By Tim Binnall
The Knights Templar, ghost hunting, and alien encounters were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. Meanwhile, at the C2C website, we told you about a flying saucer photographed in Chile, a teenager arrested for flinging a pork chop at her own mother, and an ominous update to the Doomsday Clock. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
Alien encounters were a hot topic of conversation this past week on Coast to Coast AM with two programs featuring guests who recounted their experiences with otherworldly visitors. First, on Saturday night's show, Maria Cuccia recalled being contacted by tall white beings who took her aboard a spacecraft and introduced her to her son, Elijah, whom she thought had passed in a medically unexplained pregnancy loss years earlier. Then, on Sunday night's program, abductee Richard Barth and UFO researcher Robert Hastings discussed Barth's experience being taken by aliens while guarding a missile silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Fantastic pictures of possible paranormal phenomena made headlines on two occasions this past week. First, in Chile, a witness snapped several photos of what appeared to be a flying saucer that multiple people observed zipping through the sky before vanishing into thin air. Interestingly, in one of the remarkably clear images, the UFO is obscured by a sizeable reflection of the sun, suggesting that the mysterious object was metallic. Later in the week, the caretakers for a notoriously haunted theater in England shared an astonishing photo of what appeared to be a ghost child standing in the backstage area of the spooky site.
Ghost hunting took center stage on Wednesday night's program as seasoned paranormal investigator Steven Parsons shared insights from his years searching for spirits. Reflecting on the change in the field since he first began, he noted that the simpler method of visiting a location and hoping to observe uncanny events has evolved into a more technological approach using various devices aimed at documenting unusual activity. To that end, he lamented that advanced computer graphics and AI have made it increasingly difficult to discern genuine ghost evidence from a well-crafted hoax. During his appearance, Parsons also mused about what ghosts might be and recounted an investigation wherein he interacted with an apparition that initially appeared to be a solid figure.
What has become something of a terrifying annual tradition occurred this past week when the infamous Doomsday Clock, a symbolic assessment of catastrophic threats facing humanity, was updated for 2026, and its metaphorical hands were moved a worrisome four seconds closer to midnight. The scientists and experts responsible for the evaluation, announced each January since 1947, explained that the new setting was based on what they see as a breakdown in global cooperation in favor of increased nationalism, leading to the exacerbation of the risks endangering our planet. The group once again called on the 'powers that be' to take a proactive approach towards nuclear proliferation, climate change, and other pressing issues before it is too late.
The Knights Templar were in the spotlight on Tuesday night's program as historian Dr. Kathleen Ball discussed the group's remarkable influence and legacy. While the Catholic military order had originally been created to protect pilgrims traveling through the Holy Land, she observed that the group's true purpose appeared to be centered around recovering relics and esoteric knowledge that members later used to gain influence with the 'powers that be' throughout Europe. Ball argued that the Templars' advocacy for religious freedom and equality had a hand in shaping foundational democratic documents like the Magna Carta, which subsequently served as inspiration for the Declaration of Independence.
By far the weirdest story of the week came by way of Florida, where a one-sided food fight landed a teenager behind bars. The strange case began when 18-year-old Farrah Kernan got into an argument with her mother. Though the fight began as a verbal altercation, it soon turned physical when the young woman flung a pork chop, which had presumably been prepared for dinner, at her mother and then slapped her in the face. Police responding to the fight dutifully noted in their report that "food residue" was found on the victim's shoulder, and the entire wild scene was filmed by a witness who was at the home during the incident, leading to Kernan's arrest for domestic battery.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last seven years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.