The Latest Breaking News from John Kirby

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration suspects that three unidentified objects downed since last Friday served commercial purposes and weren’t used for spying, a judgment that may help ease anxiety over a Chinese balloon that traversed the U.S. before being shot down.

Many Democrats defended the Biden administration's cautious approach. But lawmakers of both parties urged the president to address the nation.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government has assessed that three unidentified objects downed since last Friday were likely for commercial use and not foreign intelligence-gathering.

Flying objects could be commercial- or research-linked, while US military admits first shot at object over Lake Huron missed

Washington (AFP) - The White House sought Tuesday to take the air out of an escalating diplomatic crisis with Beijing, saying that preliminary evidence suggests three unidentified aerial objects shot down by US jets were not involved in a broader Chinese spy balloon program.

Kirby said a leading explanation could be that the objects were "benign" and "tied to commercial or research entities."

“They’re not from outer space,” Sen. Thom Tillis says after all-senators classified briefing about the unidentified objects.

One giant balloon and three other unidentified objects have been shot down over North America in eight days.

The aircraft allegedly entered Chinese airspace more than 10 times since last May

Sensors and electronics pulled from waters off South Carolina, says military. Plus, how AP African American studies became the most controversial course in the US

The White House responded Monday to growing and at times fevered speculation over the shooting down of unidentified aerial objects by saying the targets could be anything from commercial craft to espionage devices, while denying that US balloons spy on China. After mounting pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to…