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☆ Tropical Storm Alberto makes landfall in Mexico; Texas faces flooding and heavy rain
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Storm Alberto, the first named tropical storm of the hurricane season, was located approximately 305 miles south-southeast of Brownsville, Texas and formed earlier today in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The first named storm of the hurricane season made landfall in Mexico on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and flooding to the country's Gulf Coast and Texas. Tropical Storm Alberto is moving inland over Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an update at 7 a.m. local time. A Tropical Storm Warning that was in effect for the Texas coast from San Luis Pass southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande was lifted early Thursday. Alberto's center was forecast to move west into Mexico before weakening and most likely dissipating by Thursday night, the National Hurricane Center said.

Persons: Storm Alberto, Alberto, Greg Abbott Organizations: Storm, Tropical, National Hurricane Center, Gov, Texans, Texas, M Forest Service, Texas National Guard, Chinook, National Weather Service, Atmospheric Administration Locations: floodwater, Surfside Beach , Texas, Brownsville , Texas, Southwestern Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Coast and Texas, Texas, San Luis, Rio Grande, Rio, Tecolutla, Surfside Beach, Brazoria County, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Nuevo, Monterrey, Allende

Tropical Storm Alberto, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, brought intense rain and coastal flooding to parts of Texas and northeastern Mexico on Wednesday, hours before it was expected to make landfall. In Texas, officials warned of flooded roads in the Houston area early Wednesday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center warned that Alberto was a large storm, with tropical-force winds extending about 415 miles north of its center in the Gulf of Mexico as it moved west toward northeastern Mexico. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, but the main concern was rainfall of a foot or more that was predicted for parts of Texas and Mexico. Tropical storm warnings were issued for coastal areas on both sides of the border.

Persons: Alberto Organizations: Atlantic, Wednesday, National Hurricane Center Locations: Texas, Mexico, Houston, Galveston, Gulf

☆ Congress's UFO hearing shows the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The discovery of extraterrestrial life is likely to be a slow build-up, rather than an explosive eureka moment. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

Persons: NASA isn't, David Grusch, Randall Hill, UAPs, Elon Musk, John Locher, Karine Jean, Pierre, we've, Lori Glaze, Glaze, James Webb, Jean, Philippe Arles, It's, Aaron Gronstal, Mary Voytek, Joe Biden, Anna Moneymaker, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Stephen Hawking, I'm, we're Organizations: Service, NASA, Beijing, Reuters, Department of Defense, Associated Press, AP, White House, Navy, US Department of Defense, JPL, Caltech, Delaware State University Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Surfside Beach , South Carolina, US, Alaska, Canada, Lake Huron, Rachel , Nevada, Bugarach, France

☆ 21 Teenagers Injured in Walkway Collapse at Beach Park in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Five teenagers were airlifted to a hospital and 16 others were also injured when part of an elevated walkway collapsed on Thursday at a park in Surfside Beach, Texas, city officials said. The teenagers, ages 14 to 18, were visiting from Cypress and Tomball, outside Houston, and Spring Branch, outside San Antonio. They were there as part of a summer camp run by the Bayou City Fellowship, city officials said in a news release. Officials said that the collapse occurred at about 1 p.m. at Stahlman Park, a seaside recreation area with access to the beach and views of the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal community of Surfside Beach is about 60 miles south of Houston.

Organizations: Bayou City Fellowship Locations: Surfside Beach , Texas, Cypress, Houston, Spring, San Antonio, Bayou, Stahlman, Gulf of Mexico, Surfside

☆ China says U.S. refused to share information on downed Chinese balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. "China early on through protected consular channels clearly demanded the United States notify (China) on the progress (of recovery of the balloon), but the United States refused to respond." China said that the alleged spy balloon is a civilian airship used for meteorological purposes, and that it was accidentally blown off course into U.S. airspace. The United States has said a Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Virginia is analysing debris from the balloon for "counterintelligence exploitation." The Chinese defence ministry later said it declined a proposed phone call with the Pentagon because the United States had not created the "appropriate atmosphere".

☆ 5 times scientists thought they'd maybe discovered signs of extraterrestrial life but sadly didn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Extraterrestrial life could exist, but mysterious objects in the sky aren't evidence of aliens. Scientists have thought they were close to discovering alien life a few times — none of it via UFOs. As the US discovered a flurry of UFOs — officially called "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAPs — in early February, Google searches for "extraterrestrial life" and "are aliens real" spiked. There have been incidents in the past where some researchers thought they'd come close to discovering signs of alien life — or even extraterrestrial intelligence — but none were UFOs. They dubbed the first interstellar object 'Oumuamua, which is a Hawaiian term meaning "a messenger from afar arriving first."

