The Full Belmonte, 2/20/2023
© Associated Press / Ukrainian Presidential Press Office | President Biden in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine one year into the war
“Nearly a year into the largest ground war in Europe since World War II, President Biden made a secret trip to besieged Kyiv today in a demonstration of U.S. support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s yearlong invasion.
The visit, which included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was unannounced for security reasons before Biden flew again to Poland for meetings in Warsaw, as scheduled (Politico EU and The New York Times).
‘One year later, Kyiv stands,’ Biden said in Kyiv. ‘Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you and the world stands with you.’
Biden announced half a billion dollars in further aid to Ukraine, ‘including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars,’ according to a White House statement, and will detail further sanctions ‘against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine’ later this week. Zelensky said today that he and Biden spoke about ‘long range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.’
Biden’s surprise visit comes as world leaders prepare to mark a year on Friday since Ukraine began its defense, and currently, there are no real signs of a way out of the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no indication of giving in, and Ukraine, which has battled Russian invaders to a standstill, says it's determined to gain ground during an expected spring offensive.
In Kyiv, Biden said Putin had miscalculated. ‘He’s just been plain wrong,’ he said standing with Zelensky. ‘One year later, the evidence is right here in this room. We stand here together.’
Neither side appears primed for an outright military victory, and progress at the negotiating table seems just as unlikely (NPR). Ukraine is depending on a brutal ground war and massive ammunition to attain a standstill against Russia, as Kyiv prepares for a spring offensive launched by Moscow (CBS Sunday Morning).
PBS NewsHour: A timeline of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
CNN: Ukraine is burning through ammunition faster than the U.S. and NATO can produce it. Inside the Pentagon’s plan to close the gap.
CBS Sunday Morning: Ukrainians resolute after a year of war.
Reuters: The United Nations will mark the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by urging ‘just peace.’
Biden will deliver a speech in Warsaw on Tuesday to commemorate the anniversary of the war in the same place he was last year when he told the world that he believed Putin cannot ‘remain in power’ after visiting refugees near the front lines. Since then, the president has maintained his leadership among NATO allies when it comes to aiding Ukraine, totaling in the billions. He also hosted Zelensky at the White House, a remarkable showing of the two leaders as the world attempts to ice out and thus punish Putin.
On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda before delivering his speech, and on Wednesday will meet with the Bucharest Nine, members of NATO’s eastern flank: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia (The Hill). Meanwhile, the European Union’s foreign affairs council meets in Brussels today and Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted to thank Estonia for a proposal for ‘joint direct procurement of arms and ammunition’ for Ukraine (The Guardian live blog).
Vice President Harris, speaking to the Munich Security Conference last week, repeated that the U.S. and allies will hold Russia to account for international war crimes and ‘crimes against humanity’ in Ukraine, including alleged torture, rape and murder of adults and children (The Washington Post).
‘The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity, and I say to all those who have perpetrated these crimes, and to their superiors, who are complicit in these crimes, you will be held to account,’ Harris said.
The Hill: ‘We consider such insinuations as an attempt, unprecedented in terms of its cynicism, to demonize Russia in the course of a hybrid war, unleashed against us,’ said Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov in a statement on the messaging platform Telegram.
CNN: The U.S. evidence of Russian war crimes is ‘starkly clear,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.
The Hill: There the U.S. has no timeline for the end of support for Ukraine, White House spokesman John Kirby said.
Though the Russian military has suffered setback after setback, Putin has been far more successful at home; facing little resistance, he has gone further than many thought possible in reshaping Russia in his image. The paranoia, grievances and imperialist mindset that drove Putin to invade have seeped deep into daily life. School children now learn that the Russian military has always liberated humanity from ‘aggressors who seek world domination,’ and any of the activist groups and rights organizations that sprung up in the first 30 years of post-Soviet Russia have met an abrupt end (The New York Times).
