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☆ China says U.S. flew high-altitude balloons over its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wang did not specifically describe the balloons as military or for espionage purposes and did not provide further details. Asked how China had responded to such incursions into its airspace, Wang said its responses had been "responsible and professional". In resposne to the Chinese balloon, the United States postponed a visit to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. China says the balloon was a civilian research craft that had mistakenly blown off course and accused the United States of overreacting. Wang said he had no information on the latest three objects shot down by the United States.

☆ Chinese authorities said they were preparing to shoot down an 'unidentified flying object' spotted near the Yellow Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese authorities said they have spotted an unidentified flying object and are preparing to shoot it down. The object was spotted over the city of Rizhao on the Yellow Sea, authorities said. The announcement comes a week after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean. Pentagon officials later said that a second suspected Chinese surveillance balloon had been spotted over Latin America on Thursday. The saga of unidentified objects has since continued, as on Friday, the US shot down another unidentified object flying approximately 40,000 feet over Alaska, and on Saturday, another unidentified object was shot down over northern Canada.

☆ U.S. FAA reopens Montana airspace shut for defense activities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said late Saturday it had reopened some airspace in Montana after it was briefly closed for undisclosed Defense Department activities. The FAA had issued a notice temporarily barring flights in an area about 50 by 50 nautical miles around Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border and classifying the area as "national defense airspace." The FAA declined to say whether the directive was related to another suspected balloon or object. The FAA issued similar actions in response to a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the continental United States from Montana to South Carolina and was shot down earlier this month. Reporting by David Shepardson, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ GOP Gov. Chris Sununu jokes that Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'fur thing' at the State of the Union made her look like 'she belonged on the top of Mt. Washington'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chris Sununu joked about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's State of the Union wardrobe choice. He described her white coat with fluffy fur trim as a "fur thing." "She looked like she belonged on the top of Mount Washington," he said. Chris Sununu said he's not sure what was happening with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's State of the Union wardrobe selection, describing her $495 Peruvian alpaca wool coat as a "fur thing." She looked like she belonged on the top of Mount Washington."

☆ Chinese spy balloon carried 'multiple antennas' for collecting signals intelligence, State Dept. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Abigail Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese balloon that flew above the U.S. for eight days included "multiple antennas" capable of collecting signals intelligence, a senior State Department official said Thursday, and the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military. While China condemned the U.S. for destroying what it said was a weather balloon, the State Department official described the balloon as carrying equipment designed to collect communications and threatened action against Beijing. Gen. Pat Ryder said that the U.S. has gathered extensive information about the Chinese surveillance balloons over time and will be able to detect them in the future. U.S. officials said previously that there were had been multiple Chinese balloon flights over American territory during the former Trump administration and another during the Biden administration. "What we do know is that in some cases, whereas some of these balloons previously had not been identified, subsequent analysis, subsequent intelligence analysis did enable us to indicate that these were Chinese balloons," Ryder said.

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The Biden administration is working on declassifying U.S. intelligence that includes details of China flying surveillance balloons above dozens of other countries around the world, according to three administration officials. The effort comes just days after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina following its trek across the continental United States. They said Biden administration officials plan to brief the dozens of countries that the U.S. believes have been subject to surveillance by China's balloons violating their airspace. The U.S. believes there are more than 40 countries that have been had Chinese surveillance balloons flown in their airspace, two officials said.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene wore a $495 alpaca wool coat to the State of the Union to 'highlight' the Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia wore an ostentatious wool coat at the State of the Union. The far-right congresswoman wore the coat to "highlight" the Chinese spy balloon, her office says. The garment sells for $495 on Overland.com and "supports Peruvian artisans in earning fair wages." According to her office, it was an effort to draw attention to a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States last week. Greene, a self-described "Christian nationalist," also supported Peruvian artisans with her purchase.

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023.

