Jill Biden didn’t answer a question about husband Joe Biden‘s impeachment as she hosted an event with Hillary Clinton at the White House but assured the former secretary of state she was very ‘loved’ by the Democrats in the room.

The first lady smiled at a reporter who inquired about Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s decision to open an impeachment inquiry against the president but didn’t stop to comment on the matter.

‘It’s an honor to welcome you back to the White House,’ Jill Biden told Hillary Clinton at the event in the East Room. And when the audience broke into whoops and cheers, the first lady to her: ‘You are so loved.’ 

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden remained in hiding on Tuesday, not appearing in public at the White House. The only event on his public schedule was his daily intelligence briefing although the public schedule doesn’t reflect all of the president’s activities for the day.

The White House called a lid shortly after 2 pm ET, meaning there would be no public activities by the president, who returned from his trip to India and Vietnam late Monday night. That was a few hours after McCarthy made his impeachment announcement. 

The last Democratic president to be impeached was Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton. Republican President Donald Trump was impeached twice. Neither president was convicted by the Senate. 

Hillary Clinton was at the White House on Tuesday for her first public appearance at the  presidential residence and workplace since her 2016 election loss to Donald Trump.

The former secretary of state did make a private appearance at the White House in 2021 for a dinner to celebrate then outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel early in Biden’s tenure. 

Biden and Clinton were honoring the 2023 Praemium Imperiale Laureates. The Praemium Imperiale is a global arts prize awarded annually by the Japan Art Association for lifetime achievement in the arts. The Praemium Imperiale Laureates were first celebrated at the White House by President Clinton and Mrs. Clinton in 1994. 

It was a Clinton-friendly crowd. Spotted in the audience was Clinton’s longtime aide Huma Abedin; former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a close friend of both Clintons;  Capricia Marshall, who was an aide in the Clinton White House; and former Rep. Jerry Moran, a close Clinton ally.

Actress Debra Messing and ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov were also at the event.

In her remarks, Jill Biden also reference the fact that Hillary Clinton will be returning to the classroom. The former secretary of state is teaching a class on global decision making at Columbia University. 

The first lady, who teaches at Northern Virginia Community College, noted Clinton was now a ‘fellow educator.’ 

‘Good luck this semester,’ she told her. 

Clinton thanked the first lady for hosting the event at the White House and paid tribute to her dual work as first lady and teacher. 

She didn’t mention her own presidential race or former president Trump. 

‘You know, Dr. Biden travels across the United States and around the world on behalf of the American people and I can say from some experience that is an exhilarating but exhausting job,’ Clinton said.

‘But throughout it all, she has remained dedicated to her first calling as an educator and mentor of young people. Now as she said, I’ve gone back to teaching recently, after 50 years, and I can attest it’s a hard enough job without being first lady,’ she said.

Earlier Tuesday, McCarthy made the shock announcement he would launch an impeachment inquiry on Biden, accusing the president of an ‘abuse of power and being involved in a ‘culture of corruption’ over son Hunter’s foreign business deals. 

‘House Republicans have uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden’s conduct,’ McCarthy said, speaking at the Capitol. ‘Taken together these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption.’

‘These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption. And they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. That’s why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,’ he noted.

‘This logical next step will give our committees, the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public. That’s exactly what we want to know the answers.’

Republicans have charged Biden and his family made millions off shell companies Hunter Biden formed when his father was vice president. Hunter had business deals with an energy company in the Ukraine, received a discounted stake in a private-equity firm in China, and did consulting for a Romanian real-estate magnate.

The president has denied any involvement in his son’s business dealings. But Republicans claim at least a dozen Biden family members could be involved in a scheme to benefit financially from Biden’s public office. 

House investigators are expected to issue subpoenas for the bank records of the president and his family. The GOP also claim Biden sat in on at least 24 calls with Hunter’s business partners and was referred to as ‘the big guy’ by Hunter’s business associates. And they say Joe Biden used pseudonyms to discuss his activities related to Ukraine with his son Hunter during his time as vice president.

An inquiry is the first step in the impeachment process. It is when evidence is gathered for the articles, or charges, of impeachment against an official.

It is a massive step with many pitfalls, including infuriating Republican moderates and many GOP senators, who are skeptical of the issue and causing friction with the White House as budget negotiations are underway. Congress faces a September 30th deadline to fund the government or it will shutdown.

McCarthy, however, is under intense pressure from the conservative wing of his party to make such a move, including threats from some of his own GOP lawmakers to remove him from the speakership.

The White House has repeatedly denied Biden has conducted any wrongdoing. The president himself has said he was not involved with any of Hunter’s business deals. 

