Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear.

President Biden has fired J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, following revelations

of misconduct.

As NPR's Barbara Spawn explains, the dismissal comes as lawmakers on both sides of the

aisle called for his firing a resignation.

President Biden terminated J. Brett Blanton amid allegations that he misused government

resources, led private tours of the Capitol while it was closed to the public, and allegedly

misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer.

Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, was responsible in his role for the

maintenance, operation, and preservation of the Capitol complex.

He was grilled by lawmakers during a hearing last week about an inspector general report

from the fall that listed various ethics violations.

Blanton also came under fire for not being physically present on the Capitol grounds during

the attack on the building on January 6, 2021.

Barbara Spawn and P.R. News, Washington.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby today refuted Beijing's claim that

high-altitude balloons have invaded China's airspace without permission.

The remarks came after a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down earlier this month off

the coast of South Carolina, and three more additional shoot downs of still unidentified

objects in the US and Canada have occurred over the past several days.

The most recent one this past weekend, Beijing has continued to say the balloon shot down

February 4 was a civilian research craft.

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