This new headline is actually old news, but Ciaran McGrath's article reminds us that the former Senator's older remarks are returning in some mass media venues to haunt him. McGrath's accounts of historical UFO/military brushes also serve to keep that meme alive. David Spector assures us that we have something more recent as Barack Obama Says Aliens Are ‘Real, But I Haven’t Seen Them’ In Out-There New Interview. Spector cites additional, and "fresher," cases of UFO antics in the presence of service personnel and recording devices. Segue to George Knapp, where he expounds upon UFO Research: Scientists, Spies and Push for Disclosure. This KLAS 8 News Now examination chronicles facets of the Government's engagement with the Mystery from 2022 basically to the present with the major participants involved. And another tapped-in popular journalist covers additional areas of-the-moment that might intrigue the general public in Ross Coulthart Q&A: Airspace Shutdown and Contact on the Moon? There's also a subtext in these pieces from Jacques Vallée to Ross about what Disclosure might mean and if the public should be told the truth. (WM)

It's no surprise that for much of the past century the US and Canada performed psychological, behavioral and cognitive experiments, with or without subject approval, in an effort to retain military superiority. One such example of these experiments occurred within the atrocity of First Nations children in Canada being sent to residential schools for assimilation purposes. These children (technically wards of the state after being forcibly removed from their families) were then subjected to experiments with vaccines, antibiotics, nutrition, and later during the Second World War, psychic abilities. Chrissy Newton writes "a recently resurfaced 1943 study documents extrasensory perception (ESP) experiments that were performed on Indigenous children at a Canadian residential school. Since its rediscovery, the paper has become part of a broader historical reckoning over how scientific research intersected with assimilation policies and Cold War intelligence programs." (CM)

Here is globe-spanning proof that our conceptions of past human experience must be malleable. Michael Marshall shows how recent discoveries in northern Malta indicate it was populated 8500 years ago, and by hunter-gatherers, challenging our thinking "about the minds of early humans." Traditional archaeological understanding of ancient water travel comes partly from an inherent weakness in the data: "Boats don’t preserve well because they are normally made of materials like wood and hide, which rot." But even with the other meager evidence, now "it seems clear people were in Australia at least 50,000 years ago." And Marshall combines data with informed speculation about sea-crossings over a million years before our times! A long-standing controversy in this "peopling process" is when Europeans intruded into eastern North America; on this specifically, see Columbus Was Last: From 200,000 BC to 1492, A Heretical History of Who Was First by Patrick Huyghe and published by Anomalist Books. Once here, migration from Europe eventually met up with the influx from Asian shores. The Observer has a remarkable pair of articles about a form of monumental construction in the "more than 50 known shellworks located on the Atlantic coast between South Carolina and Florida," as old as 5,000 years. The Ringmakers (Part 1) introduces this fascinating subject and what "shellworks" may reveal about their makers' minds and beliefs. The Ringmakers (Part 2) is an ambitious effort to discern whether the monuments on South Carolina's Fig Island betray meaningful solar alignments—like those remarked at Stonehenge and other sites. Worth considering! (WM)

This is not your usual "Roswell" story, but one that quietly reminds us that there's a human side to the UFO conundrum. Albert Wain tells us about meeting two young airmen from Roswell while handling an inspection claim for damaged furniture in Buffalo, New York, in 2015. UFO Talker Michael Ryan returns with another UFO Mystery: A Woman From British Columbia Tells Us About Her Encounter With a Beam of Light That Engulfed Her and 2 Friends. Here a UFO shone a beam of light down on three youthful party-goers, leaving behind a later-in-life series of questions and confusion. Michael Ryan's Australian UFO and Paranormal Investigator Attila Kaldy Talks About 3 Girls That Are Hit By a Beam of Light From a UFO title story continues this light motif, again leaving questions. Kaldy gives us additional doses of creepy, including more super-strange light events. But the "Dark Truths" part of the podcast takes matters to one of the most extreme sorts of encounters. And lastly, a sad element to the human involvement is that one person who devoted six decades of his life to studying and helping others research UFO mysteries has passed. Charles Lear memorializes him in Francis Lee Ridge Remembered. Charles also links to further information on Fran's voluminous legacy. Fran was a pioneer in instrumented UFO study as well as witness reporting collection, and one of the good people in ufology. Those of us fortunate enough to have known him have lost a solid friend as well as colleague, and send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Carolyn and family. (WM)

A theatre in the former industrial town of Oldham in Lancashire, UK, is claimed to have a "long history of paranormal activity" and in support of that, a photo showing the semi-transparent image of a young boy outside the building has been posted on Facebook. Some think it may be "Tom," who in a 2004 TV show was said to have made his presence known to the presenters. Similarly, across the Pond, was a Ghost Photographed at Haunted Vermont Castle? A tourist at Wilson Castle allegedly found she had unknowingly snapped a picture of a woman, reflected in a mirror, wearing a 19th century dress identical to one which hangs on display. Was this "the infamous roaming lady in black" who is said to haunt the castle, or is it just photo-fakery? (LP)

