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U.S. NEWS Thursday 9 February 2023
Pentagon: China’s conducted spy balloon program for years

By TARA COPP and Alaska and then into Cana-
LOLITA C. BALDOR dian airspace before cross-
Associated Press ing back into the U.S. over
WASHINGTON (AP) — The northern Idaho on Jan. 31,
Chinese balloon shot down U.S. officials have said.
off the South Carolina coast Top administration officials
was part of a large surveil- were briefing members of
lance program that China Congress on the Chinese
has been conducting for balloon surveillance pro-
“several years,” the Penta- gram in classified sessions
gon said Wednesday. on Wednesday and Thurs-
When similar balloons day.
passed over U.S. territory on Avril Haines, director of na-
four occasions during the tional intelligence; Deputy
Trump and Biden adminis- Secretary of State Wendy
trations, the U.S. did not im- Sherman; Gen. Glen Van-
mediately identify them as Herck, head of U.S. North-
Chinese surveillance bal- ern Command; and Colin
loons, said Brig. Gen. Pat Kahl, the under secretary
Ryder, the Pentagon press of defense for policy, were
secretary. But he said “sub- among those expected to
sequent intelligence anal- brief lawmakers. Secretary
ysis” allowed the U.S. to of State Antony Blinken
confirm they were part of A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. said the U.S. has briefed
a Chinese spying effort and Associated Press dozens of countries on the
learn “a lot more” about program, which officials
the program. balloon over Kauai a year the four previous incidents lyzed. China claims it was said has been active over
He refused to provide any ago. He said U.S. Indo-Pa- that the U.S. had discussed. a civilian balloon used for five continents.“The United
new details about those cific Command “detected Pacific Air Forces, the Air meteorological research States was not the only
previous balloons. When a high-altitude object float- Force command in the and sharply criticized the target,” he said at a news
pressed, Ryder would only ing in air in the vicinity of Indo-Pacific, said that bal- U.S. for shooting it down. conference with visiting
say that the balloons flew the Hawaiian Islands” and loon was not shot down. Ryder said North American NATO chief Jens Stolten-
over “sites that would be of sent up aircraft to intercept The recent balloon was Aerospace Defense Com- berg. Blinken said he and
interest to the Chinese.” it. He said they visually con- shot down by a U.S. military mand began tracking the Stoltenberg had spoken
One of the possible inci- firmed it was an unmanned fighter jet on Saturday. The balloon as it approached about the “systemic and
dents was last February. balloon with no identifica- Navy and Coast Guard U.S. airspace. It passed tactical challenges” that
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, tion markings. are still working to recover north of the Aleutian Islands China poses to the alliance
the adjutant general in Ryder declined to say pieces of the downed bal- on Jan. 28 and moved and the importance of
Hawaii, tweeted about a whether this was one of loon so they can be ana- largely over land across combatting them.q

Democrats win control of Pennsylvania House, end GOP rule

By MARK SCOLFORO Republicans held a com- to a political impasse. The quickly” to compete in the days to come” as the elec-
Associated Press fortable 113-90 House ma- chamber elected Demo- special elections. tion results are fully tabu-
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — jority last year. But once- cratic Rep. Mark Rozzi as She noted Democrats have lated the certified, asking
Democrats won control of a-decade redistricting speaker as the new ses- been in the House minority people to “please stay
the Pennsylvania House in and strong performance sion began on Jan. 3, but for 24 of the past 28 years. tuned to see what the will
special elections Tuesday, in statewide races helped only after Republican lead- McClinton wants the speak- of this body will be” when
wresting partial power from Democrats flip just enough ers and a few other GOP ership but said she did not the House returns to voting
Republicans for the first seats in the fall election to members joined with all want to “get ahead of the session.q
time in a dozen years in the win a 102-101 majority in Democrats on the vote.
competitive swing state. the House. Or so it seemed. The House has been frozen
Democrats won all three Three of those Democratic since Rozzi took over and
vacant Pittsburgh-area seats quickly became va- has not passed internal
House seats to claim a slim cant, casting uncertainty operating rules, assigned
edge over Republicans, over who actually con- members to committees
finally securing a majority trolled the chamber. or approved any legisla-
they first appeared to have Rep. Tony DeLuca died of tion. Rozzi said last week he
won in last November’s cancer in October, shortly wants to retain the speak-
General Election. Repub- before winning reelection, ership when Democrats
licans still hold the Senate, Rep. Summer Lee resigned convene with their newly
creating a political division after also winning a con- elected members.
that could make it difficult gressional election and At a news conference in
for lawmakers to send prior- Rep. Austin Davis quit be- Pittsburgh late Tuesday the
ity bills to new Democratic fore being sworn in as lieu- Democratic floor leader,
Gov. Josh Shapiro. tenant governor. Rep. Joanna McClinton,
The special elections That left Republicans with said the three Democrat- Sample ballots are photographed on Feb. 3, 2023, for the
three Western Pennsylvania districts that will choose new State
capped several months of more people in the House ic candidates had been Representatives on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
electoral drama. than Democrats and led “tossed into the mixer really Associated Press