For decades, rumors have suggested the existence of secret U.S. government programs involved in the study and possible retrieval of mysterious craft of non-human origin. Such narratives have long maintained that the intelligence community has withheld information about these alleged UFO programs from the public, as well as from Congress. However, a less often examined question involves the role of counterintelligence and the use of deception in military operations that may have helped give rise to false narratives related to UFOs and alleged secret programs. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we look at explosive statements by former U.S. government officials that point to the existence of fake UFO programs, forged documents, and other deceptive measures that may have helped foster belief in a widespread UFO coverup. HURRICANE CHARITIES: Please consider making a donation to one or more of the following organizations that are aiding in the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Hurricane Helene charities (via Charity Navigator) Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Mystery Drones Swarmed a U.S. Military Base for 17 Days. The Pentagon Is Stumped Mysterious Drones Swarmed Langley AFB For Weeks  Protective Nets To Shield F-22s Eyed For Airbase Swarmed By Mystery Drones  Drone swarms targeting US military bases are operated by 'mother ship' UFO  FBI investigates alleged leak of U.S. insights on Israeli war preparation COUNTERINTELLIGENCE: Army Field Manual No. 34-60: FM 34-60 Counterintelligence KIRKPATRICK: Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Discusses CIA Recovery Claims and “Fake NDAs”  LACKATSKI: I have seen, in multiple cases, what I can only call forged documents… BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

Recently, independent journalist Michael Shellenberger reported on the allegations of an alleged U.S. government insider who claims they discovered evidence of an unacknowledged special access program, codenamed "Immaculate Constellation," which has been secretly collecting data on encounters with unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). This week on The Micah Hanks Program, amid ongoing allegations that the U.S. government is withholding secret information about UAP programs that include databases with imagery and other evidence of anomalous craft operating in our skies, we examine the latest whistleblower claims and their possible implications, as well as the precedent for whether such highly secretive programs could exist, and remain a secret for so long.  HURRICANE CHARITIES: Please consider making a donation to one or more of the following organizations that are aiding in the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Hurricane Helene charities (via Charity Navigator) Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: FEMA forced to pause Hurricane Helene aid due to reported threats toward responders Hurricane Relief Workers Forced to Evacuate Due to Threat of ‘Armed Militia’ Man charged with making threats against FEMA workers in North Carolina  SHELLENBERGER: Pentagon Is Illegally Hiding Secret UFO Program From Congress INTERVIEW: Report names ‘Immaculate Constellation’ UAP program: Journalist  MORE: Immaculate Constellation: What is the alleged Pentagon program on UAPs?  OPINION:Immaculate Constellation? Could The Government Really Hide a Secret UFO Program? FLASHBACK: More Sources Step Up to Buttress Whistleblower Claims (June 2023)  JESSE MICHELS: A “spike of searches for ‘immaculate constellation’ when Grusch went public in 23 DAVID GREENING EP: Craft of Non-Human Origin (Album Released June 12, 2023, by Dave Greening) BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, misinformation and conspiracy theories have spread widely, hampering recovery efforts. This, in addition to new claims from independent journalist Michael Shellenberger, who has reported on an alleged whistleblower's extraordinary claims regarding an alleged secret Pentagon UAP retrieval program called "Immaculate Constellation," which we cover amid the ongoing hurricane relief effort here in Western North Carolina.  As false claims continue to circulate, including rumors of secret land sales for lithium mining, allegations of disaster-relief funds being diverted, and unverified reports regarding current death tolls, many claims suggest federal authorities are covering up casualties or seizing land, while others promote baseless theories about weather control. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we take a deep dive into what North Carolina state representatives and FEMA officials have said and done amid these rumors, and the potential dangers of misinformation in undermining relief efforts and creating unnecessary fear and confusion among affected communities. HURRICANE CHARITIES: Please consider making a donation to one or more of the following organizations that are aiding in the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Caring for Others Feeding America BeLoved Asheville Global Empowerment Mission Ground Force Humanitarian Aid Mercy Chefs Loving Food Red Cross Goodwill Industries Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Live updates: Hurricane Milton hits Florida with tornadoes, surge and wind UAP NEWS: Report names ‘Immaculate Constellation’ UAP program: Journalist HELENE UPDATES: 11 members of same family killed when mudslide wiped out NC neighborhood Mark Huneycutt visits Chimney Rock Public officials urge halt to the spread of rampant disinformation around Hurricane Helene MISINFORMATION: Another Hurdle in Recovery From Helene: Misinformation Is Getting in the Way  Helene response hampered by misinformation, conspiracy theories  Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned over Helene weather conspiracy theory  FEMA prepares for Hurricane Milton and battles Helene recovery rumors | AP News  FEMA administrator continues pushback against false claims as Helene death toll hits 230 Press Conference with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell from Asheville (Oct 9 2024) FEMA’s Official Rumor Response Page BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

