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A staggering 1,923 reports have been submitted by people claiming they saw unidentified flying objects above Maryland, according to National UFO Reporting Center reports.
The UFOs or, what NASA call UAPs — unidentified anomalous phenomena — were seen in various shapes, including circles, ovals, triangles and diamonds.
Other reports claimed they saw the UAPs looking like they were emitting lights or flashes.
Maryland ranks 25th among US states having the most UFO sightings since collection of data started in 1946, according to NUFORC.
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California ranks the highest with 16,084 reports filed on the organisation’s website, which shows a huge growth in sightings in the past decade.
While the spectacle of potential UFO sightings has long captivated people across the US, the growth in citizen-initiated reports is more recent, something that has been credited to the topic’s increased exposure on social media.
UAP has also been a point of interest in the public eye due to the bizarre “alien corpses” shown at the Mexican Congress in September, something that met with considerable scepticism among most scientific onlookers.
Earlier, Congress held a hearing on 26 July which included three former military personnel testifying that they had firsthand knowledge of UAPs and also spoke about the potential security risks that the unidentified phenomena could hold.
They asked US officials for more “transparency” on information they reportedly hold about UAP reports.
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Then, on 14 September, NASA’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study Team published a 36-page report which called for more in-depth research into the various sightings people have reported.
Bill Nelson, a NASA administrator said at the research announcement that they wanted to “shift the conversation of UAP from sensationalism to science.”
“There is a lot more to learn,” he added. “The NASA Independent Study Team did not find any evidence that UAPs have an extra-terrestrial origin, but we don’t know what these UAPs are,” he said.
NASA said that while some reports turn out to be balloons, aircraft or natural phenomena, they do not have a detailed body of data they can refer to to help in the investigation of UAP.
“It’s heartening to me that so many people are coming forward now. We are getting significantly more reports than just six months or a year ago,” Peter Davenport, NUFORC’s director, told CBS, confirming the 1,923 reports in Maryland.
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Ryan Graves, David Grusch and David Fravor are sworn in during the House Oversight Committee hearing on UAPs
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
NUFORC is hopeful about the increase in official acknowledgement of UAP reports, but is wary that the US government could still keep details quiet.
“I don’t know what the future has in store for us, but I am encouraged that more people are coming forward and the government recognizes the UFO phenomenon that’s something worthy of their attention,” Mr Davenport said.
Christian Stepien, NUFORC’s chief technology officer, said that while the majority of their UAP sightings can be dismissed as something scientifically explainable, there still are reports that appear to describe something inexplicable.
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“[T]here are many, many cases that cannot be explained as something natural or man-made,” Stepien wrote in a statement to USA TODAY.
“The evidence of the last 70 years is incontrovertible in indicating that anomalous craft are flying at will throughout our airspace. Common sense dictates that this should be of extreme interest to the government and the public.”
Mr Stepien also said he believes the government is aware of the interest in the UAP study but has chosen to “keep the details hidden from the public.”
“The recent disclosure hearings in Congress have generated a lot of hope within the UFO community that some of this secrecy may finally be breaking down,” he told the news outlet, “but whether any serious disclosure will happen remains to be seen.”
The Michigan State Spartans under head coach Jonathan Smith are 2-0 thanks to a road win against a tough Maryland team, 27-24.
Resilience might be the word to describe this squad so far. The Spartans made some big blunders against the Terrapins and still found a way to battle back. The gritty performance might have been enough to get the Spartans into a bowl game.
Here are three takeaways from the Spartans’ win.
Aidan Chiles: Very Young, Very Talented
Chiles looked vastly improved from the home opener against Florida Atlantic. Again, he looked like an 18-year-old quarterback.
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Chiles got not just his first passing touchdown as a Spartan, but three passing touchdowns to go with 24 of 39 passing and 363 yards. He also had three interceptions, which very nearly cost the Spartans the game.
Chiles has about as strong an arm as any quarterback to wear the green and white in recent memory. He is dangerous when he is on the move.
Perhaps a critique is that he should try to make more plays with his legs, he has seemed cautious to these first two games. The first pass rusher to get to Chiles likely won’t bring him down — Chiles has a great feel for the pocket and he is quite slippery.
Chiles overcame some poor mistakes and throwing mechanics (his feet tend to get wide and it factors into his overthrows) to lead the Spartans in the most critical of situations against a sturdy Maryland defense.
