4/7: Week 6 of the US-Israel and Iran War; President Trump threatens 'whole civilization will die tonight' ahead of Iran deadline
June 26, 2025 - Fireball/Meteor Falls From the Sky - At 12:25 p.m. EDT, a meteor (also called a bolide or fireball) entered Earth's atmosphere over Georgia—first spotted near Oxford, GA—and broke apart around 27 miles high over West Forest. NASA estimates it released the equivalent energy of ~20 tons of TNT, triggering a pressure wave that rattled windows and registered on satellites. A bolide, i.e., an exceptionally bright meteor that exploded in mid-air, explains both the visual spectacle and sonic boom. Data from NOAA's lightning mapper and Doppler radar supports widespread detection, and NASA continues investigating debris fragments and damage sites. Over 100 sighting reports poured into the American Meteor Society, with vivid sightings stretching across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and even Florida and Alabama. There was damage to one house (roof/ceiling/floor), no injuries; investigations ongoing.
January 10, 2025 - Trump vows to shed light on mystery drones when president - President-elect Donald Trump has committed to providing greater clarity regarding mystery drones that have hovered above New Jersey, once he returns to the White House.“I’m going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration because I think it’s ridiculous that they’re not telling you about what’s going on with the drones,” Trump said while taking questions from press amid a meeting of Republican governors at Mar-A-Lago on Thursday. Trump, who will be inaugurated as the 47th president on Jan. 20, criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the situation, specifically the lack of information made public. “They don’t want to talk about it, and nobody knows why,” he said. “I hope it’s not an enemy, but we’re going to find out on the 21st. “You have to give me a little time for the inauguration but shortly thereafter, we’ll give you a report on it. We’ll tell you exactly what it is they know, and it’s very strange that they aren’t talking about it.” The Pentagon has denied foreign entities are behind the drone activity, while the FBI said in December it had no answers on the subject. Drones have not been restricted to New Jersey, with recent sightings occurring in Minnesota and Virginia, per Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “We have had drone incursions over secure airspace,” Youngkin said. “And we still don’t know why. And I think that’s absolutely unacceptable.” Source
December 20, 2024 - Mystery Drone Sightings: New York Adds Dozens Of Drone Bans After New Jersey (Updated) - The Federal Aviation Administration continued its drone crackdown Friday, adding 29 cities across New York to the region’s temporary ban of unapproved drones for security concerns, as officials investigate reported drone sightings in the region amid public curiosity about the sightings. Source
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the “purely precautionary” bans on unapproved drones will affect 29 areas in New York for the next month, many of them “critical infrastructure sites”—adding the ban will work with the new “drone detection system” delivered to the state this week.
The FAA announced “temporary flight restrictions” Wednesday and Thursday, banning drone flying for unapproved aircraft in 23 New Jersey cities until Jan. 17, also expanding the FAA’s earlier restrictions over the Picatinny Arsenal and Bedminster.
The restrictions are for “special security reasons,” the FAA said, and an FAA notice says authorities can take measures to intercept and detain those in violation of the restrictions—including the ability to use “deadly force” on drones identified as threats, multiple outlets reported.
On Wednesday, Paul objected to a request to immediately push forward a bill from Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., that would give the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice the ability to surveil, track, control and destroy any drone identified as a threat — a bill that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tried to expedite by seeking unanimous consent on the Senate floor.
Paul said the government already has protections against drones over critical areas and called the act an intrusion of privacy; he pointed to the Biden Administration’s and federal agencies’ response to the reported drones, saying “there either is a problem or there isn't a problem” and that the Biden Administration should explain.
President Biden spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday at the White House about the reported drones, responding to a reporter with “they’re checking it all out,” but that it’s “nothing nefarious apparently” and poses “so far no sense of danger”—adding that “there are a lot of drones authorized up there,” and he thinks “one started it” and “everybody wanted to get in the deal.”
The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base spotted “small unmanned aerial systems” that “ranged in sizes and configurations” late Monday and early Tuesday morning, although the “airspace was not affected by the incursions,” a statement shared by Bob Purtiman, the base’s chief of public affairs, said—mere days after spotted drones closed the facilities for several hours.
In a joint statement, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, FAA and Defense Department said they examined the notable leads from the more than 5,000 reported drone sightings and determined “the sightings to date” are a “combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.”
