Tag: unanswered questions

FAA abruptly cancels ‘national defense airspace’ over Lake Michigan after reporting ‘potential contact’

The Federal Aviation Administration has abruptly canceled a “national defense airspace” over part of Lake Michigan, the organization announced Sunday.

The FAA says it closed down the area to allow the U.S. military to examine a “potential contact” that was soon determined to not be a threat. The FAA last established a national defense airspace over Montana this weekend in reaction to an unidentified flying object.

“Pilots who do not adhere to the following [procedure] may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement or security personnel,” the FAA wrote in an initial Sunday announcement, adding that such pilots may face deadly force in the air.

“The FAA briefly closed some airspace over Lake Michigan to support Department of Defense activities. The airspace has been reopened,” the FAA wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Keep reading

What’s Known So Far About The “Cylindrical & Silverish Gray” Object Downed Over Alaska

Recovery efforts utilizing military planes and helicopters in the far northeast arctic region of Alaska continue, where on Friday an unidentified object was shot down by F-22 jets.

Still, little definitive is known, including who owns the object or where it came from; however, in media and US official reports the ‘high-altitude’ object is increasingly being referenced as a another balloon.

Biden called the operation a “success” – and yet didn’t engage reporters’ questions directly when asked about follow-up details. 

What has become clear is that Biden gave the order to shoot it down before knowing who owned it or where it came from, or whether it was state-owned or perhaps owned by a corporation. And of course the question remains: was this another Chinese spy balloon? Or was it a weather research balloon just downed over Alaska?

According to details from White House and Pentagon briefings on Friday, including descriptions from senior officials, here’s what’s known at this point:

  • It flew at 40,000 feet
  • Deemed a safety threat to civilian aircraft
  • Unknown origin or ownership 
  • Cylindrical and silverish gray
  • Roughly the size of a car
  • Smaller than the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon shot down last Satursday
  • Object not maneuverable or propelled 
  • Shot down by US F-22 with sidewinder missile

In the meantime the media is only hyping the rampant online speculation into overdrive…

Keep reading

US shoots down another ‘high-altitude object’ over Alaska

The U.S. military on Friday took down an object flying over Alaskan airspace days after shooting down a Chinese spy balloon along the South Carolina coast, the White House confirmed.

John Kirby, a national security spokesperson for the White House, said the Defense Department was tracking a “high-altitude object” over Alaska at 40,000 feet that posed “a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.

The object was shot down within the last hour at President Biden’s direction, Kirby said, and landed in U.S. waters.

The government is still collecting information about the object, Kirby said. It is not yet known whether it was operated by another country or if it was privately or commercially owned. Kirby also would not say if the object was a balloon or another device.

“We’re calling this an object because that’s the best description we have right now,” he told reporters.

“We don’t understand the full purpose. We don’t have any information that would confirm a stated purpose for this object,” he continued, adding that officials expect to be able to recover the debris.

The object was shot down by military aircraft that are part of U.S. Northern Command. The object first came to the administration’s attention on Thursday night, and Biden was briefed on the matter at that time, Kirby said. 

The decision to take down the object over Alaska comes six days after Biden directed the military to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon days after it was first discovered floating over the continental United States.

Keep reading

Nothing About the Chinese Balloon Saga Makes Sense

Nothing about the “Chinese spy balloon” story makes sense—but that hasn’t stopped U.S. officials from using it to stoke anti-China sentiment and cancel an attempt to ease diplomatic relations.

The basics: A Chinese balloon started drifting into U.S. territory about 10 days ago. It first entered Alaskan airspace, then drifted over Canada, then made its way back into U.S. airspace, appearing over Montana on February 1. By Saturday, when U.S. forces shot down the balloon, it was floating over the shores of South Carolina.

What the Chinese say: It was “a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes”—a weather balloon, essentially—that veered off course due to westerly winds and “limited self-steering capability.”

What Americans are saying: It’s a spy balloon! It’s an act of open hostility! U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called it “a violation of our sovereignty” and “a violation of international law.” House China Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) declared the balloon “a threat to American sovereignty” and “a threat to the Midwest.” Mitt Romney used it as an opportunity to call for banning TikTok.

The fallout: Blinken was supposed to visit Beijing this past weekend, on a trip designed to help keep relations cordial and keep lines of communication open between the countries. He was even scheduled to meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping. But Blinken canceled the trip last week, as the Chinese balloon loomed large (literally and figuratively) over America.

Not only did the balloon nix a diplomatic visit, it’s inflaming tensions—and paranoia—here in the States. The balloon is “more fodder for China hawks in Washington, for sure,” NPR correspondent Michele Kelemen said on Saturday. Kelemen described the incident as sounding like a story out of the Cold War, which was “exactly what [Blinken’s] trip was supposed to prevent.”

The absurdity: The balloon in question is absolutely massive, with “an undercarriage roughly the size of three buses,” as The New York Times put it. This would be an absolutely bonkers way to spy on the United States—especially since the images it picks up are reportedly no better than those it can obtain through satellites. One defense official said, as summarized The Washington Post, that the images a balloon like this could obtain “wouldn’t offer much in the way of surveillance that China couldn’t collect through spy satellites.”

Keep reading

Mystery Surrounds Sudden Firing Of Notable Archaeologist. What Was He Digging Up?

World-renowned archeologist and university professor David Keller was mysteriously released from his job in December, and no one will go on record to say why.

Keller, 52, is best known as an award-winning author and intrepid researcher of human history and for bringing grants to his former employer of 21 years, the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University, according to a report from mid-2022. Keller was fired from his position at the school despite being in the throes of research.

“It was humiliating and sad and infuriating all at the same time,” Keller told Texas Monthly following his firing. “That was my career, my livelihood, and much of my identity. To fire me in such a swift and cavalier manner felt very unfair considering my time there.” Keller said he planned to retire in five years anyway and was in the middle of three major projects for the institution.

According to Keller, the school told him, “We’re not going to tell you why, and we appreciate your service, and you need to pick up your stuff and go.” He further claimed that the school told him the decision had something to do with his work at Big Bend National Park, where Keller’s permit was suspended in December.

Keep reading

Two Defense Company Employees Mysteriously Found Dead at Facility

This week, two individuals were discovered dead at a Northrup Grumman facility in Utah, with minimal information being released about the incident. Utah TV station KUTV-TV reports the victims were “killed,” but gave no evidence to back up the claim.

Roxanne Vainuku, a representative from the West Valley City Police Department, mentioned that shortly after 6pm on Monday, police were dispatched to the company’s building located at 6478 W. 5400 South, in Magna, approximately twelve miles west of Salt Lake City. Vainuku also stated two employees were found unconscious but did not elaborate on any other specifics, according to KSL-TV, other than that the “victims” received medical attention by fire department crews before being taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

“Fire Department crews attempted life saving measures and transported the two employees to the hospital where they were ultimately pronounced deceased,” Vainuku said.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Administration will conduct an investigation into this incident. West Valley City Police will coordinate with OSHA on the investigation,” she added.

Police couldn’t confirm if the two died in a hazmat situation, saying that information will come from the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office after autopsies are performed. The victims have not been identified.

A Newsweek article stated that a Northrop Grumman representative was not forthcoming with information.

“We can confirm that two employees passed away at the Bacchus facility on January 30. We are deeply saddened by this news,” the representative said.

“The Northrop Grumman team all shares in this grief. Out of respect for the privacy of the employees and the families, we are not releasing any further details,” the representative said

The company’s statement provided little information regarding the events that occurred.

Keep reading

Yellowstone Co. Sheriff Believes Unknown Object Captured on Camera over Billings is “Legitimate” – But He Has No Idea What It Is

On Friday, a resident from Billings, Montana shared a video on Twitter showing a trail of smoke in the sky where the balloon was last spotted.

Military helicopters were also spotted in Bozeman, Montana, but according to the uploader, “it might have been part of a military funeral.”

However, the City of Billings, Governor Greg Gianforte, and the Montana Department of Emergency Services confirmed on Friday night that there was no explosion in or around Billings, Montana.

“We are aware of the video shared on Twitter and claims of a “massive explosion” over Billings. However, our PD, Fire & airport have NOT been called to any incidents related to this video and there haven’t been any plane crashes picked up on radar,” according to the statement.

