In the first half, George Noory welcomed historian and writer Nicholas Belardes, who shared true and weird stories from history, science and technology. As recently as a few years ago cannibalism was still being practiced on the island of Fiji, he said. According to Belardes, a tourist reported meeting an elderly woman there who told of a missing criminal that had apparently been eaten. Belardes covered the Salem Witch Trials and the bizarre testimony of a servant named Tituba, who confessed to seeing talking dogs and a mysterious tall man dressed in black, as well as having power to control birds and fly on a stick. "I think that's a [historical] record, possibly, of the supernatural," he suggested.
Belardes pointed out how little we know about Christopher Columbus, noting that his birthday, place of birth, and family background are all unknown. No one knows what the famous explorer truly looked like either, as he never sat for a portrait (though dozens of paintings of Columbus exist), he added. There is also a mystery surrounding the details of his first voyage because the original ship's log was lost. Only a disputed a possibly embellished copy of the log exists, he revealed. Belardes spoke about the 'mole people' living in manmade tunnels beneath the city of Las Vegas. "In the last 10 to 15 years it's been discovered that upwards of a thousand to 1500 people are living beneath the neon," he said.
Belardes mentioned some of the obscure cures, such as drinking urine, that celebrities use to stay healthy. Actress Demi Moore allowed dozens of leaches to feast on her body in an effort to cleanse supposedly toxic blood, he noted. Belardes also discussed the lost colony of Roanoke Island, the history of Mothman sightings, and the purportedly supernatural/haunted town of Helltown, Ohio. Local legend tells of a giant python that escaped from a circus train in the 1940s and was seen wandering the woods of Helltown, he explained, adding that for many years afterward a snake festival was held there.
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During Open Lines, Josh in Barstow, California, wondered about the mysterious disappearance of a squadron of five navy Avenger bombers in 1945. Flight 19, as it was designated, disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle during a routine training mission several hours after the lead pilot reported a compass malfunction. All 14 airmen were never heard from again and presumed dead. "I think what happened is they did get lost... and they just ran out of fuel," Josh said.
Mike from Boston told George about the time he witnessed three red lights overtake his car while driving through a forested area of New Hampshire. Mike said the lights were just above the road and estimated he followed them for 17 or 18 miles. The light on the left shot up and was gone in an instant, the one on the right appeared to have gone into a lake, and the center light took off straight ahead, he recalled, noting emphatically that these objects were not conventional aircraft.
Blair in Scottsdale, Arizona, shared a story related to him by Mike Pinder, founding member and original keyboard player of the British rock group The Moody Blues. Blair said Pinder claimed the keyboard sounds he created for a song called "Procession" (from the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favor) were first heard aboard a Pleiadian beamship. Blair pointed out the similarities to spaceship sounds purportedly recorded by UFO experiencer Billy Meier.
News segment guests: Jerome Corsi / Peter Davenport