brittney griner is one of the all-time greats in basketball. i talk about a couple of reasons why the american public might not >> nonconforming. research shows some of these traits could make a far less likely to receive the same attention another victim might. there a known as the missing white women syndrome suggests white female hostages are far more likely to receive attention. pick up on that point but also the point you made previously, if this was a male nba star with her accomplishments in russia in prison, what do you think would happen? >> a lot of people are focusing on this gender element. i think the fact that she is a female basketball star rather than a male basketball star has one really important element, which is the fact that she had to play in russia in the first place. women who play in the wnba make far less money playing basketball than their male counterparts in the nba. they make far less in the united states than they can make during the off-season abroad. the whole reason brittney griner was in russia is for the last

we'll have more on brittney griner's case later in the broadcast. president biden is signing an executive order to protect abortion rights two weeks after the supreme court overturned roe v. wade. the order directs health and human services secretary xavier becerra to submit a report within 30 days on how to safeguard access to abortion medication and emergency contraception while maintaining patient privacy. residents of akron, ohio, were ordered to spend another night under curfew thursday as protesters continue to demand justice for jayland walker, the 25-year-old black man killed in a hail of police gunfire on june 27. walker was unarmed when akron police officers fired about 90 rounds at him after he tried to flee a traffic stop. his body was still handcuffed when it arrived at a coroner's office for an autopsy, which showed he was struck at least 60 times. on thursday, akron officers arrested prominent family members of police shooting victims and charged them with rioting. bianca austin is an aunt of breonna taylor, who was shot and killed by

and brittney griner certainly is very much aware of that. i was able to speak to her legal defense team today. and they said that she is somewhat nervous, as this trial moves into this decisive phase. and you could have a verdict very soon. but that she's also laser focused on her defense. here's what they told me. >> wnba star brittney griner focused on the final and decisive phase of her trial for drug charges in russia. speaking to cnn right after visiting her, griner's lawyer says the athlete is keeping the faith. >> she is of course stressed and quite nervous. and she knows that the end of the trial is approaching. but she really appreciates all the support she is getting. >> reporter: griner's legal team is building their strategy on efforts to get lenience from the court for showing remorse for trying to enter the country with vaping cartridges containing cannabis oil. >> i do understand what my charges are against me and with them being accidentally in my bags, i take responsibility. but i did not intend to smuggle or plan to smuggle

basketball player brittney griner. she's appeared in court in moscow for a hearing in her trial and drops charges. she faces a potential sentence of a decade in prison after being found carrying canada's oil in vapor cartridges. these latest pictures show brittney griner entering the courthouse. the court heard from character witnesses including the sporting director of a russian team praising her. her team captain testified and spoke to reporters afterwards. >> i can say that britney has always been a very good teammate. my role is to be with her, support her. we miss her energy. i was very happy to see her and i hope this trial will be over soon, and with a positive outcome. >> russian authorities previously raised this cctv footage of brittney griner apparently being stopped at an airport in february. she pleaded guilty but told the court she did not intend to break the law. this is her lawyer after a previous hearing. >> she admitted that it was ours -- was hers. but she said it was unintentionally brought to russi

griner on the first day of her trial last week, she was able to speak to brittney griner, brittney griner asked her to convey the message that she is keeping the faith. and i think you see that to a remarkable degree, in that remarkable handwritten letter that brittney griner sent to the administration. brittney griner, paul whelan, americans around the world who are held hostage or unjustly detained, they are always on our thoughts. they are always weighing on everything it is that we do. we regularly engage with families, we regularly engage with the representation of those who are wrongfully detained or held hostage. but, i think, all of you can understand, at the same time, while we update families certainly in broad strokes on our efforts. it is not something that we are in a position to speak to publicly and any detail. and i point to the case of trevor reed, i was often asked from this podium about updates for trevor reed's case and i have said things very similar to what i just said about brittney griner. and to paul whelan, of course, we were able to find a way to secure trevor r

griner's lawyers, her defense team, said it was important for brittney griner to know that that statement was out there, that brittney griner's fans and those supporting her understand how grateful she is for that support and she right now is trying to remain strong in these important days that are ahead for her and her possible freedom that obviously she's fighting for. as far as her legal team is concerned. they are very focused on the trial, getting the best outcome. they say if a prisoner swap happens they wouldn't be against it they want brittney griner to come home as fast as possible. >> certainly a lot of people in the united states who feel the same way. frederik pleitgen thank you for that report. >>> coming up, incredible video on social media of what some experts believe could be images of a chinese rocket burning up in the atmosphere. we cannot confirm the vo eracit of this video but we are learning more details about where it happened. that's next in the " "newsroom." . dad, it's a buick. i lolove that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take u

