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China downplayed Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a visit to Beijing in the wake of a suspected spy balloon flying over the U.S., saying that a meeting between the two countries had never been formally announced.

Why it matters: Blinken confirmed Friday that he postponed a planned trip to China after the surveillance balloon was discovered.

His trip would've been the first visit by a top U.S. diplomat in six years.

The big picture: The Chinese balloon — suspected of flying over sensitive areas to collect information — has been flying over the U.S. since Wednesday.

Blinken told Wang Yi, China's top foreign affairs official that the surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace "is a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law."

He added that it was "an irresponsible act" and "was detrimental to the substantive discussions that (the U.S. and China) were prepared to have.”

China claimed the balloon is a civilian airship for "mainly meteorological" purposes.

What they're saying: “In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning, per AP. 

Of note: The Pentagon confirmed to Axios that there's a second balloon flying over Latin America. 

“We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon Press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

China downplays Blinken postponing visit over alleged spy balloon

China argued that neither side had formally announced any plan for Blinken to visit Beijing.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks on human rights at the State Department on April 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Tony Blinken

China

China downplayed Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a visit to Beijing in the wake of a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="suspected spy balloon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/03/us-surveillance-balloon-china" data-vars-content-id="10956522-5887-46fe-a9df-f9724b7eda91" data-vars-headline="China downplays Blinken postponing visit over alleged spy balloon" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/03/us-surveillance-balloon-china" target="_self">suspected spy balloon</a> flying over the U.S., saying that a meeting between the two countries had never been formally announced.Why it matters: Blinken confirmed Friday that he postponed a planned trip to China after the surveillance balloon was discovered.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Saturday that the high-altitude balloon flying over the U.S. this week that came from China is "embarrassing" for Beijing. 

The big picture: Pentagon has accused China of using the balloon to collect information on sensitive military sites. China has denied those allegations and said that the balloon is a civilian airship for "mainly meteorological" purposes.

What they're saying: "I think China's very embarrassed by this," Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said on Fox News. 

Smith said that the balloon was not a "particularly effective" spying tool since the U.S. is familiar with the technology and the balloon wouldn't capture something satellites couldn't see.  

"It's never a positive thing to have your spying efforts exposed to the globe. So it's not a positive for China in any way, shape or form," he added. 

Everything we know about the China balloon

Blinken postpones trip to China after balloon discovery

Top Armed Services Democrat: China "embarrassed" by balloon incident

"It's never a positive thing to have your spying efforts exposed to the globe."

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) speaks during a meeting of the House Committee on Rules at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 12, 2022. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Saturday that the high-altitude balloon flying over the U.S. this week that came from China is &quot;embarrassing&quot; for Beijing. The big picture: Pentagon has accused China of using the balloon to collect information on sensitive military sites. China has denied those allegations and said that the balloon is a civilian airship for &quot;mainly meteorological&quot; purposes.

The NFL will not resume the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game that was originally suspended after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, the league announced on Thursday. 

Details: The game was canceled in part because not finishing would have "no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement

Yes, but: It does affect which team would have homefield advantage in the AFC championship game. 

It could affect the Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens if both teams were scheduled to meet in the Wild Card game.

The NFL said it would use a neutral site if needed for the AFC championship game, and a coin-toss to decide where a Bengals-Ravens game would be played.

The big picture: Hamlin was now awake and making "substantial progress," his doctors said Thursday.

The 24-year-old was still "critically ill" but appears to be neurologically intact, his team said earlier in the day.  

What they're saying: "As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities," Goodell said.  

"I recognize that there is no perfect solution. The proposal we are asking the ownership to consider, however, addresses the most significant potential equitable issues created by the difficult, but necessary, decision not to play the game under these extraordinary circumstances," he added. 

NFL cancels Week 17 Bills-Bengals game

It  canceled in part because not finishing would have "no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason," the NFL said.

Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills fans react while Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) is attended to on the field during the game against the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo: Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

National Football League (NFL)

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NFL" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/sports/nfl-nba-mlb-nhl" data-vars-content-id="462d3bbc-1ecc-459f-86d5-4901df8b5dde" data-vars-headline="NFL cancels Week 17 Bills-Bengals game" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/sports/nfl-nba-mlb-nhl" target="_self">NFL</a> will not resume the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game that was originally suspended after Buffalo safety <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Damar Hamlin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/04/damar-hamlin-cardiac-arrest-condition" data-vars-content-id="462d3bbc-1ecc-459f-86d5-4901df8b5dde" data-vars-headline="NFL cancels Week 17 Bills-Bengals game" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/04/damar-hamlin-cardiac-arrest-condition" target="_self">Damar Hamlin</a> went into cardiac arrest on the field, the league announced on Thursday. Details: The game was canceled in part because not finishing would have &quot;no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason,&quot; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Four men were extradited to the U.S. and charged for their alleged involvement in the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. 

Driving the news: Two Haitian-American citizens, James Solages, 37, and Joseph Vincent, 57, and one Colombian citizen, German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, were each charged with conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the U.S. 

They were also charged with providing material support and resources resulting in death, and conspiring to do so, knowing or intending that such support and resources would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap, per the DOJ.

A third Haitian American, Christian Sanon, 54, was charged with smuggling goods from the U.S. and providing unlawful export information.

The big picture: Moïse was assassinated at his home in July 2021 by an unidentified group of gunmen.

