TYB
Butch Wilmore - Elon Musk’s Mars Mission, a $7 Million Space Suit and 464 Days in Space | SRS #287
Mar 12, 2026
Barry E. “Butch” Wilmore was raised in Tennessee, where an early fascination with aviation, engineering, and disciplined teamwork set the course for his career.
He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, along with a master’s degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee.
Before NASA, Wilmore served as a U.S. Navy aviator, test pilot, and squadron officer, accumulating more than 8,000 flight hours and 663 carrier landings in tactical jet aircraft.
Wilmore flew A-7E and F/A-18 aircraft during four operational deployments aboard the USS Forrestal, Kennedy, Enterprise, and Eisenhower.
He completed 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and also flew in support of Desert Shield, Southern Watch, and NATO operations over Bosnia.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, he contributed to the early development and carrier certification of the T-45 jet trainer, experience that proved critical to his later astronaut duties.
Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000, Wilmore flew three space missions totaling 464 days in space. He piloted STS-129 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2009, delivering critical hardware to the ISS.
In 2014–2015, he launched aboard a Russian Soyuz as part of Expedition 41, later assuming command of Expedition 42, spending 167 days in orbit and conducting four spacewalks.
Most recently, he commanded Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight in 2024; following an uncrewed return decision, he completed a long-duration ISS mission and returned to Earth in March 2025 aboard SpaceX Crew-9.
Wilmore retired from NASA in July 2025 after 25 years with the agency, one of the few astronauts to fly aboard the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, and Crew Dragon.
He is married to Deanna, with whom he has two daughters, and is known for steady leadership, deep technical skill, faith, and continued commitment to mentorship and STEM outreach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XClV8EH7jDE
https://x.com/ShawnRyan762
https://x.com/butch_wilmore
Strengthening Bonds: A Special Night for Service Members and Their Daughters
March 12, 2026
The Space Launch Delta 45 Chaplain’s Office hosted its annual Daddy-Daughter Dance on February 27, 2026.
Approximately 80 parents and daughters attended the event, giving service members an opportunity to step away from launch operations and spend dedicated time with their children.
“Our military personnel dedicate so much time to the mission,” said Capt. Subhankar Patnaik, deputy chaplain for Space Launch Delta 45.
“This event focuses on building stronger, resilient families. Tonight is about creating special memories and emotional connections between dads and their daughters that will last a lifetime.”
Since its debut in 2023, the Daddy-Daughter Dance has grown each year due to increasing demand from the military community. This year’s theme, Hollywood Glamour, transformed the venue into an evening filled with elegance and celebration.
To bring the theme to life, organizers focused on thoughtful details throughout the event. Local vendors helped ensure a smooth experience, allowing planners to concentrate on creating a memorable atmosphere for families.
From festive decorations and music to sparkling tiaras for every girl in attendance, the evening was designed to make daughters feel special.
Events like the Daddy-Daughter Dance support the Chapel Office’s mission to promote spiritual readiness and family resilience among Airmen and Guardians by strengthening relationships and building community.
According to Patnaik, one of the SLD 45 Chaplain Office’s central goals is helping develop virtuous leaders with integrity by supporting strong military families.
“Just as physical fitness is essential, spiritual fitness is also vital,” Patnaik said. “It requires intentional time and meaningful activities like this one.”
Programs such as the dance contribute to stronger spiritual, mental and social fitness within the military community, he explained.
“I want our families to be resilient, harmonious and joyful,” Patnaik said. “I’ve seen how strong families positively impact the work center and the mission.”
Beyond the celebration itself, the event also helped strengthen connections between families and the Chaplain’s Office, reinforcing that support is always available.
“We want families to know that they can call upon us at any time, and we will be there for them,” Patnaik added.
As the evening concluded, fathers and daughters left with smiles, photos and lasting memories — a reminder that even in a high-tempo operational environment, nurturing family bonds remains a cornerstone of resilience and strength across the force.
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4432167/strengthening-bonds-a-special-night-for-service-members-and-their-daughters/
SpaceX launches
Starlink Mission
March 12, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched five Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-48
Starlink Mission
March 13, 2026 03:58 - 07:58 PT
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This will be the 32nd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, Transporter-15, and 19 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-31
Medics killed by Ukrainian strike on hospital in Russian region – MOD
Updated 12 Mar, 2026 16:40
Eight medics were killed and ten other people injured when Ukrainian drones struck a medical facility in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
The attack reportedly happened on March 10 at around 03:40 Moscow time when four fixed wing UAVs launched by Kiev deliberately targeted a stationary medical institution in the DPR, where more than 130 patients and around 50 medical staff were present.
According to the MOD, nine of the injured are medical workers.
The ministry said that the “terrorist strike by the Kiev regime” had “grossly violated international humanitarian law and basic human morality,” stressing that the facility “has never been used for military purposes” and was a purely civilian medical institution.
In another Ukrainian strike on the DPR this week, four civilians, including a six-year-old boy, were killed and twelve more injured. In Russia’s Zaporozhye Region a Ukrainian drone attacked a passenger bus carrying children from a sports school after it stopped at a gas station, injuring several boys and their coach, according to local authorities.
Moscow has repeatedly said that Kiev is attacking civilians because it cannot halt Russian advances on the battlefield.
Ukrainian officials claim that inflicting sufficient economic damage will force Russia to abandon its objectives in the four-year Ukraine conflict.
In response to the attacks against Russian civilians, Moscow has targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure that it says supports kamikaze drone production for long-range strikes.
https://www.rt.com/russia/634643-ukraine-attack-russia-hospital/
=Ukrainian plot to assassinate ‘senior Russian military official’ foiled in Crimea – FSB
12 Mar, 2026 09:17
A Ukrainian attempt to assassinate a senior Russian military official has been thwarted in the Crimean Peninsula, the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Thursday.
The primary suspect in the alleged plot is a 39-year-old resident of Sevastopol, the port city hosting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, who volunteered his services to a “terrorist organization acting under Ukrainian special services’ control,” the FSB said.
Several militia groups and military units fighting for Kiev fit the description, including the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) led by neo-Nazi Denis ‘White Rex’ Kapustin. The FSB did not specify which group the suspect was affiliated with.
According to the agency, before being tasked with the murder, the man collected intelligence for Ukrainian civilian and military intelligence services.
The bomb plot was reportedly stopped after Ukrainian handlers provided information about the target and the location of a stash containing components for a remotely triggered improvised explosive device, which the agent was supposed to place under the military official’s car.
The suspect now faces a life sentence for state treason.
Russian authorities have previously accused the Ukrainian government of masterminding multiple assassinations, including by coercing people through online scams to carry out attacks.
Earlier this month, the FSB reported that a suspect in a bomb plot targeting a defense plant in Sverdlovsk Region was killed remotely by his handlers during an arrest attempt – fitting a pattern of alleged Ukrainian attacks designed to eliminate either unwitting participants or willing perpetrators.
https://www.rt.com/russia/634612-fsb-military-assassination-plot/
No imminent drone threat to California, says governor
March 12, 2026, 10:31 a.m.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state, despite a warning from the FBI that Iran could send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war.
Newsom said drone issues “have always been top of mind.” “We’ve been aware of that information. … It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,” the governor said Wednesday.
The FBI recently warned police departments about Iran and a possible California strike, though the alert also said it was “unverified information.”
“Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,” the alert said.
“We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack,” the alert said.
The alert was posted on X by an FBI spokesperson after a report by ABC News.