The White House called McCarthy’s move ‘extreme politics.’

‘House Republicans have been investigating the President for 9 months, and they’ve turned up no evidence of wrongdoing. His own Republican members have said so. He vowed to hold a vote to open impeachment, now he flip flopped because he doesn’t have support. This is extreme politics at its worst,’ White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams said in a statement. 

• Long-term sickness has become a ‘serious fiscal threat,’ a new IPPR report warns
• There are now a record 2.6million British people out of work due to poor health 

By Shaun Wooler Health Editor

Published: 19:10 EDT, 12 September 2023 | Updated: 19:12 EDT, 12 September 2023

Let’s be honest. Most phone hardware upgrades aren’t worth the money. Sure, it’s a little faster, and the camera is better, but that doesn’t mean much for most people.

Especially when you consider the price, rumor has it that when Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max (with 2TB of storage) is announced in mid-September, it’s expected to cost $2,100. Yes, the high-end iPhone costs about 60 percent more than a MacBook.

Software upgrades, on the other hand, are free. Apple’s iOS 17 update includes many new changes and features you won’t want to miss. 

DailyMail.com rounded up five of our favorites — and how to upgrade now if you don’t want to wait until the September release.

Just checking in

Asking your loved ones to text you when they get home is so yesterday. With Apple’s new Check In feature enabled, you’ll automatically be notified when a family member or friend gets to their destination safely.

Check In also shares your pal’s location, how much battery they have left and whether or not they have good cell service. 

Apple says all of this info is end-to-end encrypted, so no worries about a creep getting their hands on it.

Tech tricks and tips to your inbox: Get my pro advice, totally free.

Coming to you live

If you’re over a certain age, you definitely remember old-school voicemail machines — the kind that let you pick up the phone in the middle of the message if you decided the call was worth answering. 

Apple’s bringing that back with the Live Voicemail feature.

Live Voicemail transcribes the message in real time and lets you take the call.

Every transcription is stored on your device and private so you don’t have to worry about where your voicemails go.

One of the best parts is that spam calls are automatically declined and won’t appear as Live Voicemail. Woohoo!

Will your phone get the update? Not every model supports iOS 17. Check here to see if your iPhone is eligible.

Drop me a line

AirDrop makes sharing photos with a nearby iPhone or Apple device easy. 

Now, Apple’s taking things to the next level with NameDrop. 

This feature replaces clunky business cards by allowing users to share contact information by bringing two iPhones (or an iPhone and an Apple Watch) together.

NameDrop isn’t just for networking events. The feature also includes SharePlay, where you can easily share your favorite music, games and movies with other iPhone users nearby. Pretty sweet.

Listen up

Love your AirPods? This one’s for you. The new iOS update includes a bunch of new features to personalize the audio experience and improve Automatic Switching and call controls.

● Adaptive Audio allows you to adjust the volume of whatever you’re listening to based on your surroundings and interactions.

● Conversation Awareness automatically lowers the volume of your music and cuts down on background noise when it detects a nearby conversation.

● Personalized Volume gets to know about you and your preferences to keep your volume settings where you like them.

It’s personal

With the personalized Contact Poster feature, you can customize your image and change the look of incoming calls from friends and family. 

You’ll also have access to upgraded typography and font colors. 

It’s way better than just one little picture to show you who’s calling.

Get it before everyone else

You can update to iOS 17 immediately if you’re willing to be a beta tester. Keep in mind beta software may still have some bugs and glitches. This far into the process, iOS 17 is pretty close to being optimized.

● Sign up for the Apple Beta Software Program on Apple’s website.

● Backup your device on iCloud or your computer.

● Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

● Look for a menu called Beta Updates and enable it.

● Select iOS 17 Public Beta and install.

Don’t forget to back up your phone before you install the beta version software. You can switch to your last backup if things get extra buggy on your testing journey.

Pentagon to launch ‘one-stop shop’ UFO website for the public

By Alex Hammer

Updated: 06:22 EDT, 1 September 2023

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The Department of Defense has unveiled a new website that will provide official declassified information on UFOs – about a month after a prominent UFO whistleblower delivered bombshell testimony before Congress.

Still under construction, the web page will offer pictures and videos for the public to easily peruse once completed, with several already online just hours after its release.

Its existence was announced Thursday during a briefing from Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, weeks after former intelligence official David Grusch claimed the Pentagon is covering up evidence related to extraterrestrials.  

Other information the will soon be available, the general said, includes reports and frequently asked questions about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), as well as links to reports, transcripts, and other resources that’s been declassified.   

