US Tracking New Balloon Near Hawaii

The U.S. is tracking another mysterious balloon.

The Details: The government reportedly spotted the balloon late last week roughly 36,000 feet above Hawaii. It's reportedly moving slowly toward Mexico, but doesn't appear to be maneuverable.

Key Quotes: The balloon doesn't appear to be from "a foreign or adversarial actor," didn't "transit directly over defense critical infrastructure or other U.S. Government sensitive sites," and doesn't pose a threat to people on the ground, a Defense Department spokesperson said. "Based on these observations, the Secretary of Defense concurred with the recommendation of his military commanders that no action need be taken against the balloon."

For Context: The Chinese spy balloon that traversed the U.S. earlier this year raised tensions between the two nations, especially after reports that the balloon collected information about U.S. military bases.

How the Media Covered It: Right-rated sources focused more on concerns about spy balloons surveilling U.S. military bases, and some framed the decision to not shoot down the balloon as questionable. The Daily Wire (Right bias) noted how officials said the balloon "did not pose a threat to civil aviation despite it flying at an altitude common in civil aviation." Left-rated sources tended not to mention those concerns, and instead focused more on U.S. intel suggesting the balloon doesn't pose a threat and isn't heading toward the U.S. Politico (Lean Left) said "the government detected the balloon using 'newly established parameters for monitoring U.S. airspace.'"