“We have confirmed with [Montana Disaster Emergency Services] and Gov. Greg Gianforte that there have not been any explosions in, around, or across Montana. They are aware of the video and it can not be substantiated,” the city added.

Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder told NBC affiliate KULR-TV in Billings that they are trying to verify if the video is legitimate.

Keep reading

Mysterious Artwork Visible From Space Discovered Near Las Vegas

A mysterious piece of artwork has been discovered in the desert outside of Las Vegas and the curious drawing is so enormous that it can actually be seen from space. According to a local media report, the peculiar design was seemingly first spotted last month by Dr. David Golan as he and his wife were walking their dogs in an area of wilderness at the edge of the city. When they reached a particularly high plateau, he noticed “this pattern in the rocks” which resembled “a face and a yin and yang sign.” A subsequent excursion to the site revealed that the artwork is largely hidden to those on the ground. Golan explained, “all you can kind of tell is that there are rocks piled up.”

Lest he had any suspicions that his mind might be playing tricks on him, when Golan later looked at the location on Google Earth, the remarkable artwork was clearly visible. Amazingly, the area resident says that he has often walked his dogs in the mountainous location over the last five years but never spotted the drawing until last month and an online search for references to the mysterious piece turned up nothing. “Someone did some pretty miraculous artwork up on the top of the hill,” he marveled, “and it’s just sitting here.” The presence of the piece was apparently also news to the Bureau of Land Management, which is responsible for overseeing that particular portion of the desert.

Keep reading

NM’s Secretary of State, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Paid NM Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto Nearly $1 Million in Taxpayer Money When She Was a County Clerk – Why?

As revealed in Part 1 of this series, Daniel Ivey-Soto is a New Mexico Senator who also runs a non-profit called Vandelay Solutions which advises county clerks on technical matters related to elections and other duties.

This article will focus on partisan activities pursued by Ivey-Soto and the fact that he has received at least $925,000 in taxpayer dollars for consultation and assistance in drafting, promoting, and voting on legislation that directly benefits his clients and friends, but hurts the public.

Vandelay Solutions was previously known as “NM Clerks,” but that company was dissolved and rebranded as Vandelay Solutions in 2019 after some clerks complained that the original name could mislead people into thinking Ivey-Soto’s company was a government agency.  Ivey-Soto admitted as much in a recorded conversation that election workers were concerned that he was “running the clerks.”  Instead of clearly communicating his company is not a government agency, Ivey-Soto still uses the “NM Clerks” brand for the email list serve he runs with all 33 county clerks, according to public documents obtained by Estancia News.

While not all of the 33 clerks are paying clients, it is unclear whether the clerks understand that Ivey-Soto has no authority over them and is not acting in an official governmental capacity, given Ivey-Soto’s regular directives and backroom meetings.  For example, in June, Ivey-Soto met in a closed-door session with the Torrance County Commission directing them to certify the 2022 primary post-election results despite evidence that Dominion machines were not legally certified for use.

Keep reading

Why Has Google Scholar Removed the “Since 2020” Filter for Searching Peer-Reviewed Studies?

Google Scholar is every student’s mainstream means of getting sources to cite in their research papers. Teachers and professors across the nation have barred Wikipedia from ever being used as a source, so where do they turn to instead? Google Scholar.

Though you may detest everything Google, you can’t deny that they have some products and services that work absolutely fantastically. And, of course, Google Scholar is no exception. You’ll be hard pressed to find a source of peer-reviewed research that’s as easy and organized to sift through as this site. Those who are well-familiar with the search engine know that it’s a very easy-to-use means of finding some of the best, cutting-edge research that’s being done across the globe.

Whether you’re interested in epigenetics, what is happening in the world of artificial intelligence philosophy (yes, it’s a thing), or need to brush up on your Mayan archaeology news, Google Scholar has it. But it’s not just that the information is out there.

Nope, as we’ve pointed out above, all of this information has to be easily sifted through. And one of the reasons that students across the globe are thankful for this is because of one particular quirk of syllabi across the nation: teachers are picky with who they’ll regard as trustworthy.

Keep reading