Midday rundown: Griner’s release, TikTok bans and Qatar cats

KARAH RUCKER: TOPPING OUR NEWS TODAY IS THE RELEASE OF WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER FROM RUSSIA AFTER 10 MONTHS OF DETAINMENT. THIS IS YOUR MIDDAY UPDATE AIMED DOWN THE MIDDLE WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

BRITTNEY GRINER FREE AFTER US-RUSSIA PRISONER SWAP

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home after being wrongfully detained by Russia held under Intolerable circumstances. Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should’ve been there all along.”

PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCING GRINER’S RETURN OF FREEDOM TODAY.

THE PRISONER SWAP BEING ONE OF THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE GIVEN GRINER’S POPULARITY AS A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER. HER RELEASE CAME AT A COST.

NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER VIKTOR BOUT HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM FEDERAL PRISON IN RETURN.

AND AMERICAN MARINE PAUL WHELAN, ONCE AGAIN LEFT OUT OF NEGOTIATIONS, FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR.

BESIDE PRESIDENT BIDEN TODAY, GRINER’S WIFE WAS GIVING THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR WORK IN THE PRISONER SWAP. AND PROMISING NOT TO FORGET THE OTHERS LEFT BEHIND.

CHERELLE GRINER | BRITTNEY GRINER’S WIFE: “BG and I will remain committed to getting every American home, including Paul whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate BG being home. We do understand there are still people out here enduring what I’ve endured the past nine months of missing tremendously their loved one.”

MORE TIKTOK BANS

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT IS THE LATEST TO ISSUE A BAN ON TIK-TOK. EMPLOYEES FOR STATE AGENCIES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DOWNLOAD OR ACCESS THE APP ON ANY GOVERNMENT ISSUED DEVICES.

THE APP IS NOW BANNED FROM STATE NETWORKS IN FIVE STATES AND FACES A LAWSUIT IN ANOTHER. THEY ALL CITE SECURITY CONCERNS.

CONCERNS OVER TIKTOK AREN’T JUST BEING EXPRESSED AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE FBI DIRECTOR HAS ALSO CALLED THE APP A “NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.” AND SAYS THE AGENCY IS LOOKING INTO HOW TO ADDRESS IT.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY | FBI DIRECTOR: “We, the FBI, do have national security concerns about the TikTok app. Its parent company is controlled by the Chinese government, and it gives them the potential to leverage the app in ways that I think should concern us.”

GOOGLE TO DELETE INACCURATE SEARCH INFO

IN EUROPE, IF A PERSON SEARCHES THEIR NAME IN GOOGLE AND THE RESULTS PRODUCE CONTENT THAT IS INACCURATE ABOUT THEM, THEY CAN NOW TELL GOOGLE TO REMOVE IT.

HOW MUCH SAY-SO A PERSON HAS IN REMOVING THEIR DIGITAL TRACES HAS LONG BEEN A TUG-OF-WAR BETWEEN FREE SPEECH AND RIGHT TO PRIVACY.

THE EUROPEAN UNION COURT HAS DECIDED GOOGLE WILL HAVE TO LISTEN TO ITS USERS IF IT BRINGS A COMPLAINT FORWARD ABOUT SEARCH RESULTS UNDER THEIR NAME THAT ARE FALSE.

SOME ECONOMISTS SAY U.S. IN HOUSING RECESSION

SOME ECONOMISTS ARE NO LONGER SAYING A HOUSING RECESSION IS COMING, BUT RATHER WE’RE ALREADY IN ONE.

INTEREST RATES ON A MORTGAGE HAVE SEEN FIFTY YEAR HIGHS. STARTING THE YEAR AROUND THREE PERCENT AND JUMPING AS HIGH AS 7.

THAT’S A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH ON A MID-PRICED HOME.

THE HOUSING MARKET INDEX HAS BEEN ON A DECLINE FOR 11 MONTHS STRAIGHT.

CAT-AR WORLD CUP FEATURES FELINES ON FIELD

APPARENTLY PEOPLE AREN’T THE ONLY ONES LOVING ALL THE ACTION AT THE WORLD CUP. CATS WANTED TO GET AS UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL AS THEY POSSIBLY COULD…TAKING CENTER STAGE AT PRESS CONFERENCES…
AND THINKING THEY HAVE VIP ACCESS ON THE PLAYING FIELDS.

ENGLAND’S TEAM EVEN NAMING ONE OF THE STRAY CATS “DAVE” AND CALLING IT THEIR GOOD LUCK CHARM.

ONE OF THE PLAYERS SAYS HE WOULD ADOPT THE CAT IF THEY CAN WIN THE TOURNAMENT.

STRAY CATS ARE COMMONLY FOUND ON THE STREETS OF QATAR.