Why the discovery of a Chinese balloon in US skies is such a big deal
Tensions between the U.S. and China are on the rise again after the discovery of what the Biden administration is describing as a sophisticated Chinese espionage tool flying over the United States. The discovery of a massive Chinese surveillance balloon over Montana, which hosts some nuclear silos, sparked a diplomatic crisis on Friday, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken quickly postponing a high-stakes trip to Beijing hours before he was set to leave. Senior U.S. officials across the Departments of State and Defense lodged complaints with their Chinese counter
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Editor's note: Virgin Islands Del. Stacey Plaskett is the top Democrat on a Judiciary subcommittee established by the GOP to examine the “weaponization” of the federal government. The information was incorrect in an earlier version of this story. The House Judiciary Committee fired off its first subpoenas under the leadership of Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), targeting a trio of Biden administration officials including Attorney General Merrick Garland over a short-lived memo dealing with threats against school board members. The subpoenas, sent also to FBI Director
Read MoreFive takeaways from an explosive January jobs report
The U.S. economy added 517,000 jobs in January, more than doubling Wall Street expectations and turning up its nose at prognosticators of an imminent recession. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, the lowest level since 1969. Analysts were expecting it to move in the opposite direction, ticking up to 3.6 percent. The monthly jobs gain of 517,000 tops the average monthly gain of 401,000 for 2022, a year that already had strong job growth as the economy continued its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Further revisions by the Labor Department showe
Read MoreVictoria Spartz passes on Senate run, to retire from Congress at end of term
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Read MoreBlinken trip to China postponed over 'unacceptable' spy balloon
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a trip to Beijing after a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was detected in U.S. airspace, a senior State Department official said Friday. Officials said the U.S. noted that China had issued a statement of regret, but described the balloon's presence as a grievous violation that required a strong response. “We have noted the [People's Republic of China] statement of regret, but the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law, and it is unacceptable
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