Isaac Asimov famously declared that he didn’t believe in «flying saucers.» Asimov countered that he believed in «evidence» and «observation.»

«I’ll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there’s evidence for it,» Asimov said. «The wilder and more ridiculous something is however, the firmer and more solid the evidence should be.»

The Trump administration released another batch of UFO files recently. This is part of making good on a promise to release videos and documents related to UAP, unidentified aerial phenomena. Bipartisan lawmakers pressed President Donald Trump to make good on this promise back in March. This release is the second group of material publicized by the government.

And what’s in it?

NEW UFO FILES REVEAL STARTLING REPORTS

A space oddity. Some 57 years in the making.

«They thought it was something, you know, penetrating the spacecraft, if you know what I mean,» said Apollo 12 Command Module 12 pilot about what he and his colleagues saw in outer space in late 1969. That’s one snippet of audio which is now public.

The baffled astronauts tried to unravel a cosmic conundrum when they spotted weird beams of light bouncing around their spacecraft more than half a century ago.

«The streaks I saw were ones that I saw on the horizontal,» said Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean. «The horizontal streaks were always a little bit above the center.»

PENTAGON DECLASSIFIES APOLLO 12 AUDIO OF ASTRONAUTS DESCRIBING UNEXPLAINED ‘STREAKS OF LIGHT’ IN SPACE

These were clips of audiotape the government recently dumped. Tales from tape never heard before about what some of humankind’s first space explorers experienced and observed when they slipped the surly bonds of Earth.

The president pledged to publicize as much unexplained material as possible.

«It’s been in the minds of people for a long time,» said President Trump in late April. «And I think some of it’s going to be very interesting to people.»

President Donald Trump pledged to publicize as much unexplained material as possible. (Aaron Schwartz/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s a document dump that is out of this world. But it’s hard to quantify and understand exactly what it all means. Let alone if it provides «evidence,» as Asimov would say, «which explains something, which to some, could be «ridiculous.»

No one knows exactly what these videos and documents reveal. Especially when it comes to demonstrating that UFOs exist or that there are visitors to Earth from another planet.

But that doesn’t mean that the information isn’t remarkable.

EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS UAP FILES REVEAL ‘TREASURE TROVE’ OF INTELLIGENCE DATING BACK TO THE 1940S

«Virtually speechless!» is how one military pilot characterized strange «orange orbs» which materialized near his helicopter during a flight last year.

Then there was a stationary pill-shaped object in the Middle East zipping off at ludicrous speed.

Then there was a celestial trinity of objects synchronously hovering over water in Iran.

«The stuff they’re dropping right now is just Deep State classic,» Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., has said of the releases. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

One lawmaker who has long called for UAP transparency isn’t starstruck at the releases. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was skeptical before the Pentagon put out the latest tranche of information.

«The stuff they’re dropping right now is just Deep State classic,» said Burchett. «They won’t show us some of the stuff that we’ve seen. They’re going to show stuff that is easily identifiable.»

But this information is far from easy to identify, quantify or even understand. The government can explain some weird sightings. At a 2022 House hearing on UAP, the Pentagon demonstrated how light refracting through certain military visual aids created an optical illusion. But the stories are legion about what can’t be explained or defined. The difference now is that Congress mandated the Pentagon create an office to document and study UAP.

And the government either can’t – or doesn’t want to explain a lot of what’s out there.

«We have been stonewalled. We have been blocked. We have had witnesses intimidated,» said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., on Fox. She asserted that former workers at the Pentagon UAP office were even «attacking» some witnesses and whistleblowers who have come forward.

SECRETLY FILMED UFO DOC REVEALS INSIDER VIDEO AS OFFICIALS RELEASE NEW ALIEN RECORDS: ‘SOMETHING IS IMMINENT’

But here’s the other challenge: understanding exactly what documents and videos the government has in its possession.

«This is not an easy thing to do. There’s not one huge repository of all of these documents and videos and photos,» said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., on Fox.

Burlison is now suggesting the government «reverse engineer» what they find at certain «crash locations» or where people have discovered weird physical material here on terra firma.

«The White House and the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) is now looking at places to go investigate,» said Burlison on Fox.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., suggests the government»reverse engineer» what they find at certain «crash locations.» (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

So people sift through the files in a quest to unearth evidence that is definitely un-Earth. But more information often yields more questions. And that’s to say nothing of the other-worldly expectations set the pending release of files and information. The bar is high. And while the release of information is intriguing, no one quite knows what it all means.

If you wanted proof of ET or revelations of a government conspiracy, you’re better off watching an old VHS tape.

We just don’t know what these files mean. And, in many cases, even are.

