Michigan woman accused of fatal hit-and-run off to Thailand
Authorities believe a Michigan woman fled to Thailand to avoid the consequences of a hit-and-run crash that killed a suburban Detroit college student on New Year's Day. Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, was charged Monday with a federal crime related to her sudden one-way flight to Bangkok on Jan. 3. Benjamin Kable, 22, was struck while walking before dawn on an Oakland County road on Jan. 1.
news.yahoo.comNot just balloons: How US sees China spying as major worry
WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Chinese balloon that traversed the United States before being shot down last weekend captivated public attention and drew sharp denunciations as a brazen spying effort. And its use of cyber spying to steal industry trade secrets, U.S. officials say, runs afoul of traditional espionage norms. OTHER ESPIONAGE OPERATIONSU.S. officials have also disrupted other operations on U.S. soil that took place in person rather than behind a computer. WHAT CHINA HAS SAIDWhen it comes to the balloon itself, China has called it a civilian aircraft used for meteorological research that posed no threat and entered U.S. airspace accidentally. Several criminal cases against professors in the U.S. who had been accused of concealing research from China have also faltered.
wftv.comStates across the US debate laws regarding farmland sales to foreign nationals following China's spy flight
U.S. states are debating farmland sale restrictions to foreign nationals following China's spy flight. Officials fear land owned by a Chinese company would risk national security.
foxnews.comUS, states weigh farmland restrictions after Chinese balloon
In Congress and statehouses, the balloon's journey added traction to decades-old concerns about foreign land ownership. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, is sponsoring legislation to include agriculture as a factor in national security decisions allowing foreign real estate investments. It goes against food security and it goes against national security,” Tester told The Associated Press. The fifth, Missouri, has a cap on foreign land ownership that state lawmakers want to make more stringent. The issue can pit local officials interested in economic development against state and federal agencies concerned with national security.
wftv.comUS, states weigh farmland restrictions after Chinese balloon
As U.S.-China relations cool amid trade disputes and espionage fears stoked by the Chinese spy balloon shot down off the Atlantic Coast, lawmakers in Congress and at least 11 statehouses are weighing legislation to further limit foreign ownership of farmland.
China says it was smeared in Biden State of the Union speech
BEIJING — (AP) — China says it was smeared in U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address that repeatedly mentioned competition between the two countries. “I’ve made clear with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict," Biden said. Biden said his administration is “committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world." China says the balloon was an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological research and has strongly protested the U.S. action while threatening unspecified countermeasures. The incident prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to China this week that had stirred hopes of reversing the continued deterioration of relations between Beijing and Washington.
wftv.comUS forces returning to Philippines to counter China threats
The Philippine defense chief said local officials, where the Americans would stay, had to be consulted. “I see them as tourists,” he said of the U.S. forces whose presence could boost economic recovery. Governor Manuel Mamba of northern Cagayan province, where Bacarro said the U.S. has reportedly sought access for its forces in two local military encampments, vowed to oppose such an American military presence. “You cannot really remove any presumption by anyone that the Philippines has a nuclear capability through the Americans, who will be here,” Mamba said. ___Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila, Philippines, and David Rising in Bangkok contributed.
wftv.comUS forces returning to Philippines to counter China threats
Once-secret ammunition bunkers and barracks lay abandoned, empty and overrun by weeds — vestiges of American firepower in what used to be the United States' largest overseas naval base at Subic Bay in the northern Philippines. The U.S. has been taking steps to rebuild its military might in the Philippines more than 30 years after the closure of its large bases in the country and reinforcing an arc of military alliances in Asia in a starkly different post-Cold War era when the perceived new regional threat is an increasingly belligerent China. On Feb. 2, the longtime allies announced that rotating batches of American forces would be granted access to four more Philippine military camps aside from five other local bases, where U.S.-funded constructions have picked up pace to build barracks, warehouses and other buildings to accommodate a yet-unspecified but expectedly considerable number of visiting troops under a 2014 defense pact.
news.yahoo.comNavy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debris
WASHINGTON — (AP) — Navy divers began pulling pieces of the downed Chinese spy balloon from the depths of the ocean floor on Tuesday, using sophisticated reconnaissance drones dubbed the Kingfish and the Swordfish to locate the debris. Navy and Coast Guard personnel were using underwater drones to locate and map the debris field, and divers were in the water gathering up what they could, officials said. White House and Pentagon officials have largely avoided providing any details on the balloon's capabilities. Even if the balloon was able to transmit, they said, it wasn't getting any new or important information to send. The balloon debris is scattered in waters that are about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, but stretch across an area 15 football fields long and 15 football fields across, VanHerck said.
