Dropping In: President Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv today to demonstrate his administration’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Biden stepped out into some of the most historic streets of the city with Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky even as an air raid siren sounded. It turned into a symbolic moment no one could have planned.

  Biden said “Freedom is priceless,” and pledged to be with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

  “One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden said standing next to  Zelensky in Mariinsky Palace, the golden ceremonial home of the Ukrainian president. “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands.”

  “Thank you so much for coming, Mr. President, at a huge moment for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

  In Russia, some hardliners are criticizing President Vladimir Putin for allowing this to happen. Here at home, Republican firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted, “Today on our President’s Day, Joe Biden, the President of the United States chose Ukraine over America, while forcing the American people to pay for Ukraine’s government and war.”

  The president  promised to release another $500 million in military aid, including artillery shells, Javelin missiles, and Howitzers. He didn’t mention the long range weapons that could help Ukraine suppress Russian missile attacks.  Zelensky told reporters that he and Biden did talk about “long range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.”

  Biden arrived in Kyiv after a 10-hour train ride from Poland. 

  The alarm this morning was said to be triggered by a Russian MIG fighter taking off in Belarus to the north. A missile from  that jet could have hit a target in Kyiv in under 20 minutes.

The Shooting Gallery: A popular Catholic Bishop in Los Angeles was found shot to death in his home on Saturday. The shooting death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, a gently and funny man known as a “peacemaker,” is being investigated as a homicide. 

  “This incident is being handled as a murder investigation,” the LA County Sheriff’s Department said in a brief statement. Investigators said they had no further information on who killed the 69-year-old Bishop, or why.

Downrange: North Korea today fired two more ballistic missiles from its east coast. The powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said North Korea’s use of the Pacific as a “firing range” depends on the behavior of US forces.

  The launches come just two days after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the sea off Japan’s west coast, prompting the United States to hold joint air exercises with South Korea and separately with Japan ydsterday. That missile was capable of hitting targets in the US.

Caffeine Alert: The FDA has recalled 25,000 cases of chilled, bottled Starbucks vanilla Frappuccinos because the drinks might have glass in them. This amounts to 302,400 bottles sold mostly through Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Safeway. Affected bottles have the following expiration dates – March 08, 2023; May 29, 2023; June 4, 2023, and June 10, 2023. 

The Obit Page:  Actor and comedian Richard Belzer, who played the enduring Detective John Munch in the Law & Order television shows, has died at home in France at age 78. When he was not playing the detective, Belzer worked as a standup comic.

  As Detective Munch, Belzer was armed with a gun and a quip. When accused of being a dirty old man, Munch responds, “Who are you calling old?”

  Belzer said he played Munch in more than 500 hours of television on 10 different shows. In one interview, he described his character as “Lenny Bruce with a badge.”

The Spin Rack: Aling former President Jimmy Carter, at 98 the oldest living president, has chosen to live out his last days in home hospice care in Plains, Georgia. The one-term president spent his post political years doing good works. He’s been described as America’s greatest ex-president. — Some residents of East Palestine, Ohio in the area of that chemical train wreck, unsatisfied with official air and water safety reports, are paying for their own. One team of government testers reported that  they “left within 10 minutes due to the unpleasant/overwhelming odor,” yet found no significant amounts of toxic chemicals.   

Below the Fold: The artist Jeff Koons is famous for making ceramic sculptures that look like they are made out of balloons, like a birthday party entertainer. His orange balloon dog has sold for $58.4 million  and his rabbit for $91.1 million. Saturday a woman attending an art fair in Miami knocked over and shattered a blue Koons balloon dog valued at $42,000. 

  At least it was one of the cheap ones.  

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