Gershkovich, Whelan return to US in 24-person prisoner swap with Russia
It was an emotional reunion as Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan returned home after the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. since the Cold War. And former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, visits the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, August 2, 2024.
Gershkovich, Whelan return to US in 24-person prisoner swap with Russia
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and several other Americans who were wrongfully being detained by Russia are back on American soil. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined loved ones in greeting them off the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night, Aug. 1.
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It was an emotional reunion as these high-profile American prisoners returned home as part of a major prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia. President Biden said negotiations had been going on for months and involved seven countries and two dozen prisoners.
Paul Whelan served five years in captivity and Evan Gershkovich had been detained for 491 days. In exchange for their freedom, Russia is getting back eight of its own, including two spies being released by Slovenia and a convicted murderer held in Germany.
Some foreign policy experts say prisoner swaps could give U.S. adversaries incentive to take more Americans on false pretenses and treat them as bargaining chips. The president responded to reporters questions, saying, “My job is to make sure, number one, they don’t get them and if they do, we get them back.”
Since being released, Gershkovich has apparently made a bold proposal — asking whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would do a sit-down interview with him.
U.S. recognizes opposition candidate as winner of Venezuela’s election
The push for Venezuela’s electoral authority to show proof Nicolás Maduro actually won Sunday’s, July 28, election is reaching a critical point. The United States has announced it’s officially recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner.
The U.S. joins multiple countries calling for the official results to be released after the opposition said it had evidence Maduro did not win.
After the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner, thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in protest, which turned deadly. At least 11 people have reportedly been killed. Hundreds of protesters have also been arrested since then in what has become a volatile week in the nation — with still many questions left unanswered about the future of Venezuela’s ruling party.
JD Vance tours southern border in Arizona
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, toured the border in Arizona on Thursday, Aug. 1, and met with border patrol, who say southern Arizona is at the “epicenter of smuggling fentanyl.” While there, Vance laid out what would be some of the border security measures the Trump administration would put in place immediately should Trump win the 2024 election.
Those measures include reimplementing deportations and other Trump-era immigration polices such as “Remain in Mexico” and continuing construction on the border wall.
Vance now heads to Atlanta where he and Trump will share the stage at a rally on Saturday, Aug. 3.
As for likely Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, she has started to secure delegates to officially become the Party’s nominee.
Her campaign has a busy week ahead, expecting to secure her spot at the top of the Democratic ticket as early as Monday, Aug. 5. Soon after, she’s expected to announce who her running mate will be before holding a joint rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Intel cutting 15% of workforce
Chip maker Intel is cutting 15% of its workforce, which is at least 15,000 jobs, in an effort to compete with its more successful rivals. In a memo to staff Thursday, Aug. 1, Intel’s CEO said the company plans to save $10 billion in 2025 alone.
Intel is also suspending its stock dividend as part of its cost-cutting plan.
The company reported a loss of $1.6 billion from April through June of 2024 (Q2), and it forecast third-quarter (Q3) revenues will be well below expectations. That news sent company shares tumbling, setting the chipmaker up to lose more than $24 billion in market value.
Judge overturns $4.7B NFL Sunday Ticket verdict
A federal judge has overturned a nearly $5 billion verdict in an NFL “Sunday Ticket” case. The class-action lawsuit was brought by subscribers who alleged the NFL violated anti-trust laws by overcharging to watch out-of-market games on its paid subscription service.
Upon appeal, a U.S. district judge ruled two witnesses’ testimonies should have been left out and said the jury’s verdict was “clearly not supported by evidence and must be vacated.”
Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky win more medals to make Olympics history
Team USA picked up more Olympic gold Thursday, Aug. 1, bringing its total to nine so far at the Paris games. Thursday marked historic wins in fencing and rowing, as well as swimmer Kate Douglass earning her first gold medal.
Even more history was made by two of the biggest stars on Team USA: Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky.
Biles won her sixth gold medal — and ninth medal overall — in the individual all-around competition for a second time, reclaiming her 2016 title. Biles, who is already the most decorated American gymnast in Olympics history, is the first American to win the event more than once and the first gymnast to win it non-consecutively.
Biles wasn’t alone in representing the U.S on the medal stand. Her teammate Suni Lee took home the bronze.
U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky’s team earned the silver in the 4×200 meter freestyle, giving Ledecky her 13th medal. That’s the most by any female U.S. Olympian in the history of the games.
