Need To Know with Coulthart and Zabel: Recent Episodes
Bryce Zabel
The Need-to-Know podcast deals with the now acknowledged reality of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or UAP. Its hosts are award-winning broadcasters and investigative journalists Ross Coulthart and Bryce Zabel. Every episode, they’ll look at what’s happened in the UAP/UFO world. Coulthart and Zabel discuss their current investigations, give each other advice, and seek to answer the big questions: who are they and what do they want? Ross Coulthart’s work has been featured on Australia’s version of “60 Minutes.” And his documentary for Channel Seven Australia covering his UFO findings has been seen by more than ten million viewers. He is the author of In Plain Sight, in which he concludes that, while publicly dismissing the phenomenon for decades, governments have been seriously studying it all along and take it very seriously. Coulthart continues to report on the subject for Australian network television while working on investigations spawned by his book. Bryce Zabel is an award-winning writer who has created or developed five primetime television drama series and worked on a dozen writing staffs. His feature credits include Mortal Kombat and Atlantis. His World War II film, The Last Battle, will shoot in the summer of 2024. Zabel was an original correspondent for CNN, and an award-winning investigative reporter for PBS. Zabel has authored his own UFO book, A.D. After Disclosure. He writes and edits the publication Trail of the Saucers that is read by more than 80,000 readers each month.
They expected it, and it's here: serious attempts to discredit Defense Department UFO whistleblower David Grusch. Ross summarizes what he calls the "slimeball" attempts to vilify Grusch, including the exploitation of his battle with PTSD. Ross notes that The Pentagon has always known about that, and gave Grusch a very, very high security clearance, anyway. Bryce and Ross also wonder if the momentum in Congress to explore the government's history of UAP research has been lost. They discuss the very intense effort to remove UAP language from the Defense Authorization Act. And Bryce, who's just back from Sweden, recounts one of the earliest documented UAP encounters - just after World War II in Sweden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
They expected it, and it's here: serious attempts to discredit Defense Department UFO whistleblower David Grusch. Ross summarizes what he calls the "slimeball" attempts to vilify Grusch, including the exploitation of his battle with PTSD. Ross notes that The Pentagon has always known about that, and gave Grusch a very, very high security clearance, anyway. Bryce and Ross also wonder if the momentum in Congress to explore the government's history of UAP research has been lost. They discuss the very intense effort to remove UAP language from the Defense Authorization Act. And Bryce, who's just back from Sweden, recounts one of the earliest documented UAP encounters - just after World War II in Sweden. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We have contact! No, not that kind. Ross has made contact with Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Ross shares his email exchange with Kirkpatrick, including the Latin motto on his email signature. Ross and Bryce talk about what may, or should, be the next level of Congressional hearings (maybe the full Intelligence Committee, not just a sub-committee). Ross really wants the intelligence community's Inspector General at that next hearing to answer one important question. And both have advice for nudging your lawmaker about the UAP issue: forget email, write a real letter! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ross and Bryce share their first impressions of the House Oversight Committee's national security subcommittee hearing on UAP. Whistleblower David Grusch was joined by two former military pilots who reported UAP years ago. Ross and Bryce say it was a big day - the first of what they hope will be more to come. The witnesses deferred several questions to a closed-door hearing, and Ross tore into the Defense Department for its "statement" on whether DoD has any evidence of non-human intelligence. They also noted Grusch's phrase "administrative terrorism" in describing some of what he's gone through since coming forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
That would be Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, the Senate Majority Leader. Ross says a proposed amendment to next year's National Defense Authorization Act contains explicit references to non-human intelligence - and there must be a reason for that vetted language. A reason that the Senator knows. Bryce raises this issue of the "controlled disclosure" of UAP information the government may have. And who "owns" crash wreckage or any other material that's been sitting in labs and warehouses for decades? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ross and Bryce reflect on the incredible developments of the past months, starting with Ross's interview of former government UAP investigator David Grusch. They agree that more is happening on the UAP front than ever before - especially in the US government. They note that three Congressional committees are considering language that explicitly refers to life and material of non-earth origin. And both agree: this is a great time to be alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's been three weeks since David Grusch revealed his identity as the most senior and more credible government official yet to acknowledge the existence of UAP. Now, Bryce and Ross discuss what's next for Grusch and for members of Congress who want to know more. Ross also explains why we won't see every second of the more-than three hour interview he conducted with Grusch for NewsNation. And Bryce adds: there's a second interview - actually the 'pre-interview' - that Need to Know controls. And Ross reveals new information about who's been recovering UAP wreckage over the decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bryce and Ross mark two anniversaries in this episode. It's been one month since the deadline for Congress to release a new UAP report. And we're close to the five-year anniversary of the New York Times article on the $22 million Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program at the Defense Dept. It's regarded as the first truly series piece by a mainstream media organization on UFO research. And as for the Congressional UAP report that was due at the end of October? Bryce is not happy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Director of National Intelligence was supposed to deliver to Congress its first annual unclassified update on Unexplained Aerial Phenomena this past Monday, October 31st. As of this posting on November 1st, the report has not been delivered. But there have been leaks that Ross and Bryce believe are credible. And they've asked two prominent UFOlogists to talk about it. Ryan Robbins is behind the YouTube channel Post Disclosure World. Cristina Gomez does blogs, social media and four shows on YouTube under her name, Cristina (no 'H') Gomez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is it real? Bryce and Ross go in-depth on the importance and veracity of a memo allegedly written by astrophysicist and government consultant Eric Davis after his meeting with Admiral Thomas Wilson in October of 2002. The memo, if it's real, recounts Wilson's attempts to learn about the US Government's UFO research programs, and how he was rebuffed at every turn. Bryce and Ross "Go Broadway," and re-enact a significant part of the memo, then discuss why Davis has never confirmed that he wrote it and why Wilson has adamantly denied he said any of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce are back with a look at recent developments, including the ODNI's short-lived saucer logo, the return of the International UFO Conference (Bryce will be speaking!), the Defense Authorization Act, and the fact that Florida's Senate race will yield a pro-UAP Senator regardless of the outcome. But the bulk of this episode is their conversation with John Chapman. The retired British Army soldier decided he'd seen enough carnage from Ukraine, and took his considerable skills to the front lines. There, while battling Russian forces, he and his men saw a UAP. John describes the circumstances that brought him to Ukraine, the situation that night and what he remembers about the object that he says was only about 1,000 feet in the sky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's a packed podcast addressing a long list of developments, especially the recent article by Lue Elizondo entitled "UFOlogy Must Die." They're not going that far, but Ross and Bryce do understand Lue's frustration with UFO Twitter and the out-sized outrage over every tiny scrap of something - or nothing. Also: disappointment at the Navy's refusal to release some videos; will the upcoming Congressionally-mandated regular UAP report contain an "October Surprise?" And Bryce updates the hunt for that infamous formula he received from a mysterious visitor more than a quarter-century ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a very different, and special episode. It's the audio from Ross and Bryce's production for Australia's 7NEWS. And includes some eye-opening information straight from the people who know - and who have witnessed UAP. Among those you'll hear from: former US Navy fighter pilot Ryan Graves, artist, filmmaker and ufologist Jeremy Corbell, and Prof. Gary Nolan. And Bryce tells the tale of a shadowy guy who showed up at his house during a party for the cast and crew of "Dark Skies." This is not an episode to skip! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce make good on the 'contest' for followers of the show to enjoy a beer with the hosts - albeit virtual. The winners: Kieran Corcoran and Rob Sheridan, two friends from Wicklow, on the east Irish coast just south of Dublin. It was truly a global connection, as Ross joined at 10am Saturday, Kieran and Rob stayed up until 1am on their Saturday, while Bryce and producer Rich Johnson enjoyed their easy happy hour beers at 5pm Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce are back, explain where they've been, and dive into three deep subjects: First: new language from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that may grant immunity for potential witnesses not only in government but in private aerospace. Also: Is Gary Nolan the new Lue Elizondo? The Stanford professor has been raising his profile in the UAP community, and has granted Ross a wide-ranging and shocking interview (which we'll play in a later episode). Finally, a discussion that only begins to tackle the subject: how will we change in a post-disclosure world -- after most of the world acknowledges that we are not alone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce and Ross welcome Dave Beaty to the podcast. He's an investigative filmmaker who's produced "The Nimitz Encounters," a film about UAP encounters around US Navy ships from 2004 to 2019. As Dave writes on Medium: "When I first learned about that curious case of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, 100 miles off the coast of San Diego, CA in Nov of 2004 I was enthralled by the descriptions of a 50-foot-long white capsule-shaped UFO that had out-paced F/A-18F Super Hornets." You can watch the film at http://thenimitzencounters.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce and Ross mark 75 years since 1947, "The Summer of the Saucers." It's considered the beginning of the modern UFO era. They recount a couple of prominent incidents in those early days, and flash forward to today and word that NASA will launch a UAP study - albeit a very quick and barely funded study. Also: are drones the new swap gas? That is, an easy and lazy way for UAP doubters to explain away sightings? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode's title comes from the 1948 document produced by Project Sign, which the head of the Air Force ordered destroyed. Also: with more than two weeks to think about it, Ross and Bryce have more to say about the Congressional hearing on UAP -- including results of a couple of listener surveys. They also come up a few questions that lawmakers SHOULD have asked. And Ross explains why any talk about drones being an explanation for an UAP sighting is idiotic. Hint: drones can't fly that fast, that far, and for that long! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Underwhelming" is one of the more polite words used to discuss the first Congressional hearing on UAP in more than 50 years. You'll hear plenty of tougher words from Bryce and Ross, as well as from the podcast's very first guest: Lue Elizondo, formerly with the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (ATTIP), the Defense Dept. unit that studied UAP. The not-quite 90-minute hearing by the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism, and Counterproliferation yielded a lot of narrowly-focused questions and fuzzy answers, according to both our guests and hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce review some recent UAP news, including an obvious hoax, confusion about Garry Reid's exact status, the return of the UFO Fest in McMinnville, Oregon, a new documentary and a new series based on David Bowie's 1976 "The Man Who Fell to Earth." Then: a look back at Congressional inquiries into UAP and whether hearings will occur in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce needs to get a few things off his chest. But he's a writer, not an announcer. So he found a big-time announcer, former "The Tonight Show" announcer Edd Hall, to give voice to Bryce's thoughts. WARNING: This is rated "E" (with a vengeance). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce share two of the best-known stories involving musicians who say they've encountered UFOs. Ross tells the tale of Blink 182's Tom DeLonge. He's made some controversial claims over the past few years, including conversations with top government officials. He also co-founded To the Stars, which bills itself as an academy of arts and sciences. But Bryce goes back more than four decades to the east side of Manhattan, where one night in late August John Lennon says he saw a UFO hovering near his penthouse apartment. Also: praise for journalist Tim McMillan's recent scoop, and they note the death of John Lear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce and Ross tackle several recent and historical UAP developments, including the release of the classified version of last year's preliminary Defense Department report on UAP. Bryce shares thoughts on the spectrum of current UAP thinking: are they benevolent beings from beyond or do they mean us harm? Ross recounts his conversations with a man who's dealing with devastating injuries that he says were caused by a UAP encounter. And producer Rich Johnson talks about living in UAP "Ground Zero" -- Las Vegas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you don't know about Harry Turner and Edward Ruppelt, you soon will. Ross and Bryce tell stories about some of the earliest investigations into UAP in the US and Australia -- including the story of the man who came up with the acronym "UFO." Bryce also shares his latest survey about what we should be calling this phenomenon: UFO, UAP, both, or neither. And Ross lets us know about a revelation from the former head of France's version of the CIA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce turns the tables in this episode, and interviews Ross about his research into UAP that lead to his groundbreaking book "In Plain Sight." Ross takes us from being intrigued by the idea as a teenager in New Zealand to how UFO sightings were ridiculed by his bosses at many news outlets. Ross admits that he was sometimes doing the ridiculing. But that skepticism lead to a journey that continues with the book -- and this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why is the Air Force AWOL on UAP? Why is the Navy taking the lead on most disclosures these days? And where is the world's major news media? Ross and Bryce discuss those questions, and put them into the context of more and more lawmakers, intelligence officials and others at the center of this quest sharing more of what they've been told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If the inhabitants of UAP really want to reach out, why don't they just land on the White House lawn? Bryce and Ross get into that question, as well as what American presidents do know, don't know, and probably need to know about UFOs over the decades. They also recount the incident of astonishing mass UFO sightings in the sky over Washington, D.C. during the 1952 presidential campaign. And they let us know about two Presidents who claimed to have seen UAP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce and Ross dive back to the year that started it all: 1947. The war was over, but the sightings were everywhere: the foo fighters, ghost rockets, and The Big One: Roswell, where the military acknowledged then quickly rescinded news that wreckage from something it couldn't identify were found on a remote farm in New Mexico. It's also the year that the US Air Force, the CIA and the National Security Agency were founded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bryce and Ross discuss the death of former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, how he made a huge impact on the UAP discussion - and how most articles about him missed or ignored that fact. Also: UAP is not just a US thing. It's been regarded as a genuine mystery by multiple Governments around the World. Finally, a discussion of what it will take for the world's biggest and most mainstream media outlets to take UAP seriously, and to pursue stories with the same fever that brought us reporting on Watergate and the Pentagon Papers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce talk about the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed by Congress, signed by the President. Ross talks about the need for quality data in UAP sightings. Bryce presents his investigation into how the Betty and Barney Hill abduction case was first made public by investigative journalist John Luttrell Sr. and how the state of New Hampshire is going to change its historical marker based on Bryce's findings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce look ahead to the UAP/UFO events of next year. They discuss how likely progress is going to be and what it means if the U.S. passes the Gillibrand - Rubio Amendment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ross and Bryce look back at the UAP/UFO events of the past year. At the top of the list: the June UAP report, and the Gillibrand-Rubio Amendment now being voted on in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices