Rumors Swirl About Balloons, UFOs As Officials Stay Mum

WASHINGTON (AP) – Officials have offered few details about four aerial objects recently shot down over North America, helping to fuel conspiracy theories and conjecture on the internet. One popular claim circulating Monday suggested, with no evidence, that the U.S. deployed the airborne devices as a way to frighten and distract Americans. Online searches for the term “UFO” also shot up as some people suggested the devices may be from another planet. Officials have said they suspect the first object was a Chinese surveillance balloon. But they’ve shed little light on the origins or purpose of the other three objects shot down in recent days, leading to rampant speculation online.