In a Thursday statement about the website, federal officials said the release shows how ‘committed’ the Defense Department is to ‘transparency with the American people’ about their work on UAPs – the government’s term for UFOs.

Scroll down for video: 

‘This website will serve as a one-stop shop for all publicly available information related to the Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and UAP,’ the release reads,

Defense officials said the ‘AARO will regularly update the website with its most recent activities and findings as new information is cleared for public release.’  

The new site can be accessed via the domain aaro.mil, the department added – where users will be able to also find links to other available government aircraft, balloon, and satellite tracking sites.

Its release comes as the government has been forced to take the presence of unknown flying objects more seriously in recent months, especially after Grusch in July testified under oath that the Pentagon had firsthand encounters or knowledge about secret government programs involving technology that is ‘non-human.’

‘My testimony is based on information I’ve been given by individuals with a long-standing track record of legitimacy… whom have shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation and classified oral testimony to myself and many various colleagues,’ Grusch said, adding that he was driven to share by a ‘commitment to truth and transparency.’

‘I am asking Congress to hold our government to this standard and thoroughly investigate these claims,’ he told lawmakers at the time. ‘But as I stand here under oath now, I am speaking to the facts as I have been told them.’

He told the committee that he and more than 30 aircrew members and veterans have experienced UAPs, unidentified aerial phenomena, along with members of Congress who have confided in him.

He also claimed the government currently has in their possession, ‘intact and partially intact’ extraterrestrial vehicles, though provided no evidence to support that or any of his other assertions.

Suggesting the American people for nearly a century have been left in the dark, he claimed the first recovery of a UFO was in Magenta, Italy, in 1933.

He said Mussolini’s Italian government held it until 1944 through 1945 when Pope Pius XII tipped America off about it. 

When asked if he firmly believes the government has possession of UAPs, Grusch responded, ‘absolutely.’

He said that is based on interviews with at least 40 witnesses.

Asked where the craft are, he said: ‘I know the exact locations and those locations were provided to the inspector general … I actually had the people with the firsthand knowledge provide a protected disclosure to the Inspector General.’ 

He further claimed he has faced brutal retaliation after coming forward about his firsthand accounts of UFOs.

‘I do have knowledge of active planned reprisal activity against myself and other colleagues,’ Grusch said.

‘There were certain colleagues of mine that were brutally administratively attacked. It makes me very upset as a leader to see that happen to other co-workers and superiors of mine in the last three years.’

He was among three military whistleblowers who testified under oath in July that they had firsthand encounters or knowledge about secret government programs involving technology that is ‘non-human.’

His remarks, however, were condemned, by the head of the Pentagon’s UFO office, Sean Kirkpatrick, who slammed Grusch’s claims about alleged secret programs that retrieve crashed UFOs and reverse engineer the technology as ‘insulting’. 

Grusch alluded to both programs in his statements, which were there bolstered by testimonies Navy Commander and veteran fighter pilot David Fravor and Ryan Graves, also a former pilot.

Graves said, as an F-18 pilot in the Red Rippers, their squadron was ‘split by UAP’ during a training mission near Virginia Beach in 2014.

He described the object as ‘dark gray or black inside a transparent sphere.’ It was about 15 feet in diameter and came within 50 feet of the lead aircraft.

Retired Navy Cmdr. Fravor, meanwhile recalled  his experience seeing what he described as a ‘Tic Tac-looking object’ while on a flight back in 2004, during a routine training mission with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the California coast.

The object was ‘far superior to anything we had at the time, have today or are looking to develop in the next 10-plus years,’ Fravor said in his statement. 

When asked whether the U.S. has been concealing evidence of non-human aircraft. The commander of the F/A-18F squadron on the USS Nimitz said he spotted the object and later told his superiors, but that there was never any official investigation 

When asked if any reporting took place after the incident, Fravor said there was just a standard debrief, but no more. 

All three men were sworn in and made their assertions under oath, with Grusch openly testifying that he knows colleagues who were injured while reverse-engineering UFO tech.

He further accused the government of ‘absolutely’ hording UFO tech and ‘biologics’ of ‘non-human origins’ since the 30s, and claimed to known the exact locations where they’re being held.

He added that he would be willing provide specifics in a classified setting. 

The testimonies the way for six members of Congress – Reps. Tim Burchett, (R-Tenn.), Jared Moskowitz, (D-Fla.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) and Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) – to pen a letter to Inspector General Thomas Monheim this past week demanding details about alleged secret programs.

Within six days, the DoD unveiled its new website, which, while unfinished, already has several videos showing UFO-involved cases over the years, with real-time UAP reporting soon to come.

The site can be accessed here. 

