China's military keeps rivals on edge with balloon strategy  —  Data gathered by swelling ‘lighter than air’ programme could have defence applications  —  The Chinese balloon that transfixed America in recent days was no surprise to Cheng Ming-dean.  “This balloon has been appearing for a long time! …

Americans not feeling impact of Biden agenda, Post-ABC poll finds  —  More than 6 in 10 say the president has not accomplished much, despite the passage of numerous bills  —  Two years into a presidency that the White House casts as the most effective in modern history …

Ranks of Republicans Refusing a ‘Clean’ Debt Ceiling Hike Grows … Republican pragmatists in the House of Representatives have a message for President Joe Biden: We don't support a clean debt ceiling increase, either.  —  Rep. Dusty Johnson says that the group of pragmatic conservatives …

Neo-Nazi leader and girlfriend accused of targeting Md. power stations  —  A neo-Nazi leader recently released from prison has been arrested again and accused of plotting an attack on the Maryland power grid with a woman he met while incarcerated.  —  Brandon Russell, 27, and Sarah Clendaniel …

Inside the Trump Campaign's Plan to Take Down Nikki Haley  —  “The difference between her and DeSantis is she's an also-ran.  Donald Trump doesn't need to fear her.  He's gonna toy with her.” … Nikki Haley's decision to become the first Republican to jump into the 2024 race against Donald Trump …

Live updates: Earthquake kills more than 2,000 in Turkey, Syria; second massive quake follows  —  The first earthquake occurred in Kahramanmaras province, north of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.  A second was recorded in southeastern Turkey, near Ekinozu.

Kamala Harris Is Trying to Define Her Vice Presidency.  Even Her Allies Are Tired of Waiting.  —  Ms. Harris is struggling to carve out a lane for herself in what may be one of the most consequential periods in the vice presidency.  —  WASHINGTON — Kamala Harris was frustrated.

Cops Seemingly Put a Fake MLK Quote on a Cruiser to Celebrate Black History Month  —  The director of The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University said “we have no record of the maxim.”  —  PB  —  The police department in Columbus …

The Defiance of Salman Rushdie  —  After a near-fatal stabbing—and decades of threats—the novelist speaks about writing as a death-defying act.  —  When Salman Rushdie turned seventy-five, last summer, he had every reason to believe that he had outlasted the threat of assassination.

Harry Whittington, Texas Lawyer Shot by Cheney, Dies at 95  —  He drew headlines across the world when, during a hunting trip, he was accidentally blasted in the face and torso by Vice President Dick Cheney — then apologized himself for the incident.  —  Harry Whittington …

Musk Pledged to Cleanse Twitter of Child Abuse Content.  It's Been Rough Going.  —  Child sexual abuse imagery spreads on Twitter even after the company is notified: One video drew 120,000 views.  “Sewer rats,” as one regulator described bad actors, remain.  —  Over 120,000 views of a video showing a boy being sexually assaulted.

Eric Trump tourmate claims Jewish people are frauds and “Hitler was actually fighting the same people that we're trying to take down today”  —  Scott McKay also claims Jewish people are responsible for 9/11, presidential assassinations, and child sacrifices  —  Eric Trump has been touring …

100,000 Green Jobs Announced Since US Adopted Climate Law, Study Finds  —  Between last August, when President Joe Biden's landmark climate bill became law, and the end of January, companies have announced more than 100,000 clean energy jobs in the US, according to an analysis released Monday …

Melania Trump watched 2019 ISIS raid from Situation Room, suggested ‘hero dog’ story in media  —  Melania Trump in October 2019 sat in and watched the U.S. raid that led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a compound in Syria, according to a new memoir set for release this week.