This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An analysis of this week's Supreme Court arguments in a Maryland fight over a school's decision to teach sexually deviant behaviors to children and not allow parents to opt their kids out of those classes has concluded that Justice Ketanji Jackson is "either the dumbest or most evil member" on the court.
Dumbest might be in ascendance, as this was the same individual who, during her Senate confirmation hearing, was unable to tell inquiring senators what is a "woman."
A recording of her revealing her agenda was posted online:
An analysis at RedState explained that it should have been a "red flag."
On the court, she's reliably been a "left-wing vote," it said.
"There is no level of partisanship she won't stoop to in order to defend a Democrat viewpoint, and that was on display again in recent oral arguments surrounding parental rights," it said.
"While a majority of the court seemed to be leaning toward affirming that obvious right, Jackson showed she's either the dumbest or most evil member of the court," it said.
It pointed out that she wasn't even "aware" of the fact that the fight is over Montgomery County School District's actions, which "require" the books to be taught.
She argued that perhaps those books are just "sitting on the shelves," meaning that a temporary injunction to affirm the parents' rights would be inappropriate.
The analysis notes that Jackson does come across "as vapid and ill-equipped," … or "the other option is that she's just evil, and the rest is an act."
"Returning to the core issue, why is it this important for public schools to talk about topics that violate the religious principles of some parents?" the analysis noted. "Does LGBTQ ideology really trump religious liberty? It doesn't, but Jackson thinks it does, and that's a scary proposition. Imagine a court with a few more justices in her mold, and where that would leave the country."
It explained, "Justice Brett Kavanaugh brought some sanity to the discussion by pointing out how absurd Jackson's arguments were."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has confirmed that there is progress on President Donald Trump's agenda to get fair international trade standards for American manufacturers and consumers alike.
The president launched a series of tariff battles because for years American producers have had to pay high tariffs to get their products and services into other nations, while those nation's often have been given virtually free access to American markets.
The imbalance is what has caused America's large trade deficit and other financial complications.
Trump's tariffs have been producing results, she said.
"We're doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China. There have now been 18 proposals and more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America," Leavitt confirmed.
"The president and administration are setting the stage for a deal with China. … We feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen — and the ball is moving in the right direction."
The Daily Mail pointed out the Dow Jones Industrial Average rocketed up 600 points on the announcement. Actually, the market surged about 1,000 points on the news.
Fox News reported she continued, "You have Secretary Bessent, Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, NEC Director Hassett and Peter Navarro, the entire trade team meeting with 34 countries this week alone. We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people."
Reports confirmed that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the same time was telling an investor summit he believes the tariff impasse between the U.S. and China will de-escalate soon.
Reports also have cited progress on deals major trading partners like Japan, Indian and more.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
If former Vice President Kamala Harris ever makes up her mind about running for California governor, the Democrat will have some well-known competition on the Republican side.
Steve Hilton, who until recently has been a frequent Fox News contributor, announced Monday he's running for governor of the Golden State.
The author of "Califailure" told Fox News Digital: "A big decision that I've made, which I can now share with you, that I am, in fact, going to be running for governor of California for 2026. I love this state. It's the best place in the world as far as I'm concerned."
"But after 15 years of one-party rule, this state is barely recognizable. And I honestly think that the 2026 election in California is a life-or-death moment because if we continue with this one-party rule by the Democrats, things are just gonna really start to deteriorate very rapidly."
Born in the United Kingdom and a graduate of New College at Oxford, Hilton was senior adviser to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was leader of the Conservative Party.
"[California] really reminds me of Britain in the 1970s. The U.K. was called the 'sick man of Europe,'" Hilton explained in a campaign video. "There's no other way of looking at California today than the 'sick man of America.'"
"We have a combination of idiots and ideologues who've been running this state into the ground, ruining what I consider to be the greatest state and the greatest nation on Earth, and it's time for change," Hilton said.
"We have the highest taxes in the country, but also the highest rate of poverty. You have one-third of Californians who can't meet their basic needs. We have the highest housing costs. It's the number one reason people are leaving the state."
"California represented the best of America. I think for many people, when they thought of the American dream, they thought of California and the California Dream," he noted.
Hilton eventually landed his own weekly show on Fox News, "The Next Revolution," which aired Sunday nights from 2017 to 2023.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
It's no secret to millions of Christians that Jesus was put to death in Jerusalem, according to the New Testament gospels.
But many often wonder about a cryptic statement at the end of the Bible indicating He was crucified in "Sodom and Egypt," two other locations, neither of which is Jerusalem.
How can this be? Is the Bible somehow being inconsistent with itself?
The answer is not difficult to discern, once we take the flesh out of our ears, says a best-selling author.
"There is a very simple answer to this which reveals Scripture is completely true and consistent," says Joe Kovacs, author of the inspiring book, "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything."
"We all need to realize the Word of God is not always broadcasting on the physical, human level. It's often airing its message on a higher level, often called the parable or spiritual level. It's the method in which Jesus exclusively spoke."
Scripture notes: "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable." (Matthew 13:34 NIV)
"So in addition to the physical meaning, there's that higher parable meaning as well. I call it 'God speed,' as we're all getting up to speed on the way God thinks, operates, and broadcasts His glorious message," Kovacs explains.
To solve the mystery of Sodom and Egypt vs. Jerusalem, the author of the well-known "Shocked by the Bible" series says Scripture itself indicates on which level it's broadcasting in this case.
The verse in question is Revelation 11:8, which mentions, "the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." (KJV)
The author says: "The Word of God comes right out and tells us in this verse that it's not talking about the physical, geographic locations of Sodom and Egypt. It specifically says 'which SPIRITUALLY IS CALLED Sodom and Egypt.' Other translations use words such as 'figuratively' and 'symbolically' instead of 'spiritually,' but they all mean the same thing."
"It's speaking on the parable or spirit level. It's a metaphor."
"God Himself is a Spirit, as John 4:24 states, and He is training our minds to understand His spirit level of communication. It's not always physical."
So why does Scripture mention Sodom and Egypt as spiritual synonyms for the place where Jesus was crucified?
"The answer is simpler than we think, and emerges when we merely translate the meaning of those words," Kovacs explains.
"The word Sodom means 'burning' or 'flaming' and Egypt is the 'dark place of misery.' Even the Hebrew word for Egypt is MIZRAIM, which looks and even sounds something like its English meaning of MISERY or MISERIES.
"What it's saying is that this world of flesh in which we dwell is a place of darkness, distress and misery where we're being refined in a flaming furnace, the metaphoric 'furnace of affliction,' as God famously calls it in Isaiah 48:10. Hence, spiritually speaking, Jesus was killed in this place where we're all being purified under some serious heat, a place that is quite dark and miserable at times."
"So this mystery about Sodom and Egypt is solved quite easily when we merely open our eyes and ears to see and hear the spiritual message, not just the physical.
"It's stunning in a very good way when we realize the entire Bible is not just full of physical history, but the Creator is voicing additional messages on the spirit level that come to life when we listen at God speed."
Endorsed by Chuck Norris and other Christian champions, "Reaching God Speed" is nothing short of a breakthrough work, as it probes God's hidden messages embedded in popular movies, hit songs from (Adele and the Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin), the stories we tell our children, everyday phrases we all say, historic news events, famous commercial campaigns, nature itself, and typical life activities such as such as inhaling every breath you take, sleeping, waking up and many more.
It features a myriad of stunning biblical revelations, as the book:
The book rocketed to the #1 position in several Amazon categories even before its official release on Jan. 25.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new poll shows that even in leftist California, the ideology that promotes allowing boys who say they are girls to compete on girls' athletic teams is a losing cause.
"Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth," according to the polling.
"Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement."
That result is part of an assessment by the Public Policy Institute of California.
According to a report from Fox News, "California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted trans athletes competing in girls' sports is 'deeply unfair' during an episode of his podcast last month but defended allowing it out of empathy for the transgender population."
