Millions of visitors flock to about 200 balloon festivals across the U.S. each year. Volunteering on balloon crews lets some of those fans pursue the inflatable dream.
Officials say they have detected no launches of balloons since the United States shot down one in February, though they believe China is likely to restart the program.
At a campaign fund-raiser, the president said China’s leader was “very embarrassed” to be kept in the dark about the surveillance craft that was shot down after crossing American airspace.
The talks between Antony J. Blinken, the secretary of state, and Wang Yi, Beijing’s top foreign policy official, were a prelude to a likely meeting with China’s leader, Xi Jinping.