Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Timeline: A suspected Chinese spy balloon’s eight-day journey By Kelly Kasulis Cho February 05, 2023 at 4:05 ET The United States’ dramatic takedown of what it has called a Chinese surveillance balloon started with a few civilian sightings in America’s heartland and ended with a missile explosion over South Carolina so loud that it rattled homes below. Although it’s not the first time a spy balloon has been spotted by U.S. officials, this latest one has become the center of a diplomatic dispute that could set back dialogue between Washington and Beijing, said John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in South Korea who recently wrote a book about Cold War-era U.S. espionage in China. “It’s hard to know how long this is going to play out diplomatically,” he said, noting that Pentagon officials have indicated the balloon would not be more effective for information gathering than a satellite. “But now that this has gotten so big, whatever the intention, the effect is that this pushes the issue of surveillance to the forefront of U.S.-China relations.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
from the quoted post. RIF.
PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons
transited the continental United States briefly at least three times
during the prior administration and once that we know of at the
beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,”
said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese
officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their
intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked
any credibility.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
I read that one of the balloons was over Texas and they didn’t know it happened until after the fact. Not sure how that works.
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,285
This will teach them a lesson or two!
"Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!" -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
from the quoted post. RIF.
PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons
transited the continental United States briefly at least three times
during the prior administration and once that we know of at the
beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,”
said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese
officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their
intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked
any credibility.”
Yes, and that statement brings up questions. He says it transited the US, but briefly. I also heard the same thing Beavers mentioned, one entered Texas and left and they discovered it later. But that’s not the same as “transited the United States” as he claimed. It would seem pretty stupid to me for an official to point fingers at Trump and say “see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal” when in fact, it never crossed, was only here for a brief time and he didn’t even know about it until after. So it makes me curious about the details.
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
from the quoted post. RIF.
PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons
transited the continental United States briefly at least three times
during the prior administration and once that we know of at the
beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,”
said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese
officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their
intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked
any credibility.”
Yes, and that statement brings up questions. He says it transited the US, but briefly. I also heard the same thing Beavers mentioned, one entered Texas and left and they discovered it later. But that’s not the same as “transited the United States” as he claimed. It would seem pretty stupid to me for an official to point fingers at Trump and say “see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal” when in fact, it never crossed, was only here for a brief time and he didn’t even know about it until after. So it makes me curious about the details.
except this was never said.....
"see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal”
my take on what was said is its not the first time ballons have been sent to the U.S.
so lets not put fake words in others mouths using quotation marks as if thats what was really said.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
China accuses US of indiscriminate use of force over balloon
By EMILY WANG FUJIYAMA
2 hours ago
BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, saying it “seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.”
The U.S. shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft.
Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said he lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy on Sunday over the “U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.”
“However, the United States turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship that was about to leave the United States airspace, obviously overreacted and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practice,” Xie said.
The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.
Xie repeated China’s insistence that the balloon was a Chinese civil unmanned airship that blew into U.S. airspace by mistake, calling it “an accidental incident caused by force majeure.”
China will “resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, resolutely safeguard China’s interests and dignity and reserve the right to make further necessary responses,” he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued the shootdown order after he was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing down the balloon over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.
“What the U.S. has done has seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting,” Xie said, referring to a recent meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Indonesia that many hoped would create positive momentum for improving ties that have plunged to their lowest level in years.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning provided no new details on Monday, repeating China's insistence that the object was a civilian balloon intended for meteorological research, had little ability to steer and entered U.S. airspace by accidentally diverging from its course. She also did not say what additional steps China intended to take in response to Washington's handling of the issue and cancellation of Blinken's trip, which would have made him the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have stated that this is completely an isolated and accidental incident caused by force majeure, but the U.S. still hyped up the incident on purpose and even used force to attack," Mao said at a daily briefing. “This is an unacceptable and irresponsible action."
