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☆ How Russia Turned to Imprisoning Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Brett Forrest | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. professional basketball player Brittney Griner appears in a Russian court last year after being imprisoned there; she was later freed in a swap. Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty ImagesRussia’s detention in March of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was a breach of international norms, but it also was the latest chapter in a long history. For more than a decade, Moscow has been expressing outrage over several cases in which the U.S. arrested and convicted Russian citizens for various crimes. Over the past five years, the Kremlin has turned to seizing Americans and trading them to reclaim those prisoners.

Persons: Brittney Griner, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Evan Gershkovich Organizations: Getty, Wall Street, Kremlin Locations: AFP, Moscow

☆ Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine, Bakhmut news
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

I just wish they would turn a little bit more quickly,” said Whelan, who called CNN exclusively from his prison camp in remote Mordovia. Whelan said he does harbor concerns that he could be left behind again — particularly after the Russians wrongfully detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich. The US was unable to secure Whelan’s release in prisoner swaps that brought home two other wrongfully detained Americans last year: Trevor Reed in April and Brittney Griner in December. And I’m told that the government is working tirelessly to get me out of here and to get me home so they can then focus effort on Evan and his case,” Whelan said. The former US Marine was sentenced to 16 years in prison on an espionage charge he vehemently denies.

CNN —After spending more than 300 days in Russian custody last year, Brittney Griner made an emotional return to her WNBA home court in the Phoenix Mercury’s 75-69 defeat by the Chicago Sky. The crowd went crazy in applause as she ran onto the court while giving her teammates high fives. “There might have been a little dust in my eye, a little dusty,” Griner told reporters after the game. Carstens joined Griner at the podium after the game, alongside Representative Shelia Jackson Lee, and said it was “emotional” for them both seeing Griner on the court. BG’s family in the crowd and BG back on the court, doing what BG does best which is playing basketball.

☆ Brittney Griner Returns to the W.N.B.A. With a Weekend of Celebration
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Kris Rhim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But through her first two games, Griner has put those questions to rest. She and her teammates have acknowledged she isn’t yet the player she once was, but Griner performed like the Mercury’s best player over their first two games. She led the team in points and rebounds over the two losses, averaging 22.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. “By All-Star, I hope to be exactly where I want to be,” Griner said after the Sparks game. “You know, not having to limit my minutes, being able to just play — I’m going to regret this, but — being able to play 40 minutes.

☆ Exclusive: Paul Whelan tells CNN he's 'positive and confident' the 'wheels are turning' toward release
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Paul Whelan, an American who is wrongfully detained in Russia, told CNN on Sunday that he feels confident that his case is a priority for the United States government but wishes it could be resolved faster. “I remain positive and confident on a daily basis that the wheels are turning. I just wish they would turn a little bit more quickly,” said Whelan, who called CNN exclusively from his prison camp in remote Mordovia. However, Whelan said Sunday he has more confidence in the US efforts to get him home than he did when he spoke to CNN in December following Griner’s release. Medical care, dental care is provided privately,” he told CNN.

LOS ANGELES, May 19 (Reuters) - Brittney Griner returned to the WNBA hardwood on Friday night in Los Angeles to cheers from a raucous crowd that included U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. "It felt good, it felt real good. U.S. officials said she was wrongly detained and was being used as a political pawn amid increasingly strained relations with Moscow. The two-time Olympic champion, 32, kicked off her 10th season with the Mercury on Friday after playing in a pre-season game one week ago. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris was among those celebrating the return of Brittney Griner to the WNBA on Friday, five months after the Phoenix Mercury star was released from a Russian penal colony. Harris met with players from both teams before the game and thanked them for their support while Griner was in Russian custody for almost 300 days last year. “A team is a team, that’s family.”Harris addressed the players in their locker room before the game. Mario Tama/Getty ImagesIn return, Los Angeles star and players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike thanked Harris and the Biden administration for securing Griner’s release. “Just appreciating everything because tomorrow is not guaranteed.”Griner scored 18 points on her WNBA return.

☆ Brittney Griner Is Creating a New Normal, for Herself and the W.N.B.A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Jonathan Abrams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

‘She Impacts the World’Vince Kozar, the president of the Mercury, described an ominous cloud over the franchise last season at every practice, media session and game without Griner. The day Griner was sentenced, Mercury players came together and cried — then had to play a game. Kozar did not expect Griner to announce immediately whether she would again play in the W.N.B.A. Griner may have been the most plugged-in W.N.B.A. In letters with Kozar, Griner was not asking about the organization and its going-ons as much as informing him about them.

