The latest on Brittney Griner’s release from Russian prison; more TikTok bans surface and crazy cats of Qatar take center stage. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown for Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Brittney Griner free after U.S. – Russia prisoner swap “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home after…

Breaking news this morning as WNBA star Brittney Griner is now free and coming home to America. She is being released from a Russian penal colony where she otherwise would’ve served nearly a decade of hard labor. The U.S. and Russia came to a deal after months of negotiation. The U.S. will release Russian arms…

The legal team for American basketball star Brittney Griner announced she has been sent to a penal colony in Russia to serve her sentence for drug possession. A penal colony is a common type of Russian prison where detainees work for minimal pay. According to Griner’s lawyers, she left a detention center for the penal…

Two Americans who were captured for helping Ukraine fight off Russia’s invasion have begun sharing their experience in captivity with major news outlets. U.S. military veterans Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh were released by Russian-backed separatists as part of a prisoner exchange just over a week ago. “Surreal. I still have chill bumps. I always…

Russia has granted citizenship to former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who fled prosecution after he exposed information about the scale of U.S. surveillance programs that capture communications and data from around the world. Snowden, 39, was given asylum in Russia in 2013 after leaking secret files that revealed vast domestic and international surveillance operations…

After racking up wins on the battlefield Ukrainian leaders are enjoying some diplomatic victories. One of those victories is the release of two Americans captured by Russia. Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh are both military veterans and both from Alabama. They went to Ukraine to fight as volunteers, and were captured together amidst heavy fighting.…

While America continues its negotiations with Russia on a high-profile prisoner swap, U.S. officials worked out a separate prisoner swap over the weekend. The U.S. released Bashir Noorzai, a member of the Taliban, in exchange for Mark Frerichs, a veteran held in Afghanistan. The senior Taliban member was a notorious drug lord. He was interviewed…

Top Headlines August 5th, 2022: Sen. Sinema to vote yes on spending bill – Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) announced Thursday night she is on board with Senate democrats’ $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act after securing some minor changes to the legislation. “We have agreed to remove the carried interest tax provision, protect advanced manufacturing, and…

WNBA star Brittney Griner learned her fate Thursday as a Russian court found her guilty of drug smuggling with criminal intent. The judge sentenced Griner to nine years in a Russian penal colony. Griner was arrested Feb. 17 at the Sheremetyevo International Airport after Russian authorities found THC vape cartridges in Griner’s luggage. She was…

Taliban opens al-Zawahri investigation- The Taliban announced Thursday it is investigating this weekend’s killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri. A spokesperson indicated that Taliban leaders were not aware of the killing or of al-Zawahri’s presence in Kabul. This goes against Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claim that the Taliban was sheltering him. On Monday, U.S.…