Separately, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that the message to law enforcement was a tip based on “unverified intelligence.”
“No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” Leavitt said Thursday.
President Donald Trump was asked about it Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews.
“It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening. All we can do is take ’em as they come,” Trump said.
Police in Los Angeles and San Francisco said they were monitoring world events for any risks to their cities. Both said they’re working closely with state and federal authorities.
https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2026/03/12/no-imminent-drone-threat-to-california-says-governor/
White House demands ABC retract FBI report on Iranian drone threat to California
March 12, 2026 07:28 PM GMT+03:00
The White House on Wednesday demanded that ABC News retract a report claiming the FBI had warned California law enforcement about a potential Iranian drone attack on the West Coast, calling the story alarmist and based on a single, unverified intelligence tip.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that the report was built on "one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip," and accused the network of deliberately omitting the fact that the underlying intelligence had not been corroborated.
"No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did," Leavitt wrote.
The sharp rebuke came as the United States and Israel entered a 12th day of military operations against Iran, a conflict that has killed more than 1,200 people in Iran and prompted retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
ABC report cited FBI bulletin distributed in late February
ABC News reported earlier Wednesday that the FBI had alerted police departments across California in recent days that Iran could retaliate against American strikes by launching drones at the West Coast from an unidentified vessel.
The network said it had reviewed the bulletin, which was distributed to local law enforcement at the end of February, before U.S. and Israeli forces launched their opening strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The alert stated that as of early February 2026, Iran had allegedly aspired to carry out a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles launched from a vessel off the California coast.
The bulletin also noted, however, that the FBI possessed no additional details regarding timing, method, specific targets, or the perpetrators behind the alleged plot.
Leavitt seized on that caveat, arguing that the network had buried the unverified nature of the intelligence to generate alarm. "They wrote this based on one email," she said. "Yet ABC News left out this critical fact in their story."
A spokeswoman for the FBI's Los Angeles office declined to comment on the bulletin. The White House did not respond to ABC's initial request for comment before the story was published.
Senior law enforcement official says Iran's capabilities degraded
A senior law enforcement official cited in the ABC report said it was believed that 12 days of sustained U.S. and Israeli bombardment had severely degraded Iran's ability to carry out any such operation against the American homeland.
The intelligence about Iran's aspirations predated the start of the military campaign.
The broader conflict, which Washington has codenamed Operation Epic Fury, began on Feb. 28 when U.S. and Israeli forces launched nearly 900 strikes in the first 12 hours, targeting Iranian missile systems, air defenses, military infrastructure, and senior leadership.
The opening salvo killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of other officials. Iran has since retaliated with waves of missiles and drones aimed at Israel and U.S. military installations across the Gulf region.
California officials say they are on heightened alert
State and local authorities in California said they were taking precautions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office told ABC News that the Governor's Office of Emergency Services was "actively working with state, local and federal security officials to protect our communities."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it was maintaining an elevated level of readiness in light of global events and had increased patrols around places of worship, cultural institutions, and other prominent locations.
The department said it had also reviewed its deployment plans and ensured additional resources were available.
https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/white-house-demands-abc-retract-fbi-report-on-iranian-drone-threat-to-california-3216131
https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/california-governor-imminent-threat-despite-warning-iran-drone-131001832
https://abcnews.com/US/fbi-warns-iran-aspired-attack-california-drones-retaliation/story
'Fuel tanks are burning' — Major Russian oil hub hit in Ukrainian drone strike in Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says
March 12, 2026 1:20 pm
Ukrainian forces struck infrastructure at the Tikhoretsk oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, one of the largest oil logistics hubs in southern Russia, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on March 12.
"Today's strike on the Tikhoretsk oil hub, which is the only supply branch delivering petroleum products to Novorossiysk, delivered a significant blow to the enemy's oil logistics," the source said.
The operation was carried out by SBU's Alfa Special Operations Center and targeted the facility's infrastructure in the town of Tikhoretsk, according to the source.
The site forms part of a major oil hub that includes a large oil depot and terminal used to handle Russian fuel and petroleum products.
The strike caused a large fire at the facility, the source said. Videos circulating online appear to show multiple fires at the site, likely involving fuel storage tanks.
Russian authorities confirmed the attack on the oil pumping station and said 26 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish the fire.
Ukraine previously targeted oil infrastructure at the Russian port of Novorossiysk earlier in March, in an operation the SBU said was conducted jointly with Ukraine's Defense Forces.
According to the SBU source, such operations are designed to disrupt supply chains, complicate fuel transport to Russian ports, and force Moscow to alter logistics routes, weakening Russia's ability to sustain the war.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil depots, refineries, and logistics infrastructure with long-range drones as part of a broader campaign against Russia's industrial facilities supporting the war effort.
But the ongoing war in Iran could counteract this effort, at least in the short term — the war could be a boon for Russia, experts say, as turmoil in global energy markets changes the calculus for the world's largest petrostate.
January and February this year were bleak on the fiscal front for Russia, as low oil prices, a looming global oil glut, and compounding sanctions tightened the screws on Russia's energy sector.
The country relies in large part on its colossal oil and gas revenues to fund its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — now in its fifth year.
https://kyivindependent.com/fuel-tanks-are-burning-major-russian-oil-hub-ablaze-after-ukrainian-drone-strike-in-krasnodar-krai-sbu-source-says/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/12/ukrainian-drone-kills-1-in-attack-on-krasnodar-region-a92211
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/ukraine-drone-deal-us-russia-iran-oil-missiles-zelensky-20260312.html
https://tvpworld.com/92056595/drone-crashed-in-polish-mine-may-be-linked-to-2025-russian-swarm
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/12/8025229/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-hits-2-oil-tankers-in-gulf-as-idf-reports-striking-critical-nuclear-site-near-tehran/
https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/2031884186231926928
https://www.jns.org/idf-hits-iran-nuclear-uav-sites-in-major-strikes/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-889807
other Israel
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/artc-iran-s-irgc-says-it-carried-out-a-joint-operation-with-hezbollah-against-israel-live-blog
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-03-12/live-updates-889663
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/artc-idf-says-senior-iranian-imam-hossein-division-commanders-killed-in-lebanon-strike
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-chief-apologizes-for-failure-to-notify-public-of-planned-hezbollah-attack-last-night/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syb1100pe5we
Iran hits 2 oil tankers in Gulf as IDF reports striking ‘critical’ nuclear site near Tehran
Today, 2:13 pm
Two oil tankers were struck in the Gulf, killing one person, as Iran continued its attacks on targets across the region and the IDF reported hitting a “critical” nuclear site near Tehran, amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Iran also continued its missile attacks on Israel, firing five salvos by midafternoon Thursday, the 13th day of the war, after attacking Israel on Wednesday night in coordination with its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah. No injuries were reported in the Thursday salvos.
Throughout the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran has targeted countries across the region and said it would choke off the Strait of Hormuz, a major artery for the world’s oil supply.
The attacks on the two oil tankers exacerbated a crisis that has sent crude prices soaring, despite countries releasing their oil reserves at historic rates.
Arab states in the region also reported shooting down Iranian projectiles, including in residential and diplomatic areas.
The renewed attacks followed a warning from Tehran that it could wage a prolonged war that would “destroy” the world economy. The Islamic Republic has also threatened to bomb the offices of tech giants in Israel and the region.
US President Donald Trump has sent shifting signals on how long the American fight against the regime would last, and another sign of the war’s cost came in a report from The New York Times that the fighting’s opening week cost the United States more than $11.3 billion.