☆ Griner, 'superteams' in focus as WNBA season kicks off
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 17 (Reuters) - Brittney Griner is back in action for the Phoenix Mercury while the New York Liberty and defending champions Las Vegas Aces are expected to usher in the WNBA's "superteam" era when a new season tips off on Friday. "It was cool, and then at the same time, I was sitting there looking around, zoned out a little bit," said Griner, who will open her season on the road against the Sparks on Friday. I mean, these are some of the best players in the league," head coach Sandy Brondello told reporters this week. She will join reigning MVP A'ja Wilson and All-Star Kelsey Plum, along with two-time champion Alysha Clark, who also signed as a free agent. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brittney Griner’s Saga Hasn’t Deterred Some U.S. Athletes From Competing in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert: we are benefiting from excitement around women's NCAA tournament
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert: we are benefiting from excitement around women's NCAA tournamentWNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joins 'Last Call' to discuss a possible record breaking upcoming season for the league, the return of Brittney Griner, and more.

☆ Griner plays in WNBA for first time since Russia detention
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I didn't think I would be sitting here. I didn't think I would be playing basketball this quickly," Griner told reporters after the Sparks handed them a 90-71 loss. Griner was greeted to roars of celebration at Phoenix's Footprint Center on Friday as she exited the tunnel and strode onto the court. "I didn't feel like I was gassed or dying," said Griner, who offered a withering self-appraisal of her defensive performance. The two-time WNBA scoring champion has been subject to enormous media interest since her return to the United States, using her super-sized platform to champion the cause of other Americans detained abroad.

CNN —Nearly five months after she was released from Russian detention, WNBA star Brittney Griner says it feels “a little overwhelming” to return to public life given the widespread interest in her case. Griner spent nearly 300 days in custody before being released as part of a prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in December. She has since been reintegrating into life in the United States, meeting with US President Joe Biden, attending the Met Gala on Monday, and preparing for the season ahead with the Phoenix Mercury. “I didn’t think it could get that big,” Griner told reporters during the Mercury’s annual preseason media day on Wednesday. Griner arrives back in the United States in December.

☆ Paul Whelan: US ambassador to Russia visits detained American
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited Paul Whelan on Thursday – her first visit to the wrongfully detained American since taking up the post in Moscow. “Today, Ambassador Tracy visited #PaulWhelan at IK17 prison in Mordovia,” the US Embassy in Moscow posted on Twitter. “Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 4 years, and his release remains an absolute priority,” the post said. The US government was unable to secure Whelan’s release last year when they brought home two other wrongfully detained Americans: Trevor Reed in April and Brittney Griner in December. Whelan is one of two Americans still in Russia who has been designated as wrongfully detained.

☆ Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“And that can only reflect well on the Kingdom.”This new diplomacy comes as Saudi Arabia prioritizes economic growth at home, which requires regional stability to succeed. Saudi efforts at revamping its image as a peace-broker may face credibility challenges, however, given its near decade-long combative foreign policy and the bad press it attracted. That group is party to the Sudan conflict that Saudi Arabia is trying to help end. Despite its controversial past, Saudi Arabia may still carry enough influence to bring quarreling parties to the negotiating table, analysts say. “Saudi (Arabia) does not pretend to be an impartial mediator but its voice carries weight with many parties in the region,” Shihabi said, adding that where it can, Saudi Arabia wants to use that influence to reduce tensions.

☆ Families of US detainees urge Biden to do more to deter hostage-taking
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking at an event organized by the "Bring Our Families Home" campaign, an advocacy group set up largely by the families of American citizens detained abroad, relatives called on Biden to do more to bring home their loved ones but also deter "hostage-taking" by foreign governments and groups. Proponents of "Bring Our Families Home" are urging Biden to take steps including more swaps of prisoners and easing of sanctions against countries that are holding U.S. detainees. Most recently, Russia has detained U.S. citizen and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges, which he denies. The Biden administration has carried out two prisoner swaps with Russia and one with Venezuela. Families also repeated a call to meet with Biden, a plea that went unanswered for many of them for over a year.

REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - American basketball star Brittney Griner stepped onto the red carpet at the star-studded Met Gala on Monday, embracing a larger spotlight months after returning home from detention in a Russian penal colony. The twice Olympic champion has pledged to advocate for the release of other Americans detained abroad after she was freed from Russia in a high-profile prisoner exchange after nearly 10 months of detention. "I was able to come home," Griner told Vogue at the gala. "It is everything, to be here with my wife able to be here it means so much," Griner said. Twenty-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer served as a co-chair of the event while China's twice Olympic champion freestyle skier Eileen Gu was also in attendance.

