Free Republic

President Joe Biden wanted to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the days after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina — even saying publicly that he expected to do so — but his top national security advisers talked him out of it, according to two senior administration officials and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions. Biden believed his relationship with Xi could help tamp down the newly escalated tensions with Beijing if he had the opportunity to speak directly and smooth things over, the officials said. But...

There have been unconfirmed reports of an explosion in the skies over Billings, Mont., where a Chinese spy balloon had been hovering for several days. Although there have not been any official reports, there is speculation (not unfounded) that the U.S. military shot down the balloon, the payload of which is the size of two to three school buses; the payload is dwarfed by the size of the balloon.

One of the Trump baby blimps flown at today’s protests in London against the US president’s visit was attacked by a pro-Trump supporter carrying a sharp object. A woman approached a group anti-Trump activists outside the House of Commons and stabbed the mini blimp in the back, according to the team of “babysitters” looking after the balloon. “A woman … punctured the mini Trump baby replica with a sharp object,” said a spokesman for the Trump Baby UK group. “It’s not surprising that the far right would want to meet freedom of expression with violence.” The Donald Trump supporter was...

The appropriate word here would probably be "busted." "My Prius went wild!" guy Jim Sikes apparently didn't realize his car carried the equivalent of an airliner's Black Box. Ah, well.  Live and learn, Jim.  In the Big House.

KUSA is reporting boy is safe at home. Will try and track down a link.

Balloon Injures Two at Macy's Parade Nov 24 1:17 PM US/Eastern By DAVID B. CARUSO Associated Press Writer NEW YORK A giant balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade snagged a street light near Times Square and caused part of it to fall into the crowd, injuring two people, according to police and eyewitness accounts. The accident happened near the end of the parade when the balloon's tethers became entangled on the head of the street lamp, about 2 1/2 feet in diameter, and knocked it off. The 26-year-old woman and 11-year-old girl were apparently hurt by the debris. They were...