The report, citing what lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, says the figure excludes many costs connected with the buildup to the strikes — suggesting the final tally for the first week could rise substantially.
Two oil tankers hit near Iraq
The two tankers came under attack near Iraq on Thursday, with Iraqi authorities saying at least one crew member was killed, another 38 had been rescued and a search for others was ongoing.
Additional footage of the two oil tankers struck by Iran in the northern Persian Gulf tonight, both reportedly loaded with Iraqi oil.
Iran took responsibility for striking one of the tankers and did not mention the other, according to the Times. Iraq believes Iran is responsible for both attacks.
The Iraqi government’s media cell told national news agency INA that the “two tankers were subject to sabotage,” and the country’s oil ministry said it had “deep concern” about incidents involving oil tankers in the Gulf.
The attack forced authorities to halt operations at all the country’s oil terminals, though commercial ports remained open, officials said.
Drones also struck fuel tanks at Oman’s Salalah port, where operations were subsequently suspended as well.
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Shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz came under renewed attack, with a container ship near the United Arab Emirates hit by an “unknown projectile,” the UK maritime agency said in an alert Thursday.
The projectile caused a small fire onboard, but all crew were reported as safe, the agency said.
Meanwhile, two members of the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree bulk carrier, which was hit by two projectiles on Wednesday, were still missing on Thursday “and believed to be trapped in the engine room” of the ship, according to transport company Precious Shipping.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had struck the Mayuree Naree, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait because the ships had ignored “warnings.”
Oman, meanwhile, has shifted all vessels out of its main oil export terminal at Mina Al Fahal outside the strait in a precautionary move, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing direct recipients of a port agent’s notice.
IDF says it hit Iranian nuclear site, conducted strikes in Tehran
The US and Israel, meanwhile, continued to pound regime targets within the Islamic Republic.
On Thursday, the IDF said it had recently struck an Iranian nuclear facility where the regime advanced “critical capabilities in the development of nuclear weapons.”
The site near Tehran, identified by the military as the Taleghan compound, was hit during waves of strikes carried out in the area in recent days.
The IDF said that in recent years, Iran used the site for “the development of advanced explosives and for conducting sensitive experiments as part of AMAD Project,” Iran’s alleged secret nuclear weapons development program.
The Taleghan compound had been struck by Israel in October 2024, during a retaliation for an Iranian missile attack on Israel earlier that month.
The military said that it recently identified that Iran had “taken steps to rehabilitate the compound” following those strikes.
“The Iranian regime has continued efforts to advance and develop capabilities required for the development of a nuclear weapon,” the IDF said, adding that the recent strike was part of a “series of operations” aimed at “further damaging the Iranian terror regime’s nuclear aspirations.”
Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities
In addition, overnight, the Israeli Air Force said it launched a new wave of “extensive” airstrikes on Iranian regime sites in Tehran.
Iran threatens to hit offices of tech giants
As Iran continued to fire missiles at Israel, the country’s Tasnim news agency published a list of more potential targets for the regime, including the offices of tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nvidia in Gulf countries and Israel.
“With the expansion of regional war into infrastructure warfare, the scope of Iran’s potential targets are gradually expanding,” Tasnim wrote, without citing a source for the possible development.
In Israel, the Health Ministry reported Thursday morning that over the preceding 24 hours, 179 injured people, including both civilians and soldiers, had been taken to hospitals as a result of the conflict.
Among those treated in hospitals, four were in moderate condition and 157 were in good condition. Eighteen people had been treated for anxiety.
While the ministry did not give a breakdown of the causes of injuries, it was assumed that most were sustained by people trying to reach shelter rather than as a direct result of missile fire from Iran or rocket fire from Lebanon.
The ministry said that since February 28, when the war began, 2,745 people had been admitted to hospitals, 85 of whom were hospitalized as of the ministry’s update.
Among those hospitalized, 11 people were in serious condition, 10 people were in moderate condition, and 64 were in good condition.
Fourteen people in Israel have been killed throughout the war so far.
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Reported Iranian attacks in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE
Iranian attacks across the Gulf, which has experienced missile fire throughout the war, continued on Thursday. In the morning, Bahrain told residents to stay inside and close windows to keep fumes out after a fire broke out due to an Iranian attack on fuel tanks.
The blaze began in the country’s Muharraq Island, which is home to Bahrain International Airport. The kingdom had already moved some aircraft out of the area of the airport early Wednesday.
Suspected Iranian attacks were also reported in Kuwait, which said two people were injured by a “hostile drone” that hit a residential building, and also that several drones caused “material damage” at the country’s international airport.
In the United Arab Emirates, explosions were heard in downtown Dubai, as the state said its air defense was responding to a missile threat. Small clouds of smoke were seen rising above a residential neighborhood in the metropolis.
The Dubai government’s media office reported “a minor incident caused by debris from a successful interception that fell onto the facade of a building on Sheikh Zayed Road.”
Earlier, the media office reported “a minor drone incident in the Al Bada’a area.”
Both incidents caused no casualties, it said in the statements on X.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones headed toward the Shaybah oil field as well as its embassies district.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said there was an “attack” on an Italian base in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil, but said there were no injuries. Italy has soldiers in Erbil training Kurdish security forces as part of an international coalition force.
As of early Thursday, attacks in the Gulf since the war’s start have killed 24 people, including 11 civilians and seven US military personnel, according to local authorities and the US Central Command.
Crude oil tops $100 a barrel, amid historic supply disruption
Amid the disruptions, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday that its members had agreed to unlock 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves — their largest release ever.
The United States Department of Energy followed up by saying it would release 172 million barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve “beginning next week.”
Still, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, topped $100 a barrel early Thursday, just days after it spiked near $120, and US benchmark crude oil jumped to about $95 a barrel.
The Paris-based IEA, a world authority on energy markets, said Thursday that the 13-day conflict had caused the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” surpassing those of the 1970s.
The Gulf states’ total oil output is down by at least 10 million barrels per day and there were “no signs of a de-escalation in hostilities,” it added.
US military shares clip of it destroying Iranian planes
The American military published footage showing the destruction of Iranian cargo planes and other aircraft in strikes at Kerman Airport in Iran’s south.
A video released by the US Central Command showed strikes on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Lockheed P-3 Orion, and an Ilyushin Il-76.
The US-made planes were supplied to Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“The Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day. US forces aren’t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them,” CENTCOM said on X.
3/3
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202603119917
other Iran and related
https://www.axios.com/2026/03/12/iran-war-houthis-yemen-gulf-red-sea
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-news-live-us-owned-ship-among-2-vessels-hit-by-iran-in-the-gulf-1-dead-11203453
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/iran-war-british-base-drone-russia-5HjdWGR_2/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/12/five-vessels-attacked-amid-reports-of-iranian-drone-boats-sea-mines
https://www.emirates247.com/uae/uae-condemns-unprovoked-iranian-drone-attack-on-salalah-port/149
https://time.com/article/2026/03/12/iran-linked-cyberattack-us-company-stryker/
https://news.sky.com/story/midget-subs-and-kamikaze-drone-boats-how-iran-blocks-the-strait-of-hormuz-13518700
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/arrested-dubai-sharing-videos-drone-strikes-social-media-b1274646.html
https://shafaq.com/en/Security/Drone-shot-down-near-diplomatic-support-center-at-Baghdad-airport
Khamenei Jr calls for continued Hormuz pressure as shipping crisis deepens
March 12, 2026
Summary
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Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his first message in writing, calling for continued resistance and saying the Strait of Hormuz should remain a tool of pressure as questions persist about his whereabouts and health.