Britney Spears joyously wed her longtime partner Sam Asghari last June after five years of dating, most of which occurred during her now terminated 13-year conservatorship.

But, just 14 months after tying the knot, Britney, 41, and Sam, 29, have split.

Below is a history of Britney’s relationships going back to her earliest days as a rising performer.

Donald ‘Reg’ Jones (1995–1997)

Britney got her first official boyfriend, Reg Jones, when she was only 14 and he was 17.

In Lynne Spears’ 2008 memoir Through The Storm, Britney’s mother claimed that it was actually Jones whom her daughter lost her virginity to, not her future boyfriend Justin Timberlake.

In 2001, Jones put up two letter than the singer had written him while she was a teen, include one in which she broke up with him.

Justin Timberlake (1998–2002)

Britney’s first serious relationship was with her former Mickey Mouse Club costar Justin Timberlake, who was then part of NSYNC.

Following their 2002 split, the singer publicly blamed Spears for their break up and used his ‘heartbreak’ to promote his music. A lookalike actress was also used to represent Spears in his video for Cry Me A River, which fans took to be a breakup song about their relationship.

Timberlake later wrote in an open apology that he was ‘deeply sorry’ and would ‘take accountability’ admitting that he had ‘failed’ her, after their relationship came under fresh scrutiny following the release of documentaries looking into Spears’ conservatorship. 

Wade Robson (2002)

The Toxic singer reportedly moved on in the wake of her split from Timberlake with choreographer Wade Robson, who worked for both her and Justin’s group NSYNC. 

Although it was never been confirmed by any of the trio, at the time it was rumoured that Wade was the real reason for the Justin and Britney split. 

Yet their relationship was short lived and Britney and Wade had split within the year.

Fred Durst (2003)

After the breakup with Robson, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst claimed that he dated Britney, though she denied that they ever had a relationship.

The couple spent time together when working on songs for Britney’s new album.  

‘It just became a fiasco of madness,’ Durst told MTV of the alleged breakup. ‘[But] I always stay true to my heart and true to everything I did and my intentions, and I am in no way a liar.’

Jared Leto (2003) 

Britney was also rumored around this time to have dated Jared Leto, but he never confirmed the alleged romance and she denied that they were eve ran item.

After they were seen together, she said they were just ‘really good friends.’ 

The dating rumours started after fans theorised that Spears had gone after Leto because he was Cameron Diaz’s ex and Diaz, at the time, was dating Spears’ ex Timberlake.  

Colin Farrell (2003)

There was clearly something going on between Britney and actor Colin Farrell in 2003, when they were seen kissing at the premiere of his film The Recruit, where they also walked the red carpet.

However, he shrugged the affectionate display off and said he was ‘just a 26-year-old guy who’s single and having a good time.’

While their fling may only have lasted a week, Farrell memorialized their relationship by sending Spears a shirt that read: ‘I slept with Colin Farrell and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.’

Columbus Short (2003)

Britney dated within her own organization when she hooked up with her backup dance Columbus Short in 2003.

Short, who subsequently starred on Scandal, later claimed that he overheard Spears’ parents Lynne and Jamie Spears refer to him by the N-word when she was on speaker phone with them, though he didn’t specify who said it and they both denied using the word.

Columbus claimed to have only had sex with her once, and he claimed he was fired after he failed to reciprocate her affections. 

Jason Alexander (2004)

Britney’s first (brief) marriage was to Jason Alexander, who had been her friend since childhood. He ended up crashing her wedding to Sam on the morning of the nuptials. 

The couple tied the knot on a whim in the early morning hours on January 3, 2004 during a ceremony at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were both 22 years old at the time.

Their marriage was annulled 55 hours later, which Alexander later claimed was forced by Britney’s mother, Lynne, and Britney’s management. Following the annulment, Spears said in an interview: ‘It was me being silly, being rebellious.’ 

Yet 18 years after their union it seems Alexander hasn’t lost his feelings for Spears, as just hours before she was was due to marry her long-term partner Sam Asghari, 28, at her home Alexander broke onto the premises to crash the wedding. 

Britney’s first husband Jason Alexander has been booked in to jail after dramatically livestreaming himself crashing her wedding at her Thousand Oaks mansion.   

Jason is now in the custody of the Ventura Sheriff’s Department having been charged with trespassing, vandalism and two batteries after a couple of altercations with Britney’s security guards.

Minutes before he was apprehended, Alexander managed to broadcast himself on Instagram as he ran through hillside trails, as he approached the rear of Spears’ home.

The 40-year-old was easily able to scale a fence, descend a rocky hillside and slip inside the wedding venue, all-the-while telling security exactly who he was, and why he was there – just hours before the fairytale ceremony got underway.

