4 chapters across the catalog
A historical anecdote recalls a man who tied dozens of weather balloons to a lawn chair in the late 1990s, reaching altitudes where he was spotted by commercial pilots. The individual reportedly used a BB gun to pop balloons to facilitate his descent. The story is contrasted with the "Balloon Boy" hoax of 2009.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Munich for the first time since the shoot-down of a suspected surveillance balloon. Wang Yi accused the United States of "hysterical" behavior and violating international norms, maintaining that the craft was a civilian weather balloon. Blinken warned China against further violations of North American airspace.
Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh appears on Russell Brand's show to discuss the Nord Stream report and recent balloon shootdowns. Hersh claims one of the objects shot down over Alaska was a university weather unit and suggests the balloon narrative was a distraction.
IBM Buys Weather Company Assets, J-Lens Balloon Crash
IBM acquired the digital assets of the Weather Company to integrate data into its Watson AI platform for climate strategies. Meanwhile, a massive "J-Lens" military surveillance balloon broke loose from its tether in Maryland and drifted into Pennsylvania, taking out power lines before crashing.