If you're from an area not prone to these wondrous acts of nature, the first lenticular cloud you see will likely confound you. Read about what these remarkable phenomena are, where they're most likely to appear, and why humans often reported them as UFOs. Turning to "real" UFOs, News Nation takes a look at UAPs: Newly Surfaced Videos Show Objects Over Middle East. Nick Pope has pronounced these Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp-released items as being the "real deal," though when (and if) they're finally identified they're more likely (we hope our) human-made objects. Well, Tim Binnall goes further afield with foreign footage, as in an Odd Metallic Orb Filmed Over Colombian Village. Perhaps more interesting is the Flickering UFO Filmed by Confounded Witnesses in Argentina. Here we have named witnesses, coverage in a local newspaper, and reflections upon "life, the universe, and everything." And Tim has more apt adjectives in his verbal arsenal, for he reports on a Puzzling UFO Filmed over Turkish City. Adding to the enigma—but perhaps also assisting an explanation?—this object is an apparent "repeater." (WM)

Possibly hidden to some extent under a UFO "news umbrella," the "drone dilemma" continues in Europe. Franc Milburn effectively argues, as he did in his December article on the subject, that the November to December overflights of European military bases and infrastructure cannot be attributed to "NHI UFOs." So who/what's the culprit? Milburn has now authored and links to Russian Hybrid Operations Part One: UK Airbase Drones, Nov-Dec 2024, a very absorbing—and frightening—read. In line with the U.S. share of worldwide drone peril exposure, Tim McMillan notes that the Pentagon Expands Base Commanders’ Authority To Counter Rising Drone Threats Following Inspector General Warning. Tim refers to JIATF-401 Announces Updated Guidance to Counter Drone Threats in the Homeland. (Apparently now in effect as US Military Shot Down Party Balloon Near El Paso After Drone Suspicion, Official Says.) Tim explains the new Department of War position regarding expanded permitted domestic counter-drone actions by military base commanders. And Tim also provides the historical context to this needed reaction, while noting the drone threat is only increasing both in numbers of drones and in their capabilities. (WM)

Musanze District in Rwanda's northern province was recently the site of some religious fervor, after two children claimed to have seen the image of the Blessed Virgin holding the baby Jesus, first on a hydro pole and then later on a tree. Religious officials urged caution and discernment, perhaps because they wanted to be the only ones making miraculous claims. But if a miracle is best defined as an event that inspires faith, why does it matter who labels it? Pareidolia or miracle—does it really matter if the end result is hope? In another story related to Church officials making the rules, we have The Story of the Chronovisor, The Rumored Vatican Invention That Allows You To See the Past. Described as similar to a television screen rather than a time machine, the chronovisor purportedly provided glimpses into the past and was allegedly invented by a Vatican priest. Its existence to date is considered unproven, but its rumored to be well hidden at the Vatican to keep the device safe from nefarious intentions. Add to that the Vatican threat in 1988 that anyone using such a device would be excommunicated and we have another example of the Church keeping all declarations of miracles for itself. (CM)

Greg Taylor sets the context with clips of Steven Spielberg discussing his own fascination with Things Unexplainable. Then Greg and Miguel "Red Pill Junkie" Romero speculate interestingly upon what will happen in Spielberg's new Disclosure Day movie. David Freeman maintains The Public Is Ready for Extraterrestrial Life. The Gatekeepers Are the Ones Who Are Not. Freeman's treatise is wholly logical, though it's mostly framed about confirmation of microbial biology and accounts mostly for an educated public. Now that humans are historically conditioned to wars, somewhat (lately) to plagues, can they deal with, in Freeman's words, "a historical event that changes the framework of human understanding"? Not merely microbes (visions of The Andromeda Strain), but a potential "War of the Worlds" with powers beyond human conventional thinking? Perhaps Martin Willis' conversation with U.S. Air Force Colonel (Ret.) Fred Claussen will help, at least regarding understanding "The Gatekeepers" and to what lengths they'll go to keep secrets. In this remarkable interview Fred marvels at how quickly the USAF responded for the Varginha, Brazil, "crash cleanup"—as well as the lasting emotional effects that series of events had upon the witnesses and his own harrowing UFO experience. Fred thinks we indeed may have "D/disclosure," Big D or little d, whenever Varginha's "missing footage" is freed. Maybe the New UFO Course Offered at Montana College will help prepare some of us. Yep, it's "Extratempestrial Model" Montana Tech's Dr. Michael Masters at work! (WM)