Alexander’s arrest is the third arrest in 13 months. Police sources revealed he also has a felony warrant for larceny in another county.

He was last in police custody for driving under the influence in January 2021 and breaking security protocols at an airport in August. Alexander was also arrested previously for violating an order of protection and stalking an unidentified woman in December 2021.

On Thursday night, Spears’ attorney revealed he was ‘absolutely livid’ after Alexander crashed the pop star’s wedding venue and demanded he be locked up.

Kevin Federline (2004–2007)

The songstress’ next relationship also resulted in a marriage. 

Britney and Kevin Federline, a backup dancer, would go on to share her two sons: Sean, 16, and Jayden, 15.

The couple divorced in 2007, and it was her struggles with custody that factored into the creation of her conservatorship.

In January 2008, she locked herself in a bathroom with the children when it was time to return them to their father. The police were subsequently called, and Spears was put on a 5150 psychiatric hold.

J. R. Rotem (2007)

Spears hit the dating scene quickly following her divorce when she got together with the music producer J. R. Rotem, who produced her song Everybody. 

Following their fling, Rotem shocked with a graphic kiss and tell interview, crudely announcing ‘I f**ked Britney wheelbarrow style – It was tractor style.’ 

Reflecting on their union, Rotem later said: ‘It was kind of a stupid phase I was going through, where I wouldn’t say that I was being a bad person but I would say that I was being not very genuine to who I am and what it is that I’m supposed to do.’ 

Isaac Cohen (2007)

In the same year as her fling with Rotem, Spears began dating male model Isaac Cohen.

At the time, her fans noted that Cohen noted only looked like her ex-husband Kevin, but he even favored similar clothing to the dancer. 

Their breakup was described as ‘amicable,’ and Cohen later said of their relationship: ‘By the time I met Britney she was burnt out. She knew she had been drinking and partying as a way to try to banish the bad stuff from her life. 

‘Far from the trashy drunk, I saw a very shy, sweet girl who was just desperately sad about what had happened with her marriage.’ 

Howie Day (2007)

Britney reportedly met the singer–songwriter Howie Day while both were at the Promises rehab center in Malibu.

Life & Style reported at the time that Britney’s mother Lynne was concerned about the relationship, which didn’t last long.

Spears’ second husband K Fed also didn’t approve of the relationship, branding Day ‘trash,’ and adding that Britney had to ‘head to the dump’ to meet Day while in rehab. 

Adnan Ghalib (2007–2008)

The pop star shocked her fans and family when she began dating the paparazzo Adnan Ghalib in 2007, despite the fact that he had long been on her tail hunting for the perfect photo.

Ghalib claimed in 2008 that he had a sex tape featuring Spears in an apparent bid to shop it around, though he later claimed his statements were fabricated, according to The Daily Beast. 

Britney’s father Jamie successful won a restraining order to keep Ghalib away from his daughter by claiming that the photographer alerted paparazzi to Britney’s whereabouts and then got a fee from them. 

Jason Trawick (2009–2013)

One of Spears’ longest relationship was with her former agent, Jason Trawick. 

In 2021, rumors spread claiming the two had secretly married and then divorce in 2012 after records showing her conservatorship put a lawyer on retainer shortly before their 2013 breakup.

However, Trawick denied that they were ever married, and no marriage license — or divorce — was ever filed. 

David Lucado (2013–2014)

Britney and David Lucado began dating shortly after her split from Trawick, though the relationship only lasted about a year. 

According to TMZ, Britney dumped Lucado after she discovered a video showing Lucado ‘making out with a woman and dancing with her.’  

Lucado didn’t take the split well, with a representative telling TMZ: ‘David is very, very in love with Britney. This is unfortunate and he hopes that it all works out.’ 

Charlie Ebsersol (2014–2015)

Spears continued to date within the entertainment industry, though her new boyfriend Charlie Ebersol was a film and television producer.

Speaking about their romance Spears said at the time: ‘I thought he was really adorable and she said he was good to people, so I went for it… There was something about him that made me feel really peaceful and at ease.’

Sources claimed to Hollywood Life after their breakup that the two separated after Britney’s father Jamie suggested he wasn’t a good match for her. 

Sam Asghari (2016–2023) 

Sam Asghari, an aspiring actor, has been by the pop star’s side since 2016, making their relationship her longest to date.

She met Sam in 2016 when he appeared in her Slumber Party music video, and the two quickly hit it off after that.

They went Instagram official in January 2017, and Sam was by her side amid the battle to end her long-running conservatorship.