and brittney griner's wife. now that there's been a phone call what do you want from the administration? >> i think it's helpful, very helpful there's been a phone call. in that conversation, our commander in chief gave cherelle griner the assurance that bg was a top priority. paul whelan is a top priority and others are a top priority. that's what cherelle griner deserved and hopeful that other families get the same opportunity. what we now to do is to stand by the administration. our commander in chief. our vice president harris and let them know that we encourage and support all efforts to they will undertake to bring our citizens home. >> thank you for your time. >> thank you. >>> two former of president trump's biggest foes were the sunt of tax audits. one said his was no coincidence. we have new details next. lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. tastes great in our iced coffees too. which makes waking up at 5 a.m. to milk the cows a little easier. (moo) mabel says for you, it's more like 5:

considers brittney griner as being wrongfully detained. charge d'affaires called on russia to release brittney griner immediately. >> wrongful detention is unacceptable wherever it occurs. the united states government at the very highest levels is working very hard to bring miss griner as well as all wrongfully detained u.s. citizens safely home. >> reporter: brittney griner's trial starts as tensions between the u.s. and russia have reached a boiling point. not just over russia's invasion of ukraine. the u.s. is also calling for the immediate release of former marine paul whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in russian prison for alleged espionage. the u.s. called his conviction politically motivated. the kremlin rejects that and today also said brittney griner's trial was not political. >> translator: you know, i cannot comment on the actions of the russian court. we don't have the right to do that and never do. i can only deal with the facts, and the facts say that a prominent athlete was detained in possession of prohibited substances

brittney griner - led frightening. brittney griner pled guilty _ frightening. brittney griner pled guilty to _ frightening. brittney griner pled guilty to a _ frightening. brittney griner. pled guilty to a drug-related pled guilty to a drug—related charge but says she didn't intend to break the law stop at the us says she has been wrongfully detained which russia denies. but now in a rare move the state department has gone public about her release. ~ has gone public about her release-— has gone public about her release. ~ ., , , release. we have conveyed this on a number — release. we have conveyed this on a number of _ release. we have conveyed this on a number of occasions, - on a number of occasions, indirectly to russian officials, and my hope would be that in speaking to misdelivery of, i can advance the efforts to bring her home. —— sergei lavrov. to bring her home. -- sergei lavrov. ., . ., , to bring her home. -- sergei lavrov. . . , ,, lavrov. that increased pressure from the families _ lavrov. that increased pressure from the families of—

is there movement to getting brittney griner and paul whelan home? we will talk about a reversal of u.s. policy coming up. this is "andrea mitchell reports." you are watching msnbc. s. you are watching msnbc welcome to allstate, where you can bundle and save. isn't that right phil? i'm in the metaverse, bundling my home and auto insurance. bundle home and auto and save. call a local agent or 1-888-allstate for a quote today. from the #1 fiber brand comes metamucil gummies. getting your daily fiber is now even easier. made with prebiotic plant based fiber to support your digestive health. each serving has 5 grams of fiber and no added sugar. metamucil fiber gummies. there is nothing glamorous about migraines. since i was a teenager the pain has taken me away from my family and friends. but i finally found relief with nurtec odt it's the only medication that can treat my migraine right when it strikes and prevent my next attack. treat and prevent all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. most common side effects, in less than 3%, were nausea, indig

on the home court of griner's team, the phoenix mercury, a rally for her release. >> brittney griner, b.g.! >> reporter: griner's wife cherelle wiping away tears. delivering this emotional message. >> what and hoy i feel today is a deeper emotion than hurt. i'm frustrated. i'm frustrated that 140 days have passed since my wife has been able to speak to me, to our family, and to her friends. i'm frustrated that my wife is not going to get justice. >> reporter: public pressure directed at the white house is mounting, calling on president biden to double down on efforts to bring griner home. earlier this week, more than 1,100 black female leaders penned an open letter to the administration, urging them to swiftly make a deal, writing in part, brittney griner cast her first-ever vote in 2020. she voted for you and vice president kamala harris. more than prioritizing her immediate return in word, you must do so in deed. concerns are also growing for griner's physical and mental well-being. civil rights activist reverend al sharpton, who was so moved by cherelle's public outcry, asked biden

