The US Congress has been attempting to “pull back the curtain” on secret research into UFOs - as our map reveals the 31 unexplained objects witnessed above . The hearing, titled “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth,” heard from several experts and a variety of witness accounts. Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) is the new name for Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). Experts included government workers and a member of NASA’s UAP Independent Study Team. Michael Gold - former NASA associate administrator of space policy and partnerships and a member of the UAP study team - told the hearing that “the vast majority of UAP are drones”. However, he added that there are anomalies that must be studied and admitted that some of the UAPs observed “can move faster” than US submarines and “are being intelligently controlled”. Author and former Department of Defence official Luis Elizondo claimed that “advanced technologies not made by our government - or any other government - are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe.” He insisted: “Let me be clear. UAP are real.” The hearing, jointly led by Chairs Nancy Mace and Glenn Grothman, was the second to investigate the phenomenon of UAP. “Americans deserve to understand what the government has learned about UAP sightings, and the nature of any potential threats these phenomena pose,” the co-chairs said in a statement. The hearing followed a long-awaited report released by NASA last year which studied previous sightings of UFOs (or UAPs) in the skies. While the report did not find any clear evidence that the sightings were alien, it did admit it was possible they could be. Last year the British spotter group UFO Identified documented a total of 395 sightings in the UK in 2023. That was a 20 per cent drop from 497 UFO sightings in 2022 and also lower than in 2021 (413) and 2020 (484). Those figures include 31 sightings above Kent: 12 last year; nine in 2022; and 10 in 2021. A witness saw a “spinning cylinder” moving in the sky immediately in front of them in Bickley, , in July last year. Several dots of light that were seen “dancing” in the sky above Railway Station, in April last year. An oval-shaped object was seen moving and tipping on its side immediately after a red flash in the sky above Ashford. Just under half of all documented sightings (48 per cent) include photographic or video evidence. A quarter of all sightings (25 per cent) were of a “star-like” object or objects, moving across the sky. The next most common sighting was of an unidentified object shaped like an “orb” (17 per cent), “sphere”, (10 per cent) and “cylinder” (9 per cent). UFO Identified found that people in the North West had the best chance of seeing a UFO last year, with 41 sightings across the region, followed by the South East (40) and then the South West (39). Separate research by the UFO spotter website Enigma has documented more than 200,000 unexplained encounters above the skies of the USA. More UFOs have been spotted in California than any other US state, just over 28,000. California is followed by Florida (14,500), Texas (12,500) and New York (10,000). But those states have the highest populations in the US - meaning there are more people to watch the skies, and more likely that someone will see something they can’t explain. Taking population size into account, residents of New Mexico are most likely to have seen a UFO. For every 100,000 people, there are 162 sightings. That’s the equivalent of one in 618 people encountering a UFO.
Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopoly ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department and Google have made their closing arguments in a trial alleging Google’s online advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. The arguments in federal court Monday in northern Virginia came as Google already faces a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine. The Justice Department says it will seek the breakup of Google to remedy its search engine monopoly. The case in Virginia focuses not on the search engine but on technology that matches online advertisers to consumers on the internet. A judge is expected to rule by the end of the year. ‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel DALLAS (AP) — The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday — most of them by car. Thanksgiving Day falling so late this year has altered traditional travel patterns. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration says it could screen a record number of U.S. air travelers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says a shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. Transportation analytics company INRIX says roads could be congested on Monday with both commuters and returning holiday travelers. Macy’s says employee hid up to $154 million in expenses, delaying Q3 earnings Macy’s says it’s delaying the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11. Newsom says California could offer electric vehicle rebates if Trump eliminates federal tax credit SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer state tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Gov. Gavin Newsom says Monday he'll propose creating a new version of the state’s successful Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased out in 2023 after funding nearly 600,000 new cars and trucks. Officials didn’t say how much the program would cost or how the rebates would work. Newsom’s proposal is part of his plan to protect California’s progressive policies ahead of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. But a budget shortfall could complicate California’s resistance efforts. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Stock market today: Wall Street closes higher as the Dow reaches another record NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another all-time high. The Dow added 1% Monday to the record it set on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks jumped 1.5%, closing just shy of the record high it set three years ago. Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — American Airlines says it doesn’t expect significant disruptions to flights this week as a result of a labor strike at its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Service workers there walked out Monday during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Eggs are available -- but pricier -- as the holiday baking season begins Egg prices are on the rise again as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with high demand during the holiday baking season. The average price for a dozen eggs in U.S. cities was $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was up 63% from October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07. Avian influenza is the main culprit. The current bird flu outbreak that began in February 2022 has led to the slaughter of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. But the American Egg Board says egg shortages at grocery stores have been isolated and temporary so far. ‘Buy now, pay later’ is more popular than ever. It can cost more than you think NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans heading into Black Friday and the holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. Experts say the short-term loans can lead consumers to overextend themselves and warn that those who use credit cards for the service face higher interest expenses. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago.BYU jumps out early, cruises past Mississippi Valley State 87-43 to move to 5-0
