A #militarized conspiracy theorist group believes radars are ‘weather weapons’ and is trying to destroy them.

U.S. National Weather Service offices around the country are on guard after recent threats to agency infrastructure — specifically Doppler weather radars — from a violent militia-style group, emails from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s security office show.

The group Veterans on Patrol, which the Southern Poverty Law Center defines as an anti-government militia organization, views the NWS’ network of Doppler radars as “weather weapons,” according to an internal #NOAA email sent Monday and seen by CNN.

A previous email informing the NWS workforce of general, non-specific threats was sent May 1. Monday’s email was more action-oriented, with the NOAA security office noting they are aware of “several encounters,” physically or virtually, with Veterans on Patrol.

“This group is advocating for anyone and everyone to join them in conducting penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses which can be used to ultimately destroy the sites,” the email stated, using an acronym for the weather radar network.

“The group referred to the NEXRAD system towers as ‘weather weapons,’ and claimed there were no laws preventing American citizens from destroying the ‘weapons,’” the email states.

It’s unclear what the group believes the radars are doing. The NEXRAD, or “next generation radar,” network has been in place since the 1990s and detects precipitation in the atmosphere. It can also help pinpoint tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, prompting timely, life-saving warnings. The system is also used by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force.

Among other actions, NOAA’s security office advises that the NWS implement a buddy system when working at remote sites and be alert for suspicious activity.

“Do not engage with anyone suspicious; instead, notify local law enforcement,” Monday’s email states.

The NOAA emails indicate the FBI and other law enforcement authorities are aware of the militia-style group’s activities and are tracking them, and have issued bulletins about the NEXRAD threat. CNN could not independently confirm the FBI’s involvement.

The security threat comes at a time of turmoil for the NWS, with many offices short-staffed due to hundreds of Trump administration layoffs and early retirements.

“Nobody likes federal employees being demeaned by the administration, but when it escalates to violence or threats of it, it starts to become really demoralizing,” said one NWS employee who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

“We obviously deal with some fringe folks every now and then (chemtrails mostly), but specific threats to target facilities is pretty rare,” the NWS staff member said. “Given the general temperature of the country right now, this is stuff is especially concerning.”

Now would be a particularly inauspicious time for NWS radars to fail, whether due to mechanical issues or deliberate acts, since the agency has more than 90 vacancies for the technicians that normally repair them. That number is unlikely to change soon, since a hiring freeze is in place at the agency.

U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth to slash senior-most ranks of #military

"While in #Gabon for the inauguration of President Brice Oligui Nguema, I was also pleased to meet with the heads of state of #Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, and the prime minister of Egypt." U.S. Senior Advisor for #Africa

Who is George Simion, a nationalist who topped polls in Romania’s presidential redo?

George Simion, a nationalist and vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, won Romania’s first-round presidential election redo by a landslide after capitalizing on widespread anti-establishment sentiment.

The 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, will face a pro-western reformist in a May 18 runoff that could reshape the European Union and NATO member country’s geopolitical direction.

Romania’s political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first round. The decision followed allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.

“For 35 years, the Romanian people lived the lie that we are a democratic country,” Simion, who came fourth in last year’s race and later backed Georgescu, told The Associated Press last week. “And now the people are awakening.”
Who is George Simion?

Born in 1986 in Romania’s eastern city of Focsani, Simion took a bachelor’s degree in business and administration in Bucharest, and later a master’s degree at a university in the northeastern city of Iasi researching communist-era crimes. He also became involved in soccer ultra groups.

He took part in civic activism, including joining a protest movement against a controversial gold mining project by a Canadian company in a mountainous western region of Romania that contains some of Europe’s largest gold deposits. He also campaigned for reunification with neighboring Moldova.

In 2019, Simion founded the AUR party, which rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election by proclaiming to stand for “family, nation, faith, and freedom,” and has since doubled its support to become Romania’s second largest party in the legislature.

He supports Trump, and he told AP last week that the AUR party is “perfectly aligned with the MAGA movement.”

The party opposes same-sex marriage and has close ties to the Romanian Orthodox Church.
What does the MAGA-style populist stand for?

Simion’s political platform has been built on a fiercely anti-establishment agenda and populist rhetoric. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his party staged multiple protests against vaccination and lockdowns, capitalizing on a widespread distrust of the authorities.