Balloons thought or known to be Chinese have been spotted from Latin America to Japan. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters Monday that a flying object similar to the one shot down by the U.S. had been spotted at least twice over northern Japan since 2020.
“We are continuing to analyze them in connection with the latest case in the United States," he said.
Mao confirmed that a balloon recently spotted over Latin American was Chinese, describing it as a civilian airship used for flight tests.
“Affected by weather and due to its limited self-control ability, the airship severely deviated from its set route and entered the space of Latin America and the Caribbean by accident,” Mao said.
Washington and Beijing are at odds over a range of issues from trade to human rights, but China is most sensitive over alleged violations by the U.S. and others of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Beijing strongly protests U.S. military sales to Taiwan and visits by foreign politicians to the island, which it claims as Chinese territory, to be recovered by force if necessary.
It reacted to a 2022 visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by firing missiles over the island and staging threatening military drills seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or blockade. Beijing also cut off discussion with the U.S. on issues including climate change that are unrelated to military tensions.
Last week, Mao warned Pelosi’s successor, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, not to travel to Taiwan, implying that China’s response would be equally vociferous.
“China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” Mao said. McCarthy said China had no right to dictate where and when he could travel.
China also objects when foreign military surveillance planes fly off its coast in international airspace and when U.S. and other foreign warships pass through the Taiwan Strait, accusing them of being actively provocative.
In 2001, a U.S. Navy plane conducting routine surveillance near the Chinese coast collided with a Chinese fighter plane, killing the Chinese fighter pilot and damaging the American plane, which was forced to make an emergency landing at a Chinese naval airbase on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. China detained the 24-member U.S. Navy aircrew for 10 days until the U.S. expressed regret over the Chinese pilot’s death and for landing at the base without permission.
At a news conference Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Blinken said “the presence of this surveillance balloon over the United States in our skies is a clear violation of our sovereignty, a clear violation of international law, and clearly unacceptable. And we’ve made that clear to China.”
“Any country that has its airspace violated in this way I think would respond similarly, and I can only imagine what the reaction would be in China if they were on the other end,” Blinken said.
China’s weather balloon explanation should be dismissed outright, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, an expert on Chinese military affairs and foreign policy at Stanford University.
“This is like a standard thing that countries often say about surveillance assets,” Mastro said.
China may have made a mistake and lost control of the balloon, but it was unlikely to have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt Blinken’s visit, Mastro said.
For the U.S. administration, the decision to go public and then shoot down the balloon marks a break from its usual approach of dealing with Beijing on such matters privately, possibly in hopes of changing China’s future behavior.
However, Mastro said, it was unlikely that Beijing would respond positively.
“They’re probably going to dismiss that and continue on as things have been. So I don’t see a really clear pathway to improved relations in the foreseeable future.”
___
AP journalists Tian Macleod Ji in Bangkok, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and news assistant Caroline Chen in Beijing contributed this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
from the quoted post. RIF.
PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons
transited the continental United States briefly at least three times
during the prior administration and once that we know of at the
beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,”
said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese
officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their
intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked
any credibility.”
Yes, and that statement brings up questions. He says it transited the US, but briefly. I also heard the same thing Beavers mentioned, one entered Texas and left and they discovered it later. But that’s not the same as “transited the United States” as he claimed. It would seem pretty stupid to me for an official to point fingers at Trump and say “see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal” when in fact, it never crossed, was only here for a brief time and he didn’t even know about it until after. So it makes me curious about the details.
except this was never said.....
"see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal”
my take on what was said is its not the first time ballons have been sent to the U.S.
so lets not put fake words in others mouths using quotation marks as if thats what was really said.
you're better than that aren't you?
maybe not though.
Correct, he did not say that. But that seems to be how the media and others are interpreting it. The very first sentence of the article linked reads: "As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration" That suggests the criticism isn't warranted, does it not? It appears to be an exaggerated statement at best, as no other accounts suggest they transited the US. The only few other accounts state they only entered the air space of a single state and it was gone before they were aware. If that is the case, then there is no comparison between last week and the previous incidents. And whenever it is brought up, it is usually mentioned how the GOP is so critical about it not being shot down sooner when they let it happen before.. Not necessarily here, just in general that seems to be how these previous incidents are being brought up. And the quotation marks in my previous comment were clearly a paraphrasing of how this information is being used and interpreted, not a quote of what the official actually said verbatim.
Yea, let's discuss balloons and military actions, or lack thereof.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
I curious about those previous balloons and how they compare. Everyone who worked with Trump says it didn’t happen, but that surprised no one. Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
I wouldn't be surprised if no one at the Pentagon told tRump. They probably figured he would launch a nuke at it.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018) The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
There's been more outrage from the right about this balloon than there was the outgoing president literally staging an insurrection and trying to overturn the results of our election.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
At least something diverted their attention from gas stoves, sexy m&ms, and drag shows though.
How’s that border crisis?
Ask my mayor.
I did. Too bad repubs won’t help him out.
Opinion
The migrant crisis needs a solution. Fix it in these six steps.
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
At least something diverted their attention from gas stoves, sexy m&ms, and drag shows though.
How’s that border crisis?
Ask my mayor.
I did. Too bad repubs won’t help him out.
Opinion
The migrant crisis needs a solution. Fix it in these six steps.
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
Irrelevant that republicans aren’t helping in my city.
When you sarcastically ask about a migrant problem, alongside M&Ms, drag shows and gas stoves, you’re insinuating that it’s a fake problem. That there’s absolutely no problem and it’s all being over exaggerated by the right.
When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
At least something diverted their attention from gas stoves, sexy m&ms, and drag shows though.
How’s that border crisis?
Ask my mayor.
I did. Too bad repubs won’t help him out.
Opinion
The migrant crisis needs a solution. Fix it in these six steps.
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
Irrelevant that republicans aren’t helping in my city.
When you sarcastically ask about a migrant problem, alongside M&Ms, drag shows and gas stoves, you’re insinuating that it’s a fake problem. That there’s absolutely no problem and it’s all being over exaggerated by the right.
Maybe you could point me to a repub solution other than building a wall?
I still don’t think it’s a “crisis,” by the way.
Guess only dems have solutions and bear responsibility for solving NY’s problems? Good to know and good luck with that.
When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
At least something diverted their attention from gas stoves, sexy m&ms, and drag shows though.
How’s that border crisis?
Ask my mayor.
I did. Too bad repubs won’t help him out.
Opinion
The migrant crisis needs a solution. Fix it in these six steps.
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
Irrelevant that republicans aren’t helping in my city.
When you sarcastically ask about a migrant problem, alongside M&Ms, drag shows and gas stoves, you’re insinuating that it’s a fake problem. That there’s absolutely no problem and it’s all being over exaggerated by the right.
Maybe you could point me to a repub solution other than building a wall?
I still don’t think it’s a “crisis,” by the way.
Guess only dems have solutions and bear responsibility for solving NY’s problems? Good to know and good luck with that.
Good to know that a random person on a bands forum doesn’t think it’s a crisis. I’ll take my mayors word for it.
When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
At least something diverted their attention from gas stoves, sexy m&ms, and drag shows though.
How’s that border crisis?
Ask my mayor.
I did. Too bad repubs won’t help him out.
Opinion
The migrant crisis needs a solution. Fix it in these six steps.
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
Irrelevant that republicans aren’t helping in my city.
When you sarcastically ask about a migrant problem, alongside M&Ms, drag shows and gas stoves, you’re insinuating that it’s a fake problem. That there’s absolutely no problem and it’s all being over exaggerated by the right.
Maybe you could point me to a repub solution other than building a wall?
I still don’t think it’s a “crisis,” by the way.
Guess only dems have solutions and bear responsibility for solving NY’s problems? Good to know and good luck with that.
Good to know that a random person on a bands forum doesn’t think it’s a crisis. I’ll take my mayors word for it.
Keep expecting your mayor to solve the “crisis.” Good to know that a random person on a band’s forum takes their mayor’s word for it.
Comments
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
By Kelly Kasulis Cho
February 05, 2023 at 4:05 ET
The United States’ dramatic takedown of what it has called a Chinese surveillance balloon started with a few civilian sightings in America’s heartland and ended with a missile explosion over South Carolina so loud that it rattled homes below.
Although it’s not the first time a spy balloon has been spotted by U.S. officials, this latest one has become the center of a diplomatic dispute that could set back dialogue between Washington and Beijing, said John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in South Korea who recently wrote a book about Cold War-era U.S. espionage in China.
“It’s hard to know how long this is going to play out diplomatically,” he said, noting that Pentagon officials have indicated the balloon would not be more effective for information gathering than a satellite. “But now that this has gotten so big, whatever the intention, the effect is that this pushes the issue of surveillance to the forefront of U.S.-China relations.”
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials
Balloons similar to the one that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this weekend flew over the U.S. at least three times during the Trump administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.As Republicans spent the past few days criticizing the Biden administration over its response to the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew across the country, an official revealed during a briefing on Saturday that the U.S. was aware of three other instances during the prior administration and one instance earlier in the Biden administration that such an apparatus “transited” the country.
“PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration but never for this duration of time,” said a senior defense official. “We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility.”
Biden authorized the missile strike that shot down the balloon Saturday. Republican lawmakers have been arguing that the response should have come sooner, but military officials warned the president that the best time to take down the balloon was when it was over water, citing the risk of damage to people and property if it was shot down over land. Biden told reporters he wanted it shot down when he learned it entered U.S. airspace last week.
Trump denied the revelation by defense officials that Chinese balloons flew over the U.S. during his administration, calling it “disinformation.”
“The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. “They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation — and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the ‘heat’ off the slow moving Biden fools. China had too much respect for ‘TRUMP’ for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!”
Defense officials also countered an explanation by the Chinese that the balloon was blown off course.
“This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC government’s explanation that it was a weather balloon,” the official said, adding that additional balloons have been spotted over Central America and South America.
Chinese balloons flew over US three times during Trump administration: officials (msn.com)
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Did they cross the entire US over several days? Or just approach the coast then leave? When did they know about it? I’m guessing they’ll elaborate more on that soon.
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It would seem pretty stupid to me for an official to point fingers at Trump and say “see, he didn’t shoot it down either when it crossed the US, this happens all the time and is normal” when in fact, it never crossed, was only here for a brief time and he didn’t even know about it until after.
So it makes me curious about the details.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
BEIJING (AP) — China on Monday accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, saying it “seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.”
The U.S. shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft.
Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said he lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy on Sunday over the “U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.”
“However, the United States turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship that was about to leave the United States airspace, obviously overreacted and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practice,” Xie said.
The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.
Xie repeated China’s insistence that the balloon was a Chinese civil unmanned airship that blew into U.S. airspace by mistake, calling it “an accidental incident caused by force majeure.”
China will “resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, resolutely safeguard China’s interests and dignity and reserve the right to make further necessary responses,” he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued the shootdown order after he was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing down the balloon over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.
“What the U.S. has done has seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting,” Xie said, referring to a recent meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Indonesia that many hoped would create positive momentum for improving ties that have plunged to their lowest level in years.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning provided no new details on Monday, repeating China's insistence that the object was a civilian balloon intended for meteorological research, had little ability to steer and entered U.S. airspace by accidentally diverging from its course. She also did not say what additional steps China intended to take in response to Washington's handling of the issue and cancellation of Blinken's trip, which would have made him the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have stated that this is completely an isolated and accidental incident caused by force majeure, but the U.S. still hyped up the incident on purpose and even used force to attack," Mao said at a daily briefing. “This is an unacceptable and irresponsible action."