wftv.comEnergetic and pugnacious, Biden makes his case to the nation
WASHINGTON — President Biden was chatting with members of Congress after his State of the Union address when a booming voice rose above the chamber’s cacophony: “Mr. President, that was awesome!”The voice belonged to Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., a progressive Democrat and not an especially close Biden ally. Feisty, combative and energetic, Biden seemed to relish in drawing a contrast with a Republican Party he treated at times with gentle but needling condescension. Here are five key takeaways from the president’s State of the Union address. Biden seemed unfazed by the attacks, almost welcoming them as an apparent sign that his words were striking a nerve.
wftv.comRepublican response to Biden State of the Union speech speeds decline of civility in politics
The response from many Republican lawmakers to President Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday marked a new low for civility in politics in the United States. Moments later, when Biden was discussing overdose deaths caused by fentanyl, another Republican House member shouted, "It's your fault!" State of the Union addresses, which are mandated by the U.S. Constitution, have, for most of the nation's history, been rather staid affairs. Like virtually all of his speeches, Trump's State of the Union address was highly combative and riddled with what outlets like the New York Times deemed to be falsehoods and exaggerated claims. Reps. Greene and Boebert heckle Biden's first State of the Union addressIn a preview to Tuesday's State of the Union response, Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Greene repeatedly heckled Biden during his first speech to a joint session of Congress in 2022.
wftv.comNorth Korean troops encouraged by Kim Jong Un, his daughter
SEOUL, South Korea — (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “irresistible might” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army, state media said Wednesday. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited the lodging quarters of the Korean People’s Army’s general officers with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. He later gave an encouraging speech to troops at a banquet, praising them for maintaining the “strongest army in the world” despite external difficulties. North Korea is also facing deepening economic isolation and food shortages, showing the costs of Kim’s nuclear ambitions are piling up. Animosity could rise in coming months with Kim doubling down on his nuclear push entering 2023.
wftv.comNorth Korean leader Kim encourages troops with daughter
SEOUL, South Korea — (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “limitless strength” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army, state media said Wednesday. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited an unspecified barracks with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, and later Tuesday gave an encouraging speech to troops at a banquet, praising them for maintaining the “world’s strongest military” despite external difficulties. North Korea hasn’t confirmed plans for a military parade, which could possibly take place later Wednesday. North Korea is also facing deepening economic isolation and food shortages, showing the costs of Kim's nuclear ambitions are piling up. North Korea is coming off a record-breaking year in weapons testing, and the dozens of missiles it fired in 2022 included potentially nuclear-capable systems designed to strike targets in South Korea and the U.S. mainland.
wftv.comNorth Korean leader Kim encourages troops with daughter
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “limitless strength” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army, state media said Wednesday. The visit came amid indications North Korea is preparing to stage a massive military parade in capital Pyongyang where it could showcase the latest hardware of a growing nuclear weapons program that stokes the concern of its neighbors and the United States.
news.yahoo.comAs jets closed in on China balloon, hobbyists were listening
“Frank Two is switches hot," the second F-22 radios in. When Huntress calls out that the balloon is exactly six nautical miles out, Frank One takes the shot. Aviation enthusiasts with the right radios scan for Huntress missions and other military flights as a hobby, calling out exercises. Huntress has been controlling the F-22 Raptors, you know for the balloon, they’re gonna do it,” Harrell said. “So I jump up, crank up everything, and started listening in.”When Harrell heard the pilots' and controller's voices, “I was excited,” he said.
wftv.comAs jets closed in on China balloon, hobbyists were listening
The extraordinary scene of U.S. fighter jets getting ready to strike a Chinese balloon had many people along the Carolina coast straining their necks and pointing their smartphones to the sky to capture the moment of impact. The pilots had to balance striking the balloon when it was at least six miles (10 kilometers) off shore — the distance NASA had advised the military allow to keep debris from falling on land — with ensuring it was still in U.S. territorial airspace. “Five miles offshore,” Huntress advises in a transmission that was captured by aviation hobbyist Ken Harrell, in a recording that was authenticated by NORAD.
news.yahoo.comNavy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debris
WASHINGTON — (AP) — Navy divers began pulling pieces of the downed Chinese spy balloon from the depths of the ocean floor on Tuesday, using sophisticated reconnaissance drones dubbed the Kingfish and the Swordfish to locate the debris. Navy and Coast Guard personnel were using underwater drones to locate and map the debris field, and divers were in the water gathering up what they could, officials said. White House and Pentagon officials have largely avoided providing any details on the balloon's capabilities. Even if the balloon was able to transmit, they said, it wasn't getting any new or important information to send. The balloon debris is scattered in waters that are about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, but stretch across an area 15 football fields long and 15 football fields across, VanHerck said.