In this short piece yet another former American soldier relates a harrowing anomalous experience in arguably one of the most dangerous locations in the world. There's the usual wide range of reactions to his story, with some are questioning the correctness of the man's recall of the military site location. This and other former service people are coming forward with stories like those of Robert Salas in 1967, whom Jesse Michels just interviewed (see Air Force Officer: "A UFO Was Hovering as the Missiles Failed!"). Popular outlets are picking up on military encounter stories from social networks, such as Former Submariner Claims Navy Tracked 'Terrifying' Fast-Moving UFOs In Secret Logbooks. And British filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee's Donald Trump's UFO Bombshell Speech 'Ready To Go' As Insiders Say It's Matter Of Urgency is continuing its rounds. Is there "fire" causing the "smoke," "signal" within the "noise?" Given the potential consequences behind these potentially-literally-explosive encounters and claims, this becomes more than merely a rhetorical question. (WM)

Parapsychologist Dean Radin shares his own spoon bending experience. Radin theorizes that not only do we not know how far reaching our psi abilities may be, but also that humans in general would be very dangerous if we ever really mastered those abilities. Which brings us to Jeffrey Kripal & Dean Radin: Psychic Reality, Magic & the Coming Paradigm Shift, in the Liminal News podcast. In this episode the discussion is centered around whether psychic phenomena are real and if science is ready to accept a new paradigm.  Dean describes how educational institutions are "suddenly opening their doors to rigorous studies of psychic phenomena." Jeff explains that these phenomena challenge "both rigid materialism and religious fundamentalism." The two argue that a more integrated way of approaching both is required as we move forward. (CM)

Ellsworth Toohey tells the not-so-funny story of the Tanganyika laughter epidemic. It began with three girls at a boarding school who couldn't stop laughing and within weeks two-thirds of the students at the school were incapacitated by fits of laughter that lasted hours or even days. The school closed but the laughter spread, hitting 14 schools and affecting more than a thousand people over 18 months. "The epidemic wasn't contagious laughter per se," writes Toohey, "it was contagious anxiety [during social upheaval] finding an outlet." This is one of hundreds of tales of mass psychogenic illness detailed in the book Outbreak! The Encyclopedia of Extraordinary Social Behavior by Hilary Evans & Robert E. Bartholomew, published by Anomalist Books. By the way, co-author Bartholomew has argued that mass psychogenic illness is also responsible for the "Havana Syndrome," though Michael Beck has argued otherwise. Michael Beck, 65, Dies; First to Report Symptoms of ‘Havana Syndrome’. Beck was an NSA employee who claimed to have been exposed to a direct-energy device while overseas that led to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease at the age of 45. (PH)

This eye-catching headline indicates Representative Eric Burlison may be gaining some Executive Branch cooperation in his quest to find exotic UFO-related materials. Alec Fernandes has the story, naming sites to be explored. (FYI, "AUTEC" refers to the Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, located on the east central side of Andros Island.) Be that as it may, the UFO Secrets situation just got crazier, as Cristina Gomez says No One Saw This Coming. Danny Sheehan has named names, described mind-boggling NHI bioengineering, and invoked Collins Elite involvement in factional warfare regarding UFO Disclosure. For more on that frightening possibility, see Nick Redfern's Final Events and the Secret Government Group on Demonic UFOs and the Afterlife, from Anomalist Books. And Meredith at Maze to Metanoia covers the history of humankind's grappling with understanding the "Other" behind the UFO/UAP-Human relationship in The Pentagon Calls Them Demons. The Ancient Greeks Called Them Daimons. Both Might Be Right. Meredith argues that the Ancient Greek conception as argued by the 2nd-century CE Roman philosopher Apuleius is closest to the best approach moderns should take to this historical and vexed relationship. But, as there's "something genuinely other, something that operates partially outside our consensus reality, something that has always been here but that we keep renaming and misunderstanding," says Meredith, we need to thoughtfully combine what we've learned throughout the past into our current cultural context. (WM)

Lon Strickler examines the multitude of Bigfoot sighting data that clearly indicates the US government knows more about the cryptid than it's letting on. Much more. Bodies have been recovered, largely from forest fire situations, and have been closely guarded. Military helicopters have circled areas at night, looking for something that only their operators know about. National forest staff have seen more than we can imagine. And yet authorities still "play dumb." Or so Lon concludes. Meet the Bigfoot Hunters of the Hudson Valley — Who Claim The Beast Is in Our Midst. This group has a very sensible approach to Sasquatch. They assume there is no specific danger unless its predator instincts are triggered (aka Don't Run and don't try to provoke a response). There are dangers associated with making Bigfoot dependent on humans for food (just as with any wild creature). And evidence is everywhere if you know where to look. The key is to accept that Bigfoot are here to stay and we can live peacefully with them, according to the Bigfoot Researchers of the Hudson Valley. (CM)

