John – We have an update on a national story that has been evolving over the last few months.

This morning, President Joe Biden worked to finally bring home Brittney Griner, the WNBA player that was imprisoned in Russia after being detained on drug charges. Her sentence in Russia would have served 9 years over what would amount to simple drug charges, if any, in the United States.

Griner’s release is a part of a prisoner swap – as it was seemingly the only opportunity to bring Griner home to the US.

Viktor Bout, the prisoner we are releasing as a part of the swap, was originally sentenced in 2012 to 25 years in US prison for acting as an international illegal arms dealer.

This will be the administration’s second prisoner swap with Russia, in what is an ongoing effort to recover those from a critically destabilized nation and one that is under the rule of a bloodthirsty ruler.

The administration has also expressed that they will continue to work on bringing home Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran who is still imprisoned in Russia for alleged espionage charges.

While the terms of bringing those home are challenging and nuanced, the Biden administration continues to be dedicated to bringing Americans home from abroad and ensuring their safety.

Many thanks to those who make these perilous missions happen, as we should always work to never leave an American behind.

We will continue to bring you these updates, and ask that if you are able, to consider donating to No Dem Left Behind so we can be sure America will have competent leadership in 2024 and beyond.

- No Dem Left Behind