Putin spokesman: Brittney Griner is not a 'hostage'
A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed back on the U.S. State Department's position that WBNA star Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained in Russia, saying an interview on Monday that “she violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted.” “It’s not about being a hostage. There are lots of American citizens here. They’re enjoying their freedoms … but you have to obey the laws,” Dmitry Peskov told NBC News senior international correspondent Keir Simmons
Read MoreHow to understand Russia and the war
Navigating the debates on Russia’s war in Ukraine can be confusing for the uninitiated. In fact, the differences are largely due to different assumptions regarding politics in general and Russian politics in particular. The assumptions matter, because they inspire policies. They also matter because some assumptions are more plausible than others. To what do you ascribe the greatest explanatory value? To a) policymakers, their policies and their rhetoric? To b) the institutions in which policymakers, policies and rhetoric are embedded? Or c) to the still larger systems and cultures
Read MoreThe Hill's Morning Report — Big week: Guns; Jan. 6 hearings; Abortion?
It’s crunch time in the nation’s capital this week as the Senate looks to lock down a deal on gun violence legislation, the Jan. 6 committee holds its next set of hearings and Washington braces for a potential Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights. After some struggles late last week toward clinching a deal, Senate negotiators on Monday indicated that they were on the verge of an accord, with legislative text set to be unveiled imminently (PBS NewsHour). Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas),
Read MoreWhy high housing costs could keep climbing
Sky-high mortgage rates and a construction slowdown could push record rents and home prices even higher, further threatening housing affordability for millions of Americans. Economists say that rising mortgage rates should cool down the housing market’s red-hot price appreciation in the short term but are also likely to drive up rents. New construction of houses and apartments is waning, suggesting that the nation’s meager housing supply won’t improve any time soon. “It’s a perfect storm right now,” said Jerry Konter, a Savannah, Ga., residential property bui
Read MoreEconomists look past the Fed to fight inflation
Economists are looking beyond the Federal Reserve and thinking outside the box of monetary policy for ideas on how to fight inflation. With gas prices soaring, they are focusing largely — though not exclusively — on the energy industry and are increasingly coming up with ideas on how to bring down prices for consumers that cross the traditional liberal-conservative divides. Larry Summers, who served as Treasury secretary under former President Clinton and director of the National Economic Council under former President Obama, over the weekend called on lawmak
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