Spears announced their engagement on September 12, 2021, and she followed the good news up by having her conservatorship terminated in November of that year.

In April 2022, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together, but Britney revealed just a month later that she had suffered a miscarriage.

‘Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along however we were overly excited to share the good news,’ she wrote on Instagram. 

They married on June 9 2022 at her Thousand Oaks home in a ceremony attended by Madonna.

The pair’s split was revealed in August 2023. 

 

 

EXCLUSIVE – I’ll make sure those 17 recordings of Joe and Hunter are released: Republican Steve Scalise vows to ‘press’ to make Burisma exec’s phone calls public – and says Americans are furious the Bidens have gotten away with ‘web of corruption’

By Kelly Laco, Executive Editor Of Politics For Dailymail.Com

Published: 15:37 EDT, 13 June 2023 | Updated: 16:00 EDT, 13 June 2023

The first-ever public meeting of NASA‘s ‘independent study group’ on UFOs dropped major revelations about unexplained objects tracked ‘all over the world.’ 

It also included serious calls for more resources to examine UFOs, now more technically described as Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) to better include the range of sightings and cases under study.

Comprised of 16 experts ranging from physicists to astronauts, NASA’s study group had a lot to say during their four-hour meeting, which covered everything from the search for alien artifacts to the problem of online harassment by UFO trolls.

The study group, the first of its kind from the US space agency, has been conducting its work since last June and is expected to release their final recommendations to NASA in late July.

Here are the six main takeaways from yesterday’s meeting.

Serious scientists want to search for alien tech in our solar system

‘Within the scientific community, there is a widespread, but by no means universal belief that there are extraterrestrial civilizations,’ astrobiologist David Grinspoon told his fellow UAP task force members.

‘The same rationale which supports the idea that ET civilizations may exist and may be detectable,’ Grinspoon said, ‘also supports the idea that finding extraterrestrial artifacts in our own solar system is at least plausible.’

Grinspoon, who has served as an advisor to NASA on space exploration strategy in the past, then recommended that the space agency take the lead trying to find these alien artifacts, if they’re out there. 

‘Most of the solar system has not been searched for artifacts and anomalies,’ he pointed out, noting: ‘NASA is the lead agency for solar system exploration.’ 

‘These modest data analysis efforts could potentially be applied to existing and planned planetary missions,’ Grinspoon said.

This was not the first time Grinspoon has made the case for hunting for alien ‘technosignatures’ within our solar system or even our own planet, calling dismissive attitudes toward the idea ‘intellectually lazy.’ 

‘Our infant civilization has already launched five spacecraft that will wander the galaxy, and we’re trying to figure out how to send tiny spacecraft to nearby exoplanets,’ Grinspoon wrote earlier this year in Sky & Telescope. 

‘Imagine what an aged ET civilization might have achieved and what machines might have entered our solar system over billions of years.’ 

‘If NASA applies the same rigorous methodology toward UAPs that it applies to the study of possible life elsewhere, then we stand to learn something new and interesting.’

Percentage of unresolved UAP cases remains consistent with the past

The director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), physicist Sean Kirkpatrick told NASA’s UAP group that the number of military UAP sightings his group would classify as ‘possibly really anomalous’ come to somewhere between two to five percent of AARO’s total database. 

That percentage is remarkably consistent with past rates for unresolved UFO and UAP cases, including those by the Pentagon’s Cold War-era UFO bureau, Project Blue Book, which ran to about four and 5.9 percent in the 1950s.

Astronomers polled in 1977 by Stanford astrophysics professor Peter Sturrock, 2,611 members of the American Astronomical Society, resulted in a similar statistic: 62 astronomers out of 1,356 respondents, or 4.6 percent, reported witnessing or recording inexplicable aerial phenomena.

Some academic scientists, including SUNY Albany physicist Kevin Knuth, have suggested that this consistency might suggest that the phenomena is more likely to be real and not just random noise.

The US military is tracking strange ‘metallic orbs’ spotted ‘all over the world’ 

Kirkpatrick replayed one example of an unsolved UAP case: video by a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone recorded last year in the Mid East and depicting a bizarre flying metallic orb.

‘This is a typical example of the thing that we see most of,’ Kirkpatrick told NASA’s UAP panel. ‘We see these all over the world.’

‘And we see these making very interesting apparent maneuvers,’ Kirkpatrick added. ‘This one in particular, however, I would point out, demonstrated no enigmatic technical capabilities and was no threat to airborne safety.’

‘Being able to come to some conclusion is going to take time,’ he said, ‘until we can get better resolved data on similar objects that we can then do a larger analysis on.’

