technologies embedded in homes, were part of a larger weather control and individual targeting program. The group said it had placed warning signs near radar sites in protest. Though NOAA has debunked various weather modification claims, lawmakers in several states have moved to ban weather modification. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, announced on July 5 that she was introducing a bill to tackle the "dangerous and deadly practice of weather modification." She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that she was creating legislation to make "the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity" a felony. Newsweek contacted Greene for comment via email on Friday. What People Are Saying News 9's Chief Meteorologist David Payne refuted Meyer's claims, saying: "We have one of the most powerful live radars in Oklahoma, and one of the most powerful live radars in the country, but we cannot do any weather modification at all." He added that if the equipment is sabotaged, "we cannot track severe weather. We cannot track tornadoes, and it basically becomes instantly obsolete." The Oklahoma Department of Public Services told News 9: "Fusion centers play a crucial role in monitoring and mitigating threats to critical infrastructure by serving as focal points for information sharing and analysis. OCTIC (Oklahoma Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center) actively monitors all threats to critical infrastructure in Oklahoma. If you see suspicious activity near critical infrastructures, it's important to report it via the free ProtectOk app. If you witness vandalism taking place, call 911 immediately." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told NBC News: "NOAA is aware of recent threats against weather radar sites and is working with local and other authorities in monitoring the situation closely." What Happens Next In an interview with NBC News on Thursday, Meyer denied giving any directions to attack weather equipment. However, he suggested that VOP was planning further action and said they were capable of targeting up to 15 radar sites simultaneously across Oklahoma.
The Hill
10-07-2025
- Climate
- The Hill
Far-right extremist group threatens to take weather radars offline
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City news station's weather radar was attacked not long after a far-right extremist group threatened to take 'as many NexRads offline as possible.' 'It started with the chemtrails, and then it moved into Hurricane Helene,' said Southern Poverty Law Center senior research analyst Rachel Goldwasser. Goldwasser and her colleagues have been monitoring the far-right group known as 'Veterans on Patrol.' She said their threats to take weather radars offline are relatively new. Oklahoma City Police could not confirm yet that the attack on the local news station's radar and the group's threat are connected. However, the group made similar threats around the time Hurricane Helene went through South Carolina. 'We intend to take as many NexRads offline as possible once our attack simulations have prepared us,' posted the group's leader, Michael Lewis Arthur Meyer. 'He has now moved to Oklahoma,' said Goldwasser. Meyer has been arrested several times and has been outspoken often in the past on issues that have turned out to be conspiracy theories. 'He's become very vehemently against the military and its members, and I do think that could pose a danger in the future as well,' said Goldwasser. Sebastian Torres, who works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and has worked with weather radars for decades, was asked if weather radars could be used as weather weapons. 'Yeah, that's impossible,' he said. 'Our goal is to provide the best information that we can to our forecasters so that they can make the best interpretation of that data. And issue timely warnings to save lives and property,' Torres said. 'You don't see it. There's nothing that can be done to change things (weather).' 'They shouldn't believe it,' Robert Palmer, dean of Oklahoma University's College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, said of the conspiracy theories. When asked what people should do when they hear about the existence of a conspiracy like 'weather weapons,' Palmer, who is also the director of the National Weather Center, said, 'Maybe they talk to their friends and tell them, you know, why it doesn't make any sense. I mean, a weather radar is a system just to protect lives and property. That's the only goal.' This conspiracy follows the devastating and deadly flooding in Texas as well. Goldwasser said that combined with the ideas that Veterans on Patrol pushes out, it more than likely inspired others to either believe or act on them. Law Enforcement said they are aware of the group and the threats made on social media. Oklahoma City Police, as of Wednesday afternoon, said they hadn't made an arrest directly connected to the radar attack in the metro.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Anti-government group threatens key US weather radar sites
CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Officials from the National Weather Service are on alert after an anti-government group publicly made threats against radar installations across the country. Known as NEXRAD sites, or Next Generation Weather Radar, they are essential tools for meteorologists to monitor and forecast severe weather. Extremist group Veterans on Patrol claims NEXRAD installations contain military-operated 'weather weapons' that are 'poisoning the skies.' The group has not detailed how it intends to target the sites, but its founder, Michael 'Lewis Arthur' Meyer, publicly posted a response to the Washington Post on the messaging app Telegram. FAA, Duffy face grilling over safety, delays at major US airports Meyer said the group plans to 'take as many NexRads offline as possible.' He added that he has 'full authority' to do so. In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the NWS, issued an internal warning advising employees to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. 'NOAA is aware of recent threats against NEXRAD weather radar sites and is working with other authorities in monitoring the situation closely,' a spokesperson told NewsNation. The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified Veterans on Patrol as an anti-government militia. The group has claimed it is watching radar sites in several states and is allegedly exploring ways to disable the equipment. These developments come at a challenging time for the National Weather Service, which has been operating under severe staffing shortages. Roughly one-third of its positions remain unfilled following a wave of layoffs initiated by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Engadget
07-05-2025
- Engadget
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.