The United States operates a military base and nuclear missile silos in Montana, a state bordering Idaho. Military officials developed a plan to shoot down the balloon on Wednesday as it flew over Montana. BALLOON MANEUVERSThe U.S. government has declined to say which sites the Chinese balloon surveyed. On Friday, the Pentagon said it expected the balloon to keep flying over the United States for several more days. "That will make it fairly easy, actually," a military official said of the recovery operation in the Atlantic.

☆ ABC anchor calls out Sen. Marco Rubio during tense exchange over Chinese spy balloon: 'This happened 3 times under the previous president'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

ABC's Jonathan Karl called out Sen. Marco Rubio during a tense exchange about the Chinese spy balloon. In response, Karl said former President Donald Trump did not disclose three different sightings of Chinese balloons during his term. "And we're also told, by the way, that this happened three times under the previous president," Karl said. The Chinese balloon in question was shot down by the Air Force over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday. Trump has also been ranting about the Chinese balloon on his Truth Social page.

☆ 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.

☆ The F-22 that took down China's surveillance balloon used the call sign 'FRANK01' in an apparent homage to a heroic pilot from WWI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Saturday, F-22 pilots shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon floating near South Carolina. The pilots went by the callsigns "FRANK01" and "FRANK02," an apparent homage to a WWI hero. "Frank Luke Jr. was an American fighter ace in World War I better known as the 'Arizona Balloon Buster.' Luke's achievement in battle was unsurpassed by any other pilot in the war, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. A second Chinese surveillance balloon has been spotted floating over Latin America.

☆ Republicans are blaming Biden for letting a suspected Chinese spy balloon cross into the US. It happened 3 times during the Trump administration, officials say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration's response to the Chinese spy balloon. "Would Trump have let China fly a spy balloon over our country?" Chinese spy balloons were sighted three times during the Trump administration, US officials said. The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] can send spy balloons over our nuclear silos and we will do nothing." It's unclear what information the suspected Chinese spy balloon could have gleaned from its various positions.

☆ After a week adrift, a surveillance balloon from China has been deflated. Here's what we know about the suspect device and its mission.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The United States on Saturday shot down a balloon officials said was a Chinese surveillance device. The balloon had been spotted floating over the US and parts of Canada this week. Below is a timeline of the balloon's journey over the country and what is known about the device. Though the balloon has since been shot down by F22 fighter jets, it captured the country's attention for days with questions of national security and international relations. Below is a timeline of the balloon's journey over the country and what is known about its mission.

☆ Blinken postpones trip to China after spy balloon detected in U.S. -reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his visit to China after a spy balloon was detected flying over the continental United States, according to media reports on Friday. Blinken did not want the balloon to dominate his meetings with Chinese officials, ABC News reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official. Bloomberg News also reported the trip will be postponed. Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Feb 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a visit to China that had been expected to start on Friday after a Chinese spy balloon was tracked flying across the United States, a U.S. official said. China earlier expressed regret that what it called a "civilian" airship had strayed into U.S. territory after being blown off course, an incident that sparked a political furor in the United States. Republican Senator Tom Cotton had called for Blinken to cancel his trip, while Republican former President Donald Trump, a declared presidential candidate for 2024, posted "SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON!" It said it would continue to communicate with the United States to "properly handle" the unexpected situation. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising.

☆ US scrambles F-22s following reports of unidentified flying object over Montana believed to be a Chinese spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon first spotted over Montana, per NBC News. The balloon has been hovering over the US "for the past few days," NBC reported Thursday. Video published by an NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana, shows a bright, unidentified object in the sky, which prompted flights to be diverted from the local airport on Wednesday. "It is not the first time that you've had a balloon of this nature cross over the continental United States," the official said. After the balloon was spotted, the US military responded by scrambling F-22 Raptors and other aircraft near Billings, prompting the civilian airport to be shuttered for some time.

☆ Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Courtney Kube | Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. The U.S. military has been monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days, and military and defense leaders have discussed shooting it out of the sky, according to two U.S. officials and a senior defense official. "The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. A senior defense official said the balloon is still over the U.S. but declined to say where it is now. Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters. It was not clear how the discovery of the spy balloon might affect those plans. Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the spy balloon was alarming but not surprising. A separate U.S. official said the spy balloon had been tracked near the Aleutian Islands and Canada before entering the United States. Spy balloons have flown over the United States several times in recent years, but this balloon appeared to be lingering longer than in previous instances, an official said.

