In the eight decades since the modern UFO era began, few dates are as monumentally important as Dec. 16, 2017. That is when The New York Times published a blockbuster story about a secretive government investigation into alarming and ongoing encounters between U.S. military units and unidentified machines of unknown origin - machines that appear to be far more advanced than any technology known to exist on Earth. The fact that The New York Times, regarded as "the paper of record" and possibly the most respected news platform in the country, plastered the UFO exposé on the front page of its Dec. 17 edition sent shockwaves through American journalism, grabbed the attention of Congress, and reignited public interest in a subject that had been largely ignored or ridiculed - not only by The Times, but by nearly every major news organization in the Western world. The ripple effects from that report are still unfolding more than seven years later. The three journalists who worked on the story - Helene Cooper, Leslie Kean, and Ralph Blumenthal - somehow managed to overcome decades of government disinformation, scientific ridicule, and editorial scorn to get the story into the paper. Blumenthal, a brilliant, award-winning newsman, staked his reputation and career on that one report. How did he and his colleagues pull it off? What other secrets did they uncover that never made it into print? In a candid and highly personal conversation, Blumenthal reveals to Jeremy and George the difficulties that confronted the three journalists, including blowback from their colleagues, arguments with editors, and the conspiracy theories espoused by the loudest voices in the always rancorous UFO community. The story about AATIP, Tic Tac, Elizondo, Harry Reid, and other key players was not Blumenthal's entry point to the UFO debate. He was already investigating the life and career of a brilliant, mercurial, and flawed trailblazer - a Harvard psychiatrist named Dr. John Mack. Like the late Dr. Mack, Blumenthal suspects that the personal encounters between humans and non-humans, as reported by tens of thousands of people all over the world, might be far more important than the competition between world powers to master the technological secrets stashed deep inside the bowels of black-world programs. Follow Ralph's work here : https://RalphBlumenthal.com GOT A TIP? Reach out to us at [email protected] ••• Watch Corbell's six-part UFO docuseries titled UFO REVOLUTION on TUBI here : https://tubitv.com/series/300002259/tmz-presents-ufo-revolution/season-2 Watch Knapp’s six-part UFO docuseries titled INVESTIGATION ALIEN on NETFLIX here : https://www.netflix.com/title/81674441 ••• For breaking news, follow Corbell & Knapp on all social media. Extras and bonuses from the episode can be found at WeaponizedPodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices