WNBA star Brittney Griner's release in a prisoner swap with Russia has brought renewed attention to the case of former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018. Griner's case received more media attention than Whelan's — largely due to her stature as a top women's basketball player and Olympic gold medalist. To secure Griner's release, the Biden administration agreed to the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. Whelan, locked up on unfounded accusations of espionage in Russia, has been detained in the country longer than Griner, and Thursday's announcement — while celebrated by many — also prompted questions about why the U.S. couldn't negotiate the release of both prisoners. "Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case different than Brittney's. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up. We will never give up," President Biden told reporters shortly after Griner's release was made public. Griner was arrested in February on charges that she illegally brought vape cartridges containing hashish oil into Russia. She was convicted on drug smuggling charges and sentenced in August to serve nine years in prison and had been recently transferred to a labor camp. Advocates had raised particular concern about her fate given she is a Black, gay woman. More from The Hill on Griner's release: |
|
|
Welcome to The Hill's Evening Report, catching you up on news from the afternoon and looking at the big stories likely to impact tomorrow. |
|
|
🌈 House sends marriage equality bill to Biden's desk
|
|
|
⛽ US gas prices lower than they were a year ago
|
The average price of gasoline in the U.S. is lower than it was a year ago, after many months of elevated prices marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. |
|
|
💰 House passes massive annual defense authorization bill
|
The House has passed the annual defense authorization bill, sending the mammoth, $847 billion measure to the Senate for consideration ahead of
the year-end deadline. |
|
|
🇨🇳 McCarthy taps Gallagher to chair planned China Select Committee
|
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has picked Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) to chair a new House Select Committee on China that McCarthy plans to create in the new Congress if he becomes speaker. |
|
|
🗳️ Schumer reelected as Senate majority leader
|
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been reelected to serve another term as Senate majority leader, capping a successful two years for the veteran lawmaker, who was just reelected to a fifth Senate term. |
|
|
📊 DeSantis tops Trump in hypothetical 2024 matchup: poll
|
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has overtaken former President Trump in a hypothetical 2024 matchup for the GOP presidential nomination, according to a new Yahoo News-YouGov poll. |
|
|
🧾 Senate Democrats introduce bill funding travel for abortions
|
Senate Democrats have introduced a bill that would help fund expenses for women who need to travel to undergo abortion procedures. |
|
|
✈️ Airport workers planning rallies, strikes over working conditions
|
Airport workers are turning out in huge numbers across the country to protest what they say are low wages and poor benefits in the industry. |
|
|
💺 Senators press FAA over flight evacuation rules
|
Two senators are introducing a bill calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to rewrite its safety evacuation standards. |
|
|
🛏️ Claims Twitter turned offices into 'motel rooms' under investigation
|
Allegations that Twitter has turned office space at its Market Street headquarters in San Francisco into makeshift "motel rooms" for employees are going to be investigated, according to the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. |
|
|
🏈 House report: Commanders owner obstructed inquiry into workplace
|
A new report from the House Oversight and Reform Committee accuses Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder of obstructing their investigation into a "toxic" workplace that witnesses said the embattled owner "permitted and participated in." |
|
|
📥 NotedDC: Sign up for insider news from The Hill |
Have you signed up for The Hill's NotedDC? Make sure to get it in your inbox every Tuesday through Thursday for your guide to what's happening in D.C. and beyond.
|
|
|
'Retail crime threatens to steal holiday spirit, but Congress can fix that'
| "We can't let the threat of organized theft overshadow a shopping season that's supposed to be brimming with peace and joy," writes Justin Harris, president of the Arizona Police Association and the Glendale Law Enforcement Association. |
|
|
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 | © 1998 - 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.
No comments:
Post a Comment