Dec 09 Brittney Griner arrives home in U.S. after months of Russian imprisonment By Lekan Oyekanmi, Eric Tucker, Associated Press Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community heightened concerns for her. Continue reading
Dec 08 Protests in Sudan demand ouster of military leaders in power, reject slow transfer By Ashraf Idris, Associated Press Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Sudan's capital demanding the ouster of its military rulers and rejecting a deal for the gradual transfer of power to civilian leaders. Continue reading
Dec 08 131 civilians killed by rebels in eastern Congo, says UN By Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro, Sam Mednick, Associated Press The findings published this week in a preliminary investigation by the United Nations, accuses M23 rebels of killing men, women and children in two villages in Congo's Rutshuru territory in North Kivu province last month. Continue reading
Dec 08 Watch 11:43 American Brittney Griner released from Russian detention in exchange for arms dealer By Nick Schifrin, Dan Sagalyn, Teresa Cebrian Aranda Brittney Griner is finally free after a dramatic prisoner swap. The WNBA star had been held by Russia for most of this year on a minor drug offense, and was serving 9 years in a prison camp. But on Wednesday… Continue watching
Dec 08 Watch 8:27 With Griner’s release, questions remain over fate of Americans still held in Russia The Biden administration on Thursday secured the release of Brittney Griner from Russia the controversy persists around the still-imprisoned American Paul Whelan, who remains inside Russia. John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, joins Judy Woodruff… Continue watching
Dec 08 Watch 4:52 News Wrap: House passes $858 billion defense bill in sweeping bipartisan vote In our news wrap Thursday, the House passed a record $858 billion defense authorization bill in a sweeping bipartisan vote, the FDA authorized new COVID booster shots for children as young as 6 months old, Iran executed its first prisoner… Continue watching
Dec 08 Watch 5:56 Ukrainians brace for a brutal winter amid Russian attacks on energy grid By Volodymyr Solohub For nearly two months, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy grid in an attempt to sap and freeze the country’s morale. At one point, more than 10 million Ukrainians had no electricity or heat. Special correspondent Volodymyr Solohub and videographer Pavlo… Continue watching
Dec 08 WATCH: Former Olympic basketball coach Dawn Staley on Brittney Griner’s release By Gretchen Frazee, Courtney Norris Griner, who was detained at a Russian airport after authorities allegedly found vape cartridges with trace amounts of cannabis oil in her luggage, was let go in exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Continue reading
Dec 08 Griner release ‘right choice,’ say family of American left behind in Russian prisoner swap By Mike Householder, Kathleen Foody, Associated Press Paul Whelan's brother said his family supported the U.S. government's agreement to a prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner but left Whelan behind. Continue reading
Dec 08 Kremlin says it’s up to President Zelenskyy when Ukraine conflict ends By E. Eduardo Castillo, Associated Press The Kremlin says it's up to Ukraine's president to end the military conflict, suggesting terms that Kyiv has repeatedly rejected. Continue reading