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.

Hungarian PM Orban: Left headed down same path as Nazis, communist

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban waves after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called out the progressive left at this years CPAC after he was welcomed to CPAC with a standing ovation. Speaking at the event on Thursday, Orban accused progressive liberals of trying to silence him and attempting to keep him away from the event.

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.

Pinal County, Ariz. runs out of in-person ballots

Pinal County, Ariz. runs out of in-person ballots

Boxes of ballots sit in the Maricopa County Recorder and Elections Department offices after Arizona's primary election Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)Pinal County officials in Arizona are taking heat for major errors in this week’s primary election. The county fired its elections director, David Frisk, after a series of debacles left voters outraged. Frisk was let go on Thursday and replaced by Pinal County Recorder Virginia Ross.

N.Y. officials raise concerns over recidivism, bail laws

N.Y. officials raise concerns over recidivism, bail laws

FILE PHOTO: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference about recent shootings of homeless people in both New York and Washington, at the John A. Wilson Building in Washington, U.S., March 14, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File PhotoNew York officials are calling for tougher measures to deter recidivism in the city amid rising crime rates. During a press conference Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell called for changes to the bail system to make it easier to keep repeat offenders behind bars.

Biden admin. declares Monkeypox ‘public health emergency’

Biden admin. declares Monkeypox ‘public health emergency’

FILE - Daniel Rofin, 41, receives a vaccine against Monkeypox from a health professional in medical center in Barcelona, Spain, July 26, 2022. The U.S. will declare a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 6,600 Americans. That's according to two people familiar with the matter said. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)The Biden administration declared Monkeypox a public health emergency. In a press briefing Thursday, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra called on Americans to take Monkeypox seriously as the US posted more than 7,000 cases. The disease has been spreading in the US since May and cases are expected to continue to rise.