But some in Russia fear Putin is leading his nation into a dark period and suggest he needs a military victory to ensure his political survival. ‘In Russia, loyalty does not exist,’ one Russian billionaire told The Washington Post. Business executives and state officials say Putin’s position at the top could prove precarious as doubts over his tactics grow among the elite, and his vision of the country horrifies many, who quietly say the war has been a catastrophic and failed error.
‘Among the elite, though they understand it was a mistake, they still fear to do anything themselves,’ Boris Bondarev, the only Russian diplomat to publicly quit office over the war, told the Post. ‘Because they have gotten used to Putin deciding everything.’
CNN: Faint cracks emerge in the facade of Putin’s rule, one year after the Ukraine invasion.
Blinken told CBS News on Saturday that China is actively considering providing lethal support, including weapons and ammunition, to aid Moscow against Ukraine. Blinken over the weekend warned his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Munich Security Conference that there will be U.S.-China consequences if Beijing helps Russia fight the war (CBS News, Al Jazeeraand BBC).
‘We’ve been concerned from day one about that possibility,’ Blinken said on ‘Face the Nation.’ He spoke in general terms about the type of lethal aid China is considering. ‘There’s a whole gamut of things that — that fit in that category, everything from ammunition to the weapons themselves.’” [The Hill]
Record 6,542 guns intercepted at US airport security in ’22
A television displays a ‘no guns’ sign at the Transportation Security Administration security area at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Atlanta. Last year saw a record number of guns intercepted at airport checkpoints across the country. The numbers have been steadily climbing and hit 6,542 last year. The head of the Transportation Safety Administration, David Pekoske, says this is a reflection of what is going on in society and in “society there are more people carrying firearms.” (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
“ATLANTA (AP) — The woman flying out of Philadelphia’s airport last year remembered to pack snacks, prescription medicine and a cellphone in her handbag. But what was more important was what she forgot to unpack: a loaded .380-caliber handgun in a black holster.
The weapon was one of the 6,542 guns the Transportation Security Administration intercepted last year at airport checkpoints across the country. The number — roughly 18 per day — was an all-time high for guns intercepted at U.S. airports, and is sparking concern at a time when more Americans are armed.
“What we see in our checkpoints really reflects what we’re seeing in society, and in society there are more people carrying firearms nowadays,” TSA administrator David Pekoske said.
With the exception of pandemic-disrupted 2020, the number of weapons intercepted at airport checkpoints has climbed every year since 2010. Experts don’t think this is an epidemic of would-be hijackers — nearly everyone caught claims to have forgotten they had a gun with them — but they emphasize the danger even one gun can pose in the wrong hands on a plane or at a checkpoint.
Scoop: Speaker gives Tucker access to 41,000 hours of 1/6 tape
Screenshot: Fox News
“House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has given Fox News' Tucker Carlson exclusive access to 41,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 riot, McCarthy sources tell me.
Carlson TV producers were on Capitol Hill last week to begin digging through the trove, which includes multiple camera angles from all over Capitol grounds. Excerpts will begin airing in the coming weeks.
Why it matters: Carlson has repeatedly questioned official accounts of 1/6, downplaying the insurrection as ‘vandalism.’
Now his shows — ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ on Fox News, and ‘Tucker Carlson Today’ and ‘Tucker Carlson Originals’ on the streaming service Fox Nation — have a massive trove of raw material.
Carlson told me: ‘[T]here was never any legitimate reason for this footage to remain secret.’
‘If there was ever a question that's in the public's interest to know, it's what actually happened on January 6. By definition, this video will reveal it. It's impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that.’
Reality check: The Jan. 6 committee played numerous excerpts of the footage at last year's captivating hearings. (See the committee's archive.)
Between the lines: The process with Carlson started in early February, according to a communication between the show and a McCarthy representative that I was shown.
The archive was previously reported to be 14,000 hours. I'm told it's now much more.