☆ Watch How Arctic Air Blanketed the U.S. Last Week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Aatish Bhatia | Margot Sanger-Katz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Air temperature ⭠ Warmer air Colder air ⭢ Freezing +80°F +60°F +40°F +20°F 0 -20°F Source: NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction Note: The map depicts air temperatures two meters above ground. It shows a detailed simulation of air temperatures that was created by blending high-resolution weather forecast models with recent observations from satellites and over 30,000 weather stations. The polar vortex spins in a counter-clockwise direction, creating the path of cold air that traveled south, then east, and finally north again. It became “pretty breezy” as the freezing air shifted east, said Caleb Grunzke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office in Chanhassen, Minn. As the cold air traveled down the central part of the country, its path was deflected by the Rocky Mountains.

Federal prosecutors endorsed plans to allow two former Sam Bankman-Fried lieutenants, Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison, to post bail after both pleaded guilty to supporting a multibillion-dollar fraud allegedly perpetrated by former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried, court documents show. Wang and Ellison would be required to post $250,000 in bail each, surrender their passports and restrict their travel to the continental United States. In addition to admitting their complicity in the collapse of FTX, Wang and Ellison signed consent orders with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a civil concession that Bankman-Fried has yet to make. Wang, 29, and Ellison, 28, both pleaded guilty to fraud charges stemming from their leadership positions at FTX and Alameda, respectively. In a prerecorded statement Wednesday night, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the indicted former FTX CEO had been taken into FBI custody after a chaotic Bahamas extradition process.

If you are dreaming of a white Christmas, your dreams may just come true this year. While a white Christmas might help the treetops glisten, the storm is likely to bring hazardous travel conditions as well. Last year, NOAA updated the average probabilities of a white Christmas across the United States. The song “White Christmas” was written during one of those long, snowless-Christmas spells. By the time he wrote the song at the end of the 1930s, New York City had not seen a white Christmas since 1930, according to weather service data and the official definition of a white Christmas.

☆ No, Sam Bankman-Fried and his parents didn't just shell out $250 million for bail. Here's how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A New York federal court released Sam Bankman-Fried on Thursday on a $250 million bail. He didn't pay it upfront, but his parents' Palo Alto home helps secure his promise not to flee. Bankman-Fried said last month that he believed he had about $100,000 in his bank account. In this case, Bankman-Fried's parents' home in Palo Alto offers such a security, along with types of collateral posted by others who weren't named in the filing. Bankman-Fried previously said in media interviews last month that he had seen just about $100,000 in his account at the time.

☆ North Korea's flurry of missile tests has South Korea talking about the nuclear option
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Robert Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

North Korea has done dozens of missile tests this year, including an ICBM test last week. We should always keep talking to North Korea — it is too dangerous to ignore — but there is little realistic hope that North Korea will deal profoundly with its nukes or missiles at this point. South Koreans watch a news report on North Korean missile tests. The current South Korean president, Yoon Seok-yeol, suggested, as a candidate, that South Korea might preemptively air-strike North Korean missile sites in a crisis. The South Korean conservative party has suggested that South Korea should withdraw from the NPT if the North conducts a seventh nuclear test.

☆ The scramble to rearm Ukraine is transforming NATO in a way that would've been hard without Putin's help
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NATO countries have scrambled to rearm and resupply Ukraine as it fights off Russia's invasion. Troops from six NATO countries during a joint terminal attack controller training in Latvia on April 6. Germany has agreed to send some older hardware to countries that send their Soviet-made tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine. Interoperability with weapons and alignment on tactics will also make it "veritably impossible for these countries to leave NATO," Banerjee added. "The weapons are from NATO, they're going to be from NATO, they will be back-built, and these components will be from NATO countries."

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