The statement added that the agencies have not “identified anything anomalous” and the reported activity does not pose any national security or public safety risk over the airspace in New Jersey and other nearby states.
The agencies also urged Congress to enact counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) legislation when it reconvenes, saying such a law would “extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.”
President-elect Donald Trump, before declining to comment if he had received an intelligence briefing, told reporters Monday the drones aren’t “the enemy”—he claimed the president, the government and the military “know what is happening” but are keeping the public in “suspense.”
He also said he decided to “cancel” a trip to Bedminster, New Jersey, a region with reported drone activity that is home to one of Trump’s golf clubs.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News on Dec. 15, “there's no question that people are seeing drones,” though some of the recent sightings in New Jersey and other East Coast states might be manned aircraft or duplicate reports.
Mayorkas said officials have deployed extra resources to look into the sightings and will let the public know if there is reason for concern—“we are on it,” he said—but so far, there’s no indication of foreign involvement.
In a similar vein, an unnamed FBI official said in a White House briefing fewer than 100 of the agency’s 5,000 tips on drone sightings have been worthy of further investigation, and modeling shows many of the sightings have taken place in the flight paths of major airports, suggesting people could be mistaking planes for drones.
Still, the uptick in reported drone sightings has caused concern across several states, with social media users posting videos of lit objects hovering in the sky at night, and state officials asking the federal government for clarity.
The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base—a base just miles from Dayton, Ohio, that houses technology and research facilities—closed its air operations for nearly four hours from Friday night into Saturday because of “small unmanned aerial systems,” though the facility was not impacted, Purtiman told multiple local outlets.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Dec. 15 federal officials are sending a “drone detection system” to her state, but argued Congress should give the state “the power to deal directly with the drones”—an idea also backed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, while Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for Congress to give local police “more tools.”
Hochul previously said drone activity forced Stewart Airfield north of New York City to close its runways for about an hour the night of Dec. 13, adding: “This has gone too far.”
December 18, 2024 - Biden insists flying objects pose ‘no danger’ as FBI issues urgent firearm and laser warning - President Joe Biden insisted that there is “no sense of danger” surrounding the mysterious spate of drone sightings across the US. “Nothing nefarious apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday amid growing public demands for an explanation. “We’re following this closely, but so far no sense of danger.” The FBI also issued a warning to New Jersey residents, urging them not to shoot down or shine lasers at suspected drones flying overhead. The bureau, along with state police, noted an increase of pilots being hit in the eyes with lasers, after those on the ground have mistaken planes for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS’s). “There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS,” the agency added in a statement. Members of Congress were briefed on the potential origins of the drones in a classified House Intelligence Committee meeting on Tuesday by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder. Officials continue to brush off claims that the UAS’s are linked with anything more clandestine, with Ryder telling reporters: “Completely understand the concerns, completely will reinforce we’re taking it seriously.” Source
December 17, 2024 - More questions about mysterious drone sightings dominate Pentagon briefing - Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder fielded several questions Tuesday about the unexplained drones that have been spotted in several states along the East Coast in recent weeks. There's still no concrete explanation for the sightings. Source
December 16, 2024 - Drone/Unknown Aircraft Updates
Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the U.S. - A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey and have been spotted in recent days across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they are coming from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts, hoping for answers. Murphy posted on X Sunday night that he went out with state police officials in West Trenton, New Jersey, surveying the area for drones. “The public deserves clear answers — we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources,” he said. Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to be a threat to public safety, but many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly the unmanned aircraft. The FBI is among several agencies investigating and has asked residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the drones. Source
