In the first half, author MR Gorga discussed demonic possession past and present. The first such recorded case in America, he explained, involved a teenaged girl employed as a servant to a minister in a pre-colonial frontier town. The minister's daily written account of her behavior at the hands of the demon that possessed her was so unnerving and powerful that it prompted Gorga to use her ordeal as the starting point of his book Demons Among Us, he recounted.

As fallen angels, continued Gorga, demons rule the cosmos, and currently have great influence on Earth; it's his belief that demonic activity here is extraordinarily high. He said their main objective is to destroy and kill at the direction of Satan, and they thrive on invoking fear and depression in individual people. And although there's no clear answer as to why some people are more susceptible to possession than others, Gorga believes that very few claims of harassment by demons are fabricated or delusional.

Gorga also shared his own encounter with a demon years ago. A large, hooded, semi-transparent creature that seemed to have both spiritual and physical properties appeared at his bedside one night, he claimed, and began to try to choke him. After Gorga called out to Jesus Christ for help, the creature left the room as quickly as it had arrived, he recalled. He noted that while there's little hope for any human to escape such a situation unharmed, only the power of Christ is any match for that of a demon, and he repeatedly stressed the importance of faith as protection against demonic influence.

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Featured in the second half was Coast to Coast AM investigative journalist Cheryll Jones, who shared her interview with wildlife biologist Laura Kearns about the recent phenomenon of mass bird deaths. The deaths, Kearns reported, differ from those documented in the past in that they are characterized by a combination of symptoms observed: blindness, unusual crusting and swelling around the eyes, a loss of balance, and an inability to fly. The phenomenon is also believed to be restricted to the states stretching between Indiana and Delaware, Kearns continued. Thus far, the deaths have only been observed in songbirds and not water fowl or poultry.

Pending the collection and autopsy of more bird corpses by scientists, Kearns went on, it is unknown what is causing the mass deaths. A contagious virus, bacterial infection, and poisoning are all possibilities, she said. Consequently, people who find dead birds are urged to exercise caution: when collecting the corpses, rubber gloves and airtight bags should be used. Some authorities also recommend that people remove bird feeders on their property until the cause of the mass deaths can be determined.

News segment guests: Dr. Peter Breggin, Catherin Austin Fitts