WASHINGTON (AP) — US has downed the Chinese balloon off the Carolina coast and an operation is underway to recover the debris.
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“In preparation for the operation, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, until at least 2:45 p.m.”
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“The Democratic Party on Saturday approved the reordering of its 2024 presidential primary, replacing Iowa with South Carolina in the leadoff spot as part of a major shake-up meant to empower Black and other minority voters critical to its base of support”
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“The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.”
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“The Biden administration is considering a plan to shoot down a large Chinese balloon suspected of conducting surveillance on the U.S. military, by bringing it down once it is above the Atlantic Ocean where the remnants could potentially be recovered”
Where does Biden's "unity agenda" stand? via
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Some fun personal news- the Gridiron Club has accepted its first photographer. twitter.com/susanpage/stat…
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jury clears of Elon Musk of wrongdoing for 2018 tweets in which he declared he had financing to take Tesla private.
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“For now, DeSantis is plowing forward with a fiery “anti-woke” agenda in the legislature before a presidential announcement in late spring or early summer. His team is beginning to hold informal conversations with a handful of prospective campaign staff”
“Yet economists were astonished when the government reported Friday that employers added an explosive 517,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate sank to a new 53-year low of 3.4%.” Via
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“The Pentagon said at midday Friday that a Chinese spy balloon had moved eastward and was over the central United States, and that the U.S. rejected China’s claims that it was not being used for surveillance.” Via
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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas police arrest man in the taking of two monkeys from the local zoo, say he was nabbed near animals at the aquarium.
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"Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a planned high-stakes weekend diplomatic trip to China as the Biden administration weighs a broader response to the discovery of a high-altitude Chinese balloon flying over sensitive sites in the...U.S."
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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — US takes first step toward lifting protections for grizzly bears in some Western states, which would open door to hunts.
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"The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%, a new half-century low."
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"America’s employers added a robust 517,000 jobs in January, a surprisingly strong gain in the face of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive drive to slow growth and tame inflation with higher interest rates." via @PaulWisemanAP
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"President Joe Biden hasn’t announced a reelection campaign, but some of the themes likely to be the centerpiece of that expected run should be on display Friday night when he addresses a national Democratic Party meeting."
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In yet more 2024news: Fmr VP @Mike_Pence is slated to visit SC next week for a discussion on policing reforms, someone with knowledge of his schedule tells me tonight.
Pence’s *9th* SC trip in under 2 years is ~ a week before @NikkiHaley’s official launch, also in Charleston.
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After her launch Feb. 15 in Charleston, South Carolina, @NikkiHaley will immediately travel to other early-voting states.
According to people with knowledge of her schedule, Haley will:
* be in NH Feb. 16-18 for town hall-style events
* spend 3 days in Iowa starting Feb. 20.
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"China said Friday it is looking into reports that a Chinese spy balloon has been flying in U.S. airspace and urged calm, adding that it has “no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country.”
"The audio from Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, is surfacing as Trump again seeks the White House while continuing to lie about the legitimacy of the outcome and Democrat Joe Biden’s win." via
"A newly released audio recording offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election"
“Three decades after Bill Clinton signed the nation’s family and medical leave law, he was back at the White House on Thursday to hold forth on what it’s meant to the country, unspooling his trademark blend of storytelling & wonkiness”
“Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will deliver the Republican address to the nation in response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech next week as the GOP seeks to show it’s creating a new generation of leaders.”
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I recorded my memoir with a talented team led by Mark Galup. My Place in the Sun is now on audio at Spotify and other platforms. Thanks Mark to you and your colleagues in Nashville and Washington DC for your help.
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"..Joe Biden is a man who writes down his thoughts &some of those handwritten musings over his decades of public service are now a part of a special counsel’s investigation into the handling of classified documents"
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“In the new poll, 77% of Democrats approve of how Biden is handling his job, while 91% of Republicans disapprove, both little changed since late last year.”
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"Florida city highlights conflicts over local gerrymandering" via
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"The 218-211 vote, along party lines, came after a heated, voices-raised debate in which Democrats accused the GOP of targeting Omar based on her race" via
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank pushes through large half-point interest rate hike to combat inflation, intends the same in March.
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Supreme Court help wanted: Trying to recruit police to guard justices and the building with the lure of bonuses and student debt foregiveness. Via
:WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve raises its key rate for an 8th time but by a lower quarter-point as inflation pressures ease.
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"Nikki Haley is moving closer to making her presidential campaign official.
On Wednesday, supporters of the former South Carolina governor will get an email invitation to a Feb. 15 launch event in Charleston"
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In its first meeting, the House Judiciary Committee has kicked off its work with a heated argument about whether or not to lead the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of every hearing.
"The longest battle of Russia’s war has turned this city of salt and gypsum mines into a ghost town. Despite bombing, shelling and attempts to encircle Bakhmut for six months, Russia’s forces have not conquered it."
"The FBI was conducting a planned search Wednesday of President Joe Biden’s Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents, the president’s personal lawyer said"
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady, in message posted on social media, announces retirement.
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