The document dump isn’t a nothing-burger. But a something-burger. Still, that doesn’t sate the appetite for those who are on a quest for the truth. And it likely just angers those who are convinced the government has something to hide.

TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FILES DOCUMENTING UFOS, ‘EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE’

On Fox, Burlison said he «personally» experienced «frustration» about declassifying information. But Burlison cautioned the Trump Administration against holding material back.

«I’ve seen those kind of videos,» said Burlison. «I’m telling the administration through you at this moment that if they don’t release those, then I have the capabilities of getting those videos released.»

In the meantime, people are sorting through the recently released material, trying to decode it.

«There’s a whole bunch of big ones out my window now. It’s just bright. Looks like the Fourth of July out around the window,» exclaimed one astronaut in a just released soundbite.

So we’re accumulating a lot of «evidence» and «observation.» Kind of what Isaac Asimov was looking for. But signs of life from other worlds? Not necessarily. This is why the Pentagon says there’s no evidence that the videos reveal something from outer space. But the military concedes that it can’t explain everything.

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So the evidence will pile up.

Figuring out what it means is not the final frontier. But the next frontier.

France has added a ninth European country to President Emmanuel Macron’s growing nuclear deterrence initiative as European governments move to take on a larger role in its own defense following years of pressure from President Donald Trump to shoulder more of NATO’s security burden.

Norway announced Wednesday that it will join France’s so-called «forward deterrence» initiative, becoming the latest country to participate in discussions over how France’s nuclear arsenal could contribute to European security. The effort also includes Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed that «our deterrence will continue to be provided by NATO» and said France had consulted both NATO and the U.S. as the initiative expanded.

EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS

The expansion comes as European governments race to strengthen its militaries amid concerns that Russia could eventually push beyond Ukraine and threaten NATO territory. It also marks another step in Macron’s effort to position France at the center of a more self-reliant European security framework as NATO allies increase defense spending and military cooperation.

It also follows years of warnings from Trump that the U.S. should not continue carrying a disproportionate share of Europe’s defense burden.

«If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,» Trump said in 2025 when discussing NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending commitments.

Trump repeatedly has argued that European countries relied too heavily on American military power while underinvesting in their own defenses. At NATO’s summit in The Hague earlier in 2026, alliance members agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035, a dramatic increase from NATO’s longstanding 2% benchmark.

France has not announced plans to permanently station nuclear weapons in nations participating in the initiative and retains sole authority over any decision involving its nuclear arsenal.

Members of the French Navy are aboard a submarine awaiting the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron at the nuclear submarine navy base of Ile Longue in Crozon, France, March 2, 2026. (Yoan Valat /Pool via Reuters)

Instead, participating countries will take part in discussions, planning and exercises related to French nuclear deterrence while France signals that the security of its European partners is increasingly tied to its own. Macron also has said participating countries could temporarily host French strategic air forces as part of the initiative.

Macron has increasingly positioned France as a leader in Europe’s push to take greater responsibility for its own security. France is the European Union’s only nuclear-armed country, and the French president has argued that France’s nuclear deterrent should play a larger role in protecting the continent as governments across Europe increase military spending and expand defense cooperation.

MOCKING HIM AS ‘MICRON,’ RUSSIA WARNS MACRON AGAINST MAKING NUCLEAR ‘THREATS’

France built an independent nuclear deterrent during the Cold War under President Charles de Gaulle. France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960 and developed its own arsenal in part to ensure the country would never be entirely dependent on Washington for its security.

The arrangement leaves open questions about exactly what commitments France is making.

French President Emmanuel Macron reviews the troops during his visit to the nuclear submarine navy base of Ile Longue in Crozon, France, March 2, 2026 (Yoan Valat /Pool via Reuters)

For decades, Europe’s ultimate nuclear backstop has been the U.S. which stations nuclear weapons in several NATO countries including Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands as part of the alliance’s broader deterrence posture. France’s proposal is less explicit, seeking to strengthen deterrence by making Russia consider the possibility that threats against European allies could implicate French security interests without offering a formal nuclear guarantee.

The initiative highlights how some European governments are looking to strengthen regional defense arrangements even as the U.S. remains NATO’s dominant military power and primary nuclear guarantor.

It also comes as Trump and Macron continue a relationship marked by both cooperation and public disagreements.

In March, Trump rated Macron an «8 out of 10» as an ally while discussing French support for a U.S.-led effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

«Not perfect, but it’s France,» Trump said. «We don’t expect perfect.»

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At the same time, Macron has increasingly pushed for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense and has publicly broken with Washington on several foreign policy issues, including criticism of U.S. military actions in the Middle East.

