Spy balloon details revealed; Rihanna preps for Super Bowl; Burt Bacharach dies; Disney plans ‘Frozen’ sequel | Hot off the Wire podcast

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On this version of Hot off the Wire:

» The Biden administration says the China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy program that has targeted more than 40 countries.

» Congress is hearing about the December meltdown at Southwest Airlines.

» A Delaware man who threatened a Black police officer with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to three years in prison.

» A man repeatedly caught trying to smuggle finches from Guyana into New York for birdsong competitions has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

» Rihanna is putting in the work ahead of her Super Bowl halftime show, focusing on what she promises will be “a jam-packed show.”

» Popular composer Burt Bacharach has died at 94. Working with lyricist Hal David, Bacharach penned a long run of hit songs.

» President Joe Biden is taking direct aim at Republicans who have floated cuts to Social Security and Medicare. He told an audience in Florida on Thursday that he would create a “nightmare” for anyone who tried to do so.

» An estimated 27.3 million people watched President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on television Tuesday night.

» Disney is working on sequels for its “Toy Story,” “Frozen” and “Zootopia” franchises as the company concentrates more on brands that have continued to perform well.