Mysterious drones shut down air base in Ohio - DAYTON, Ohio (WJW) – The Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Dayton was shut down for hours this weekend because of drone activity. People have been reporting these clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the night sky in several states, but very little information has been released about them. Now Wright-Patterson has been affected. Sunday the base confirmed its airspace was closed for four hours on Friday night and early Saturday because of small unmanned aerial systems being spotted in the vicinity. This shutdown meant that no airplanes were allowed in and out of the base. Wright-Patterson officials did not divulge the altitude at which the systems were flying, but they said they ranged in different shapes and sizes. The public affairs chief said something like this has never happened at the base before, but there appears to be no safety concern. “Installation leadership has determined none of the incursions impacted our base, our residents, our facilities or our assets,” said Wright-Patterson Public Affairs Chief Robert Purtiman. Drones, or suspected drones, have been flying over military installations recently, alarming people in several states, mostly New Jersey and New York. Officials have been reassuring people that military installations are able to detect and respond to drones and security personnel are trained to identify them. They say so far none have been aligned with a foreign actor or have malicious intent or pose a national security or public safety threat. There is growing bipartisan outrage that the federal government has not offered a clear explanation as to who is behind the confirmed drone sightings. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy the Robin Radar System to get to the bottom of this. “We’re asking The Department of Homeland Security to deploy special detection systems like the Robin, which use not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones,” said Senator Schumer. “We’re asking DHS to bring them to the New York and New Jersey area.” The sightings have caused concern in several states but many officials said the aerial objects are actually planes or helicopters. Police in Boston arrested two men after drones were spotted flying “dangerously close” to Logan International Airport. In Dayton, officials said they are taking measures to safeguard Wright-Patterson, including working with local authorities. Source
December 14, 2024 - Drone/Unknown Aircraft Updates
California Drones Spark Mystery About Owner - Drones have been spotted flying over Southern California, prompting questions about what the devices are doing and who they belong to. Last month, people in New Jersey began making multiple reports about mysterious drones spotted flying at night. Some drones are described to be about the size of a car, and some are seen with flashing lights. Since the New Jersey reports, drones have also been spotted in New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and California. "There are drones all over the sky in Temecula," one TikTok user posted with a video of the drones on Wednesday. The person who filmed the drones said he went to higher ground to see where they went, but the drones turned off their lights before descending. "There's so many. There's like 10," the user said. "And they're all over the city." Temecula is less than 30 miles from Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marine Corps military base in Oceanside, California. However, a spokesperson for Camp Pendleton told Newsweek that the military base wasn't responsible for the drones. "We are aware of reported drones flying in the local communities," the spokesperson said. "No military unmanned aerial systems (UAS) training or activity has occurred during the reported time or place of concern." Source
Texas Gulf Coast residents now spotting mysterious drones too - Dozens of mysterious aircraft were spotted flying over Texas' Gulf Coast for hours at a time over the past few nights. From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Cheryl Bowman in Crystal Beach told Chron she saw about 20 drones flying in from the Gulf of Mexico toward the Galveston Ship Channel and beyond. More drones appeared around 10 p.m. and remained in the area until midnight on Wednesday. "Three hovered near us lower, then slowly rose up above the clouds for more than three hours," Bowman said. "They seem to be fairly big because we see them so far out in the Gulf as they fly toward us on the Peninsula." Overnight, more were spotted near the High Island area of the Bolivar Peninsula then toward Rollover Pass. Bowman followed them by car to get a closer look. "It hovered near us for more than 3 hours lower then rose up above the clouds, but I could see them as the clouds passed over," she said. "With the naked eye, they are more clear. iPhone video doesn't do it justice." Bowman's neighbors also spotted the drones. She reported the sightings to the FBI tip line. Residents expressed concerns about the drones flying in Bowman's videos, one writing: "This is in very close proximity to the Port of Houston, Big Hill National Oil Reserve, Port of Beaumont, NASA, and the largest oil refinery in North America...This area probably has more national infrastructure than anywhere in the U.S." Source
Mysterious drones reported throughout parts of Maryland - Several people reported drone sightings throughout parts of Maryland this week. "We are about a mile away from the (Baltimore) city line," said Eileen DiPaula, whose husband, Mike, spotted a drone from their bedroom window Thursday night. "I thought this is a little too close to home because everything that we've been seeing has been in New Jersey. Nobody has any answers whatsoever, and I think we heard reports that some of these drones are as large as SUVs, so it's a little scary." Around 10 p.m. Thursday, the DiPaulas said they were able to see one drone floating over the TV Hill area from their Baltimore County home. "I just watched it, and it was stationary, but it kind of drifted left and right a little bit, and I was looking harder, and I could see, like, red and green lights," said Mike DiPaula. "Had it not been for the stories, I may have not even noticed it. But all of a sudden, I'm watching this light outside, and I'm like, 'That's not a star and that's not a plane.'" The DiPaulas were not the only ones to spot the glowing lights in the sky. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also took to social media to post a video of drones flying over his Davidsonville home around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. "I think it's quite weird and kind of creepy. You know, like, I'm not sure who's flying it and what they're doing," said Hammad Quddusi, a Baltimore resident. "If it's just somebody just being silly and flying a drone around, or is there somebody being followed and surveillance and whatnot?" "I'm not totally surprised if they're in (New) Jersey. I mean, why wouldn't they come to Baltimore?" said Wallace Pickworth, a Baltimore resident. "I'm a little concerned. I kind of wonder what's going on with them." Source
