Larry King television special that aired Saturday night. Most of the stories present allegations of a cover-up, speculating on why, since 1954, all levels and branches of government systematically have refused toacknowledge the existence of a base whose hangars, barracks, antennae and runway have been observed from nearby ridges by thousands of curious gawkers.
Some reports stick with historic, bureaucratic or political angles.
More recently, former Area 51 workers have filed two lawsuits claiming they got sick after inhaling fumes from hazardous waste burned in open pits. Also making headlines has been the Air Force's controversial move to create a buffer zone around the base by grabbing 4,000 acres of prime vantage points on public land. Other stories raise issues of accountability. More often than not, however, the recent slew of reports has tended to ignore the less glamorous dry stuff and instead focus on the more sensational paranormal or supernatural questions surrounding Area 51. On the assumption that pulp reels in higher ratings than straight-laced reports about classified military projects, most pieces have highlighted theories that the base is a secret testing facility for UFO exploration and hub of the government's involvement in extraterrestrial contact.