Officials in the state are trying to defy President Donald Trump's executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports."
The California Interscholastic Federation confirmed it will follow "state law," letting boys in girls' competitions if they say they are girls.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has warned Newsom to comply, after his state claimed to be a "sanctuary" for transgender minors.
"Allowing participation in sex-separated activities based on 'gender identity' places schools at risk of Title IX violations and loss of federal funding. As Governor, you have to inform California school districts of this risk," McMahon has warned.
"As Secretary of Education, I am officially asking you to inform this Department whether you will remind schools in California to comply with federal law by protecting sex-separated spaces and activities. I am also officially asking you to publicly assure parents that California teachers will not facilitate the fantasy of 'gender transitions' for their children."
Another result found that only 45% of respondents think the state's K-12 system is "generally going in the right direction today," and half of Californians say the system is in need of "major changes."
"Forty-five percent of Californians think that the state's K–12 public education system is headed in the right direction," said Mark Baldassare, of PPIC. "Half of adults believe that major changes are needed in the state's K–12 system and that the quality of education in the state's K–12 public schools has gotten worse in the past few years."
The new statewide survey also found, "Around half of adults (49%) and likely voters (52%) say that the quality of education in the state's K–12 public schools has gotten worse over the past few years, while 41% of public school parents say this. Ten percent of adults, 9 percent of likely voters, and 18 percent of public school parents say public schools have improved in the past few years."
Only half of adults and 51% of likely voters approve of the way Gov. Gavin Newsom, a far-left activist who has promoted illegal aliens and other radical agendas, has managed the public education system.
"Similar shares approve of how the California Legislature (48% adults, 48% likely voters) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond (47% adults, 47% likely voters) are handling K–12 education. More than half of public school parents approve of the way Newsom (58%), the state legislature (56%), and Thurmond (59%) are handling K–12 education."
It also revealed 71% of adults oppose President Donald Trump's plan to end the U.S. Department of Education and turn its responsibilities mostly over to state and local officials.
"This includes strong majorities across regions (80% San Francisco Bay Area, 72% Los Angeles, 70% Orange/San Diego, 66% Central Valley, 66% Inland Empire). Partisans are sharply divided, with Democrats (91%) and independents (72%) far more likely than Republicans (31%) to oppose closing the department," the survey said.
Parents also have significant concerns about enforcing the nation's laws against illegal immigration in schools.
"Asked how concerned they are about the impact of increased federal immigration enforcement efforts on undocumented students in local public schools and their families, solid majorities of adults (66%), likely voters (64%), and public school parents (74%) are very or somewhat concerned," the survey said.
The findings are based on responses from 1,591 California adult residents. The sampling error is ±3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level for the total unweighted sample and ±3.6 percent for the 1,094 likely voters.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
CNN poll notes significant upward swing since 2016
A new poll shows a whopping 56% of Americans want all illegal aliens deported from the county – so reports CNN data analyst Harry Enten.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Acute psychosis, anxiety, delusion, mania, panic attacks, and schizophrenia all at least in part were triggered by the mRNA COVID shots mandated by many governments and even more corporations for workers during the China virus pandemic that killed millions.
Also brain fog, cerebral atrophy, dementia, and mental impairment.
The results are from the "Association Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Neuropsychiatric Conditions" by multiple authors, including Peter McCullough.
A report at Slay News said the "alarming" results reveal that the mRNA treatments, which were unlike any previous "vaccine," "triggered serious neuropsychiatric conditions, causing, suicidal thoughts, violent behavior and homicidal ideation to skyrocket."
"The study also found massive surges in brain injury, cerebral hemorrhage, brain clots, and dementia among those who received the injections," the report explained. "In total, the study identifies 86 serious neuropsychiatric safety signals linked to COVID shots."
The results were published in PrePrints.
The physicians worked with information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, during the period January 1990 through December 2024.
