F-22 RAPTOR (Wikipedia).

Another “unknown” flying object was shot down Friday by a U.S. fighter jet, this one near the north coast of Alaska.

According to the Associated Press, an F-22 downed the object on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the second object – the first one a Chinese spy ballon – brought down in U.S. airspace within a week.

The AP reports that John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said the object – some what smaller than the balloon – was downed because it posed a “reasonable threat” to civilian flights.

It was not believed the device was involved in surveillance activity. Efforts to recover debris are underway.

War in Ukraine heating up?

RUSSIAN and Ukrainian forces battle over eastern regions of Ukraine. (Shutterstock).

The winter weather may have slowed down military action in Ukraine, but there are some signs that any lull may soon be ending.

According to The New York Times, over 100 drones, rockets and missiles were fired on Friday by Russian forces at a variety of sites in Ukraine.

Military officials in Ukraine are calling this the opening of a winter offensive, perhaps an effort to take more ground in the Russian-speaking eastern areas of Ukraine before powerful American and other Western weapons arrive and allow Ukraine to mount its own offensive.

Also in the news … The death toll in Turkey and Syria from a massive earthquake is now put at over 23,000 people, most of them in Turkey.

Sports: Clippers, Ducks both lose

Friday night wasn’t much fun for area pro sports teams. The Los Angeles Clippers lost to the  Milwaukee Bucks 119-106 and the Anaheim Ducks fell behind 3-1 to the Pittsburg Penguins and ended up losing 6-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Honda Center.

Weather: Say hello to clouds

The forecast for the West Orange County area for the next few days says there won’t be an abundance of sunshine. Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with a daytime high of 63 and an overnight low of 43. But that’s as bright as it gets. Sunday should be partly cloudy with a high of 61 (46), followed by similar conditions on Monday (64/51) and Tuesday (62/37).