In the final days of September, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall over the southeastern United States, causing widespread destruction that affected several states, with areas around Asheville, North Carolina, being among those most adversely impacted.  This week on The Micah Hanks Program, Micah is joined by Matthew Oakley and Christopher Heyes to provide a detailed report on the situation on the ground here in Asheville, including personal experiences in the community, commentary on the local and federal emergency response, and also analysis of rumors and conspiracies about the storm that have begun to circulate since the devastation ensued.  Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Helene death toll may rise; 'catastrophic damage' slows power restoration: Updates  Helene is deadliest mainland US hurricane since Katrina as toll hits 200 'Nothing like this': National Guard rushes supplies to communities cut off by Helene  Why was the flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, so extreme? Meteorologists explain. ‘Nowhere is safe’: shattered Asheville shows stunning reach of climate crisis  We’re only beginning to understand the historic nature of Helene’s flooding Photos: Helene decimates Chimney Rock, N.C., a mountain town that was washed away in the storm CONSPIRACIES: US officials struggle to quash Hurricane Helene conspiracy theories Helene response hampered by misinformation, conspiracy theories BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

Between 2016 and 2019, a series of secretive tests were conducted by the U.S. Navy into a mysterious phenomenon that became known as "The Pais Effect." The experimentation stemmed from the publication of a collection of unusual patents describing UFO-like technologies by Salvatore Pais, an engineer and inventor whose work remains controversial today.  Joining us this week on The Micah Hanks Program, Salvatore Pais speaks with Micah and colleague Tim McMillan for an on-the-record discussion about the patents, what inspired them, official inquiries that resulted from the Navy's experiments, and also the national security significance of Pais's research into "The Pais Effect." Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: NASA's Perseverance Rover Makes Discovery of Bizarre 'Freya Castle' Rock on Mars What’s That in the Desert? ESA Satellite Captures Incredible Images of Iconic Event as Seen from Orbit Concerns Over Unauthorized UAS Incidents Prompt New International Defense Collaboration Earth Will Temporarily Have a "Mini-Moon" in Its Orbit Until Late November Look: Over 300 New 'Nazca Lines' Geoglyphs Have Been Revealed by AI SALVATORE PAIS: Design of an experiment for observation of thermocapillary convection phenomena in a simulated floating zone under microgravity conditions / by Salvatore Cezar Pais "Bubble Generation in a Continuous Liquid Flow Under Reduced Gravity Conditions" THE PATENTS: Craft using an inertial mass reduction device". USPTO (10144532) High frequency gravitational wave generator". USPTO (10322827) Electromagnetic field generator and method to generate an electromagnetic field". USPTO (10135366) Plasma Compression Fusion Device". USPTO (20190295733). September 26, 2019 Laser augmented turbojet propulsion system". USPTO (20170313446) THE STORY: Docs Show Navy Got 'UFO' Patent Granted By Warning Of Similar Chinese Tech Advances" The Navy Finally Speaks Up About Its Bizarre "UFO Patent" Experiments BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

Skinwalker Ranch, located in the Uintah Basin of northeastern Utah, is renowned for its reputation as a hotspot for unexplained phenomena. The 512-acre property has garnered international attention for a wide variety of strange events, ranging from UFO sightings and cattle mutilations to paranormal activities like poltergeist-like occurrences. With the ranch's mysterious history attracting the attention of everyone from researchers and government entities, to private organizations and their investigators over the decades, this week on The Micah Hanks Program we discuss Micah's own recent trip to the famous ranch, along with an analysis of the strange happenings that are purportedly connected with the location.  This episode is sponsored by SurfShark. Find out more about their cybersecurity protection services by going to https://surfshark.com/MICAHHANKS. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Suspect in apparent assassination attempt on Trump was near golf course for 12 hours Jane's Addiction Cancels Tour After Perry Farrell Throws Punch at Dave Navarro During Concert  China frees American pastor after 18 years in detention  Millions Could Qualify for Psilocybin Therapy if FDA Approves Depression Therapy Scientists Discover Odd, Potentially Dangerous Lifeforms Thriving High in Earth’s Atmosphere   Big Bang theory of how the universe began is refuted by Webb telescope study  SKINWALKER RANCH: The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders' Account of the Secret Government UFO Program Inside the Government’s Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