Flashback: McCarthy told reporters in Statuary Hall last month that he thinks ‘the American public should actually see all [that] happened instead of a report that's written [on] a political basis.’ (Video, beginning 10:50)
Carlson last year called the attack an ‘outbreak of mob violence, a forgettably minor outbreak by recent standards.’” [Axios]
“Toxic disaster | The citizens of the rural Ohio town of East Palestine are still coming to terms with the aftermath of a Feb. 3 crash involving a Norfolk Southern freight train that spilled a soup of toxic chemicals and forced an evacuation. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown yesterday blamed corporate greed for safety lapses, while the White House is facing a political crisis over its response to the disaster.” [Bloomberg]
“Residents in East Palestine, Ohio, are expressing their anxiety and health concerns after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed there earlier this month. While officials have repeatedly sought to assure residents that the water and air in the community are safe, residents have been reporting rashes, nausea and headaches. This comes after vinyl chloride was released from the train following the derailment -- a chemical that has the potential to kill at high levels and increase cancer risk. The state now plans to open a health clinic in East Palestine on Tuesday for residents concerned about possible symptoms. The Biden administration announced it deployed experts to help assess what dangers remain in the area after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine requested medical teams from the CDC and the US Department of Health.” [CNN]
“The president of Norfolk Southern made a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, on Saturday following criticism from residents and political leaders about the company’s response to the fiery derailment of a freight train carrying toxic materials earlier this month. Gov. Mike DeWine earlier said Alan Shaw needed to go to East Palestine and answer questions after company officials skipped a Wednesday public meeting, saying they were worried about physical threats. Meanwhile, DeWine announced Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency will send a team to East Palestine in the wake of evacuations and amid lingering health concerns.” Read more at USA Today.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan left, walks with his staff through East Palestine, Ohio. Residents of the Ohio village upended by a freight train derailment are demanding to know if they're safe from the toxic chemicals that spilled or were burned off to avoid an even bigger disaster.
Lucy Schaly, AP Images
Bird flu costs accumulate as outbreak enters second year
“With the ongoing bird flu outbreak entering its second year and the spring migratory season looming, there is no end in sight to stopping cases of the avian influenza. And there is little farmers can do beyond the steps they have already taken to try to keep the virus out. The outbreak has already cost the government roughly $661 million and added to consumers’ pain. In addition to the cost of the government response and rising prices for eggs, chicken and turkey, farmers who raise those animals have easily lost more than $1 billion, said an agricultural economist, though no one has calculated the total cost to the industry yet.” Read more at USA Today
The price of a dozen eggs is seen at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Jan. 10, 2023. The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the U.S. government roughly $661 million and added to consumers' pain at the grocery store after more than 58 million birds were slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus.
Nam Y. Huh, AP
Mardi Gras shooting
“A shooting along a Mardi Gras parade route in New Orleans on Sunday night left one person dead and injured four others, including a juvenile girl. The gunfire erupted along the route of the popular Krewe of Bacchus parade, traditionally held in the run-up to the city's raucous Mardi Gras celebration on Tuesday. Police said a suspect has been arrested, although it remains unclear what led up to the shooting. ‘We really wanted this to be a safe Mardi Gras and we'll continue to work towards that end,’ said Hans Ganthier, chief deputy superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department. An investigation is underway to determine the shooter's motive and whether other individuals were involved, police said.” [CNN]
Fond remembrances for Jimmy Carter after entering hospice
By JEFF MARTIN and MAYSOON KHAN
FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga., Nov. 3, 2019. Well-wishes and fond remembrances for the former president continued to roll in Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, a day after he entered hospice care at his home in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
“ATLANTA (AP) — Dozens of well-wishers made the pilgrimage Sunday to The Carter Center in Atlanta, as prayers and memories of former President Jimmy Carter’s legacy were offered up at his small Baptist church in Plains, Georgia, a day after he entered hospice care….” Read more at AP News
North Korea