And they found that safety thresholds set by federal agencies were "breached at unprecedented levels."
Among the findings was that homicidal ideation was 25 times more likely among those who took the COVID injections compared to flu shots, violent behavior was 80 times more likely among the COVID crowd, and deadly brain clots were 3,000 times more likely.
The study found dementia 140 times more likely, suicidal thoughts 25 times more likely, and psychosis 440 times more likely.
Also increased were schizophrenia, depression, and violent behavior.
The Slay News report explained that mRNA injections were associated with a 118-fold increase in reports of cognitive adverse events, a 115-fold hike to general psychiatric conditions, and an 80-fold increase in suicidal and homicidal "outcomes."
The study found, "There are alarming safety signals regarding neuropsychiatric conditions following COVID-19 vaccination, compared to the influenza vaccinations alone and to all other vaccinations combined. These data raise concerns about long-term consequences, including continued cognitive decline, dementia, and neuropsychiatric morbidity and mortality."
The recommendation? "An immediate global moratorium on COVID-19 vaccination."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
America is facing an "epidemic" of transgenderism among children, with more than 300,000 kids ages 13-17 identified as transgender during 2022, up by 100% from the previous estimates.
And it's a "cause for alarm," according to a new report from American First Policy Institute.
"Transgender identification increases risks for exposure to dangerous and irreversible medical interventions like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex-reassignment surgeries," the report warns.
"Transgender identification is the first step along a path culminating in medically unnecessary, dangerous, and life-altering medical interventions. The pain and suffering caused by these (often ghastly) procedures are especially tragic, given that the premise underlying this entire field of 'medicine' is so obviously in error. No person possesses a 'gender identity' contrary to that person's sex."
The report's conclusion notes that "The confusion that pushes vulnerable children toward these barbaric procedures is exacerbated by many of the nation's prominent institutions—its medical, education, and political establishments—embracing unscientific, gender ideology–informed policies, concepts, and jargon."
"The spread of gender ideology in K-12 schools is especially concerning. There is additionally good cause for believing online social media and pornography consumption contribute to gender confusion,' It explains the belief, promoted around the nation and the world at the highest levels when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were in office.
Actually, following the science, a man cannot become a woman, nor a woman become a man, because being male or female is embedded into the human body down to the DNA level.
The report cites Komodo Health, which drew on private and public health insurance claims to confirm that gender dysphoria diagnoses, "a proxy for transgender identification," rose 178% among children 6-17 from 2017-2021. Further, cross-sex hormone prescriptions more than doubled, and breast implantations, or removals, increased by more than 18%.
"These trends are stark. At the same time, the true scope of the youth market for transgender medical procedures is almost certainly larger than the analysis by Komodo suggests. A recent analysis of the National Insurance Database uncovered 'evidence of 5,288 to 6,294 'gender-affirming' double mastectomies for girls under age 18 from 2017–2023. Annual counts for these procedures exceeded 1,000 in both 2021 and 2022—far more than the 238–282 identified by Komodo," the report noted.
It confirmed that from 2019 to 2023, there were 13,994 transgender medical interventions were performed on children, 5,747 "sex change" surgeries were performed on children, and 62,682 hormone and puberty blocker prescriptions written for 8,579 child patients.
And nearly $120 million "was made from performing transgender medical interventions on children.
The result?
"Serious and irreparable harm. The side effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones include impotence, sterility, and physical health complications ranging from stunted growth to cancer. Notwithstanding claims to the contrary by transgender activists, these changes are often permanent. Sex-reassignment surgeries are worse still. Amputating healthy body parts because confused children believe doing so will ease their anxiety is reckless and cruel."
And it's the fault of adults, as children are not legally permitted to consume alcohol, and are not "capable of making life-altering decisions."
It is the "school-to-clinic pipeline" in which men, "who dress as hyper-sexualized caricatures of women and recruit children to publicly participate in their fetishes. It is adults who implement policies allowing boys into girls' sports and intimate facilities and who mandate the use of so-called 'preferred pronouns'. It is adults, not children, who create the online social media platforms and pornographic content that fuels the transgender social contagion."