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Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani warned a US strike on Iran’s power grid could plunge the region into darkness, responding to comments by US President Donald Trump.
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The United States cannot currently escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz but may begin doing so by the end of the month, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
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Several explosions were heard in different parts of Tehran after the Israeli military said it had begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting across Iran.
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Thailand demanded an apology from Iran on Thursday over an attack on its vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, and summoned Tehran’s envoy in Bangkok.
1 hour ago
Israel says it killed senior Quds Force-linked commander in Lebanon
Israel’s military said on Thursday it killed a senior commander in the Iranian Imam Hossein Division in Lebanon, identifying him as Ali Muslim Tabaja, a figure it said held a series of military roles within Hezbollah and the unit used by Iran’s Quds Force.
The military added the Imam Hossein Division is a military force used by Iran’s Quds Force to "strengthen the Iranian axis and to operate against the IDF and Israeli civilians."
1 hour ago
Israel releases footage of airstrikes on Basij checkpoints in Tehran
The Israeli military on Thursday released footage of its drone attacks against Basij checkpoints and paramilitary forces in Tehran over the past 24 hours.
"In recent days, the Israeli military identified that Basij forces had established checkpoints at several locations across the city of Tehran. Following the identification of these deployments, the Air Force, guided by the Military Intelligence Directorate, carried out strikes over the past 24 hours targeting the checkpoints and the Basij forces stationed there, killing them," the IDF said in a statement.
"These armed forces are considered part of the Iranian regime’s security apparatus and in recent years have been responsible for carrying out terrorist plans and operations. The strikes were part of a phase aimed at deepening the blow to the core layers and key infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime.
1 hour ago
India’s Modi speaks by phone with Iran’s Pezeshkian
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday and said the safety of Indian nationals and the uninterrupted transit of goods and energy remain India’s top priorities.
1 hour ago
Exiled prince urges Iranian people to stay home, prepare for ‘final phase’
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday urged Iranian people to remain in their homes and avoid streets as well as government and security facilities, saying decisive days lie ahead as the struggle against the Islamic Republic enters what he described as its “final phase.”
2 hours ago
Larijani says Trump can't win Iran war with a few tweets, must pay for it
"Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets," Iran's top security official Ali Larijani said in a post on X.
"We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation. #TrumpMustPay."
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2 hours ago
Israel says anyone serving Iran’s regime not immune from attacks
Anyone serving Iran’s regime is not immune from being attacked, an Israeli military spokesperson told a press conference for Persian-language media representatives on Thursday.
“Every individual, every figure, every institution, every organization, every group — anyone who is serving the regime — is not immune from attacks,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson referred to the recent Israeli drone attack on Basij and Law Enforcement checkpoints in Tehran, describing them as part of broader efforts to undermine the Islamic Republic's internal security apparatus.
“Every person who is serving them, whether in the Basij forces, the police, or the Revolutionary Guards, is certainly considered both a threat to Israel and to the people of Iran,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson said Israel achieved air superiority across Iran’s airspace within 24 hours of the strikes which began on Feb 28.
“Within 24 hours, air superiority across Iran’s entire airspace was achieved.”
So far more than 7,000 hours of operational flights have been carried out, the spokesperson said.
“The Israeli Air Force has carried out more than 4,200 strike sorties across Iran and attacked 3,400 targets, including 750 targets in Tehran. In total, more than 10,000 different types of munitions have been used in this operation.”
The spokesperson said more than two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed and that most of Iran’s air defense capabilities are now out of action.
“Most of Iran’s air defense capabilities are now out of action and there is almost full freedom of action for air forces.”
The spokesperson said Iran has changed its missile launch strategy as its missile capabilities have weakened.
“Previously, a massive wave of ballistic missiles would be launched, but now the waves have been divided,” the Israeli military said. “Previously, tens of missiles would be launched in each wave, but now ten waves are carried out with one missile. In this way they want to show that they still have the capability.”
The spokesperson added that this is the reason for the intermittent sounding of warning sirens in Israel.
3 hours ago
Khamenei's wife is alive, IRGC outlet says denying official reports
Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the wife of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is alive and earlier reports claiming she had been killed were incorrect, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported Thursday.
The report came after questions were raised earlier in the day when the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not mention his mother’s death in his first statement.
In the days following Khamenei’s killing, several state media outlets had reported that his wife had also been killed.
3 hours ago
Trump says Iran footballers should not attend World Cup for their own safety
"The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety," US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
Iran's sports minister said on Wednesday Team Melli will not participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host the United States launched airstrikes alongside Israel that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider regional conflict.
“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” the minister said.
4 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE
Two Iranian diplomats apply for asylum in Denmark, Australia
Alireza Sohbati, a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Copenhagen, and Mohammad Pournajaf, a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Canberra, have submitted asylum requests.
Pournajaf had previously served as the chargé d'affaires of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Australia.
In recent months, amid escalating political and social developments linked to the Iranian national uprising, other cases of Islamic Republic diplomats abandoning their posts and seeking asylum have also been reported.
Iran International had previously reported that Alireza Jeyrani Hakamabad, a senior diplomat at the Iranian mission to the UN Office in Geneva, had left his workplace and applied for asylum in Switzerland.
Similarly, Gholamreza Derikvand, the chargé d'affaires of the Islamic Republic’s embassy in Austria, applied for asylum in Switzerland after leaving his post.
US President Donald Trump recently called on Islamic Republic diplomats around the world to distance themselves from the government and apply for asylum.
5 hours ago
UK withdraws some embassy staff from Iraq as precaution
Britain has temporarily withdrawn some staff from Iraq as a precaution due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to an update on the government’s website.
The notice said the British embassy in Iraq remains operational.
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UN: Over 200 Civilians Reported Killed in Sudan Drone Strikes Since March 4
17:51 12 March 2026 AD
UN rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday he was "appalled" at reports that more than 200 civilians had been killed by drone attacks in Sudan since March 4.
"It is deeply troubling that despite multiple reminders, warnings and appeals, parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas," Turk said in a statement.
Dozens of civilians have been killed in drone strikes across southern Sudan over the past two days, medical sources told AFP on Wednesday, as some of the heaviest fighting of the nearly three-year war grips the region.
Sudan has been riven by conflict since April 2023, when a power struggle between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) plunged the country into a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Since the war broke out, both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and indiscriminately shelling residential areas.
https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5250574-un-over-200-civilians-reported-killed-sudan-drone-strikes-march-4
Suspects identified in Fort Campbell stolen drones case, no threat to public
Updated Thu, March 12, 2026 at 12:06 PM
The Army has identified two suspects in the theft of four small drones from Fort Campbell last November.
Authorities say the theft was a targeted act, with the suspects having authorized access to the military installation.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division began looking into the theft in late November 2025. On Thursday, the Army confirmed investigators gathered credible evidence about the missing drones, including possible whereabouts.
