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Biden’s surprise visit underscores U.S. support for Ukraine · Apple News Today

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  Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Monday, February 20th. I'm Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." On today's show, U.S.-China relations take a tense new turn. Why thousands of well-paying jobs that don't need college degrees are sitting empty. And the reason so many commercials use slow motion to sell you stuff.
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  But first, President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine today. The White House previously said Poland would be the only stop on Biden's trip to Europe. This is the first time in modern history that a U.S. president has entered a war zone where there's not an active American military presence. Air raid sirens went off as Biden walked around Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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  The visit comes ahead of the one year mark of Russia's invasion. Biden recalled speaking with Zelenskyy at the start of the war, when Zelenskyy had asked for the leaders of the world to show their support. Biden said, one year later, the US still stands with Ukraine.
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  President Joe Biden: You remind us that freedom is priceless. It's worth fighting for, for as long as it takes. And that's how long we're going to be with you, Mr. President, for as long as it takes.
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  Biden talked about the tens of billions of dollars in aid and equipment the U.S. and allies have sent to Ukraine's military. But, ahead of this trip, CNN reported on concerns that Ukraine is using ammunition faster than the US and NATO can make it.
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  The Pentagon is working on ramping up production in what may be the biggest increase since the Korean War. They've set aside $3 billion to buy ammunition abroad and boost production stateside. CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann reports from an artillery shell factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania. This factory typically churns out around 11,000 shells a month, but the Ukrainian military often goes through that amount in just a few days. Liebermann says, "The Defense Department is pushing the factory to staff up for 24/7 production."
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  Oren Liebermann: The goal within two years is to produce five times more artillery rounds each month, up to 70,000, twice as many javelin anti-tank missiles, up to 4,000 a month, 30% more rounds for the HIMARS rocket launchers, about 850 a month.
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  And it's not just Ukraine needing ammunition. The U.S. also has to produce enough to supply to other allies in Europe, while making enough for American forces to be prepared for potential future conflicts. The Pentagon tells CNN it could take up to 18 months for the U.S. to hit its maximum production rate for artillery shells.
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  Let's catch up quickly on some big developing stories. Staying with Ukraine developments, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he talked to his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, about concern that China may provide military aid to Russia. Blinken said publicly that the US has intelligence that Beijing is considering providing lethal support to Moscow as it wages war in Ukraine. China says its relationship with Russia is not based on confronting or targeting third countries. Blinken met with Wang at a global security conference in Munich over the weekend. He talked to CBS about their first face-to-face meeting since the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon.
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  Antony Blinken: I made very clear to him that China sending a surveillance balloon over the United States, in violation of our sovereignty, in violation of international law, was unacceptable, and must never happen again.
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  China's foreign ministry said Wang told Blinken that the U.S. should change course and work to limit the damage of what Beijing calls an "indiscriminate use of force." In Turkey and Syria, the U.S. is sending $100 billion in additional disaster relief aid after the earthquakes that killed at least 46,000 people. Efforts to help survivors have been hindered by damaged roads and cold winter weather. And back in America, former President Jimmy Carter is now in hospice care at home, after a series of recent hospital stays. The Carter Center said over the weekend that he chose to spend his remaining time with his wife Rosalynn and family, rather than receive additional medical treatment. The Fox Atlanta station was at services yesterday at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. Carter taught Sunday school there for decades.
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  Pastor: Lord, we pray that you be with his family, Lord, and those around him. And God, we thank you for his service to this nation.
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  At 98 years old, Carter is the longest living president in American history.
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  Across America, thousands of high-paying jobs are going unfilled. We're talking about jobs in skilled trades, that don't require bachelor's degrees. Managers say they can't get enough people to fill good jobs in construction. And they put part of the blame on high school students being steered elsewhere, told by parents and teachers to aim for four-year college degrees, not technical training.
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  Education news outlet "The Hechinger Report" digs into this for "NPR." Advocates for career and technical education say it's been challenging to overcome negative stereotypes about work in skilled trades.
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  Trade work often requires certifications or associate degrees, but those typically take less time and money than a bachelor's degree. Another big advantage is trainees often get paid as they learn. "The Hechinger Report" talked to men and women who've chosen to work in the trades and who really love it. One ironworker said they felt a lot of pressure in high school to go to college, but old classmates who went the four-year degree route are now making less money.
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  Demand for skilled workers doesn't look to be letting up. The White House says the $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan will create 1.5 million construction jobs every year for the next decade. Now, it's up to the industry and the education system to make sure more people are trained and ready to step up.
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  Think of the last time you watched an ad for a luxury product. Champagne, a car, fancy chocolate. There's a pattern here. Slow motion visuals. "The Wall Street Journal" looks into the research on how our brains respond to slow motion. And it turns out, there is something about seeing a product in slow-mo that makes us think that it's higher end.
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  A marketing professor set up a wine-tasting experiment. People either saw an ad with slow motion video, or without. And after they tried the wine, they were asked how much they would pay for it. On average, the people who saw the slow motion ad were willing to pay about 15% more for the same bottle of wine. Similar experiments with chocolate and shampoo yielded similar results.
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  So, think of this if you're trying to sell an old couch online. Maybe try uploading a slow motion video to give it a little extra sizzle.
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  You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, stick around. We've got a narrated article coming up next from "New York" Magazine. It's a nice listen coming off of NBA All-Star Weekend. It's an in-depth look at NBA star Kyrie Irving, and the many controversies that have consumed his career. So check that one out, and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
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