☆ The UFO shoot-downs show the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Extraterrestrial life likely wouldn't show up as flying objects, but finding it could cause similar chaos. An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

☆ How many Chinese spy balloons did we miss and when did they start flying above the U.S.?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan De Luce | Ken Dilanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

There are currently five known Chinese balloon flights into U.S. territory, including two during the Biden administration and three during Donald Trump's presidency, according to the Biden administration's public statement. The congressman said he expected more Chinese balloon flights to be identified. Other countries are also examining whether Chinese balloon flights over their territory went undetected. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said his government will review the country's security in light of the Chinese balloon flight over the U.S.Australia was not aware of any Chinese surveillance balloons flying over its territory, an Australian official said. It remains unclear if new information could indicate that those balloon sightings were in fact Chinese surveillance airships.

☆ Downed Chinese balloon aimed for Hawaii but was blown off course, U.S. official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall HillWASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. officials believe a Chinese balloon that was shot down after crossing the continental United States originally had a trajectory that would have taken it over Guam and Hawaii but was blown off course by prevailing winds, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday. U.S. military and intelligence agencies tracked the balloon from when it lifted off from Hainan Island near China's south coast, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Writing by Eric Beech, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US, China spy balloon tensions are drifting into politics of the supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. The tensions between the U.S. and China over alleged spy balloons shot down over North America have some of the top trade associations representing companies reliant on Chinese manufacturing to urge their members to diversify their supply chains. "The ongoing tensions with the U.S.-China trade relationship continue to highlight the need for supply chain diversification," said Jon Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy of the National Retail Federation. Mark Baxa, president and CEO of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, told CNBC that the trade group's members have been pursuing redundancies in their supply chain since the start of tariffs as a way to offset the risk of ongoing trade policy tensions. "Supply chain leaders are seeking lower risk and a better means to serve the U.S. by looking and moving to Canada and Mexico.

☆ China slams U.S. for blacklisting six Chinese entities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall Hill/File PhotoBEIJING, Feb 14 (Reuters) - China resolutely opposes Washington adding six Chinese entities to its trade blacklist after a Chinese balloon was detected over the United States last week and shot down, China's commerce ministry said on Tuesday. "China hopes the U.S. will stop unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises, and will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," the ministry said. The Biden administration last Friday blacklisted six Chinese entities connected to Beijing's suspected surveillance balloon program. read moreThe entities include the government-owned China Electronics Technology Group Corporation 48th Research Institute, as well as Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology, a unit of Shanghai-listed developer Deluxe Family (600503.SS).

☆ As new high-altitude objects are shot down over North America, lawmakers say they need more information
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. On Feb. 4, the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been transiting across the country for several days. The White House announced a second object had been shot down on Friday that was flying over Alaska at about 40,000 feet. Gen. Pat Ryder said Canadian authorities are conducting recovery operations to help both countries learn more about the nature of the object downed in Canada. He said he suspects that since the objects were downed in remote areas, there is not a lot of information to share yet.

☆ Sending a spy balloon was a 'clumsy' move by China that 'put a missile' through an already bad situation with the US, foreign policy expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Chinese spy balloon "put a missile" through an already strained relationship with the US, an expert said. The balloon incident also torpedoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-stakes trip to China. The Chinese balloon was an "incredibly clumsy gesture" on Beijing's part and it "deprived us of a very important moment to arrest the downward spiral," Schell said. And though Beijing has admitted that the downed balloon belonged to China, it has insisted it was a weather balloon that blew off course. Glaser added that it is also not in the US' interests "to completely rupture" its relationship with China.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. The U.S. slapped sanctions against six Chinese aerospace companies that it said supported the Beijing's reconnaissance balloon program, adding them to a list of companies the U.S. considers a significant national security threat. We will not hesitate to use the Entity List and our other regulatory and enforcement tools to protect U.S. national security." Last weekend, a high altitude Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina. "Today's action makes clear that entities that seek to harm U.S. national security and sovereignty will be cut off from accessing U.S.

☆ FBI says Chinese balloon analysis effort is in early stages
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Officials said the FBI still did not have access to the majority of the balloon's "payload" where most of the onboard electronics were likely carried. The FBI said much of the evidence remains underwater, and that it has begun decontaminating some of its remains by removing salt and seawater. "We have not identified any sort of any energetic or offensive material," one of the FBI officials said, when asked whether any explosives or other harmful components had been identified from the balloon. The FBI officials said they did not yet have information on where some of the balloon components were manufactured, but that such evidence when recovered could be used for intelligence purposes or possible criminal charges.