griner, of course, on an important day like this one as brittney griner was on trial today spoke for the first time herself. we were able to hear the audio of her speaking in the court. very uncertain times for her, and the u.s. obviously also saying she is unlawfully detained as well. now we're seeing that the state department and secretary of the state blinken himself obviously saying that the u.s. put an offer on the table a while ago and is now willing to speak to the russian foreign minister, to sergey lavrov. i asked secretary of state blinken a couple of weeks ago when he was here in berlin whether he was going to speak to -- whether he was going to speak to the russian foreign minister anytime soon, and at that point he said, well, we'll wait and see, but now it certainly seems as though that is happening. now, you're absolutely right, alisyn that he did speak a lot about the grain shortages, about waiting to see whether or not that grain corridor that has been agreed to is actually going to work, but by and large, the real big news out of this conference that we're seeing ri

. >> reporter: brittney griner's trial starts as attetensions ben u.s. and russia reached a boiling point, not just over the invasion of ukraine, u.s. also demanding release of former marine paul wheelan, sentenced to 16 years in russian prison for espionage. u.s. called it politically motivated, and trussian court denies that. >> i cannot comment on the actions of the russian korcourt can only deal with the facts and that is that she was detained on possession of substances that contained drugs. >> led away hand cuffed again, as lawyers and u.s. authorities fight to bring the basketball star home as soon as possible. >> and fred joins me now, from moscow. so fred, this is expected to be a lengthy trial. so what comes next? >> reporter: yeah, first of all, you're absolutely right. it is expected to be a lengthy trial, unclear how many trial dates there are going to be but certainly could be quite a few more. what we have learned is that the next trial that is going to be on july 7th and if the prosecution wants to call addit additional witnesses, not cle

brittney griner pied _ really unfortunate. brittney griner pled guilty _ really unfortunate. brittney griner pled guilty to - really unfortunate. brittney griner pled guilty to a - really unfortunate. brittney griner pled guilty to a drug| griner pled guilty to a drug related charge but said she didn't intend to break the law. he asked claims she has been wrongfully detained will stop it now in a rare move, the state department has gone public about an offer to lend her release and that of another american, paulwhelan. indie her release and that of another american, paulwhelan. we have conve ed american, paulwhelan. we have conveyed this _ american, paulwhelan. we have conveyed this on _ american, paulwhelan. we have conveyed this on a _ american, paulwhelan. we have conveyed this on a number - american, paulwhelan. we have conveyed this on a number of - conveyed this on a number of occasions in directly to russian officials, and my hope would be in speaking to foreign minister that i can advance the efforts to bring them home. he wouldn't give details, but the administration

i think everyone's heart goes out to the griner family and of course, brittney griner 6'9" stuck in a cell is almost five months now. it was february 17th, another week or so it will be five months, wolf she has been arrested at the moscow airport and of course, being held and it is such a difficult story and it's set against the backdrop of course of the horrors of the ukraine war that started just a week after brittney griner was arrested and also, the issue of how women athletes are treated compared to male athletes. the money they make, the reason that brittney griner as you know was going to russia was because so many wnba players don't make much money, basically $200,000 or so they go to try to make more money, supplement their income overseas that is wrapped into this very difficult story. >> very difficult. is there some risk, christine, to the presidents getting personally involved in making this an even higher profile case because some experts as you heard, say that could give the russians more leverage in what is essentially probably going to turn out to be some sort of hos

thank you. >>> as the trial of wnba star brittney griner gets under way today in russia griner's wife is speaking out to cnn. >> do you trust that the maximum amount of effort is being put forward to bring bg home? >> no, i don't. >> more from this exclusive interview with cnn's abby phillip next. >>> plus the woman suspected of murdering an elite american cyclist finally captured in costa rica. how authorities say she got away for so long. that's ahead. [whistling] with technology that can scale across all your clouds... it's easier to do more innovative things. [whistling] like any family, the auburns all have... individual priorities. some like strategic diversification. some like a little comfort, to balance out the risk. others want immediate gratification... and long-term gratification,too. they have their own interests, but at the end of the day there's nothing like being... a gold-owner. visit invest.gold to see why gold is everyone's asset. >>> happening now, wnba star brittney griner in a moscow courtroom fort start of her trial. grooiner has been detained in russia since fe

offer to release brittney griner and paul whelan fromcapt. we're also hearing directly from griner as she takes the stand in her own defense. is it on the green? [goose squawks] i was just looking for my ball. 19thth hole, sam adams summer ale. [goose squawks] (here you go.) (cheers guys!) [whistling] when you have technology that's easier to control... that can scale across all your clouds... we got that right? yeah, we got that. it's easier to be an innovator. so you can do more incredible things. [whistling] you might have heard of carvana and that we sell cars online. we believe buying a car should be something that gets you hyped up. and that your new car ought to come with newfound happiness and zero surprises. and all of us will stop at nothing to drive you happy. we'll drive you happy at carvana. the unknown is not empty. it's a storm that crashes, and consumes, replacing thought with worry. but one thing can calm uncertainty. an answer. uncovered through exploration, teamwork, and innovation. an answer that leads to even more answers

then, qu i believe the trial will have to end for brittney griner and brittney griner will be convicted and once they have a conviction, then, the negotiations will begin. >> a marine and a basketball star for a guy who threatened to and tried to kill americans. i mean, it kind of shows you the position we are in. mac exact. we are not in a very strong position and i should add that secretary of state blinken, when he was in the meeting of the g 20 did not even talk to a dachshund. obviously, this is a very big step for the united states to try to make some sort of engagement with official russia. >> william palmer, thanks very much. how diined in a foreign country, while barely eved understandingw arrest unfold? today, she herself painted a picture of a nightmarish day. detained and questioned in a 40 country will barely understanding what was happening. cbcs --. >> reporter:im to be able to tell me a brittney grie describes her arrest. she testified that her translator failed to fully explain to her what was going on. >> she didn't explain the content of the paper. i didn't know exact

also coming up, the uss it is ready to make a substantial offer to secure the release of brittney griner and paul whelan, both detained in russia. ukraine's high-risk harvest. inside the occupation to secure the wheat fields and safeguard supplies for the world. in the battle to contain three major wildfires including one on the island of lesbos. ♪ >> we begin in iraq, were hundreds of protesters who stormed parliament have now withdrawn after hours of occupying the building. supporters were demonstrating against the nomination for the position of prime minister. they occupy the parliamentary building in baghdad's heavily guarded green zone for hours with little resistance from security forces. last month or than 70 members of parliament resigned on his orders, deepening months of deadlock. >> we sacrificed for many years and ask for reforms and change of regime. the most important thing is change of regime. the current regime is useless. the country will not work. >> they first stormed the high-security green zone, the political heart of the city, to reach the heart of the building. i

wnba star brittney griner's surprise plea while on trial in russia. brittney griner carrying a picture of her wife while walking into court today, pleading guilty to drug charges, telling the judge, quote, i had no intention of breaking any russian law. griner arrested for bringing vape cartridges of hashish oil into the country. the charges carrying up to ten years in prison. and after writing president biden, telling him she's terrified, u.s. officials hand delivering the president's response. >>> back here at home, new details tonight about the suspect charged in the deadly parade shooting in illinois. abc news speaking to his father, who claims he had no warning this was going to happen. why he says he has no regrets helping his son obtain a gun permit. and what he is now saying about under police investigation himself. authorities now confirming a long history of calls from the home. >>> also tonight, in the face of unrelenting pressure, prime minister boris johnson resigns. his own party and cabinet ministers leaving him no choice. the final sca

brittney griner's wife disputes that. she says brittney griner tried to call her on their anniversary, but no one was in the embassy to connect the call. >> i do trust that the persons working on this are very genuine people. that i do believe. but i don't think that the maximum amount of effort is being done, because, again, the rhetoric and the actions don't match. you know, when you have a situation where bg can call our government, the embassy 11 times and that phone call don't get answered, you don't have much trust at that point until i see actions that are in bg's best interest. >> thanks for your time today. try to enjoy your fourth of july weekend. anna cabrera picks up coverage after a quick break. ♪ i brought in ensure max protein, with thirty grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! (sighs wearily) he i'll take that! (excited yell) woo-hoo! ensure max protein. with thirty grams of protein one gram of sugar, and nutrients to support immuneealth. if your moderate to severe crohn