Reporter Stacy Liberatore begins our journey from the distant Past towards the Present describing a novel theory based upon a fairly standard architectural form claimed to convey philosophical symbolism and proving a common, very ancient origin for that practice in world building practices. Tim McMillan is perhaps on firmer ground in allowing that a 14,000-Year-Old Alaskan Site Could Rewrite The Story of How Humans Reached the Americas. Noting findings of a new collaborative study by Adelphi University and University of Alaska Fairbanks, Tim explains what excavations do and do not necessarily mean for our understanding of the peopling of North America. Here Tim references some of the "Clovis First" controversy as previously covered by his The Debrief colleague Micah Hanks, who coincidentally now reports that a 12,000-Year-Old Discovery in an Oregon Cave Reveals First Evidence of a “Complex” Ancient American Technology. Here a University of Nevada and University of Oregon-led international partnership discovered evidence for prehistoric sewing. Both The Debrief article authors include links to the scholarly works whose findings they summarize. And James Fester takes us much closer to yet still distant from our times by answering the question What Makes Cahokia One of North America’s Greatest Ancient Sites? A nicely-illustrated, clear representation of the likely drivers behind the "rise and fall" of this great pre-Columbian city. (WM)

What is it about mounds, monuments, and mysteries often being mixed up with ETs and UFOs? Mount Shasta in the US and Mexico's Popocatépetl seem to be, literally, UFO "hot spots." Cambodian Angkor Thom's Baphuon Pyramid carvings depict "Figures appear that do not match human anatomy," says Praveen Mohan, going on to conjecture about races of giants both humanoid and "hell-piggish." It's at the very least a rather fun and educational tour of this ill-known ancient site, and thanks to Rich Reynolds for this reference. Even former F-16 pilot Chris Lehto is asking What's Under Mt Nemrut? Ancient Tomb or Alien Spacecraft? Says Chris, "one of archaeology's greatest unsolved mysteries might also be connected to one of the most credible UFO cases in modern history," and goes on to relate that a contactee "claims beings told him an ancient spacecraft lies beneath" the artificial Turkish mountain built to honor (and perhaps entomb) an ancient king. This gets "punched-up" by UFO camera footage from the contactee. Moving on, Cristina Gomez reveals a Major Development in Revealing Crashed UFO. Congressman Eric Burlison has picked up on a claim by Ross Coulthart and others about "a massive UFO that is too large to extract or move, allegedly hidden inside a mountain in South Korea." Gomez has more details on that score, too. (WM)

Scientists at Northwestern University have been investigating how to utilize REM sleep to help our brains problem-solve. Ultimately, this "dream engineering" could have applications in maintaining human health and well-being. Dreams as part of a creative problem solving process may finally get the attention they deserve. That brings us to Where Was It Before the Dream? Time Loops and Interpretation, by Eric Wargo examines "the creative moments that spawned" great literary works, and the "unexpected future lives" of the authors.  The book describes the initial telling or writing down of an idea (a dream, if you will) as the setting of the first domino in a series. Wargo describes these moments of creativity as a type of precognition, and makes one wonder at the "serendipitous nature of experience," regardless of where the reader stands on psi, says the reviewer, Richard Reichbart, who "very much" recommends this book. (CM)

A journalistic coup thirty years ago is making news today, as George Knapp is publishing Soviet UFO-related documents he spirited out of Russia in the brief period of warming relations with the U.S. after the fall of the Soviet Union. This interview tells how George got hold of the stuff and that now, after his giving materials to Congress, he's going to publish them through 8 News Now and his Mystery Wire podcast. But commenters haven't apparently seen them yet. Shane Galvin of the New York Post seemingly saw some, writing UFO Intel Documents Stolen Out of Russia Reveal Decade-Long Probes Into Alien Encounters, Abductions. Galvin gives names and dates for four different USSR/Russian UFO studies, and has a spooky picture and the story of a "Jellyfish" UFO from 1989, plus two close encounters accounts. Jason Colavito isn't impressed, reporting the Pentagon Calls George Knapp's Russian UFO Files "Disinformation." Colavito calls the Galvin article "glowing," says it contradicts what Galvin's colleague Steven Greenstreet told him, and has a link to the 70-page "Thread 3" document, likely the best-known of the studies Galvin mentioned and which was covered in the Weaponized podcast Russia vs. USA - The Race to Crack UFO Technology we discussed previously. Probably the other available document features the 1982 incident in which a "Russian nuclear missile base in what is now Ukraine" found its launch control system activated in the presence of UFOs, available at Russian UFO Files Reveal Chilling Encounters, Near-Miss Nuclear Launch, reviewed in January. (WM)