Kirkpatrick also told the panel that AARO is receiving, on average, about 50 to 100 reports of UAPs per month — a figure which means that roughly one truly weird, inexplicable case is arriving on their desks each week. 

He also noted that there were occasional spikes in sightings, coinciding with events like Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite launches or the frenzy over China’s spy balloon this past February. 

Kirkpatrick also mentioned procedural reasons for these spikes in UAP cases, as with a new influx of data via AARO’s recent coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provided 100 or so new UAP reports to his office.

Such coordination was the order of the day during the meeting. ‘NASA embeds,’ scientists who have been cleared for work on classified UAP cases, are also working closely with the Pentagon’s official UFO investigators on a few top secret UFO cases, Kirkpatrick said. 

The infamous ‘GOFAST’ UAP wasn’t going fast at all 

As one of the pilots shouts in the infrared targeting video of the mysterious ‘GOFAST’ UFO, ‘Whoa! Got it!’ 

One of NASA’s panel member’s Josh Semeter, an engineering professor at Boston University’s center for space physics, presented a detailed analysis of fighter jet’s trajectory relative to the ‘GOFAST’ UAP.

It turns out that the mystery object was actually cruising at about 40 mph.

‘So, that’s a velocity that is consistent with wind speeds at 13,000 feet,’ Semeter said, pointing out that this was the calculated altitude for the GOFAST UAP. 

Making such a compelling case that the GOFAST was likely an object sailing in a strong breeze was possible, he noted, because of the infrared video’s technical readout and interface. 

‘Fortunately the information needed to determine the altitude and velocity of this object is contained on the display,’ Semeter explained. 

Online harassments has plagued NASA’s UAP panel

Multiple members of the team, over the course of NASA’s four-hour public meeting, referenced abuse from UFO trolls, cranky skeptics and others, both online and within their own institutions.

‘It is really disheartening to hear of the harassment that our panelists have faced online all because they’re studying this topic,’ said Nicky Fox, the associate administrator for the NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. 

‘NASA stands behind our panelists and we do not tolerate abuse,’ she added. 

‘Harassment only leads to further stigmatization of the UAP field, significantly hindering scientific progress and discouraging others to study this important subject matter.’ 

Daniel Evans, also with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, assured the panel that ‘NASA’s security team is actively addressing this issue.’

The issue appears to be a persistent feature of the social stigma surrounding UFOs, with Kirkpatrick mentioning that he and members of his AARO team at the Pentagon have had similar experiences.

‘My team and I have also been subjected to lots of harassment,’ Kirkpatrick said, ‘especially coming out of my last hearing [to the Senate’s Armed Services Committee] because people don’t understand the scientific method.’

‘People want answers now,’ Kirkpatrick noted, explaining that AARO has faced heated and counterproductive pressure from the public for fast answers on UAP.

NASA’s panel wants the tools to study UAP seriously

Former senior NASA official Mike Gold, now an executive vice president at the private space firm Redwire, voiced his opinion that NASA should impanel a permanent office for the study of UAP, and his colleagues sounded no less serious.

A recurring theme of the public meeting was the need for higher quality data, not just from UAP cases, but more data from the many more mundane things that could be mistaken for truly unusual phenomena.

Panel member and astronomer Federica Bianco, pointed out that UAP researchers will need ‘a thorough and deep understanding of what is normal, to tease out what is unusual.’

The study group’s chair, astrophysicist David Spergel, emphasized repeatedly the need for better data collection equipment and methods, if NASA or any other research organization is to tackle the UAP issue successfully.  

‘If I were to summarize in one month what we’ve learned, we need high-quality data,’ said Spergel, who devoted much of his professional life to teasing meaning out of faint signals from deep out in the universe. 

‘The lesson of my career is you want to address important questions with high-quality data and well-calibrated instruments.’

Unidentified metallic orb UFOs have been spotted ‘all over the world’, a Pentagon chief admitted today during NASA’s first-ever public hearing into the phenomenon.

Physicist Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), said: ‘We see these [‘metallic orbs’] all over the world, and we see these making very interesting apparent maneuvers.’

Dr Kirkpatrick told NASA’s independent team of scientists and other experts who have been tasked with studying the UFO phenomenon that is increasingly becoming less stigmatized following several high-profile congressional hearings and military sightings.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed at today’s NASA hearing that the space agency will work closely with the Pentagon’s official UFO investigators on top secret UFO cases.

Dr Kirkpatrick said that the Pentagon’s is closely collaborating with ‘NASA embeds,’ scientists who have been cleared for work on classified UAP cases where their expertise could help military investigators identify the mysterious craft or events.