brian todd, cnn, washington. >>> so what is it going to take to bring brittney griner home. joining me right now to talk more about it is daniel gilbert. a fellow in u.s. policy and international security at dartmouth college. danielle, good to see you. so in a recent article, you wrote that hostage diplomacy will likely be a more prevalent threat to the security of western countries. what do you mean by that? >> hostage diplomacy is when foreign governments use their criminal justice system to take hostages. essentially, they arrest foreigners under the color and guise of law, but the intension is always to use them for foreign policy leverage. so when we look at the case of brittney griner and other americans held in russia, if venezuela, in iran, all over the world right now, we have our adversaries who are pretending that they have made these legitimate arrests when they're just trying to make the u.s. government make political concessions. >> wow, and so those political concessions like we just heard in the piece, that it is more likely russia would want sanction relief

. >>> with brittney griner back in her russian jail cell, i will talk to the brother of paul whelan, an american detained by russia since 2018, on what the u.s. considers baseless charges. >>> first, the shocking assassination of shinzo abe. janice, such an important figure internationally, globally and in japan. especially in strengthening their response to chinese aggression, military buildup. >> reporter: former prime minister shinzo abe was a political giant in japan. a prominent figure even after he stepped down no 2020 citing health reasons. he was in nara city giving a campaign speech, helping out a junior candidate, when shots rang out. it was captured on video. you can hear the shots and then from another angle see smoke billowing above the crowd. abe went down bleeding. he lost consciousness. he was airlifted to hospital where they tried to resuscitate him. he arrived with no vital signs. doctors say they pronounced him dead at 5:03 p.m. local time in japan. the suspected gunman was tackled at the scene. he is said to have a military background. police say he admitted to th

in exchange for brittney griner and paul whelan another american in russian detention. and the secretary of state blinken in a press briefing today would not comment on the details. only telling reporters quote, we've got a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago, to facilitate their release. when pushed by reporters to further address that substantial proposal, this is what blinken said. >> we are very focused on getting brittney griner and paul whela nochld home. this is something we're working on every single day and most of the time we're working it quietly, behind the scenes, for obvious reasons. and i would say just because you don't see us doing something, or you don't hear us talking about it doesn't mean it is not happening. on the contrary. this is something that bringing people home, bringing brittney griner home, bringing paul home, this is something that we're focused on 24/7, seven days a week. >> so can we expect russia to allow griner and whelan to return with some sort of deal? joining us now is kimberly st. julian, her work is focused on race and t

lester >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. >>> now to our nbc news exclusive wnba star brittney griner is due back in a russian court tomorrow, and perhaps no one understands her struggle quite like a young american with a very similar story she's never shared her account publicly before, but tonight she's breaking her silence with our kate snow >> are you speaking out right now in part because you hope brittney griner hears you and feels your camaraderie? >> that's probably the biggest reason that i'm here >> reporter: naama issachar grew up in new jersey and moved to israel as a teen in 2019, she backpacked through india and had a layover in moscow on her way home she says she was pulled from the boarding line, taken to a room where authorities searched her checked backpack and found a third of an ounce of cannabis >> i was like, where did that come from there was no point that i was like, oh no, they found it. like i didn't know it was in my bag. >> reporter: she was charged with possession and later trafficking. over the next ten months issachar was held in cells with up to 40 other w

proposed to trade victor bout, a russian arms dealer, for brittney griner and paul whelan. the russians have said they want another man who u.s. officials never believed it was a serious counteroffer because he's in german, not american, custody. however they did inquiry with the germans. we have a german government source who says yes, the u.s. inquired whether something like this could be possible. it was never seriously considered. meanwhile here in russia, brittney griner is getting ready for a really, really important part of the trial she faces here on drug charges. i managed to speak to her legal people. here is what they told me. wnba star brittney griner focused on the final and decisive phase of her drug trial in russia. griner's lawyer says the athlete is keeping the faith. >> she is of course quite nervous and she knows that the end of the trial is approaching. but she really appreciates all the support she is getting. >> reporter: griner's legal team is building their strategy on efforts to get leniency from the court by showing remorse for trying to enter the

it was right after that lawyer visited brittney griner today. she said brittney griner nervous at this point in time simply because the trial is going into a really, really important phase. we're coming down to the last couple hearings. she also said right now brittney griner is laser focused on their defense. they're trying to get a lenient verdict from the russian court. of course they've presented evidence. she showed some remorse for accidentally bringing those cartridges with cannabis oil into the russian federation. one of the things we always have to point out, anderson, of course, is that russian courts have an extremely high conviction rate. so, leniency is something that's going to be difficult to come by. and even the lawyers say that in the end they do hope that there is a prisoner exchange and that brittney griner can some home as fast as possible, anderson. >> and do you know this guy, krasikov, who he was involved in killing in germany. >> yeah, absolutely. i mean, this was a massive, high profile murder that happened right in the