“North Korea launched two ballistic missiles into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula today, the second such test in three days. Leader Kim Jong Un's sister warned more missile tests are to come unless the US halts military drills with South Korea. Pyongyang also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Saturday, its third such test in less than a year. The US Indo-Pacific Command stressed its ‘ironclad’ commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan and said it was consulting closely with its allies and partners over the missile launches. ‘While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launches highlight the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's unlawful WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and ballistic missile programs,’ it said, referring to North Korea by its official name.” [CNN]
This image made from video broadcasted by North Korea's KRT shows what it says is a ballistic missile being launched from an undisclosed location in North Korea, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. 102
AP
Earthquake
“Turkey has ended most search and rescue operations nearly two weeks after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed tens of thousands of people, the country's disaster management authority said on Sunday. The death toll across Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 46,500, according to state news agency Anadolu. Also on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $100 million in disaster relief aid for Turkey and Syria as the countries grapple with the aftermath of the quake. Blinken took a helicopter tour of some of the hardest-hit areas and told reporters that it was ‘really hard to put into words’ the devastation he saw, adding, ‘We are here to stand with the people of Turkey and Syria.’ [CNN]
Meta tests paid service
People pose with the sign outside Meta HQ at 1 Hacker Way in Menlo Park, Calif. Photo via Getty Images
“Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, will begin testing a monthly subscription service that allows users to verify their accounts.
The move is aimed at ‘increasing authenticity and security across our services,’ Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post.
Why it matters: Meta Verified is the latest effort by Meta to experiment with a new business strategy as its advertising growth slows, Axios media trends expert Sara Fischer and Ivana Saric report.
Called Meta Verified, the subscription service will be rolled out this week in Australia and New Zealand, with other countries to follow.
Meta Verified will be priced at $11.99 a month for web users and $14.99 a month on iOS.” [Axios]
Tatum scores All-Star record 55, Team Giannis wins 184-175
Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives during the first half of the NBA basketball All-Star game Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)
“SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jayson Tatum put on a record-setting show, and made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a genius.
Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP honors, and Team Giannis ended LeBron James’ hold on All-Star captain supremacy by beating Team LeBron 184-175 in the NBA’s annual showcase exhibition on Sunday night.
Tatum had 27 points in the third quarter, another All-Star Game record for any period. He was the first pick by Antetokounmpo in the starters’ portion of the All-Star draft, and in the end, that pick proved to be the right one.
And the MVP award Tatum was given is named for Kobe Bryant, one of his heroes.
‘It means the world,’ Tatum said. ‘You think of all the legends and great players that have played this game, and in all honesty, records are made to be broken. I’ll hold it for as long as I can, but I’m certain someone will come along in a couple years and try to break it….’” Read more at AP News
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins longest Daytona 500 in history
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“]DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has had a roller coaster career in which he had to fight to keep a job, lost his seat at a NASCAR powerhouse team and opened his 14th season mired in a five-year losing streak.
To say this Daytona 500 was a milestone race was an understatement — for Stenhouse and for NASCAR.
Stenhouse won the Daytona 500 in double overtime and under caution Sunday night in the longest running of “The Great American Race.” The two overtimes pushed the 65th running of the race to a record 212 laps — a dozen laps beyond the scheduled distance and a whopping 530 miles (850 km).
It provided anxious moments before a landmark celebration: the first Daytona 500-winning team co-owned by a Black man and a woman.
Stenhouse’s win for JTG Daugherty Racing was the third of his career. JTG is the first single-car team to win the Daytona 500 since The Wood Brothers Racing did it with Trevor Bayne in 2011….” Read more at AP News
“Lives Lived: Richard Belzer played Detective John Munch on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” He died at 78.” [New York Times]
Richard Belzer with Mariska Hargitay in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2003. His character, Detective John Munch, appeared on 10 different TV shows.Credit...Will Hart/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal, via Getty Images