☆ 17 Looks That Did the Most at the Met Gala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The guest list for the first Monday in May, as the Met Gala is also known, serves as a Rorschach test for whom Anna Wintour deems important, circa now. Many guests wore black and white or suits and gowns embellished with pearls or flowers — favorite motifs of Mr. Lagerfeld. Doja Cat and Jared Leto each paid homage to Choupette, Mr. Lagerfeld’s feline friend. There were many wonderful dresses that paid respect to Mr. Lagerfeld’s legacy — in fact, there were too many to name. So here’s a reminder: The looks that follow did the most at the Met Gala — not necessarily the best, not necessarily the worst, just the most.

☆ Top moments from the White House Correspondents Dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden joked about a range of topics at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday but struck a serious tone as he called for the release of wrongfully detained Americans abroad. In attendance Saturday evening was Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was freed from Russia late last year after being wrongfully detained. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden held a pull-aside meeting with Griner and her wife at the event, per the White House pool. During the event, identical twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, who host “Property Brothers” on HGTV, drew big laughs as their sketch-style video showcased how they would renovate the White House. “We’ve been doing this a long time and we think we know how to turn the White House into the White Home,” the pair said in video.

☆ Biden Praises ‘Absolute Courage’ of U.S. Journalist Detained in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is also the first time that a Western journalist in Russia has been charged with espionage since the end of the Cold War. “Evan and Austin should be released immediately along with every other American held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” Mr. Biden said. Debra and Marc Tice, the parents of Mr. Tice, wrote an opinion article, published in The Washington Post last August, in which they urged Mr. Biden to step up diplomatic efforts to free him. Mr. Biden also called for the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia on what the United States says are fabricated charges of espionage, and addressed Brittney Griner, a W.N.B.A. star who was freed in a prisoner swap in December after being detained for nearly 10 months in Russia.

☆ Biden attacks news outlets for 'lies of conspiracy and malice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 29, 2023. Speaking at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Biden referred to "truth buried by lies," in an apparent reference to false conspiracy theories that his 2020 election win was the result of a massive voter fraud. Lies of conspiracy and malice repeated over and over again designed to generate a cycle of anger and hate and even violence," Biden said. That cycle, Biden added, has emboldened local jurisdictions to ban books, and "the rule of law and our rights and freedoms to be stripped away." Biden said he and his administration were "here to send a message to the country and quite frankly to the world.

☆ Phoenix Suns and Mercury will air games on free TV and streaming, becoming first teams to break with bankrupt broadcaster Diamond Sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury have become the first teams to move on from the troubled broadcaster Diamond Sports Group. The NBA and WNBA's Suns and Mercury will show their games on TV and streaming going forward. The price of the streaming service hasn't been announced yet, but the teams said fans will be able to watch the Mercury for free for at least the first season. Diamond said the move violates bankruptcy law and previous contracts with the teams that expired recently, the AP reported. Suns CEO Josh Bartlestein told ESPN Diamond's claims were "inaccurate," and it wouldn't stop the teams from moving forward with the new agreement.

☆ Brittney Griner Expresses Hope for Her Basketball Future, Concern for Americans Still Held Overseas
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Basketball star Brittney Griner landed in the U.S. after being released from a Russian penal colony in a negotiated prisoner swap, a U.S. official said. WSJ examines the events that led to Griner’s detainment, sentencing and release, and what comes next. Illustration: Adele MorganAt a press conference that was styled more as a triumphant homecoming, the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday celebrated the return of its star player Brittney Griner after a 10-month detention in Russia. In her first extensive media availability since being released from a Russian penal colony in December, Griner pledged to fight for the return of other American detainees, without explicitly naming two in Russia whom she was specifically asked about.

☆ NBA's Phoenix Suns sign new TV deal after broadcaster bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Apr 18, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) with guard Devin Booker (1) against the Los Angeles Clippers during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsApril 28 (Reuters) - The NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury announced a new television and streaming rights deal for their basketball games on Friday, over the objection of the bankrupt U.S. sports broadcaster that currently televises Suns regular-season games. "Cord cutters, cable subscribers, fans with an antenna – everyone will be able to watch Suns and Mercury games," Ishbia said in a statement. The Phoenix Suns current television broadcast partner Diamond Sports Group said it would oppose the deal. The Suns and Mercury did not disclose financial terms of the new broadcast deal or the terms of the current Diamond Sports contract.

CNN —Brittney Griner thanked the media for its coverage while she was detained in Russia and for the exposure it provided to help her get back to the United States. Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was moved to tears by the opening question at Thursday’s press conference, but quickly composed herself. Griner had for years played on a Russian women’s basketball team during the WNBA off-season and was detained in a Moscow airport as she traveled back to the US. … You know what you’re waiting on,” Griner said. “You’re waiting to be back with your family.”More to follow.

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