Officials say there is no threat to the public as the drones only have small cameras. Authorities add the building's security has been improved with new doors and locks, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact Army CID Fort Campbell at 931-801-0316 or submit an anonymous tip online.
https://fox17.com/news/local/suspects-identified-in-fort-campbell-stolen-drones-case-no-threat-to-public-investigation-army-government-building-101st-airborne-division-kentucky-tennessee-border
sounds like a good location to find a few lizards currying
UFO experts share theories on Gen. Neil McCasland’s disappearance
Updated: Mar 12, 2026 / 10:25 AM CDT
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb doesn’t believe the disappearance of a retired Air Force major general with extensive knowledge of UFOs is due to his knowledge on the topic.
William Neil McCasland, 68, was reported missing after leaving his Albuquerque, N.M., home on foot Feb. 27, according to local authorities, who have teamed up with the FBI to find the former military official.
The disappearance of McCasland was described as a “grave national security crisis” by NewsNation’s Ross Coulthart.
During his tenure in the Air Force, McCasland oversaw classified space weapons programs and was head of research at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, Coulthart notes.
That facility has long been rumored to house fragments of extraterrestrial debris from a UFO crash in Roswell, N.M.
In a statement, McCasland’s wife, Susan McCasland, said:
“Bill does not have any special knowledge about the E.T. bodies and debris from the Roswell crash stored at Wright-Patt, though at this point, with absolutely no sign of them, maybe the best hypothesis is that aliens beamed them up to the mothership.
However, no sightings of a mothership hovering above the Sandia Mountains have been reported.”
Loeb concurred with McCasland’s wife, believing it is unlikely his disappearance relates to his knowledge of UFOs.
“He probably was responsible for developing the latest technological advances used for weaponry within the Air Force.
However, you know, it’s hard to believe that material retrieved from many decades ago would be a reason for taking him out now that President Trump actually directed the declassification of information that is not important for national security,” Loeb said.
“I completely agree with his wife. I don’t think it has anything to do with UFOs,” Loeb added.
McCasland’s disappearance comes shortly after President Donald Trump promised disclosure about whatever files the government holds on UFOs and alien life.
UFO investigator Ben Hansen also told NewsNation, “It is kind of a leap in speculation to go down the route of maybe being connected to UFOs.
“I don’t know that we have anything connecting it to UFOs at this moment, but it is very interesting,” Hansen added.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/missing/ufo-experts-gen-neil-mccaslands-disappearance/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWip6H-ndyM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO2DgQDUydo (Search continues for retired Air Force general with UFO background | NewsNation Live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fPUpPLRW_4 (Red Panda Koala: Missing Air Force General Niel McCasland's wife speaks out)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiNbeiK0n18 (Red Panda Koala: National media is finally covering the Air Force General associated with UFO programs who vanished)
MAYDAY! Bizarre, UFO-Shaped Cloud Looked On Fire Over Idaho
March 12, 2026
The recent clear, warmer southern Idaho weather unveiled a rather odd-shaped cloud in the sky Wednesday afternoon that some of you in Twin Falls might have noticed.
With several days of sunshine and increasing temperatures ahead for the region, the conditions will be ideal for cloud gazing.
Eighty-degree temperatures and clear skies aren't the norm for southern Idaho in mid-March, but that's exactly what those of us living here are going to face in the coming days.
The clouds overhead will be more wispy and white than swelling with moisture and gray as we approach the official start of spring next week (March 20).
Odd-Shaped, UFO Cloud Seen In Sky Over Southern Idaho Wednesday
Did you see it? It sort of looked like a scene from Mars Attacks or War of the Worlds.
I was coming home from errands around 2:30 P.M. Wednesday and my wife pointed out the cloud that looked like an alien craft sputtering downward toward Earth with a blown engine.
There was even a trail of stringy clouds that resembled smoke above the disc-shaped cloud.
I'm no cloud expert, but after researching it online, I'd say it was part Cumulus and part Cirrocumulus (thin), and together they looked a lot like an out-of-control UAP just seconds from impacting the desert floor outside Eden somewhere.
These feathery, thinner clouds don't typically last but 30 to 40 minutes, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, so I'm glad I was able to get a picture of it before it disappeared forever.
https://kezj.com/cumulus-clouds-atmospheric-odd-shaped/
https://usaherald.com/hollywoods-disclosure-day-and-washingtons-silence-raise-questions-about-timing-of-ufo-transparency/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCYT8vb2siQ
Hollywood’s “Disclosure Day” And Washington’s Silence Raise Questions About Timing of UFO Transparency
March 12, 2026
A curious convergence is beginning to capture attention among observers of government transparency, national security disclosures, and Hollywood storytelling.
In June, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg—widely regarded as one of the most influential directors in cinematic history and reportedly the richest celebrity in America—will release a new film titled “Disclosure Day.”
The title alone is enough to raise eyebrows. But the timing is what has sparked deeper speculation.
The public is still waiting for U.S. government agencies to comply with President Donald Trump’s disclosure directive ordering the release and review of records related to unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), historically referred to as UFOs.
Months after the directive was issued, researchers, journalists, and transparency advocates continue to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking the underlying materials.
So far, those requests have produced little in the way of substantive releases.
The coincidence of Spielberg’s film debut arriving just as the public anticipates possible government disclosures has prompted some observers to wonder whether the entertainment industry is once again echoing, anticipating, or even helping shape the national conversation around extraterrestrial life and government secrecy.
A Director Long Linked to the Alien Question
Spielberg’s name has been associated with extraterrestrial storytelling for nearly half a century.
His filmography includes iconic works such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, both of which helped shape public perceptions of alien encounters and government secrecy.
For decades, the director has demonstrated a fascination with humanity’s potential contact with non-human intelligence.
Now, with “Disclosure Day,” Spielberg appears to be returning to that theme at a moment when the issue has moved beyond science fiction and into the halls of Congress and the national security establishment.
Over the past several years, lawmakers have held multiple hearings on UAP sightings, and the Department of Defense has acknowledged that some aerial phenomena remain unexplained.
Meanwhile, whistleblowers and former intelligence officials have claimed that classified programs may possess materials related to advanced technologies of unknown origin.
The federal government has neither confirmed nor fully refuted many of those allegations.
Trump’s Disclosure Directive Still Awaiting Results
The intrigue surrounding Spielberg’s film is heightened by the unresolved status of President Trump’s disclosure directive.
Earlier this year, Trump ordered federal agencies to review and release records related to UFO sightings, military encounters with unknown craft, and historical investigations into extraterrestrial phenomena.
The directive was widely interpreted as an attempt to accelerate transparency in an area long shrouded in secrecy.
However, the bureaucratic machinery of government moves slowly. Agencies often review records line-by-line for classification concerns before releasing them, and the process can take months—or even years.
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As a result, the public is now in a peculiar moment of anticipation.
Hollywood is preparing to unveil a blockbuster film titled “Disclosure Day,” while government agencies remain under pressure to determine whether real-world disclosures may be forthcoming.
Culture and Disclosure Often Move Together
The overlap between pop culture and government revelations is not unprecedented.
Historically, major shifts in public awareness about national security topics—from nuclear weapons to cyberwarfare—have often been accompanied by parallel developments in entertainment media.
Films and television series frequently serve as a cultural bridge, translating complex or classified issues into narratives that resonate with the public.
In the case of UFOs and extraterrestrial life, Hollywood has long been ahead of the curve.
From Close Encounters to The X-Files, entertainment media has repeatedly explored themes of government secrecy, hidden technologies, and contact with non-human intelligence.
What makes the current moment unusual is that the government itself has begun openly acknowledging that unexplained aerial phenomena are real and worthy of investigation.
The Possibility of a Convergence Moment
Whether Spielberg’s film release is merely a coincidence or part of a broader cultural moment remains to be seen.