Those tensions reflect a broader challenge facing NATO as European governments seek to strengthen their own military capabilities while continuing to rely heavily on the United States for much of the alliance’s military power and nuclear deterrence.

El excéntrico abogado Abelardo de la Espriella emergió en las elecciones presidenciales de Colombia como un duro rival para el senador progresista Iván Cepeda, con quien se disputará el balotaje en junio en medio de acusaciones mutuas y cuestionamientos al sistema electoral.

Cepeda, aliado del actual presidente Gustavo Petro, había liderado en los últimos meses gran parte de las encuestas y parecía confiado en que podría ganar en primera vuelta, un hito que nadie ha conseguido en casi dos décadas.

Pero los resultados del domingo, que corresponden a un conteo preliminar, le dieron la ventaja a De la Espriella con 43,74% de los votos frente a 40,90% de Cepeda, lo que los llevará al balotaje el 21 de junio.

Petro no aceptó los resultados y dijo que esperará a que los jueces electorales realicen el escrutinio, resuelvan eventuales reclamos sobre irregularidades y declaren formalmente la elección. En la misma línea se pronunció Cepeda.

La primera vuelta presidencial era para los analistas un medidor de la aceptación o rechazo a la agenda política de Petro, quien no se puede reelegir.

Mientras Cepeda promete profundizar los programas sociales para los más vulnerables y continuar los diálogos de paz con los grupos armados, De la Espriella ha dicho que dará un vuelco total y reducirá el tamaño del Estado, beneficiará a empresarios y presionará con operaciones militares a los grupos ilegales.

“Hay una polarización enorme en el país, lo que los votantes en su gran mayoría sugirieron es que no quieren una continuidad al gobierno Petro”, aseguró a The Associated Press el analista político Sergio Guzmán. “De la Espriella ganó la primera vuelta, eso es un golpe de opinión muy difícil de derrotar”, explicó.

De la Espriella calificó a su contrincante de “bandido aliado de narcoterroristas”, mientras Cepeda lo tildó de buscar regresar al país a un pasado “mafioso y corrupto”.

Con una diferencia de más de 673.000 votos, De la Espriella y Cepeda lucharán por mantener a su electorado y conquistar a los votantes que en primera vuelta apoyaron a los otros nueve aspirantes. Cepeda retó el lunes a De la Espriella a un primer debate público para medir propuestas.

De la Espriella se autodefine independiente y se postuló sin el apoyo explícito de partidos tradicionales. Sin embargo, tras los resultados del domingo comenzaron a tejerse alianzas políticas. La candidata Paloma Valencia —quien se ubicó en tercer lugar con 6,9% de los votos— y su padrino político, el expresidente Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), anunciaron su apoyo al conservador, así como el exmandatario Iván Duque (2018-2022) y el partido Cambio Radical.

Por su parte, el expresidente Ernesto Samper (1994-1998) renovó su respaldo a Cepeda y se sumó el exembajador en el Reino Unido y candidato en primera vuelta Roy Barreras, quien no obtuvo ni 1% de los votos.

De la Espriella es un abogado conocido en Colombia por sus clientes de alto perfil como Uribe, así como de figuras controvertidas como Alex Saab, un estrecho aliado del derrocado presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro que enfrenta cargos en Estados Unidos.

Se hace llamar “El Tigre” y dice que con la ferocidad de ese felino enfrentará a los grupos armados. Es vocal en su simpatía por el presidente salvadoreño Nayib Bukele y el argentino Javier Milei, de quienes dice que tomaría algunas de sus políticas como referencia.

“Me gusta mucho el tema de las cárceles y la seguridad del presidente Bukele, haciendo la salvedad de que son dos países muy distintos, con conflictos y situaciones muy diferentes”, explicó De la Espriella a AP antes de la primera vuelta. “Me gustan del presidente Milei algunos de sus manejos económicos; ha reducido sustancialmente la inflación”, agregó.

De la Espriella se une a un número creciente de líderes regionales, desde Chile hasta Honduras, que buscan adoptar el “modelo Bukele” a medida que los votantes latinoamericanos abandonan a los políticos con ideas progresistas destinadas a abordar las causas del conflicto como la falta de oportunidades, la pobreza y la corrupción.

“Es una marca política que, por así decirlo, llegó a Colombia. No creo que De la Espriella inventara nada”, aseguró Guzmán.

El candidato también es seguidor del presidente Donald Trump y miembro del Partido Republicano. Ha prometido que, de llegar al poder, estrechará la relación con Estados Unidos y dará resultados en la disminución de cultivos de hoja de coca, la materia prima de la cocaína.