memeorandum: Statement From Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (U.S. Department of Defense)

2:44 AM ET, February 5, 2023

Top Items:

U.S. military downs Chinese balloon over Atlantic Ocean — A U.S. military aircraft on Saturday downed the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had been floating over the United States for several days, according to a U.S. official and eyewitness videos circulating on social media.

Discussion: New York Times, Fox News, One America News Network, Task & Purpose, New York Daily News, Snapshot, Insider, The Hill, The Daily Beast, New York Post, Babylon Bee, CNN and Associated Press

Melina Delkic / New York Times:

The Chinese spy balloon moved from Alaska to South Carolina, prompting fear, jokes and political debate. — The Chinese government said the downing of the “civilian” aircraft was an “excessive reaction,” and that it “retains the right to respond further.” — The Chinese foreign ministry declared its …

Discussion: USNI News, RedState, New York Post, Associated Press, Politico, Waliullah's Substack and Reuters

Jim Garamone / U.S. Department of Defense:

F-22 Safely Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off South Carolina Coast — A U.S. Air Force fighter safely shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a written statement. — President Joe Biden ordered the action on Wednesday …

Discussion: The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, Defense One, Washington Examiner, UPI and Talking Points Memo

Matt Novak / Forbes:

Yes, Chinese Spy Balloons Flew Over The U.S. When President Trump Was In Office Too — Talking heads on cable TV are up in arms about the Chinese spy balloon that was floating across the continental U.S., before it was shot down Saturday afternoon. Conservative commentators …

Discussion: The Wrap, Mediaite, The Moderate Voice, Fox News, Raw Story, IJR, Breitbart and Washington Times

David Ignatius / Washington Post:

The inside story of how the U.S. shot down the Chinese balloon — Intelligence analysts distinguish between secrets and mysteries. The bizarre Chinese balloon overflight of the United States that ended with Saturday's shoot-down over the Atlantic coast has elements of both.

Discussion: Letters from an American, CNN, Fox News, CBS News, Washington Examiner and Bloomberg

CNN:

US fighter jets shoot down Chinese spy balloon off East Coast — US military fighter jets shot down the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Saturday.

Discussion: Drezner's World, MyNorthwest.com, Althouse, New York Post, abc7NY, Politico and The Atlantic

New York Times:

Before Chinese Spy Balloon Sighting, Classified Report Highlighted Foreign Aerial Spying — Before a Chinese spy balloon was discovered in the United States, American officials said a rival power may have used advanced technology to surveil U.S. military sites.

Discussion: Variety, Raw Story, Breitbart, Fox News, New York Post, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post

U.S. Department of Defense:

Statement From Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III — This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People's Republic of China …

Discussion: Global Community Weekly, ABC News, RedState, Fox News, The Daily Caller and The Hill

Associated Press:
China balloon: Many questions about suspected spy in the sky

Peter Alexander / NBC News:
U.S. has downed Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast and will attempt to recover debris

Discussion: Associated Press and The Hill

Associated Press:
China plays down Blinken's canceled visit over balloon

New York Times:
U.S. Close to Shooting Down Chinese Spy Balloon Over the East Coast

Discussion: The Drive, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, PoliticusUSA, Fox News, Reuters, Rolling Stone, Balloon Juice, Breitbart, Instapundit, Washington Post and Associated Press

Lily Kuo / Washington Post:
China rushes to cap damage over suspected spy balloon as Blinken delays trip

James Kirchick / Air Mail:

Armie Hammer Breaks His Silence — For the vast majority of humanity, January 1, 2021—a year into the coronavirus pandemic, when most of the world remained under some form of lockdown and vaccines were not yet widely available—brought little to celebrate. Not for Armie Hammer.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Fox News, Vanity Fair, Page Six, New York Post, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, The Wrap, The Daily Beast, Deadline and Decider

Sara Boboltz / HuffPost:

Ron DeSantis Moves To Strip Florida Venue's Liquor License For Christmas Drag Show — The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation is the Florida governor's latest target as he wages war against drag performers. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration moved on Friday to strip …

Discussion: The Capitolist, Orlando Sentinel, The Hill, Fox News, Washington Times, National Review, New Republic, The Daily Caller and Florida's Voice

Daniella Silva / NBC News:

Family found dead in Pennsylvania made a ‘joint decision’ to kill themselves, police say — A Pennsylvania family found shot dead in their backyard last week in what police say appears to be a suicide pact, included a mother and daughter who loved bowling and were devout Christian conservatives, people who knew them said.

Discussion: New York Post

Francis Farrell / The Kyiv Independent:

One night in Bakhmut: Civilians wait for the end as Russia draws closer — Editor's Note: This piece tells the story of the lives of civilians and first responders in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, directly through the personal experience of a Kyiv Independent reporter who stayed overnight …

Discussion: CBS News

Melissa Klein / New York Post:

Ex-staffer claims George Santos sexually harassed him, violated pay rules — A short-term staffer for George Santos claims he was sexually harassed by the disgraced Long Island representative, who allegedly touched his groin and invited him home, according to an ethics complaint the man says he filed.

Discussion: New York Times, abc7NY and HotAir

Robert Kagan / Wall Street Journal:

Challenging the U.S. Is a Historic Mistake — Like Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, today's China is a rising power determined to dominate its region and convinced that American strength is waning. It runs the risk of experiencing a similar fate if it attacks Taiwan. — Copy Link