Kirkpatrick added that AARO plans to deploy ‘dedicated sensors for typical UAP’ sightings, equipment independent of the existing military defense sensors that have thus far picked up UAP in the course of their normal duties. 

Both NASA’s head of science, space and atmospheric physicist Dr. Nicky Fox, and AARO director, Dr. Kirkpatrick, also took time to rebuke unnamed individuals for harassing members of the NASA panel. 

Both said that these attitudes online and among officialdom have contributed to the continuing social stigma surrounding UAP.

The chair of NASA’s independent UAP panel, theoretical astrophysicist David Spergel, described the group’s purpose as ‘How can NASA contribute to understanding the nature of UAPs?’

He summarized the current state of data collection efforts on UAP as ‘unsystematic’ and ‘fragmented across various agencies’ often using instruments that were fit for their security or safety mandate, but ‘uncalibrated for scientific data collection.’

Spergel added that some of the work done in this realm did achieve the admirable status of ‘citizen science.’ He cited previous anomalies, like the fantastic accounts of upward-going red lightning, or sprites, which had been first reported by shocked pilots and initially discounted by atmospheric scientists.

‘If it’s something that’s anomalous. That makes it interesting and worthy of study,’  Spergel said.   

UFO reports were first delivered by both the head of the AARO director Kirkpatrick, and an advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Surveillance Services Office, Mike Freie.

NASA’s study group, an assemblage of 16 experts ranging from physicists to astronauts, was formed last June to examine unclassified UFO sightings and other data collected from civilian government and commercial sectors.

The study group represents the first such inquiry ever conducted by the US space agency into a subject the government had previously consigned to the purview of military and national security officials, when accorded respect or attention at all.

Today, these parallel NASA and Pentagon efforts, both undertaken with some semblance of transparency, mark a turning point for in the government’s public stance on UFOs or UAP. 

After decades spent deflecting, debunking and discrediting sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, dating back to the 1940s, Pentagon officials now say that their recent push to investigate such sightings has led to hundreds of new reports that are under examination. 

Speaking to the NASA panel today, AARO director Kirkpatrick said that roughly 2 to 5 percent of AARO’s current database of approximately 800 UAP cases constituted real and baffling anomalies. 

While NASA’s science mission was seen by some as promising a more open-minded approach to a topic long treated as taboo by the defense establishment, the US space agency made it known from the start that it was hardly leaping to any conclusions.

‘There is no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin,’ NASA said in announcing the panel’s formation last June.

In its more recent statements, the agency presented a new potential wrinkle to the UAP acronym itself, referring to it as an abbreviation for ‘unidentified anomalous phenomena.’ This suggested that sightings other than those that appeared airborne may be included.

Still, NASA in announcing Wednesday’s meeting, said the space agency defines UAPs ‘as observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective.’

That’s one way of getting your artworks into an exhibition… Pictures left on public transport are given their own show

By Lauren Paxman
Updated: 12:31 EDT, 17 May 2011

Struggling artists take note, rather than trudging around galleries trying to generate interest in your work, the quickest way to get exhibited might just be to leave a painting on the Tube.

A London gallery is featuring 60 artworks, most of them unnamed, that were left on public transport in an exhibition, aptly called Lost Collection, that opens next month.

They include works from an entire end-of-year project that Wimbledon College of Art student Regis Gautier-Cochfert lost at Earl’s Court and never reclaimed.

He has since been in touch with the organisers and is excited to be reunited with his work which was a moving photography project that dealt with the death of his father.

Losing his portfolio clearly didn’t hinder Regis’ progress, he is now Head of Art at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Other pictures in the exhibition range from still lifes to moody black and white portraits, all found on the capital’s Tubes, buses, trains and black cabs.

It is hoped, but not expected, that some of the pieces might be revealed as hidden great works.

Danielle Pender, one of the show’s curators said: ‘Who were these creators? What were they trying to communicate and, most importantly, do they have any talent?’

Almost 200,000 items were found on London’s public transport network last year.

Books are the most commonly deserted items, with more than 38,000 found last year, but more unusual finds include a coffin, a jar of bull’s sperm and a park bench.

Staff at the Lost Property Office in Baker Street office carry out Sherlock Holmes-style investigations of their finds, and one in three are usually reunited with their owners.

Julie Haley, TfL’s Lost Property Office Manager, said: ‘Reuniting two urns of ashes with the families who had lost them was particularly heart-warming – it was very emotional for all of us.

‘Having said that, all items are important to their owners and returning even the smallest of items can make a big difference.’

The curators of KK Outlet’s Lost Collection, which runs from June 3 to 30 in Hoxton, East London, hope that they will be able to offer a similar service for the artists behind their exhibits.