Government

UFOs are back in the spotlight

A former Air Force intelligence officer testified to Congress on Wednesday that the government is hiding a program that retrieves and reverse engineers unidentified flying objects.

Driving the news: David Grusch said during the House Oversight Committee hearing that he was asked in 2019 to identify all highly classified programs relating to UAPs - or unidentified aerial phenomena - which is the official government term for UFOs.

• “I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access,” he said.

• A Pentagon spokesperson denied Grusch’s claims, saying there isn’t any information to prove that any programs dedicated to holding and studying extraterrestrial materials have existed in the past, or operate in the present.

Why it matters: The hearing underlines a popular pain point across the world, citizens want more transparency from their governments.

Zoom in: Two former Navy pilots, Ryan Graves and David Fravor, testified during the hearing and said that unidentified aerial phenomena or UAPs - the government word for UFOs - are common in our airspace but grossly unreported.

• The pilots also detailed their experience with UFOs explaining that the movements taken by the observed craft would be impossible with current technological limitations and that humans would not be able to survive the acceleration that occurred.

• They added that they would not have been able to defend themselves or their crew if the crafts attacked.

• Last week at a White House briefing, retired Navy admiral John Kirby said, “our pilots are seeing something, and it’s had an effect on some of our training operations. We want to get to the bottom of it and understand it better.”

Bottom line: If the government is withholding information about UFOs, it appears more concerned about keeping its secrets than with the safety concerns of those who have witnessed the phenomena.

Quick Bites

Business & Economy

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Wednesday (S&P -0.02%, Nasdaq -0.12%, Dow +0.23%).

Coke has been raising the prices of its drinks to offset higher costs. But the company said it’s done hiking prices this year in the U.S. and Europe.

The Fed approved a rate hike on Wednesday that moves interest rates to their highest level in more than 22 years. Economists say the Fed will likely give the economy time to absorb the impact of past hikes and could potentially end its “rate hike campaigns.”

World

Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the palace Wednesday in what regional officials say is the beginning of an attempted coup to overthrow the democratically elected leader.

An independent multinational report said that Mexican authorities collaborated to make 43 students disappear from a rural teaching college in 2014.

Volunteers are working tirelessly to save 100 beached whales in Australia, 50 of which have already died.

US News, Politics, & Government

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges on Wednesday after a plea deal he struck with the government fell through. The deal would have allowed the president’s son to avoid prison time, but now the case is on hold while both sides submit new materials for the judge to review.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was escorted away from a press conference after freezing and standing silently for 30 seconds. He returned later and told reporters he’s “fine” and can do his job.

A crane in NYC inured 11 people after it caught on fire and collapsed. The machine, and a 16-ton load, crashed into multiple buildings before falling to the street.

Sports & Entertainment

Irish singer and activist Sinéad O'Connor has died at the age of 56.

A London jury acquitted Kevin Spacey of sexual assault charges on Wednesday which also happened to be his 64th birthday.

The United States women’s national team came from behind in the second half to tie the Netherlands 1-1 at the FIFA World Cup on Wednesday. Their next game is on August 1st against Portugal.

Science, Health, & Tech

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are causing stomach paralysis in some patients that does not improve after they get off the medication.

Scientists discover a new blind millipede species in Los Angeles that has 486 legs.

A group of major automakers including GM, Kia, and BMW said on Wednesday they are forming a new company to provide electric vehicle charging in the U.S. to challenge Tesla’s market dominance.

This pair of “ultra-rare” Apple sneakers could compliment your MacBook nicely, and come cheap at $50,000.

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