. >>> right now wnba star brittney griner is in moscow for her criminal drug trial. what we're hearing from the courtroom as she faces cross examination. >>> plus, russia further cutting its energy supplies to the european union. this is big. how the u.s. is responding. >>> and the ceo that bought 50,000 mega millions tickets for his employees, they didn't win. no one did. (jeanne) with thyroid eye disease, my whole world became about my eyes. i hid my bulging eyes, and double vision made things look like this. but then my doctor recommended tepezza, a prescription medicine that treats thyroid eye disease. with my symptoms under control, things are really opening up. (vo) in a clinical study, nearly 7 out of 10 patients taking tepezza saw improvements in double vision. and more than 8 out of 10 patients had less eye bulging. tepezza is an infused medicine. patients taking tepezza may experience infusion reactions. tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms such as high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, or muscle pain. before receiving tepezza

the fifth hearing is now under way in the criminal trial of wnba star brittney griner. the olympic gold medalist has been found in russia since february over allegations of attempted drug smuggling. the previous hearing ended without a verdict and we're not Ñ cross over to fred pleitgen who is tracking the case. this is an important week for griner as we understand that she will attempt to plea for leniency. what are we expecting today, however? >> reporter: yeah, first of all, you're right, it is an extremely important week for brittney griner wherq she is going to plea for leniency. and i think that the defense three pronged approach. first of all we know that brittney griner is already inside the courtroom, the hearing is already under way. essentially what she's done, she's pled guilty saying, yes, she made a mistake, but what the defense is now doing, they are calling into question the original toxicology of those cartridges that contained thc oil saying that those measurements might not have been correct. and they also have an expert witness saying in other count

brittney griner is a superstar, an enormous celebrity. that. 1100 black women leaders wrote to the president on her behalf, and so the whelans are saying, why not us? he's been there four years already and so the possibility in talking to people who really know the russian system, hallie is if there is a trade for victor boot down the road, he's of very high value. he's close to putin. put everybody -- put, you know, this man -- don't just trade him for brittney griner, get all of the americans out, there is precedent for that. >> andrea mitchell on top of the story for us. >>> in highland park just outside of chicago the memorials are getting bigger on central avenue. the scene of the parade attack that ended the lives of seven people with the shooter hurting more than a dozen others. dozens, plural. for the first time since the mass shooting we're hearing from the police chief who spoke with stephan holt. watch? >> shortly into the parade you heard the unmistakable sound of gun fire. there was no question when you heard it what it was.

brittney griner has been in a jail cell in russia for months. she has been in this jail cell, and her detention has been extended over and over, and right now she's going on trial for the -- for possession of narcotics. and so when you think about what she's going through alone in this jail cell with her thoughts flooding not being able to be with her family, that's the backdrop of this letter. now, the full letter was not issued publicly, but we have some excerpts, and here is what that letter says in part. quote, i realize you are dealing so much, and this is to president biden, but please don't forget about me and the other american detainees. she goes onto say she voted for biden and believes in him, and then, quote, i miss my wife. i miss any family. i miss my teammates. it kills me to know they're suffering so much right now. i'm grateful for anything you can do at this moment to get me home. the white house reiterated that they believe that griner was wrongfully detained, and there's a statement issued by the biden administration saying t

but the free brittney griner campaign is not really helping her. if anything, it is raising her price and making it harder for the u.s. to make a swap for her because the kremlin can ask for more and more and more the higher her price goes. >> jason, what's your reaction there to what we just heard? >> look, i mean, i am the recipient of a long and vociferous campaign calling for my release. i agree with julia that it raises the stakes. at the same time, i'm also surprised that the u.s. government kind of let out that information yesterday, that they have an offer on the table. usually they wouldn't do that. and it indicates to me that it's probably not moving in the right direction. >> jason, because you have been part of this, what does the return process look like? >> first of all, it's a very long process. the fact we're talking about this right now and have been talking about it in brittney griner's case for about five months now, you know, that's kind of a short period of time, all things considered. i know that's a terrible thing to think ab

