Why Biden’s decision to make the Brittney Griner deal poses big political risks
President Biden made dramatic news Thursday when he announced that WNBA star Brittney Griner was on her way back to the United States. Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, had been arrested on drug charges at a Moscow-area airport on February 17, just as Russian President Vladimir Putin was on the cusp of invading Ukraine. Griner subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges, which related to vape cartridges containing marijuana oil that were found in her luggage. Since last month, she had been held in a penal colony with an especially bleak reputation.
Read MoreJan. 6 panel plans to release criminal referrals alongside final report
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol will release its list of criminal referrals alongside its final report on Dec. 21, the panel’s chair told reporters Thursday. “We will make that announcement on the 21st when we release the report,” said Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). The panel is meeting this Sunday to hash out what referrals it may make to the Department of Justice (DOJ), where the ultimate decision rests over whether to pursue any charges for the activity related to the effort to block the transfer of power. Rep. Jami
Read MoreHow Black women served a critical role in securing Britney Griner's release
Jotaka Eaddy was sitting at her home in Washington on Thursday morning when she got a text message from a friend: Brittney Grinder was coming home, it said. Eaddy paused, then reread the message as a flood of emotions — relief, joy, pride— ran through her. The founder of the Win With Black Women collective, Eaddy had been among thousands of women across the country battling to bring Griner, a center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and an Olympic gold medalist, home after she was detained in Russia for bringing vape cartridges with hashish oil into the country.
Read MoreHouse passes annual defense funding bill
The House on Thursday passed the annual defense authorization bill, sending the mammoth, $847 billion measure to the Senate for consideration ahead of the year-end deadline. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed in a bipartisan 350-80 vote. It was approved under suspension of the rules, an expedited process to pass legislation in the House that requires a two-thirds majority. “I can't go through every single item that is in this bill, but I can tell you that just about every member of this House has something in this bill that is important for policy, impo
Read MoreFirst Gen Z congressman-elect says he was denied DC apartment, noting 'really bad' credit
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