It doesn't become a person's "identity" simply because there is a mental health condition, the report charges.
"As recently as 2012, transgenderism (formerly 'transsexualism') was widely recognized as a mental/sexual health disorder. For example, in the fourth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), the American Psychiatric Association (APA) defined 'gender identity disorder' (GID) as 'a persistent and strong cross-gender identification and a persistent unease with one's sex.'"
Needing to be recognized, too, is that transgender patients are nearly four times as likely to have been diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, more than four times as likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, more than five times as likely to have been diagnosed with a mood or anxiety disorder, and nearly 10 times as likely to have been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Post-traumatic stress issues and personality disorders also are widely present in that community.
The problem was aggravated in 2013 when the medical community decided that it was the "stress" felt by gender-confused patients that was the disorder, not the gender confusion itself.
As of now, the report said, 27 states had passed legislation to protect children from harmful, irreversible, and unapproved transgender surgeries and medications: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As millions of believers commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they may be stunned to learn one of the most famous Bible verses dealing with the event is actually packing additional meanings that make the episode even more spectacular.
This is according to a Christian author who is shining more light on the content of Scripture.
The line in question is from the beginning of the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John where it states: "On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb" (John 20:1 CSB).
"On the physical level, most people already understand what's happening in this passage," says Joe Kovacs, author of the best-seller, "Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything."
"There's a believing woman in the person of Mary Magdalene arriving at the tomb of Jesus early Sunday morning and she sees the rock had been removed from the tomb.
"But when we open our spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear, this verse is broadcasting a mind-blowing double and triple meaning that sums up the phenomenal message of the Scripture in one single sentence. Once you understand it, you can't unsee it!"
Kovacs says the sentence to focus on is: "She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb."
"Beyond the physical event that everyone already understands, there is a Spirit-based parable message being aired here, and to grasp its meaning, we only need to connect the dots with the rest of the Bible. It's actually quite easy and fun to do."
"Let's start with the stone. We all know what a stone is. It's a rock. And who famously is called a rock as well as a stone in the Bible? Yes, it's Jesus Himself!"
Just a few of the verses calling Jesus a rock or stone include:
Kovacs says the second word to focus on is "tomb."
"We all know what a tomb is. It's a grave. It's where dead people are," the author says. "And interestingly, Jesus even likens PEOPLE to tombs at times, especially when He's talking to hypocrites."
As He said: "You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity" (Matthew 23:27 CSB).
Kovacs says: "On the parable level using God's Spirit, tombs represent evil people. Even the apostle Paul calls our body of flesh the 'body of death'" (Romans 7:24 NKJV).
"Even though we think we're alive, unless and until we come to God, we're actually the walking dead, and Jesus called people that when He said, 'let the dead bury their dead'" (Matthew 8:22).
"So let's connect the dots now. When Mary saw the stone had been removed from the tomb, this is simply another way of saying that Jesus Himself had been removed from the tomb, as in resurrected from the dead! The stone or rock removed from the tomb ultimately refers to Jesus taken away not only from His gravesite but also from His body of death!
"To drive this point home, the very next verse of the Bible has Mary uttering these words confirming the thought: 'They've taken the Lord out of the tomb' (John 20:2 CSB).
"So yes, there's a secondary meaning in addition to the physical one of merely seeing a solid rock removed from the grave. It is the Ultimate Rock, Jesus, being removed from the tomb. But if that's not enough to astonish you, there's a third meaning as well."
The author, known for his "Shocked by the Bible" series, says not only do stones and rocks represent God Himself, they can also represent human people.
"Those who read the Bible know it's no secret that Jesus called Simon His apostle 'Peter,' a word meaning 'stone' or 'rock," says Kovacs. "And this stone called Peter can represent all believers who repent of their sins to follow God and feed the sheep, as he was famously told to do in John 21:17.
"Scripture also refers to all believing people as 'living stones' in 1 Peter 2:5.