Balloons thought or known to be Chinese have been spotted from Latin America to Japan. Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki told reporters Monday that a flying object similar to the one shot down by the U.S. had been spotted at least twice over northern Japan since 2020.
“We are continuing to analyze them in connection with the latest case in the United States," he said.
Mao confirmed that a balloon recently spotted over Latin American was Chinese, describing it as a civilian airship used for flight tests.
“Affected by weather and due to its limited self-control ability, the airship severely deviated from its set route and entered the space of Latin America and the Caribbean by accident,” Mao said.
Washington and Beijing are at odds over a range of issues from trade to human rights, but China is most sensitive over alleged violations by the U.S. and others of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Beijing strongly protests U.S. military sales to Taiwan and visits by foreign politicians to the island, which it claims as Chinese territory, to be recovered by force if necessary.
It reacted to a 2022 visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by firing missiles over the island and staging threatening military drills seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or blockade. Beijing also cut off discussion with the U.S. on issues including climate change that are unrelated to military tensions.
Last week, Mao warned Pelosi’s successor, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, not to travel to Taiwan, implying that China’s response would be equally vociferous.
“China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” Mao said. McCarthy said China had no right to dictate where and when he could travel.
China also objects when foreign military surveillance planes fly off its coast in international airspace and when U.S. and other foreign warships pass through the Taiwan Strait, accusing them of being actively provocative.
In 2001, a U.S. Navy plane conducting routine surveillance near the Chinese coast collided with a Chinese fighter plane, killing the Chinese fighter pilot and damaging the American plane, which was forced to make an emergency landing at a Chinese naval airbase on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. China detained the 24-member U.S. Navy aircrew for 10 days until the U.S. expressed regret over the Chinese pilot’s death and for landing at the base without permission.
The South China Sea is another major source of tension. China claims the strategically key sea virtually in its entirety and protests when U.S. Navy ships sail past Chinese military features there.
At a news conference Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Blinken said “the presence of this surveillance balloon over the United States in our skies is a clear violation of our sovereignty, a clear violation of international law, and clearly unacceptable. And we’ve made that clear to China.”
“Any country that has its airspace violated in this way I think would respond similarly, and I can only imagine what the reaction would be in China if they were on the other end,” Blinken said.
China’s weather balloon explanation should be dismissed outright, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, an expert on Chinese military affairs and foreign policy at Stanford University.
“This is like a standard thing that countries often say about surveillance assets,” Mastro said.
China may have made a mistake and lost control of the balloon, but it was unlikely to have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt Blinken’s visit, Mastro said.
For the U.S. administration, the decision to go public and then shoot down the balloon marks a break from its usual approach of dealing with Beijing on such matters privately, possibly in hopes of changing China’s future behavior.
However, Mastro said, it was unlikely that Beijing would respond positively.
“They’re probably going to dismiss that and continue on as things have been. So I don’t see a really clear pathway to improved relations in the foreseeable future.”
___
AP journalists Tian Macleod Ji in Bangkok, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and news assistant Caroline Chen in Beijing contributed this report.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
It appears to be an exaggerated statement at best, as no other accounts suggest they transited the US. The only few other accounts state they only entered the air space of a single state and it was gone before they were aware. If that is the case, then there is no comparison between last week and the previous incidents. And whenever it is brought up, it is usually mentioned how the GOP is so critical about it not being shot down sooner when they let it happen before.. Not necessarily here, just in general that seems to be how these previous incidents are being brought up.
And the quotation marks in my previous comment were clearly a paraphrasing of how this information is being used and interpreted, not a quote of what the official actually said verbatim.
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When the Chinese Spy Balloon tries snooping on your gender reveal party.
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There's been more outrage from the right about this balloon than there was the outgoing president literally staging an insurrection and trying to overturn the results of our election.
Good stuff.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Opinion
Eric Adams, a Democrat, is the mayor of New York.