Huge game for Chiles, who showed why the hype was so promising.
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Can the Spartans Stay Healthy on Defense?
Already, this Spartans squad is beaten up. Dillon Tatum, a key defensive back, lost for the season. Wide receiver Alante Brown, whose injury allowed for Nick Marsh to announce himself to the world, lost for the foreseeable future. Kristian Phillips at guard was huge.
During the Maryland game, several Spartans were beat up. Few even had to go into the tent on the sideline. It will be crucial for the Spartans to remain healthy, especially on defense. Most especially in the defensive backfield.
The Spartans are very confident in their young defensive backs — Justin Denson Jr., Andrew Brinson IV, and Jaylen Thompson can all be very good players, but they need more time to develop.
If more Spartans fall to injury, the defensive backfield could get very young.
Nick Marsh is the Real Deal
Marsh was the recruiting gem of 2024, the best player in a class with plenty of good talent. A highly-rated four-star, Marsh was the No. 107-ranked player in the class by 247Sports. Marsh, of course, stood out in fall camp like the high-profile recruit he was.
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6-foot-3, 208 pounds, Marsh already had a man’s body. At just 18 years old.
“Possesses the size, athleticism, and multi-sport profile that projects very well in the long term,” 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks wrote. “Traitsy mismatch wideout with high-major impact potential and the ceiling to develop into an NFL Draft candidate.”
With the loss of Brown, Marsh was asked to step up. Step up he did — eight receptions for 194 receiving yards and a touchdown. Wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins might have his next in the line of Jalen Nailor, Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman.
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The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration will provide an additional $23.1 million in federal aid to the agency’s national Home Visiting Program in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
More money is on the way for a home-visiting health care program designed to provide better care for pregnant women, new parents and infants.
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced an additional $23.1 million in federal aid to the agency’s national Home Visiting Program in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
The extra money is the first time in a decade that the program has received an increase in federal funds, HRSA administrator Carol Johnson said.
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“What those resources mean is that we’re able to support nurses, social workers and trained home visitors, and help with those early days of being a new parent,” Johnson said. “All of this has been shown to really make a difference in kids’ outcomes. Kids are so much stronger because they get these kinds of supports.”
Johnson said the program’s success hinges on convenient health visits in a comfortable at-home setting.
“When you’re a new parent, if you have to take off from work and take a few buses to get to an appointment, you’re probably not going to do it,” she said. “But if that person comes to your house and they’re full of resources and knowledge, it’s going to make a huge difference to you.”
Rockville, Maryland-based HRSA spearheads the national program, teaming up with local health organizations to target and reach parents.
Home health care workers can provide breastfeeding support, safe sleep tips and developmental screening for babies. They can even help parents find key services like affordable child care or job and educational opportunities.
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“It’s changed my life,” past program participant Fatima Ray said.
Ray said she was introduced to the program in 2015 when she needed help with her infant daughter. She and her husband were first-time parents and stumbled through the first few months with a newborn.
“It felt good, like I had someone on my team,” Ray said. “Those questions you forget to ask the doctor sometimes, she would answer them.”
The experience impressed Ray so much that she became a home health visitor. She is the maternal health coordinator at Primo Center, a homeless shelter for families in Chicago.
“The same care that was given to me, I just want to pass it on,” Ray told WTOP. “I know how much it made a difference in my life. Home visiting matters.”
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President Joseph Biden signed bipartisan legislation in 2022 that doubles funding for the program over five years. The move was part of a campaign promise to lower risks linked to pregnancy and improve maternal health, especially among women in rural, tribal and low-income communities.
The national home visiting program will receive $440 million Maryland’s local programs will get $10 million of those funds. Virginia is slated to receive $11 million and D.C.’s home visiting programs will see a $2.5 million increase.
“This will push home visiting forward a lot more,” Ray said. “It’s just going to help tremendously.”
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Michigan State won a big time road game over Maryland, improving their record to 2-0, and giving head coach Jonathan Smith his first Big Ten conference victory as the head man of the Spartans.
A big part of that win was the connection between Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh, and more specifically their 77-yard touchdown connection tying the game 24-24 late in the fourth quarter.
Chiles and Marsh spoke to the media after the team’s win, which you can watch via Spartan Mag on YouTube:
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Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner
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