"Even in the story of David and Goliath, the shepherd took 'smooth stones' (1 Samuel 17:40) as the weapon to defeat the evil giant, because we the believers are, on the metaphoric level, the fearless smooth stones prepared and polished by God to take on and defeat the evil giant, who is none other than Satan the devil."
"So let's again connect the dots from the Gospel of John, keeping in mind that God often is 'declaring the end from the beginning' (Isaiah 46:10 KJV). When the verse says 'the stone had been removed from the tomb,' this is also a prophecy for the future for all people who come to follow God. Because we ourselves are the stones that will be removed from our own personal tomb, our body of death, our grave of perishing flesh. Like Jesus, we will be removed from our grave when we are resurrected from the dead and granted everlasting life!"
"Yes, folks. One single verse from the Bible that we've been reading all these years is broadcasting so much more than has ever been trumpeted. It's so much more than just a physical stone being removed from the tomb. It is about the spiritual Rock Jesus being removed from the grave 2,000 years ago, as well as all of His other stones, the faithful believers, eventually being removed from our temporary tombs in which we walk around every day.
"With ears to hear, the glorious conclusion for your life is no longer hidden. So when we hear someone say, 'He is risen' (Matthew 28:6), it's not just directly referring to Jesus rising from the dead, it's also alluding to the wondrous immortality for every single person who truly follows Him in order to get out of his or her own tomb."
Endorsed by Chuck Norris and other Christian champions, "Reaching God Speed" is nothing short of a breakthrough work, as it probes God's hidden messages embedded in popular movies, hit songs from (Adele and the Beatles to Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin), the stories we tell our children, everyday phrases we all say, historic news events, famous commercial campaigns, nature itself, and typical life activities such as inhaling every breath you take, sleeping, waking up and many more.
It features a myriad of stunning biblical revelations, as the book:
The book rocketed to the #1 position in several Amazon categories even before its official release.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
For about a week in early 2023, the United States was under a threat from a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon that flew across North American airspace, carrying intelligence-gathering equipment.
It eventually was shot down by the Air Force off the coast of South Carolina, and investigators then claimed it apparently had not sent information back to China.
Joe Biden described the situation as "not a major breach" and Chinese officials claimed it was a meteorological device that was blown "off course."
Now, however, a report from Fox confirms that Biden administration officials "held private talks with Beijing counterparts … and discussed the implications the balloon's publicity would have on the relationship between the U.S. and China."
This was before the American public was informed of the situation.
"An internal State Department readout of the talks between [then-Secretary of State Antony] Blinken and a top Chinese diplomat said Blinken stated that if the presence of the balloon were revealed publicly, it could have 'profound implications for our relationship' with China, particularly amid efforts to stabilize the bilateral relationship with Beijing," Fox reported, citing Trump administration officials familiar with the documents.
"Former Secretary Blinken advocated strongly to tell the American people about China's rogue balloon, which is exactly what happened," a spokesperson for Blinken told Fox, in a statement that claimed he "has a long history of being tough on China while actually delivering results."
Another State Department official also consulted with "Chinese counterparts," according to the report.
"A readout from that discussion says that the official claimed the longer it took to mitigate the issue would only increase the likelihood that news of the balloon would become public, posing greater challenges managing the situation," the report said Trump officials explained.
Eventually, the Pentagon issued a statement that the balloon had been detected, but even then White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said Biden got a briefing, but she did not provide details in issuing a statement.
Fox was told by a "former Biden administration official" that State summoned Chinese Diplomate Zhu Haiquan Feb. 1, 2023, to tell him China should remove the balloon, and that the U.S. could take its own action.
Marco Rubio, then a senator and now secretary of State, said Biden's failure to address the threat earlier was the "beginning of dereliction of duty."
The Pentagon eventually confirmed China's claim it was a weather balloon off course was not the truth.
"This was a PRC surveillance balloon," a defense official said, explaining it was to monitor sensitive military sites across the U.S.