It isn’t often that the mayor of New York travels to El Paso. But our cities are dealing with the same humanitarian crisis, about 2,000 miles apart: migrants pouring infrom countries, many with failing governments, in Central and South America and the Caribbean. So I went down to the southern border this week to see for myself why this emergency has become so challenging.
What I found in El Paso was exactly what I feared. The national crisis has left local governments and grass-roots organizations along the border struggling to adequately care for the migrants coming into their communities.
Unfortunately, the immigration explosion has provided a dark opportunity for the xenophobic and callous in our country who say the crisis proves we should close our borders completely, abandoning the nation’s history of welcoming the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The governors of Texas and Florida are even making a political game of vulnerable people’s lives, by sending themnorth with no coordination or care for their well-being — instead of urging lawmakers to take action.
The governors of those states say they cannot handle the flow of migrants and maintain local services for existing residents, and that is true. New York is also at a breaking point. The region is already annually the largest recipient of immigrants of any local government in the United States, but the total breakdown in immigration planning and policy over the past decade has now not only increased the number of migrants we absorb, but also the speed at which we must try to absorb them.
It has thus become far more difficult for New York to guarantee the health and safety of new arrivals while providing for existing New Yorkers, nearly 40 percent of whom are themselves immigrants. Now we need billions of additional dollars from the federal and state governments to do both.
But that is where the similarities between cynics such as the governors of Texas and Florida and the people of New York end. In a crisis, New Yorkers don’t ship their problems off to become someone else’s burden. We tackle challenges head-on.
That is why I’m proposing six simple steps about what’s needed to address the migrant crisis:
1. a government official solely focused on overseeing the migrant response and coordinating all relevant agencies and government entities, including the U.S. Border Patrol;
2. a decompression strategy at the border that evaluates asylum claims, establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival — before entry into the United States — and a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally;
3. additional congressionally allocated funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement that strategy at the border and in the localities where the migrants end up;
4. expedited right-to-work status for asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the country;
5. a clear, congressionally passed pathway to residency or citizenship for those who enter this country legally;
6. leadership that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach by bringing together nonprofits, the faith-based community and the private sector, alongside state and local government, to meet this challenge.
It’s important to note that for over a decade, Democratic leadership has worked to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and last year it was able to allocate $800 millionfor this crisis. The Biden-Harris administration, in addition to putting forward its own immigration plan, has provided support to cities facing the crisis, and put in place border measures providing some needed relief. But given the growing scope of the problem, more needs to be done.
Taking a straightforward approach is essential to addressing the crisis in a way that members of both parties — and the American people — can support. Doing so could turn the crisis into an opportunity for the United States. By providing a fair start and foundation for migrants who are coming here to work and thrive, we will strengthen our country.
Look at New York. For nearly 400 years, the city has taken in all kinds of people from everywhere, and it has more wealth than any other city in the world. This city of immigrants and their descendants is, to this day, an economic engine that provides far more in tax dollars for the federal government than it receives in spending.
Fixing the migrant crisis is not only the right thing to do, it is smart public policy for the United States. For those of us — especially my fellow Democrats — who believe that a well-run government can solve intractable problems and care adequately for all people, this is a fight we absolutely cannot afford to lose.
The status quo rewards only those who seek to pit people against one another for political gain. And I’m confident that there is a critical mass of Republicans who would support a sensible and fair-minded approach to finally ending a crisis that has been decades in the making. It’s time to restore America as a beacon of hope and prosperity, and a model of government and leadership.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/18/how-to-fix-migrant-crisis/
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I still don’t think it’s a “crisis,” by the way.
Guess only dems have solutions and bear responsibility for solving NY’s problems? Good to know and good luck with that.
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I still don’t think it’s a “crisis,” by the way.
Guess only dems have solutions and bear responsibility for solving NY’s problems? Good to know and good luck with that. Good to know that a random person on a bands forum doesn’t think it’s a crisis. I’ll take my mayors word for it.
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