Mystery 'Orbs' Appear To Hover Over Minnesota Sky - Following recent reports of drones hovering over New York and New Jersey, mysterious glowing orbs have this week been seen moving in the skies above Minnesota. Video footage uploaded by Fox News on Wednesday shows two orbs floating in the sky, eventually moving around before disappearing. Eyewitness Deborah Wagner from Northfield, Minnesota, said in the video: "We started trying to follow them, but they won't be followed. They just, like, they disappear. Whenever anybody moves towards them, they'd back off." Later in the video, the orbs are shown hovering with lights blinking against the night sky. Graddy has recorded footage of the orbs on her cell phone, taken while out with her children. In the footage, her children can be heard saying: "It's really low. I'm gonna follow it! There's another one up there!" According to the report, Graddy took the video after she and her children spotted the flashing lights, which would move away once they spotted them. They started seeing the lights over the summer and now it is a nightly occurrence. Source
Unidentified drones spotted over US air base in Germany - Unidentified drones have been sighted over sensitive industry locations at the US air base at Ramstein in Germany in recent weeks, the Spiegel news magazine reported on Friday, citing a confidential report by German security authorities. The report flagged numerous drone sightings made in the evening hours of 3 and 4 December over the air base, according to Spiegel. A security source told Reuters the report on drone sightings over Ramstein was correct. The German defence ministry declined to comment on the report. German intelligence chiefs have warned that the country’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia makes it a target of possible sabotage attempts, with recent security incidents at military barracks raising alarm further. Spiegel also reported unexplained drone sightings over locations belonging to the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and the chemicals group BASF. “The safety of BASF sites is our top priority,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We therefore keep an eye on suspicious activities at all times and work closely with the relevant security authorities.” Source
December 12, 2024 - New Jersey drone cluster sightings prompt call for ‘state of emergency’ - The mysterious reported sightings of drone clusters in the night skies over New Jersey and other parts of the US north-east has prompted frustrated outbursts from Congress members, triggering calls for a limited state of emergency to be declared over the region. Jon Bramnick, a Republican state senator in New Jersey, has demanded a ban on all drones until the mystery is solved. ABC’s Action News reported that he called for a “limited state of emergency … until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings”. Concern about unexplained drone sightings began in mid-November as isolated postings by local residents on social media. The issue has steadily risen up the political food chain, bursting this week on to the stage of state and federal authorities. On Wednesday, the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, held a briefing call with the US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, as well as representatives in Congress and state police to discuss the drone reports. He emphasized there was “no known threat to the public at this time”. Robert Wheeler, an FBI official in charge of investigating the matter, confirmed to the hearing that the agency still had no explanation for the sightings. When asked whether the public was at risk, Wheeler replied: “Are we concerned there are nefarious intentions that could cause either an actual security or public safety incident? There’s nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the concerning part of it.” Source
December 6, 2024 - Possible drones in New Jersey spotted over critical infrastructure, police chief says - The mystery in the skies over New Jersey continues. One law enforcement official said flying objects were seen over critical infrastructure, while residents have reported seeing some hovering over their homes in the northern and central parts of the state. "Their presence appears nefarious in nature" The FBI is investigating the clusters of possible drones reported over the last few weeks. The bureau is still asking residents to send in pictures and videos. Anyone with information can call the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI, or submit online. Source
December 4, 2024 - FBI investigating large drones spotted in New Jersey - The FBI is investigating after large drones were spotted flying over central New Jersey over the last two weeks. The "cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft" have been recently sighted along the Raritan River, the FBI said. Larger than the typical drones used by hobbyists, the devices have raised questions due to their proximity to both a military installation and President-elect Donald Trump's Bedminster golf course, officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed drone flight restrictions while authorities investigate. Local police have said there is no known threat to public safety. "Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon would like to inform everyone that the recent drone activity observed by many in our communities is being actively investigated. There is no advisable immediate danger to the public at this time," the Morris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement."County and local law enforcement agencies are aware of the recurring reports of drone activity around Morris and Somerset counties, and acknowledge the public’s concern about these repeated sightings," they said. Source