But the timing is notable.
If federal agencies ultimately release significant materials under Trump’s directive—documents, videos, or intelligence assessments—the public conversation about extraterrestrial life could shift dramatically.
In that context, a high-profile Hollywood film exploring the theme of “disclosure” could amplify public interest at precisely the same moment new information emerges.
For journalists, researchers, and transparency advocates, the next several months may prove critical.
As FOIA requests continue to move through federal agencies and congressional committees examine classified briefings, the possibility remains that new evidence—or at least new documentation—could surface.
If that happens around the same time Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” arrives in theaters, the intersection of cinema and reality may feel less like coincidence and more like a cultural turning point.
Waiting for the Government’s Next Move
For now, however, the public remains in a familiar position: waiting. Waiting for agencies to respond to disclosure directives. Waiting for FOIA responses to arrive.
And waiting to see whether long-rumored government records about UFO encounters will finally enter the public domain.
When Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” premieres in June, audiences may watch a fictional story about humanity confronting the unknown.
But by that time, the real story unfolding inside Washington may prove just as compelling.
Whether the government ultimately reveals something extraordinary—or nothing at all—one thing is certain.
The countdown to “disclosure,” in both Hollywood and Washington, has already begun.
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U.S. Officials Investigating “Mystery Drone” Incident Over Barksdale Air Force Base That Prompted Security Alert
March 9, 2026
Sightings of an unmanned aerial system over Barksdale Air Force Base (BAFB) early on Monday morning resulted in a shelter-in-place order, prompting officials to temporarily raise the threat level at the facility.
For a short period, the base’s Force Protection Condition level was temporarily raised to FPCON Charlie, indicating an incident potentially indicative of a form of terrorist activity targeting U.S. personnel or facilities.
Text message alerts were sent out regarding the incident shortly before statements were shared on social media, directing base personnel at BAFB to take shelter.
Postings on social media shortly thereafter indicated that the threat level had been lowered again, although no additional information on what had prompted the declaration was provided at that time.
Following Monday morning’s developments, The Debrief reached out to Barksdale Air Force Base public affairs for comment on the situation.
“Earlier this morning, Barksdale Air Force Base received a report of an unmanned aerial system operating over the installation,” said Capt. Hunter Rininger, Chief of Public Affairs at BAFB, in a statement provided to The Debrief.
Rininger said Monday’s incident is still under investigation, with assistance from local authorities.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had also reportedly been notified and is working in coordination with Air Force officials as that investigation continues.
Mystery Drone Sightings Over the U.S.
Over the last several years, a growing number of incidents involving drone sightings over sensitive facilities have occurred, both in the United States and in other countries.
Beginning in November 2024, a rash of sightings of unmanned aerial vehicles over U.S. military facilities in the United Kingdom preceded several weeks of alleged “mystery drone” activity over the northeastern United States.
Subsequent similar events were reported throughout parts of Europe, continuing well into 2025.
At the height of the 2024 sightings wave, the majority of which were reported in airspace above New Jersey, military officials at New Jersey’s Picatinny Arsenal, with whom The Debrief spoke, said the source of the aircraft remained unknown, though confirming the sightings were unrelated to any official military activities.
In December 2024, a joint investigation by U.S. authorities concluded that the majority of sightings of drones over New Jersey and surrounding states at that time had been lawful operations of “commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.”
“We have not identified anything anomalous,” read a portion of the joint statement prepared by Pentagon officials, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The statement added that U.S. agencies did not assess the sightings “to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
A “Limited Number” of Actual Drones
Although the 2024 joint assessment concluded that most alleged drone sightings reported at the time had mundane explanations, Pentagon officials did concede that there had been at least a small number of sightings of what appeared to be actual unmanned aerial vehicles, and that it was an ongoing problem.
“[T]here have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space,” the joint statement read. “Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new.”
“DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate,” the statement added.
“Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.”
Echoing the Pentagon’s statements from late 2024, Capt. Rininger told The Debrief on Monday that state and federal laws prohibit the flight of drones over high security facilities, and that “any unauthorized drone activity over a military installation is a criminal offense that can result in significant fines and imprisonment.”
“We retain the right to protect our installation and will continue monitoring our airspace to address any threats to our mission or personnel,” the statement concluded.
https://thedebrief.org/u-s-officials-investigating-mystery-drone-incident-over-barksdale-air-force-base-that-prompted-security-alert/
https://www.ufonews.co/post/nuclear-bombers-grounded-while-ufo-physicist-speaks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9sLWUAV7vQ
“Something’s going on, Mr. President:” Trump asks Tim Burchett if UFOs are real
12 March 2026
As the UFO disclosure movement makes steady progress, Congressman Tim Burchett has revealed that he had a conversation with President Donald Trump about releasing classified UFO files.
During a recent interview on the popular podcast The Resilient Show, Burchett said that Trump asked him directly if UFOs were real, to which he replied, “Something’s going on, Mr. President. We’re spending billions of dollars on something.”
One might assume that the US government is well-aware of where its money goes. Still, in the increasingly myriad unknowns of legislative processes, coupled with decades of UFO mythologizing, it could well be that there isn’t merely one big dossier to hand over to the president.
Burchett, a Republican representative from Tennessee, added that he urged Trump to release information he may have seen in classified briefings, remarking, “I don’t think he’ll [Trump] know what to ask for.”
Burchett rounded off by emphasizing that those close to the president are trying to encourage him to ask the right questions about unidentified aerial phenomena.
The clip quickly circulated online and reached UFO discussion communities, and in the large UFO forum on Reddit, the exchange triggered a wave of debate and skepticism.
Quick chat, little knowledge
Many commenters interpreted the exchange as evidence that top officials may not actually know much about UFOs.
Reddit user peternn2412 quizzed: “Why do we need to be informed about a conversation between two people who know nothing, in which they admit they know nothing?”
Another user, Leviastin, expressed similar skepticism, writing: “The idea that Obama or Trump has been briefed on anything is laughable at this point.”
It appears that chasing the carrot of UFO disclosure is no longer a priority for a large segment of the community, with many tired of playing the waiting game.
“Enough talking! Until something actually happens, all of these conversations are just making these respected people in the disclosure scene look like they are crying wolf,” exclaimed @chloro_phyll.
Progress in motion, or growing frustration?
In contrast, Redditor kimsemi explained that this is the nature of the beast when it comes to government cogs turning.
“Burchett is 100% right. Knowing what to ask for,” they said, adding, “if he asks the wrong question, he gets the wrong answer.”
Complex government structures may prevent politicians from accessing sensitive UFO programs, which feeds into the speculative talking heads debate that the community has been having lately.
The idea here is that each seemingly progressive step might in fact just be breadcrumbing the public, with no real progress actually being made.
That's how the government works, and how the deep state keeps politicians out of their business,
explained Redditor @kimsemi.
Classified UFO-related programs could remain hidden inside specialized military or intelligence structures, as was the case with Immaculate Constellation, the Pentagon's secret alien disclosure program that whistleblower Matthew Brown helped unearth.
Still, the main takeaway from all of this was a sense of skepticism and impatience.
