Wait, Are There Actually Aliens?

It’s an age-old question in America: Is the government lying to us? According to David Grusch, a former intelligence official who recently alleged that the U.S. government is secretly storing alien spacecraft, the answer is yes. He is, of course, not the first person to make a claim like this, but lawmakers appear to be taking him far more seriously than previous would-be whistle-blowers. So, what’s really going on?On this week’s episode of “Matter of Opinion,” our hosts discuss what the government is and isn’t telling us, and what the obsession with classified cover-ups says about our complicated relationship with power. If you have a summer reading recommendation, share it with us by leaving a voicemail at 212-556-7440.By leaving us a message, you are agreeing to be governed by our reader submission terms and agreeing that we may use and allow others to use your name, voice and message. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.