He labelled the canceled election last year a “coup d’etat,” and adopted stronger populist rhetoric and religious messaging to tap into Georgescu’s electorate. He has branded Romania’s current political system as a “hybrid regime” that failed to deliver democracy after the 1989 revolution toppled communism.

“They voted for the change, and they were not allowed to make this change,” he told the AP. “This is why I’m running again as a duty towards democracy, towards the constitutional order, to restore the rule of law, to restore the will of the Romanian people.”

A Simion presidency would pose unique foreign policy conundrums. He is banned from entering two neighboring countries, Moldova and Ukraine, over security concerns. “It is in their interest to have good relations with us,” he said.

In March, Simion also sparked controversy after remarking during a protest that those responsible for barring Georgescu’s second bid for presidency should be “skinned in a public square,” prompting prosecutors to launch a criminal probe for inciting violence. He denied the accusation saying it was a political metaphor.
What are his stances on the EU and NATO?

Observers have long viewed him of being pro-Russian and warn that his presidency would undermine both Brussels and NATO as the war rages on in Ukraine. He refuted the accusations as a “smear campaign” by leftists and said Russia has been the “main threat” to Romania in the last 200 years and remains so today.

“This is why we need a strong #NATO and we need troops on the ground in Romania, in Poland and in the Baltic states,” he said, although he was against sending further military aid to Ukraine.

“The danger is not who will be the next president of Romania but … those who want to create a distance and to form two different opposing geopolitical blocs" between the European Union and the U.S., he said.

On the EU, Simion said, “We want more power to the 27 states, not toward the European institutions,” and that he is “totally aligned” with the position of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was the only EU head of government to attend Trump’s inauguration in January.
What do his critics say?

Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, said Monday that a Simion presidency would be “bad news” for Romania and Europe, and accused the AUR leader of having ”disdain for democratic processes.”

“George Simion is not a conservative politician. He is an anti-European extremist. His election would endanger Romania, threaten European stability, and serve as a strategic victory for Russia,” he said. “He offers no viable solutions to Romania’s challenges.”

For Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, accusations that Simion is extremist or pro-Russian are overblown. He says a Simion presidency could look similar to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long been a thorn in the side of Brussels.

“My main criticism has to do first with his values. He’s a strong opponent of any sort of what people are considering to be identity politics, so he’s going to push back very hard on LGBT issues and gender issues,” Tufis told AP.

He added that Simion lacks a strong team to deal with major crises. “When it comes to dealing with geopolitical crisis, they are completely unauthorly unprepared,” he said.

Article written by Stephen Mcgrath, The Associated Press

Former U.S. Vice President Pence defends Constitution after getting Profile in Courage Award

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was ordering new tariffs on all films made outside the United States, claiming Hollywood was being "devastated" by a trend of US filmmakers and studios working abroad.

Immortal Regiment procession held in Washington D.C. Participants walked from the White House to the World War II memorial on the central boulevard of the US capital

Fighters from the Akhmat Special Forces have thwarted a Ukrainian incursion into the bordering Russian region of #Kursk in a joint operation with Russian assault teams, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in a Telegram post.

"The Kashtan group of the Akhmat Special Forces, a unit of the Russian Defense Ministry, in coordination with assault teams from the 2nd Special Forces Brigade and 15th Tank Regiment have prevented Ukrainian gunmen from penetrating into the Kursk Region," Kadyrov’s post reads.

The coordinates of enemy troops were obtained using drones, and shared with Russian tank crews, the Chechen leader specified. "The enemy group was wiped out by high-precision strikes," he added.

Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope ahead of the papal conclave.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope as the mourning of Pope Francis continues and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin. Trump’s action drew rebukes from a group representing Catholic bishops in New York and among Italians.

The image, shared Friday night on Trump’s Truth Social site and later reposted by the White House on its official X account, raised eyebrows on social media and at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning following Francis’ death on April 21. Catholic cardinals have been celebrating daily Masses in his memory and are due to open the conclave to elect his successor on Wednesday.

The death of a pope and election of another is a matter of utmost solemnity for Catholics, for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth. That is all the more true in Italy, where the papacy is held in high esteem even by nonreligious Italians.

The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Saturday. Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive, given that the period of official mourning is still underway.

Anthony Albanese secured a historic second term as Australia's Prime Minister, becoming the first leader in two decades to achieve consecutive terms.