Number 4. Intercast News. Mysterious death of 59-year-old scientist is tied to 8 others.
(Not satire.)
The spate of missing and dead U.S. space scientists continues to grow. In an earlier post, the ANR documented five scientists and one high-level administrative assistant who each had access to classified defense-related projects. Nearly all of those worked in aerospace, some with ties to UAP/UFO research.
The earlier named missing or dead were/are: William McCasland, Monica Jacinto Reza, Carl Grillmair, Nuno Loureiro, Jason Thomas, Melissa Casias.
Now we can add three more names:
David Michael Hicks, researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Died July 30, 2023, age 59. Engaged in study of asteroids, contributed to Deep Space 1 Mission, testing novel spacecraft technology. Cause of death was not disclosed; autopsy not performed (or at least not published).
Frank Maiwald, researcher at JPL. Died July 4, 2024, age 61. Lead investigator in process to identify biosignatures of non-terrestrial life. Cause of death undisclosed; autopsy apparently not performed.
Anthony Chavez, employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), retired in 2017, disappeared May 4, 2025 at age 79. His wallet, keys, cell phone and personal items were left at home. (He did not normally carry a cell phone.)
Chavez’ disappearance last year occurred within six weeks of the disappearance of Melissa Casias, also of LANL.
The Daily Mail article presents a graphic of the interconnections between these missing or dead individuals. In the picture, Nuno Loureiro (fusion research) and Jason Thomas (pharmaceutical research), both dead, are noted as having no identified connections.
Also, the picture does not show David Hicks, probably because that death had not yet been related to the others. Hicks was an associate of both Monica Reza and Frank Maiwald, both of whom are shown.
The new revelation here is the death of David Hicks in 2023. It seems that a few journalists have been practicing journalism, in that we have now gone back a few years to find other unexplained deaths or disappearances.
We will keep following this.
If you find published references to additional missing scientists, let me know. Somewhere, there may be a thread that ties these together.
Number 3. Breitbart. Fake disease “Bixonimania” picked up and “validated” by AI.
This is too rich. A real-life Swedish medical researcher made up a ridiculous illness and posted it to a few medical media sites. It was picked up by Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, Perplexity AI and ChatGPT, all of which provided what they apparently believed was serious information about symptoms and treatments.
The Swedish researcher wrote under a fictitious name, Lazljiv Izgubljenovic (I’m glad that’s not a real name), and called the disease Bixonimania. It is supposedly an eye condition caused by exposure to a computer screen, which is admittedly a concern we may all have.
Faux writer Izgubljenovic cited as sources: a professor at Starfleet Academy, another from the Professor Sideshow Bob Foundation, and one from the University of the Fellowship of the Ring. And, in plain language (which may have been Swedish, but plain nonetheless) the writer made it explicitly clear that the entire research and the disease were entirely fabricated.
He indicated that the 50 subjects tested for Bixonimania were non-existent.
When confronted with the troubling idea that an obvious hoax was treated as real by major AI platforms, the AI teams responded with various predictable answers: Our AI agent is better now than it used to be; No AI system is perfect; and—my favorite—For a medical condition, you should consult your doctor.
I am glad this made the news. Now… let the copycats begin. I think I might have a recurring case of the rare but highly contagious Kansas Microbial Flat-Brain, caused by exposure to wheat dust and smoke from pasture fires. Transmission among humans is airborne, odorless and tasteless.
Maybe I’ll write it up and post it here.
Number 2. Newsweek. AI-driven robot police dogs patrol streets of Atlanta.
This took longer to show up in the mainstream press than I thought it would.
Four-legged mechanical dogs, provided by private contractors, are now patrolling certain areas of the City of Atlanta. For the most part, they surveil apartment complexes, parking lots and construction sites. The Robo-dogs are fitted with cameras (360 degree view), lights and loudspeakers. They can sound sirens.
Presumably, there is a human remote operator supervising Fake Fido… we really need a workable name for this police related asset.
The Instagram video cited in the article shows a well-behaved mechanical critter trotting along gently. He can raise a paw and wave at passing cars. Cute and tame.
The report does not indicate how fast he can run, if he can jump, and whether future versions will have a pronounced snout with steel jaws and sharpened teeth.
A departmental spokesman, Helmut von der Brute, made this statement to put the surprised civilian populace at ease: “Der is nicht cause to vorry about the Künstlich hunds. Dey are oonlee derr fur your protekkshun and savetey. Dey vill neffer attackt ennyboddy hoo ist not brakink dah law.”
Number 1. NBC News. Surprise! Easter egg hunt reveals human skull among the prizes.
And I would be severely disappointed without a news item like this from the Land of Fruits and Nuts.
During an Easter egg hunt at De Forest Park in Long Beach, hunters came across an unusual trophy: a human skull half buried beside a woodland trail.
The discovery occurred during what was described as “an independent event,” which, if I were a police departmental spokesman, is how I would term a family-friendly school or church outing with pre-teens looking for candy surprises in plastic eggs.
“Mommy! Look what I found! Can I keep it for my room?”
The report does not indicate the presence or quantity of counselors or trauma therapists who may have summoned.
And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, April 17, 2026. If you are not accustomed to using AI, perhaps you should give it a go. There are free versions readily available—in fact, unavoidable—online. Ask it something practical.
I told ChatGPT that I am allergic to mainstream news, and asked what that condition is called. It came up with “acute news fatigue syndrome,” and recommended that I limit my exposure.
I agree. The only real way to treat it effectively is to subscribe to the ANR.
Have a good weekend!