☆ China says it wants its busted balloon back after the US Navy fished the suspected spy craft out of the ocean
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China now wants its busted balloon returned to it after the US shot it down. US Navy divers fished pieces of the massive balloon out of the Atlantic Ocean this weekend. The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Chinese officials have admitted the balloon belongs to China but said it was a weather balloon that blew off course. Newly released images from the US Navy show divers pulling debris from the massive balloon out of the Atlantic Ocean.

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Four previous Chinese spy balloon flights over the United States passed over sites that would be of interest to Beijing, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, without elaborating on the paths the balloons took or whether the U.S. sites were military ones. Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said the United States was aware of the four past flights before it detected the latest Chinese balloon. "They were over sites that would be of interest to the Chinese," Ryder told reporters. [1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. The Pentagon said over the weekend that Chinese spy balloons had briefly flown over the United States at least three times during President Donald Trump's administration and one previously under President Joe Biden.

☆ U.S. recovers suspected Chinese spy balloon remnants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon after shooting it down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, February 4, 2023. "We successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," President Joe Biden said. Biden...moreA jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon after shooting it down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, February 4, 2023. "We successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," President Joe Biden said. Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet -- took the shot, using a single AIM-9X missile, a senior U.S. military official said.

[1/2] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Randall HillWASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Sunday it is searching for remnants of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon it shot down the previous day, in a dramatic spy saga that has further strained American-Chinese relations. A successful recovery could potentially give the United States insight into China's spying capabilities, though U.S. officials have downplayed the balloon's impact on national security. Democrats said Biden's decision to wait to shoot down the balloon until it had passed over the United States protected civilians from debris crashing to Earth. The Pentagon will brief senators on the balloon and Chinese surveillance on Feb. 15, Schumer said.

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general responsible for bringing down a Chinese spy balloon said on Monday the military had not detected previous spy balloons before the one that appeared on Jan. 28 over the United States and called it an "awareness gap." The Pentagon said over the weekend that Chinese spy balloons had briefly flown over the United States at least three times during President Donald Trump's administration and one previously under President Joe Biden. He did not provide details on previous balloons, including where over the United States they flew. Senior U.S. officials have offered to brief individuals from the previous administration on the details of previous balloons overflights when Trump was president. A U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic -- and public -- spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

☆ U.S. blocks vessels from area near balloon shoot down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it is imposing a temporary security zone in the waters off Surfside Beach, South Carolina in the area where the U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The 10 nautical mile area security zone blocks vessels from entering without permission of the Coast Guard and is intended to protect the public "from potential hazards associated with physical objects." The Navy has divers and unmanned vessels to retrieve the remnants of the balloon. "Recovery options will seek to recover all debris and any material of intelligence value," a senior defense official told reporters. We planned for much deeper water," the military official said.

☆ Morning Bid: Hot air
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Still, stocks rallied and bond yields fell as markets priced in lower rates. Now, it appears that some of these expectations were a load of hot air. The U.S. jobs data showed the unemployment rate hit more than a 53-1/2-year low of 3.4%. U.S. stock futures traded lower and FTSE futures indicated a weaker start for British stocks (.FTSE), which vaulted to a record high on Friday. European index futures also traded lower.

☆ Downed spy balloon leads to rise in diplomatic tensions between U.S. and China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. The U.S. downed the Chinese surveillance balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday and will attempt to recover its debris, according to a U.S. official. In remarks to reporters after the balloon was shot down, Biden said he made the order to the Pentagon after he was briefed on Wednesday. The balloon was shot down at 2:39 p.m. by an F-22 raptor with a single missile, according to a senior defense official. The balloon was between 60,000 to 65,000 feet in the air when it was downed.

☆ Republicans criticize Biden for waiting to shoot down Chinese balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Schumer said downing the balloon into the ocean likely enables U.S. intelligence officials to examine its remnants. The Pentagon will brief senators on the balloon and Chinese surveillance on Feb. 15, Schumer said. Trump on Sunday disputed Austin's statement that Chinese government surveillance balloons had transited the continental United States briefly three times during his presidency. Speaking on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" show, Trump's former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe also denied such balloon incidents.

☆ China defense ministry: U.S. 'attack' of Chinese airship an 'overreaction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. China's defence ministry on Sunday protested against the U.S. "attack" of an unmanned Chinese airship in the United States, saying that it was an "obvious overreaction". China reserves the right to use the necessary means to deal with similar situations, said Tan Kefei, a ministry spokesman, in a statement, without elaborating. A U.S. military fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic - and public - spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations. China has said the craft was a weather balloon blown off course.

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