Reddit user Kardashev_One wrote: “These guys are just saying stuff for easy political points,” while another said, “I predict it's going to take another century before the public is informed of everything.”
https://cybernews.com/news/trump-burchett-ufo-uap/
https://x.com/UAPJames/status/2030993123501875434
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFjEDBnvUv4 (The Resilient Show: UFOs in the Ocean? Rep. Tim Burchett on Underwater Craft, Disclosure & Epstein)
https://openminds.tv/the-1975-lumberton-ufo-wave-police-across-north-carolina-report-a-silent-v-shaped-craft/
The 1975 Lumberton UFO Wave: Police Across North Carolina Report a Silent V-Shaped Craft
March 12, 2026
In the early morning hours of April 3, 1975, shortly after a violent thunderstorm swept through southeastern North Carolina, police officers in the town of Lumberton began reporting something unusual in the sky.
At first, it appeared to be a strange light near a local water tower. But within minutes, multiple officers on patrol began describing the same object—seen from different locations across the town.
What followed over the next several days would become one of the most unusual law-enforcement UFO cases in the region.
According to reports later compiled by investigators with the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), more than thirty law enforcement officers across a seven-county area reported observing a large, silent craft between April 3 and April 9, 1975.
Despite being miles apart, witnesses consistently described the same object: a V-shaped craft lined with red and red-green lights, sometimes accompanied by bright white spotlights, maneuvering silently across the night sky.
The First Police Sightings
The first reports came shortly after 1:45 a.m. on April 3, when three Lumberton patrolmen—Phil Stanton, P.H. Atkinson, and Neil McCormick—noticed a strange light near a water tower behind Lumberton High School while patrolling near Highways 211 and 101.
Officer Atkinson initially assumed the object might be a helicopter. But as the officers watched, the light moved across the sky in a wide arc. When they drove toward Fayetteville Road to get a closer look, the object abruptly vanished from view.
Atkinson later described the light moving across the sky before suddenly disappearing. As he recalled in later interviews, “It just went out.”
Within minutes, other officers began calling in similar sightings from different parts of the area.
As reports began pouring into the Robeson County Sheriff’s Department, dispatchers noticed something striking: witnesses who were miles apart described the same configuration of lights and the same unusual flight behavior.
The object was typically described as V-shaped or triangular, with rows of colored lights along its edges and one or more bright white beams that resembled spotlights. Even more puzzling to observers was what they did not hear.
Despite appearing to fly at relatively low altitude and, in some cases, directly overhead, the craft was consistently described as completely silent. One officer reportedly remarked that the object passed overhead “without a sound.”
A Multi-County Wave
Over the next several nights, reports spread beyond Lumberton itself.
Officers and residents across seven counties in southeastern North Carolina reported seeing the same unusual craft moving across the region. In many cases, officers who responded to civilian reports observed the object themselves.
Investigators later noted that witnesses consistently described similar characteristics, including a large V-shaped craft, rows of red and red-green lights, bright white spotlights directed toward the ground, sudden turns and hovering movements, and the absence of any audible engine or rotor noise.
These similarities appeared in reports from witnesses who often had no contact with each other at the time of observation.
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Key Events During the Sightings Wave
April 3, ~1:45 a.m. – Three Lumberton police officers observe a strange light moving near a water tower behind Lumberton High School.
Soon after, additional officers across the area began reporting a similarly described object moving through the sky.
Following nights (April 3–9) – Sightings are reported across multiple counties in southeastern North Carolina. Officers sometimes respond to civilian calls and then observe the object themselves.
Early April – A United Press International (UPI) story about the sightings circulates nationally, drawing attention from journalists and UFO investigators.
Shortly afterward, reporter and investigator Lee Speigel travels to the region to interview witnesses and examine the case firsthand.
Speigel’s Investigation — and His Own Sighting
When journalist and UFO investigator Lee Speigel first learned of the Lumberton sightings through a UPI news release, he initially assumed the case might have a conventional explanation.
Accompanied by a reporter from the National Star, Speigel traveled to North Carolina to investigate the reports personally. Flying into Fayetteville, about forty miles north of Lumberton, he looked down at the landscape where the sightings had been occurring.
From the air, he could see miles of swamps, rivers, farmland, and forests stretching toward the Atlantic coast—a remote, sparsely populated region.
He approached the case with the expectation that a logical explanation would likely emerge once he spoke with witnesses and examined the circumstances. But during his visit, Speigel himself reported witnessing the object.
While observing the sky with local officers during the investigation, he saw what appeared to be the same unusual craft reported throughout the region. The object moved silently across the sky, displaying multiple lights and a shape that appeared structured rather than star-like.
According to his account, the craft maneuvered in ways that seemed inconsistent with ordinary aircraft. Watching the object move through the sky, Spiegel later wrote, made it far more difficult to dismiss the officers’ reports as simple misidentifications.
What had begun as a journalistic investigation had unexpectedly placed him among the witnesses.
An Unresolved Case
The sightings eventually drew the attention of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the astronomer who had served as scientific consultant to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book and who later founded the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS).
Researchers working with CUFOS, including investigator Jennie Zeidman, compiled witness interviews, timelines, maps, and news coverage into what became known as The Lumberton Report.
Despite the large number of witnesses and the consistency of their descriptions, no definitive explanation was identified.
Possible explanations, including helicopters, aircraft, or astronomical objects, were considered, but none appeared to fully account for the reported characteristics, particularly the silent operation and abrupt maneuverability described by observers.
Nearly fifty years later, the Lumberton sightings remain a relatively little-known but notable case in UFO research—one involving dozens of trained law enforcement witnesses reporting the same unusual craft across multiple counties over several nights.
As with many UFO cases from the era before widespread video recording and satellite tracking, the evidence ultimately rests on eyewitness testimony.
Yet the consistency of those accounts and the involvement of so many police officers continue to make the 1975 Lumberton UFO wave one of the more intriguing law-enforcement UFO cases in the historical record.
Special thanks to David Marler of the National UFO Historical Records Center for providing the Lumberton Report, news clippings, and other documents, and to Lee Spiegel for providing his report and information about his personal encounter.
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Fox News’ Tyrus Says Alien Encounter Mysteriously Healed His WWE Injury
Mar 12, 2026
Former WWE wrestler and Fox News television personality Tyrus is sharing an extraordinary story about a mysterious encounter he believes may have healed a serious injury that once threatened to end his wrestling career.
During a recent conversation with Dr. Steven Greer, Tyrus recounted an experience that began years earlier when he was a child fascinated—and somewhat frightened—by the idea of extraterrestrial life.
“When I was probably 12 or 13, there was this special that came on,” he said. “I remember the guy… talked about the aliens, and I remember he said their favorite food or snack was strawberry ice cream or something like that.”
The strange program stuck with him.
“That never left my mind,” Tyrus said. Years later, the topic resurfaced in a way he says changed his life physically.
While wrestling in WWE in Tampa, Florida, Tyrus suffered a devastating injury during a televised feud with fellow wrestler Big Show. In the heat of the match, a move involving the announce desk went wrong.
“It was supposed to hit me up on my shoulders, and it hit me in my lower back right above my tailbone,” Tyrus explained. “My sciatic was done.”
The injury left him in severe pain and dramatically limited his mobility. Despite standing around 6′ 7″, he said he was hunched over from the discomfort.
“I was walking around about 6’2 like I was just in a lot of pain,” he said. “They were talking maybe surgery.”
Even with elite training and rehabilitation, his recovery was uncertain.
Then one night after returning home from being out with friends, something unusual happened.
As he stepped out of his truck near his Tampa townhouse, Tyrus said he suddenly felt a strange sense of awareness.
“I just was looking at the top of the house,” he recalled. “My hair was up on my arms. I literally felt like I was being watched.”
