Biden: Hopeful, working hard on release of Brittney Griner

Biden: Hopeful, working hard on release of Brittney Griner

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a court room ater a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. A judge in Russia has convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)President Biden weighed in on the Brittney Griner case after the American basketball star was sentenced to nine years in a Russian jail on drug smuggling and possession charges. Speaking to the media from the White House Friday, Biden appeared optimistic about securing her release.

China sanctions House Speaker Pelosi after visit to Taiwan

China sanctions House Speaker Pelosi after visit to Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying gestures during a daily briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. After weeks of threatening rhetoric, China showed the spirit but stopped short of any direct military confrontation with the U.S. over the visit to Taiwan of a senior American politician, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)China’s communist government sanctioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) following her trip to Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the decision on Friday, while claiming Pelosi’s visit was provocative. Chinese officials accused her of meddling in China’s internal affairs.