The Chinese espionage balloon.

[CrimsonJazz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761138940646412322

#BREAKING: A U.S. Military aircraft is tracking a unidentified high-altitude balloon flying over the Western part of the United States

Currently, a U.S. military aircraft is tracking an unidentified high-altitude balloon flying over the western part of the United States. The military aircraft spotted the balloon and determined that it is not a threat, but its origin and purpose remains unknown at this time. The unidentified high-altitude balloon is drifting eastward in the jet stream with Earlier reports indicated that today that the balloon was over Colorado.

Good Lord, this again?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Good Lord, I'm headed to Wyoming in the morning, right through Colorado....

 

[NationalTitles18]

Hobbyist balloon detected over Western U.S. has left American airspace, officials say

The U.S. small, high-altitude balloon posed no threat to national security, the military said Friday.

www.cbsnews.com

Department of Defense says high-altitude balloon detected over Western U.S. is hobbyist balloon

 

[TexasBama]

Hobbyist balloon detected over Western U.S. has left American airspace, officials say

The U.S. small, high-altitude balloon posed no threat to national security, the military said Friday.

www.cbsnews.com

Department of Defense says high-altitude balloon detected over Western U.S. is hobbyist balloon

and here I woke up this morning expecting to clutch pearls

 

[twofbyc]

I looked for a thread for this - mods please redirect if there’s one out there.
I have no problem with this. Other countries have done the same.

TikTok creators say House ban threatens lives and livelihoods — The Washington Post

While proponents of the bill insisted during the debate that it doesn’t ban TikTok, few creators or advocates accepted that assurance at face value.

apple.news

 

[Bamaro]

Chinese Spy Balloon Was Packed With American Tech

A Chinese spy balloon that crossed over the United States in 2023 was packed with American technology that could have enabled it to spy on Americans, according to two sources with direct knowledge of a technical analysis conducted by the U.S. military.

The discovery of a satellite communication module, sensors and other tech from at least five American firms underlines the failure of U.S. efforts to restrict exports of technology that could have military uses to main adversary China as well as to countries such as Russia and Iran. It also raises questions over the role of private companies that sell their equipment globally in keeping control over the ultimate users of dual-use technology that can have defense applications as well as civilian uses.

The tech payload equipped the balloon to survey and take photographs and collect other intelligence data, Newsweek's sources said. They were granted anonymity to speak as they were not permitted to share the details of the classified report.

The ballon might also have been carrying launchable gliders that could collect more detailed data, since it had empty storage bays, they said. Chinese scientists have developed gliders to be used with such balloons, according to aerospace research papers reviewed by Newsweek.

Exclusive - Chinese Spy Balloon Was Packed With American Tech

 

[crimsonaudio]

... and they just let it fly across the entire country before bringing it down...

SMH

 

[JDCrimson]

China has to fly balloons across our country to find out what we are doing. All Putin has to do to find out what we are doing is call Trump on his cell phone...