His death came amid increasing political instability in Haiti and calls for his removal from office before his term ended. 

Gang violence has spiked significantly in the capital of Port-au-Prince as the country continues to grapple with poverty and a cycle of delayed election.

Of note: There are now seven defendants in U.S. custody and charged with U.S. crimes for their roles in the assassination, per the DOJ. 

The three other men — Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 43, Rodolphe Jaar, 49, and Joseph Joel John, 51, — were arrested last year.

John is a former Haitian senator who was charged with conspiring to commit murder.

What's next: The four latest defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court on Wednesday in Miami, per the DOJ. 

For the record: Solages, Vincent and Rivera face up to life imprisonment if convicted. 

Miami

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U.S. charges 4 more in Haitian President Jovenel Moïse's assassination

Moïse was assassinated at his home by an unidentified group of gunmen.

Officials attend a ceremony in honor of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise at the National Pantheon Museum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in July 2021. Photo: Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images

Haiti

Four men were extradited to the U.S. and charged for their alleged involvement in the assassination of former Haitian <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="President Jovenel Moïse" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/07/07/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated" data-vars-content-id="680f8720-82eb-4c48-b775-84df372efcb6" data-vars-headline="U.S. charges 4 more in Haitian President Jovenel Moïse&#x27;s assassination" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/07/07/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated" target="_self">President Jovenel Moïse</a>, the Department of Justice <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/additional-four-charged-connection-plot-kill-haitian-president" data-vars-content-id="680f8720-82eb-4c48-b775-84df372efcb6" data-vars-headline="U.S. charges 4 more in Haitian President Jovenel Moïse&#x27;s assassination" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/additional-four-charged-connection-plot-kill-haitian-president" target="_blank">announced</a> on Tuesday. Driving the news: Two Haitian-American citizens, James Solages, 37, and Joseph Vincent, 57, and one Colombian citizen, German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, were each charged with conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the U.S.

A suspected gunman was arrested in agricultural Northern California after two related shootings near San Francisco left at least seven people dead and one person with life-threatening injuries Monday, officials said.

Driving the news: The second mass shooting to hit California within three days resulted in four people being killed at a mushroom farm on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay and three others near a trucking facility less than a mile away, per San Mateo County Board of Supervisors president Dave Pine.

The injured victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment, officials said.

Children were present at the shooting scenes, according to officials.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news conference that the suspected shooter,  Chunli Zhao, was found in his car in the parking lot of a sheriff's office substation in Half Moon Bay, a coastal city of some 12,000 people in San Mateo County.

 The 66-year-old was taken into custody "without incident" and the weapon was located in his vehicle, she added.

State of play: Half Moon Bay Councilmember Debbie Ruddock told NBC Bay Area that the victims in the shootings that began about 2:20pm local time were farm workers.

The FBI is assisting the sheriff's office "by providing investigative and forensic resources," the agency said in a statement.

Investigators believe the suspect was working alone and that he was a worker at the agricultural nursery, Corpus said.

What we're watching: Corpus said officials were working to determine Zhao's connection to the victims and to both scenes in San Mateo County, which is known for producing vegetables, flowers and permits cannabis farming in some areas.

A screenshot of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's tweet: "At the hospital meeting with victims of a mass shooting when I get pulled away to be briefed about another shooting"

What they're saying: "We are sickened by today's tragedy in Half Moon Bay," Pine said in a statement. "We have not even had time to grieve for those lost in the terrible shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday night that President Biden had been briefed on the shooting and asked "federal law enforcement to provide any necessary assistance to the local authorities."

"Jill and I are praying for those killed and injured in the latest tragic shooting in Half Moon Bay, California," President Biden said in a statement Tuesday.

"For the second time in recent days, California communities are mourning the loss of loved ones in a senseless act of gun violence," Biden added. He reiterated his call for Congress to pass an assault weapons ban. 

The big picture: The mass shooting follows the one in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday night that killed 11 people and injured nine others on the eve of Lunar New Year.

Hours after the San Mateo County shootings, police in Oakland, California, said one person was killed and seven others injured in a shooting.

The Monterey Park shooting exposes a major problem with crime data

The deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history

 Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details. This story has also been corrected to reflect that Zhao is reportedly 66, not 67, as law enforcement initially said.

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At least 7 dead in Half Moon Bay shooting

It follows the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, over the weekend.

A San Mateo County sheriff's deputy helps a police car exit the scene of a shooting on Jan. 23 in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Mass shootings

A suspected gunman was arrested in agricultural Northern California after two related shootings near San Francisco left at least seven people dead and one person with life-threatening injuries Monday, officials said.Driving the news: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="second mass shooting to hit California " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/22/monterey-park-mass-shooting-california" data-vars-content-id="f9478b6c-8a71-4a63-97fc-3437dfd212df" data-vars-headline="At least 7 dead in Half Moon Bay shooting" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/22/monterey-park-mass-shooting-california" target="_self">second mass shooting to hit California </a>within three days resulted in four people being killed at a mushroom farm on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay and three others near a trucking facility less than a mile away, per San Mateo County Board of Supervisors president Dave Pine.

TuAnh Dam

Stories

Top Armed Services Democrat: China "embarrassed" by balloon incident

China downplays Blinken postponing visit over alleged spy balloon

U.S. charges 4 more in Haitian President Jovenel Moïse's assassination

At least 7 dead in Half Moon Bay shooting

NFL cancels Week 17 Bills-Bengals game