Three UFO whistleblowers told a House panel on Wednesday that they had seen unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and that the government had a secret UAP retrieval program. 

The Details: Former Navy commander David Fravor discussed a 2004 incident in which a UAP purportedly displayed “far superior” technology. Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves said UAP sightings were “routine” and “grossly underreported.” Furthermore, Former intelligence officer David Grusch said the U.S. government had recovered biological materials from a UAP crash site, adding that “people with direct knowledge on the program” believed the materials to be “nonhuman.”

Key Quotes: “If UAP are foreign drones, it is an urgent national security problem. If it is something else, it is an issue for science. In either case, unidentified objects are a concern for flight safety,” Graves said. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) called the hearing “by far the most bipartisan conversation and discussion that I’ve seen happen in the Congress.”

For Context: Grusch, who said he received “very brutal” retaliation for his allegations, initially made his claims in a June report in The Debrief (Not Rated). The Senate is also looking into UAP; a bipartisan bill backed by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would boost disclosure surrounding UAP and “non-human intelligence.”

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was widespread and relatively nonpartisan across the spectrum, with varying degrees of sensationalism. The Daily Dot (Lean Left bias) called some of the claims “bonkers,” the New York Post (Lean Right bias) called the hearing a “bombshell,” and the Daily Beast (Left bias) called Graves’ story “chilling.”