💬 Quoted…​​ “Clearly for intelligence surveillance."

As the US Navy continues to fish debris from an alleged Chinese spy balloon out of the Atlantic Ocean, a senior State Department official told reporters yesterday that high-res images captured before the balloon was shot down showed it was capable of collecting and geo-locating communications from American soil.

• The official also said the balloon is likely part of a large aerial spy program operated by the Chinese military that’s targeted more than 40 countries across five continents in recent years.

🏈🤑 Stat of the Day: The American Gaming Association predicts that 50.4 million people – or roughly 20% of American adults – will bet a combined $16 billion on this Sunday’s Super Bowl; both figures would represent new all-time records. Arizona is the first state with legal sports betting to ever host the NFL’s championship game.

🤯 Did You Know?... New Mexico is actually older than Mexico by about 250 years. That’s made possible because both places have the same namesake: the ancient Valley of Mexico, which laid at the heart of the Aztec civilization.

📖 Worth a Read: The Manhattan high-rise that shrunk itself down → (The Hustle)