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.

Koch network to back alternative to Trump after sitting out recent primaries  —  The return of one of the biggest spenders in American politics to the presidential primary field poses a direct challenge to the former president's comeback bid  —  The network of donors and activist groups led …

Few Americans are excited about a Biden-Trump rematch, Post-ABC poll finds  —  Most say they would feel dissatisfied or angry if either wins the general election  —  President Biden and former president Donald Trump may have each drawn a record number of votes in 2020 …

George Santos Is Accused of Sexual Harassment in His Capitol Office  —  The complaint was made by a man seeking work as a House aide, whose bid for a job was rejected because he faced criminal wiretapping charges in Ohio.  —  A prospective congressional aide has accused Representative George Santos …

Moscow, Tehran Advance Plans for Iranian-Designed Drone Facility in Russia  —  The two countries are deepening a military partnership that has alarmed the West  —  How We Know Russia Is Using Iranian Drones in Ukraine  —  Created with sketchtool. … 1x

An ex-Romney presidential campaign strategist says Nikki Haley ‘embodies the collapse’ of the Republican Party  — Ex-Romney strategist Stuart Stevens on MSNBC blasted Nikki Haley for her expected White House bid.  — “No one else really embodies sort of the collapse of the party as well as Nikki Haley,” he said.

Flexing his wins and eyeing a 2nd term, Biden will lay out contrasts with GOP in State of the Union  —  President Joe Biden is planning to use his second State of the Union address to paint the broad strokes of a likely campaign ahead, contrasting his notion of steady leadership with the newly elected, likely chaotic Republican House.

Imran Khan's Double Game  —  Following an assassination attempt, Pakistan's former Prime Minister discusses his views on the Taliban, his relationship with the military, and why he's more “evolved” than other people.  —  Thirty years ago, Imran Khan led the Pakistani national team to victory …

As G.O.P. Rails Against Federal Spending, Its Appetite for Earmarks Grows  —  While Democrats claimed a larger share than Republicans of the nearly $16 billion in earmarks in the latest federal spending bill, G.O.P. projects jumped by 85 percent.  —  WASHINGTON — In 2020, Representative Don Bacon …

House Republican says he's working with Democrats on ‘fail-safe’ option for debt ceiling  —  Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said on Sunday that he is working across the aisle on a bipartisan solution on the debt ceiling as lawmakers brace for bitter negations in the coming months over the nation's finances.

Ban on marijuana users owning guns is unconstitutional, U.S. judge rules  —  A federal law prohibiting marijuana users from possessing firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Oklahoma has concluded, citing last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly expanded gun rights.