In 2013, a feature article appeared on the website of legendary aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin that quickly had aviation buffs talking. The piece, titled “Speed is the New Stealth,” claimed that a new hypersonic aircraft was under development at the company’s famous Skunk Works facility, which would soon set a new standard for speed and stealth in American aerospace technologies. They called it the SR-72, an aircraft Aviation Week had already dubbed "the son of Blackbird" after its predecessor, the legendary SR-71.  Today, the status of the SR-72 program remains in question, although recent reports suggest that America's next secretive spy plane could soon be taking flight. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we delve into the mystery surrounding this aircraft, it's relationship to the fictional "Darkstar" program depicted in the film Top Gun: Maverick, and also look at UAP sightings that could involve encounters with unacknowledged U.S. stealth technologies. This episode is sponsored by SurfShark. Find out more about their cybersecurity protection services by going to https://surfshark.com/MICAHHANKS. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader, dies aged 93 Astronauts would have been fine on Boeing's Starliner during landing, NASA says China’s Classified Space Plane, Shenlong, Returns from Secretive 267-Day Mission in Space Japanese Eels Have Evolved the Ability to Escape a Predator’s Stomach After Being Eaten DARKSTAR: Secretive SR-72 Hypersonic Aircraft, Successor to Lockheed Martin’s Legendary SR-71, Could Soon Take Flight SKUNK WORKS: Speed is the New Stealth: Lockheed Martin Skunkworks  It Sure Seems Like Darkstar, Lockheed’s Secret High-Speed Jet, Is Real BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

In the years immediately following the Second World War, sightings of strange phenomena in our skies gave rise to one of the strangest developments of the postwar era: the "arrival" of flying saucers, strange objects that the U.S. government now calls unidentified anomalous phenomena.  Joining us this week is Greg Eghigian, a Professor of History and Bioethics at Pennsylvania State University. An expert on the history of the abnormal and the paranormal in the modern world, his research has been supported by NASA and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and Greg joins us on The Micah Hanks Program to discuss his recent book, After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon. Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Fishermen Off Hawaii Stumble Upon Mysterious Classified DARPA Drone Belief in alien visits to Earth is spiralling out of control – here’s why that’s so dangerous  EGHIGIAN: Greg Eghigian, Department of History at Princeton University BOOK: After the Flying Saucers Came: A Global History of the UFO Phenomenon BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

Throughout the final decades of the 20th century, strange beliefs began to pervade the UFO research community. Ranging from stories of alleged flying saucer crashes, to strange encounters with "malevolent" alien beings, these and other controversial narratives began to predominate the minds of many in the UFO field. Where did these ideas originate, and how have they continued to shape the modern UFO narrative?  Joining us this week to discuss the origins of such ideas is Charles Lear, an independent historical researcher and author of books that include his latest work, Crashed Saucers and Malevolent Aliens: The Emergence of the Popular Modern UFO Mythos in the Late 20th Century. We explore these ideas, and much more, on this week's edition of The Micah Hanks Program.  Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: ELIZONDO: Imminent: Former Counterintelligence Agent's New Memoir Reveals an Insider's Look at UFOs  AARO: The Pentagon’s Official UAP Investigative Office Has a New Full-Time Director ANNOUNCEMENT: Department of Defense Announces the New Director, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office  JON KOSLOSKI BIO: Dr. Jon T. Kosloski:  U.S. Department of Defense Biography CHARLES LEAR: Crashed Saucers and Malevolent Aliens: The Emergence of the Popular Modern UFO Mythos in the Late 20th Century BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

As humans continue to search the cosmos for evidence of intelligent life from other worlds, and the UAP debate suggests the possibility that it may already have found us, legal scholars are now considering how laws would apply to potential contact scenarios.  Joining us on The Micah Hanks Program this week are Professor Michael Bohlander, the Chair in Global Law and SETI Policy in the Durham Law School, and Dr. John Elliott, an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Computer Science and the Coordinator for the SETI Post Detection Hub at the University of St Andrews. Together we explore how international laws could apply if contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence were made, and how a recent survey the researchers are conducting could be used to develop post-contact protocols.  Have you had a UFO/UAP sighting? Please consider reporting your sighting to the UAP Sightings Reporting System, a public resource for information about sightings of aerial phenomena. The story doesn't end here... become an X Subscriber and get access to even more weekly content and monthly specials. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: ELIZONDO: I Investigated UAPs at the Pentagon—Americans Can Handle the Truth  NEWS: Palmdale UFO Scare Leads To Revelations About Mystery Drone Incursions Over Plant 42  How Would Humans React to Contact with Extraterrestrials? UK Researchers Seek Answers in New Survey MICHAEL BOHLANDER: Professor Michael Bohlander - Durham University  BOOK: Contact With Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Human Law: The Applicability of Rules of War and Human Rights ARTICLE: Take Me to Your Lawyer: The Legal Aspects of Contact with Extraterrestrial Intelligence JOHN ELLIOT: Dr John Elliott - School of Computer Science PAPER: Meeting extraterrestrials: scenarios of first contact from the perspective of exosociology  BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as “classic” episodes of The Gralien Report Podcast, weekly “additional editions” of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.