paula canny joins us live >> detained wnba star brittney griner has pleaded guilty to drug possession charges in russia. >> she entered her plea today on just a second day of her trial. griner has been in custody since february after authorities say that she had cannabis oil in her luggage at a moscow airport. graner faces up to 10 years in prison. but her lawyers said today they're hoping for the most lenient sentence possible insisting. >> this is all a big mistake, but there is much more. you know, a lot of complex factors that place here, political issues, news nation correspondent paul gerke explains. >> brittney griner pleaded guilty to drug possession in moscow. thursday. kreider will take it the 2 time olympic gold medalist and wnba star has been detained in russia since february when she was arrested at the airport to vape cartridges containing less than a gram of hashish oil combined were found in her luggage. griner admits the carts were hers, but her lawyers insist she did not intend to commit a crime. she said that it was intentional approach to to russia. >> because she

and so i think that if we're going to talk about brittney griner's case, we are going to have to talk about paul whelan's case because simply he has been there longer and he is in a worst spot compared to where brittany grine ser right now. we weren't talking about him until we started talking about her. >> i was going to say is, this negative for paul whelan or positive that now there is a discussion, that americans weren't really involved in, as much with trevor reed, there is now a discussion about how paul whelan and brittney griner might get back to america. >> i definitely see it as a positive. because he has been there for so long, and the fact that, you know, the rumors that trump could get brittney griner out, i think trevor reed and paul whelan are perfect examples of how little trump did for americans held in the russian country, and brittney griner's case, while it is terrifying for her family and supporters, it could be a boon for paul whelan and help him be freed from a maximum security russian prison. >> thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >>> one of the biggest sto

brittney griner faces up to ten years in prison. trinity chavez, cbs news new york. >>> the closest ally of the u.s. will have new leadership. boris johnson is stepping down. the time line for picking a new leader will be announced next week. johnson expressed some remorse he had to leave his position. >> i want you to know how sad i am to be giving up the best job in the world. but thems the breaks. >> and new at noon, alex pa dill la, community leaders held a rally on gun violence. it follows the passage of the bipartisan safety act. it improves background checks, helps state's laws and strengthens protections. but padilla says this historic bill is only the part. >> on that same date, the supreme court of the united states struck down laws that keep our community safe from deadly weapons. so, yes, we have much more work to do. >> padilla says gun safety measures is part of the solution, something he says california has demonstrated to work. >>> kids protested outside san francisco today to hold pg&e accountable for their manageme

players in the washington mystics know brittney griner, they have competed against her, they respect her. they are shaken by her arrest. really sad and a bit scared because it felt like it could be any of us. i play overseas and the vast majority of wnba players play overseas, so seeing her in that type of position where she is kind of helpless was really unfortunate. griner pled guilty to a drug—related charge but says she didn't intend to break the law. the us claim she has been wrongfully detained which russia denies. but now in a rare move the state department has gone public about an offer to win her release, and that of another american, paul whelan. we have conveyed this on a number of occasions, and directly to russian officials, and my hope would be that in speaking to foreign minister lavrov, i can advance the efforts to bring them home. he wouldn't give details, but the administration did recently agree to a prisoner swap with the kremlin for this former us marine. that increased pressure from the families of other detainees. earlier, the president's point man for hostag

as i mentioned, brittney griner is going through trial right now. her next hearing, brianna, is scheduled for july 7th. as you mentioned, even though the biden administration is saying they're doing everything they can, her wife, telling cnn, that more needs to be done. >> yeah, she is insistent about that. rosa flores, thank you for the report. >>> two officers shot during fourth of july celebrations in philadelphia. we'll have details ahead. we're also hearing from a father on how he shielded his son from the gunfire in highland park. >> when the shots stopped, again, that's when we started -- we decided to run. we ran behind the building and i put my son in the dumpster, and he sat there with his dog and i went back to look for the rest of the family. ♪ whenever heartburn strtrikes get fast relief with tums. it's time to love food backck. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums ♪ (vo) get t verizon business unlimitd from the network businesses rely on. like manny. event planning with our best plan ever. (manny) yeah, that's what i do. (vo) with 5g ultra wid

