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 …

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.