The US May Have Shot Down a Small Hobby Balloon With a Sidewinder Missile

The Oscars Died Last Weekend...Did Anyone Even Notice? Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance “Oh, the Oscars was yesterday,” my friend said to me while walking through town. She noticed that a nearby bar had the TV tuned to a replay of the ceremony. What surprised me was who said it. This is a person who is deeply, spiritually committed to things like what movies are in theaters and new fictional television shows. She loves the arts. She listens to jazz. She goes to see Broadway plays. She watches every prestige movie she can...

Trump Cites Progress In Dealing With 'More Reasonable Regime' - While Mulling Ground Operation To Seize Uranium Summary Iran rejects 'excessive, illogical' US demands while Trump mentions 'progress' with a 'more reasonable regime'. Trump again threatens to destroy Iran energy sites and Kharg Island. White House seriously considering ground operation to seize Iran's enriched uranium stockpile but also wants Tehran to negotiate handing it over willingly. Bazan oil refinery in Israel's northern city of Haifa is on fire after a second apparent Iranian missile strike of the war. Iran accuses Israel of more 'false flags' - after Kuwait...

Why Is China's Embassy In D.C. Hardening Security Perimeter With Barbed Wire Washington, D.C.-focused local outlet Popville, short for Prince of Petworth, posted several images showing barbed wire being installed around the security perimeter of the Chinese Embassy. The photos appear to show at least four workers installing the barbed wire atop an already hardened perimeter wall of block and iron fencing.  Embassies in Washington face security risks, but the sudden decision to further harden the Chinese compound raises obvious questions: whether Beijing is responding to a specific threat, anticipating protests or...