And they’re not done yet. Both Biles and Ledecky still have chances to add more medals to their historic totals in the days ahead.
Tags: 2024 Elections, antitrust, Antitrust Violations, Arizona, Atlanta, Border, Border crossings, Border patrol, border wall, Delegates, Democratic National Convention, Democrats, Deportation, Donald Trump, Drug smuggling, Economy, Election, Evan Gershkovich, Fentanyl, Georgia, Germany, Immigration, Intel, J.D. Vance, Jobs, Joe Biden, jury trial, Kamala Harris, migrants, NFL, Nicolas Maduro, Olympic Games, Olympics, Paris, Paul Whelan, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, prisoner swap, Prisoners, Protests, Republican Primary, Republicans, Russia, Simone Biles, Sunday Ticket, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S.-Mexico Border, Venezuela, Vladimir Putin, Wall Street Journal
[KARAH RUCKER]
FORMER U.S. MARINE PAUL WHELAN.
WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH.
AND SEVERAL OTHER AMERICANS WHO WERE WRONGFULLY BEING DETAINED BY RUSSIA —
ARE BACK ON AMERICAN SOIL FRIDAY MORNING.
GREETING THEM OFF THE PLANE — PRESIDENT BIDEN. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
AN EMOTIONAL REUNION — AS THESE HIGH-PROFILE AMERICAN PRISONERS OF RUSSIA RETURN HOME AS PART OF A MAJOR PRISONER EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA.
PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYING NEGOTIATIONS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS —
AND INVOLVED SEVEN COUNTRIES AND A TOTAL OF TWO DOZEN PRISONERS.
IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FREEDOM OF PAUL WHELAN — WHO HAD ALREADY SERVED FIVE YEARS IN CAPTIVITY — AND EVAN GERSHKOVICH — WHO HAD BEEN DETAINED FOR 491 DAYS —
RUSSIA IS GETTING BACK EIGHT OF ITS OWN —
INCLUDING TWO SPIES BEING RELEASED BY SLOVENIA.
AND A CONVICTED MURDERER HELD IN GERMANY.
SOME FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS SAY PRISONER SWAPS COULD GIVE U.S. ADVERSARIES INCENTIVE TO TAKE MORE AMERICANS ON FALSE PRETENSES AND TREAT THEM AS BARGAINING CHIPS.
BUT BIDEN HAD THIS TO SAY.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
“My job is to make sure, number one, they don’t get them and if they do, we get them back.“
AS FOR WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER — EVAN GERSHKOVICH — HE APPARENTLY MADE A BOLD PROPOSAL —
ASKING WHETHER RUSSIA’S PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WOULD DO A SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW WITH HIM NOW THAT HE HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON.
THE PUSH FOR VENEZUELA’S ELECTORAL AUTHORITY TO SHOW PROOF NICOLÁS MADURO ACTUALLY WON SUNDAY’S ELECTION IS REACHING A CRITICAL POINT — AS THE UNITED STATES ANNOUNCED IT’S OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZING OPPOSITION CANDIDATE EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ AS THE WINNER.
THE U-S JOINS MULTIPLE OTHER COUNTRIES CALLING FOR THE OFFICIAL RESULTS TO BE RELEASED… AFTER THE OPPOSITION SAID IT HAD EVIDENCE MADURO DID *NOT* WIN.
AFTER THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL DECLARED MADURO THE WINNER — THOUSANDS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TOOK TO THE STREETS IN PROTEST… WHICH TURNED DEADLY.
HUNDREDS OF PROTESTERS HAVE ALSO BEEN ARRESTED SINCE THEN IN WHAT HAS BECOME A VOLATILE WEEK IN THE NATION —
WITH STILL MANY QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF VENEZUELA’S RULING PARTY.
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE SENATOR JD VANCE TOURED THE BORDER IN ARIZONA ON THURSDAY AND MET WITH BORDER PATROL —
WHO SAY SOUTHERN ARIZONA IS AT THE “EPICENTER OF SMUGGLING FENTANYL.”
VANCE LAID OUT WHAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE BORDER SECURITY MEASURES THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WOULD PUT IN PLACE IMMEDIATELY —
INCLUDING REIMPLEMENTING DEPORTATIONS AND OTHER TRUMP-ERA IMMIGRATION POLICES SUCH AS “REMAIN IN MEXICO” AND CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION ON THE BORDER WALL.
VANCE NOW HEADS TO ATLANTA WHERE HE AND TRUMP WILL SHARE THE STAGE AT A GEORGIA RALLY ON SATURDAY.
AS FOR DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE KAMALA HARRIS —
SHE HAS STARTED TO SECURE DELEGATES THIS WEEK TO OFFICIALLY BECOME THE PARTY’S NOMINEE.
HER CAMPAIGN HAS A BUSY WEEK AHEAD —
EXPECTING TO SECURE HER SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET AS EARLY AS MONDAY.
AND SOON AFTER — IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE WHO HER RUNNING MATE WILL BE BEFORE TAKING TO A RALLY IN PHILADELPHIA.
CHIP MAKER INTEL IS CUTTING 15 PERCENT OF ITS WORKFORCE — WHICH IS AT LEAST 15-THOUSAND JOBS — IN AN EFFORT TO COMPETE WITH ITS MORE SUCCESSFUL RIVALS.
IN A MEMO TO STAFF THURSDAY — INTEL’S C-E-O SAID THE COMPANY PLANS TO SAVE 10 BILLION DOLLARS IN 20-25 ALONE.
INTEL IS ALSO SUSPENDING ITS STOCK DIVIDEND AS PART OF ITS COST-CUTTING PLAN.
THE COMPANY REPORTED A LOSS OF 1 POINT SIX *BILLION* DOLLARS IN ITS SECOND QUARTER — THAT WAS APRIL THROUGH JUNE OF THIS YEAR — AND IT FORECAST THIRD-QUARTER REVENUES WILL BE WELL BELOW EXPECTATIONS — NEWS THAT SENT COMPANY SHARES TUMBLING — SETTING THE CHIPMAKER UP TO LOSE MORE THAN 24 BILLION DOLLARS IN MARKET VALUE.
A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS OVERTURNED A NEARLY FIVE BILLION DOLLAR VERDICT IN AN N-F-L SUNDAY TICKET CASE.
THE CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT WAS BROUGHT BY SUBSCRIBERS WHO ALLEGED THE N-F-L VIOLATED ANTI-TRUST LAWS BY OVERCHARGING TO WATCH OUT-OF-MARKET GAMES ON ITS PAID SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE.
UPON APPEAL — A U-S DISTRICT JUDGE RULED TWO WITNESSES’ TESTIMONIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT… AND SAID THE JURY’S VERDICT WAS “CLEARLY NOT SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE AND MUST BE VACATED.”
TEAM USA WAS ABLE TO PICK UP MORE OLYMPIC GOLD – BRINGING ITS TOTAL TO NINE SO FAR AT THE PARIS GAMES — WITH HISTORIC WINS ON THURSDAY IN FENCING AND ROWING AS WELL AS SWIMMER KATE DOUGLASS EARNING HER FIRST GOLD MEDAL.
AND EVEN MORE HISTORY WAS MADE BY TWO OF THE BIGGEST STARS ON TEAM USA – SIMONE BILES AND KATIE LEDECKY.
BILES GETTING HER SIXTH GOLD MEDAL – AND NINTH MEDAL OVERALL – WINNING THE INDIVIDUAL ALL-AROUND COMPETITION FOR A SECOND TIME –RECLAIMING HER 2016 TITLE. BILES – ALREADY THE MOST DECORATED AMERICAN GYMNAST IN OLYMPICS HISTORY — IS THE FIRST AMERICAN TO WIN THE EVENT MORE THAN ONCE AND THE FIRST GYMNAST TO WIN IT NON-CONSECUTIVELY.
AND SHE WASN’T ALONE IN REPRESENTING THE US ON THE MEDAL STAND — HER TEAMMATE SUNI LEE TAKING HOME THE BRONZE.
AND THEN THERE IS US SWIMMER KATIE LEDECKY HER TEAM EARNING THE SILVER IN THE 4 BY 200 METER FREESTYLE – GIVING LEDECKY HER 13TH MEDAL – THE MOST BY ANY US FEMALE OLYMPIAN IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAMES.
AND THEY’RE NOT DONE YET — BOTH BILES AND LEDECKY STILL HAVE CHANCES TO ADD MORE MEDALS TO THEIR HISTORIC TOTALS IN THE DAYS AHEAD.010
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