Jake Paul wants “to set the record straight,” when no straightening is required. If anyone would understand that we moved on from his “fight” against Mike Tyson, it should be Paul, who has made a fortune in the split-second entertainment world of social media. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Analysts and commentators are in a frenzy parsing the winners and losers in Donald Trump’s victory, all while billionaires and special interest groups are posturing to get on the president-elect’s good side. But one group won a surprising victory on Nov. 5 without spending a dime on political donations, lobbying, campaigning or any politicking at all: the classical education movement. Classical education is a nonexistent player on the national political scene. It doesn’t have a super PAC, and, frankly, classical schools don’t represent a large pocket of voters. Instead, those involved in classical education quietly educate a relatively small number of American students in the great Western historical, literary and intellectual tradition. Yet elected leaders — including Mr. Trump — have expended their political capital to support the classical school movement. Mr. Trump did perhaps the most to bring the classical school movement into the spotlight through his stripped-down and innovative Republican Party platform. Eschewing the usual laundry list of lobbyist-approved policy proposals and slashing the traditional length of a platform by dozens of pages, Mr. Trump nonetheless gave a prized place to classical education. In a brief chapter on the Republican plan to “renew the pillars of American civilization,” one of Mr. Trump’s nine policy planks was to support “the restoration of Classic Liberal Arts Education.” The plank was complete with Mr. Trump’s signature liberal use of capitalization, proof that he wrote, or at least edited, the document himself. And again, in one of his nine planks in the platform’s brief chapter on education, Mr. Trump proclaimed the Republican Party’s support for schools that teach “Western Civilization.” The choice of Linda McMahon — an ardent school choice advocate — as secretary of education reveals that Mr. Trump remains committed to upending the often anti-Western education system as we know it. These aren’t one-off concerns. As president, Mr. Trump gave a rousing defense of the glories and traditions of Western civilization in a speech in Poland where he declared that “the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization with triumph.” Earlier this year, he praised Hungarian President Viktor Orban for “proudly fighting on the front lines of the battle to rescue Western civilization.” He even attacked Vice President Kamala Harris as “the candidate of the forces who want to destroy Western civilization.” Mr. Trump isn’t alone in supporting classical education and Western civilization. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has embraced classical education in everything from his choices for school board to allowing the use of the Classic Learning Test (where I am the CEO) as an alternative to the SAT and ACT for admission to his state’s public universities. Meanwhile, Texas is poised to become the largest state in the union to embrace school choice, freedom that will pour rocket fuel on the already booming classical school movement that saw enrollment increases of roughly 600% over only 10 years. It’s not only Republicans. Cornel West ran for president to the left of the Democratic Party this last cycle, and he has long supported classical education as a means of justice and liberation, especially for Black and brown people. With support from Mr. Trump on the right to Mr. West on the left and from state governments up to the national level, classical schools are set to grow more rapidly than ever. The biggest obstacle holding the classical movement back is that they can’t build schools and hire teachers fast enough. If our leaders want this movement to take off, it’s time to transform supportive rhetoric into action. That especially means investing in teacher pay at classical schools through private support or public policy. Once great teachers see that they not only can escape traditional public schools’ ideological and bureaucratic constraints by moving to a classical school but also get paid more to do it, this movement will explode. Yet with the classical movement making waves across the nation, a major question remains: Why have such a diverse set of politicians in our country, including the president-elect, lined up to back an educational movement that has effectively no political influence? Maybe it stems from recognizing that the current educational model is failing our students. Maybe our political leaders want to support an educational model that doesn’t embrace propaganda or educational fads from either side but instead favors timeless pedagogy that cultivates intellectually curious, intelligent and free adults. Maybe people do want an education system that actually educates. Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. .
Wingstop Announces Additional $500 Million Share Repurchase Authorization
Kentucky will aim to improve upon its best start in seven seasons when it hosts Western Kentucky on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., in the final game of the BBN Invitational. The Wildcats (5-0) are ranked No. 8 in the latest Associated Press poll and are setting impressive offensive milestones even for a program as tradition-rich as Kentucky, which includes eight national championships. The Wildcats have scored 97 or more points in their first four home games for the first time in program history and eclipsed the 100-point mark in three of those games. Their lone trip out of state was a solid 77-72 victory over Duke in a matchup of top-10 teams in Atlanta. Kentucky has also made at least 10 three-pointers in each of its first five games of a season for the first time ever. "I think Kentucky attracts good people," Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the Wildcats' 108-59 win over Jackson State on Friday. "It's the one place in all college basketball where you represent just a fanbase in a different, unique way." Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have led the Wildcats' early scoring outburst. Oweh, who is averaging 16.2 points per game, had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting against Jackson State. "He gets us off to unbelievable starts every night," Pope told reporters after that game. "He's probably been our most consistent guy in games." Brea, who scored 22 points against Jackson State and is averaging 16.0 points per game, is leading the nation in 3-point accuracy at 74.1 percent. As a team, the Wildcats are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. And the few times they miss, Amari Williams has been doing the dirty work on the glass, averaging 10.8 boards in addition to 9.6 points per game. Kentucky faces a different challenge than it's had to contend with so far in the Hilltoppers (3-2), who have won three in a row after losing their first two games to Wichita State and Grand Canyon. Their up-tempo play hasn't exactly resulted in great offensive output, but in the Hilltoppers' 79-62 win over Jackson State on Wednesday, they shot 45.2 percent from 3-point range (14 for 31). "I was happy to see a lot of different guys contribute tonight and, hopefully, get their feet under them a little bit and get some confidence," said Western Kentucky coach Hank Plona, who is in his first season as head coach. "Obviously, Tuesday will be quite a test and challenge for us and we'll need them to be at their absolute best." Western Kentucky has an experienced group, which returned mostly intact from last season. The team is led by Conference USA first-team selection Don McHenry, who is leading the team with 17.2 points and 2.2 steals per game. McHenry is one of four Hilltoppers with scoring averages in double figures. Julius Thedford (11.4 points per game) and Babacar Faye (15.0) are each shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. Western Kentucky also figures to challenge the Wildcats on the boards as it enters the game ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounding (30.4 per game). Faye leads the Hilltoppers in that department, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and figures to battle Williams inside. "We're not the biggest team in the world, but our depth and our quickness are our strengths," Plona said. --Field Level Media