wftv.comUS man convicted of aiding Islamic State as sniper, trainer
NEW YORK — (AP) — A former New York stockbroker-turned-Islamic State group militant was convicted Tuesday of becoming a sniper and trainer for the extremist group during its brutal reign in Syria and Iraq. “Today’s verdict in an American courtroom is a victory for our system of justice" and against the Islamic State group, Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. He abruptly left his family in Brooklyn in December 2013 and made his way to Syria as IS stormed to power. It is time to hold him accountable,” prosecutor Douglas Pravda told a Brooklyn federal court jury in a closing argument. “Have you heard of Islamic State?
wftv.comBiden continues to push U.S. natural gas exports, angering climate change activists
Those competing priorities have resulted in debate over whether federal regulators should allow more exports of natural gas, and whether to approve the construction of terminals for that purpose. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott introduced legislation to expedite approval of LNG export terminals. "We are fortunate that we have an abundance, obviously, of natural gas in this country. “If you take a look at the comparison of greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. LNG, there are benefits [compared] to Russian pipeline gas,” Meyer said. Ground zero for the fight over LNG exports might be the port of Brownsville, Tex.
wftv.comNFL, DAZN sign agreement for Game Pass International package
NEW YORK — (AP) — The NFL has signed a 10-year agreement with DAZN Group to deliver the Game Pass International service to fans outside the United States beginning with the 2023 season, it was announced Tuesday. Game Pass International will be offered in more than 200 countries and regions, including Canada and Mexico. The service will allow fans outside the U.S. to watch every regular-season and playoff NFL game, including the Super Bowl. Game Pass International also will deliver NFL Network and NFL RedZone programming as well as access to a library of NFL Films and NFL Media programming. Game Pass International will be available through the DAZN app either as a standalone subscription or an add-on to an existing package.
wftv.comChina says will 'safeguard interests' over balloon shootdown
China claims it was a civilian balloon used for meteorological research but has refused to say to which government department or company it belongs. Asked if China wanted the debris returned, she only reasserted that the balloon “belongs to China." However, the recent furor over the Chinese balloon in the U.S. brought attention back to these mysterious sightings. But it doesn't look like any weather balloon that Cheng Ming-Dean, head of Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau, has seen. “In the meteorology world, I haven’t found a person who has seen or heard of a weather balloon that looks like this,” Cheng said.
wftv.comWhite House: Improved surveillance caught Chinese balloon
U.S. officials say efforts ordered by President Joe Biden to strengthen defenses against Chinese espionage helped identify last week’s spy balloon — and determine that similar flights were conducted at multiple points during the Trump administration.
China accuses US of indiscriminate use of force over balloon
China has accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force when the American military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon Saturday, saying it seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.
Cubans respond with zeal to new US migration policy
Overwhelmed by thousands of Cubans crowding its southern border after making the dangerous trip through Central America and an increase in makeshift boats crossing the Florida Straits, the United States in early January approved a policy change that makes migrants request a permit online before arriving with the sponsorship of a relative or friend in the U.S. Although the parole program also applies to Nicaraguans, Haitians and Venezuelans, Cubans have especially taken advantage of it,...
N. Korea warns of 'overwhelming nuclear force' to counter US
North Korea says it’s prepared to counter U_S_ military moves with the “most overwhelming nuclear force” as it warned that the expansion of the United States’ combined military exercises with rival South Korea is pushing tensions to an “extreme red line.”.
US, Philippines agree to larger American military presence
The United States and the Philippines have announced plans to expand America's military presence in the Southeast Asian nation, with access to four more bases as they seek to deter China’s increasingly aggressive actions toward Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea.
GM conditionally OKs $650M Nevada lithium mine investment
General Motors has conditionally agreed to invest $650 million in Lithium Americas in a deal that will give GM exclusive access to the first phase of a mine planned near the Nevada-Oregon line with the largest known source of lithium in the U.S. The equity investment the companies announced jointly Tuesday is contingent on the project clearing the final environmental and legal challenges it faces in federal court in Reno, where conservationists and tribes are suing to block it.
Emhoff visits synagogue, Holocaust memorial in Berlin
Doug Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, has met Ukrainian refugees at a Berlin synagogue and visited the city’s Holocaust memorial as he wraps up a tour of Poland and Germany focused on Holocaust remembrance and combating rising antisemitism.
US to increase weapons deployment to counter North Korea
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the United States will increase its deployment of advanced weapons such as fighter jets and bombers to the Korean Peninsula as it strengthens joint training and operational planning with South Korea in response to a growing North Korean nuclear threat.