He eventually went inside and went to bed—but what happened next still leaves him stunned.
Within minutes, he said he experienced something that felt far beyond a normal dream.
“It wasn’t like falling asleep,” Tyrus said. “It was this weird movement… almost like there’s an out-of-body experience.”
Suddenly, he found himself on what he described as a table surrounded by figures with large, reflective eyes.
“All I could really see was eyes,” he said. “They were black, reflective.”
At first, he resisted, using his strength to push against what felt like a film holding him down.
“I’m a big strong dude,” he said. “I kept pushing everything off me.”
But then something changed.
“There was almost a calming… like, ‘We’re not going to hurt you. We want to help,’” Tyrus explained.
As he relaxed, he said one of the beings began examining his body.
“He was feeling over my abdomen area with his hands,” Tyrus said. “Then the table kind of moved to my back… down to where my back was.”
Moments later, the experience abruptly ended.
When he woke up, he said he was drenched in sweat.
“It was the most sweat I had ever had,” he recalled. “I woke up screaming like I was in the middle of a fight.”
Initially, he dismissed the event as simply an intense dream.
But the next morning told a different story.
When he arrived at training, something surprising happened: he stood fully upright again—something he hadn’t done in weeks.
“I hit my head on the door,” Tyrus said. “I hadn’t hit my head on the door in a long time because I was always hunched over.”
His trainer immediately noticed the change.
“He’s like, ‘Oh, you’re standing good today,’” Tyrus said.
Even more surprising, the swelling in his injured back had vanished, and his strength returned almost instantly.
“The swelling’s gone,” his trainer reportedly told him.
Within weeks, Tyrus said he was lifting heavy again and even setting personal records.
Looking back, he still wrestles with how to explain it.
“I have always said it was a dream,” Tyrus admitted. “But either it’s real and they fixed my back… or I had the craziest dream and just willpowered it.”
Whatever the explanation, he believes the experience altered his future.
“That changed the course of my life physically,” he said. “Probably added another five years onto my lifting and wrestling career.”
https://mycharisma.com/culture/fox-news-tyrus-says-alien-encounter-mysteriously-healed-his-wwe-injury/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoz7b9ZaNJo
Jay Anderson
@TheProjectUnity
Egyptian authorities say a hidden passage within The Great Pyramid leads to a door that could “rewrite history.” The discovery was detected using advanced scanning technology and robots exploring inaccessible sections of the monument.
On paper, this sounds extraordinary.
But forgive me if I’m not celebrating just yet.
Because the man leading the announcement is Zahi Hawass, the same gatekeeper who has spent decades dismissing alternative research and labelling inconvenient discoveries as “fake news.”
At the exact same time, independent teams (Khafre Pyramid Project) using Synthetic Aperture Radar + Doppler tomography claim to have detected enormous subterranean structures beneath the Giza Plateau, possibly extending thousands of feet underground.
Those scans suggest shafts, chambers, and networks far larger than anything currently acknowledged.
Yet instead of excavation… we get carefully managed announcements about small internal corridors.
Let me be clear:
If there truly are massive structures beneath Giza, as Prof. Filippo Biondi's SAR/Doppler data suggests, the only way to settle the question is controlled excavation and independent verification.
Opening a small sealed chamber in the pyramid is interesting. But the real question is, what lies beneath the plateau itself?
Until archaeologists allow serious investigation below the pyramids, every “history-rewriting discovery” announcement should be treated with cautious optimism.
Giza may still be hiding the biggest secret on Earth.
1:11 AM · Mar 11, 2026
https://x.com/TheProjectUnity/status/2031644111220936865
moar Jay Anderson
https://x.com/TheProjectUnity/status/2031723099280773130
https://x.com/TheProjectUnity/status/2031718049422639490
https://x.com/TheProjectUnity/status/2031662154781184201
https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectUnity
BOMBSHELL: Robert Bigelow Named As Source For Trump UFO Speech
March 12, 2026
Patrick from Vetted and Pavel from Psicoactivo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTAhl-8WvU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoI4LLc-ijY
https://x.com/The_King_Of_UFO/status/2031333957556408411
https://x.com/VettedPodcast
https://x.com/pavelibarrameda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTAhl-8WvU
Ancient Mysterious Sites of the Nephilim!
Mar 4, 2026
L.A. Marzulli gives a presentation to middle school students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUPrb1dM1qc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_JtAN5ltlc (PART TWO: Cover Ups and The Secrecy of the Nephilim!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb3Tm5Gvpag (Part Three: Mounds! Nephilim Architecture-fallen angel technology?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKnB-2K_yok (Part Four: Elongated Skulls and What It Means)
https://x.com/LA_MARZULLI
The Nine, Ancient Earth Mysteries & the Middle East - Palden Jenkins Speaks
Mar 5, 2026
In this conversation, I sit down with researcher and author Palden Jenkins to discuss his remarkable experiences working with Phyllis Schlemmer and the mysterious group of intelligences known as The Nine.
Palden was deeply involved in compiling and editing the book The Only Planet of Choice, which explored decades of channeling sessions connected to scientists, researchers, and individuals investigating extraterrestrial contact.
Beyond the Nine material, Palden has spent decades researching ancient sacred landscapes, crop circles, geomancy, and the hidden energetic patterns of the Earth.
He has written numerous books and studied mysterious sites around the world, including extensive travels and humanitarian work in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine and Israel.
In this interview we explore:
What it was like working directly with the group around Phyllis Schlemmer
The origins and message of The Nine
Why ancient sites and crop circles may be connected to planetary consciousness
Palden’s travels throughout the Middle East
The deeper spiritual and geopolitical forces shaping our world today
With tensions escalating in the Middle East - including the growing conflict involving Iran and the wider region - Palden reflects on how the teachings associated with the Nine framed humanity’s challenges as part of a larger planetary evolution.
Whether you view this material as spiritual philosophy, historical curiosity, or something more mysterious, Palden’s perspective offers a fascinating window into a largely forgotten chapter of UFO and consciousness research.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjQMOqMgWRE
extra disclosure dejour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzPUHKYkC70 (Beneath the Megaliths | Exclusive Sacsayhuamán Tunnel Exploration | Megalithomania)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKsvu-FrI4A (Cyrus Gold: 'Underdog'. The UFO from Illinois)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovj_X2sEp-U (Sizzle Teaser: Emery Smith & Rob Lauer | United Spaceports Corp Event 🚀)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V98LNKXEQlM (Linda Moulton Howe: Mar 11, 2026 - Alien presences on Earth, the moon and beyond)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8IgllQjdRA (Time For Truth: Aliia Roza | Fighting Human & Child Trafficking | United in Liberty: The Rise of Spiritual Diplomats)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5btt_tzFJkU (United in Liberty: The Rise of Spiritual Diplomats | Interfaith Conference in the U.S. Capitol)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdR1BoC14go (My Lunch Break: TOP SECRET: The Rand Corporation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55Jt8AXzLF8 (Maussan: Extraordinary revelations from Dr. Steven Greer regarding Disclosure, Buga Sphere and other subjects)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs3bkZ0ltJs (The Truth Can Change Your Life: " GLOBAL RESET" NESARA GESARA " St. Germaine - New Message! (53))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdQjBOJ9lJs (Metaphysical: The Alien Treaty the Government Won’t Explain)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsrmTrmEZRs (KERRY CASSIDY- INTERVIEWED BY NIKY MONIK - Kerry Cassidy Show Update Today 3.12.2026)