Morning rundown: Biden visits Ukraine; Jimmy Carter in hospice

BIDEN MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO UKRAINE

KARAH RUCKER: IN A DISPLAY OF AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE – PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS MADE A DRAMATIC, HIGH-RISK VISIT TO THE AREA RAVAGED BY RUSSIA’S MISSILE ATTACKS.

THE TIMING OF THE VISIT COMES JUST FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE WAR.

THE U-S HAS PLEDGED NEARLY 100-BILLION DOLLARS IN DIRECT AID AND EQUIPMENT TO UKRAINE.

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS SET TO ALSO VISIT POLAND — A NEIGHBORING COUNTRY AND FELLOW NATO ALLY DURING HIS TRIP OVERSEAS.

MEANWHILE — OVER THE WEEKEND AT THE MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE IN GERMANY  — VICE PRESIDENT {COMMA-LA} KAMALA HARRIS — DENOUNCED RUSSIA’S ACTIONS IN THE WAR AS CRIMINAL.

JIMMY CARTER RECEIVES HOSPICE CARE

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER IS RECEIVING HOME HOSPICE CARE AFTER SEVERAL HOSPITAL STAYS. THE 98-YEAR-OLD IS THE LONGEST-LIVED US PRESIDENT,THE 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SERVING ONE TERM IN THE WHITE HOUSE, FROM 1977 TO 1981.

AFTER SEVERAL HOSPITAL STAYS — CARTER DECIDED TO SPEND HIS REMAINING TIME AT HOME WITH HIS FAMILY AND RECEIVE HOSPICE CARE INSTEAD OF ADDITIONAL MEDICAL INTERVENTION ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM THE CARTER CENTER.

THE STATEMENT ALSO SAID CARTER HAS THE SUPPORT OF HIS MEDICAL TEAM AND FAMILY FOR THE DECISION TO GO HOME.

THE WORLD HAS OFFERED A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

PRESIDENT BIDEN TWEETED QUOTE- ‘WE ADMIRE YOU FOR THE STRENGTH AND HUMILITY YOU HAVE SHOWN IN DIFFICULT TIMES. MAY YOU CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY WITH GRACE AND DIGNITY, AND GOD GRANT YOU PEACE.”

META LAUNCHES SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

THE PARENT COMPANY OF FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW PAID SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE – THAT AMONG OTHER FEATURES — WOULD ALLOW USERS TO PAY FOR A VERIFIED ACCOUNT.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT MIGHT SOUND FAMILIAR AS TWITTER IMPLEMENTED A FEE FOR VERIFIED ACCOUNTS ON ITS PLATFORM LAST YEAR.

THE SERVICE DUBBED “META VERIFIED” WAS ANNOUNCED OVER THE WEEKEND —

AND WHILE THE COMPANY WILL MAKE BETWEEN 11 TO 15 BUCKS PER SUBSCRIPTION CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG SAYS THE MOVE IS MORESO ABOUT “INCREASING AUTHENTICITY AND SECURITY ACROSS ITS PLATFORMS.”

A SOFT LAUNCH BEGINS THIS WEEK IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND – TESTING THE WATERS FIRST BEFORE GOING GLOBAL WITH THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA SUBSCRIPTION PLANS.

NORTH KOREA TENSIONS ESCALATE

JAPAN IS CALLING FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL AFTER NORTH KOREA FIRED TWO BALLISTIC MISSILES TOWARD JAPAN ON MONDAY — FOLLOWING AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE FIRED BY THE NORTH ON SATURDAY.

THE SECOND WEAPONS TEST IN THREE DAYS IS PROMPTING JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, AND THE U.S. TO CONDUCT ITS OWN MILITARY DRILLS IN RESPONSE.

THE RECENT MISSILES ARE SEEN AS A MAJOR ESCALATION AND VIOLATIONS OF U-N SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.

GUN INTERCEPTIONS AT U.S. AIRPORTS

A RECORD NUMBER OF GUNS WERE INTERCEPTED AT U.S. AIRPORTS LAST YEAR.

AT AIRPORT CHECKPOINTS — MORE THAN 65 HUNDRED GUNS WERE BEING IMPROPERLY STOWED IN PASSENGERS’ LUGGAGE.

AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PANDEMIC-DISRUPTED 20-20 – THE NUMBER OF WEAPONS INTERCEPTED HAS CLIMBED EVERY YEAR SINCE 20-10.

EXPERTS DON’T THINK THIS IS AN EPIDEMIC OF WOULD BE PLANE HIJACKERS.

BUT AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS CARRYING FIREARMS. ACCORDING TO TSA – INTERCEPTIONS ARE MORE FREQUENT IN STATES WITH LAWS MORE FRIENDLY TO CARRYING A GUN.

THE TOP TEN CITIES FOR GUN INTERCEPTIONS LAST YEAR INCLUDED DALLAS, AUSTIN, HOUSTON, THREE AIRPORTS IN FLORIDA, NASHVILLE, ATLANTA, PHOENIX, AND DENVER.

CHANGES MADE TO ROALD DAHL BOOKS

HUNDREDS OF CHANGES TO ROALD DAHL BOOKS ARE BEING CRITICIZED AS CENSORSHIP.

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH FIRST REPORTED THE REVISIONS APPROVED BY THE BOOK’S BRITISH PUBLISHER “PUFFIN BOOKS” AND DAHL’S ESTATE.

CLASSIC CHILDREN’S BOOKS LIKE “CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY” “THE WITCHES” AND “MATILDA” ARE RECEIVING A FEW ALTERATIONS.

THE WORDS FAT, UGLY, AND CRAZY ARE BEING SCRAPPED FROM ITS PAGES AFTER NEARLY SIXTY YEARS SINCE SOME BOOKS WERE FIRST PUBLISHED.

REFERENCES TO BOYS AND GIRLS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO “PEOPLE” OR “CHILDREN”.

NEW PASSAGES — NOT WRITTEN BY DAHL — WERE ADDED TO THE TEXTS TO OFFER MORE CONTEXT WHEN NEEDED ACCORDING TO THE PUBLISHER.

PROPONENTS OF THE CHANGES SAY IT PROTECTS YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HURTFUL STEREOTYPES. WHILE CRITICS CALL IT CENSORSHIP.