griner on the sidelines of the trial, that brittney griner was in good spirits, the u.s. is doing everything to try and get her released. the u.s., john, said she's being wrongfully detained and say they are working in any way they can to try and get her out of custody, not even regarding to this trial, but in general they say that she is wrongfully detained. she does face up to ten years in prison for allegedly trying to enter this country with narcotics in her hand luggage. we found out more about what that means today. the prosecution says that she had two cartridges on her, one of them with around 0.25 of a gram, of hash oil, and one of 0.5 round about of hash oil in her luggage. they say in total, that means .7 of a gram of cannabis was found on her and obviously severe sentence for that could be doled out here in russia. we'll have to wait and see. we have a lot of updates right now, the trial has adjourned for now. she's been brought out of the courtroom and the next trial date is set for july 7th. >> frederik pleitgen for us in moscow, thank you so much for keepin

to secure the release of wnba star brittney griner and paul whelan, another u.s. citizen convicted of espionage in russia, that's according to people briefed on the matter. despite the offer being on the table since june a senior administration official subjected russia has yet to officially respond. the u.s. secretary of state antony blinken says he expects to speak to russian foreign minister sergey lavrov in the coming days to discuss the potential swap. >>> i'm selina wang in beijing. president joe biden and chinese president xi jinping are having a phone call today as tensions are running high. beijing is furious over a potential visit by house speaker nancy pelosi to taiwan. china has urged the u.s. to cancel her trip, threatening powerful retaliation. this is a high stakes moment and the call is a chance for both sides to lower the temperature and manage the tensions. pelosi's potential visits come comes before xi jinping is seek an unprecedented third term and the concern is that he will make a rash move in response to the visit since he cannot look weak a

griner, who is about to testify in her trial in moscow. >>> wnba star brittney griner back in a russian court today as she prepares to testify at her drug trial. tonight an nbc exclusive, another american freed from russia this year criticizing the white house over griner's case here's hallie jackson. >> reporter: brittney griner in a russian courtroom today holding up pictures of her wife and friends as the u.s. embassy says the wnba superstar is doing okay that's after griner pleaded guilty to having cannabis oil in her luggage, facing up to ten years in prison her defense team today emphasizing it was used medicinally and packed accidentally griner set to testify tomorrow, telling an abc news producer, she has no complaints. do you want to say something to cherelle? >> good luck on the bar exam >> reporter: pressure now building to free griner and american paul whelan who is being held by the kremlin after an espionage trial the u.s. called a mockery. >> i know what they went through. >> reporter: trevor reed spent nearly three years in russian prison on charges of assaulting a polic

so griner's team is pleading for leniency. >> reporter: wnba star brittney griner focussed on the final and decisive phase of her trial on drug charges in russia. griner's lawyer says the athlete is keeping the faith. >> she's quite nervous. and she knows that the end of the trial is approaching. but she really appreciates all the support hshe's getting. >> reporter: griner's team is building their strategy on trying to get leniency from the court. >> i do understand what my charges are against me. and with them being accidentally in my bag, i take responsibility, but i did not intend to smuggle or plan to mu smuggle anything to russia. >> reporter: the legal team believes so far their strategy has worked. >> the court listens. the court accepts already almost all our evidence, so i think that it is going how we planned. >> reporter: but conviction rates in russia are well over 90%. and brittney griner faces up to ten years in prison if found guilty. the u.s. has been frustrated by a lack of progress trying to organize a prisoner swap to get brittney griner and paul whelan, who's curren

. >> reporter: wolf, quite a desperate and personal letter from brittney griner to president biden on july 4th. she made a personal plea to him saying that she believes in him, talking about the fact that she hadn't voted in the past but she did vote for him in 2020. and she also discuss how much it hurts her right now to think about july 4th and how she has historically celebrated american freedoms on july 4th, american veterans on july 4th. but, of course, it is much, much different for her right now because she is detained in russia. she has been there since about the middle of february. and she made this plea to president biden to try to do everything he can to bring her home. i want to read to you from that letter saying, quote, as i sit here in a russian prison alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, olympic jersey or any accomplishments i'm terrified i might be here forever. i miss my wife, i miss my family, i miss my teammates. it kills me to know that they are suffering so much right now. i'm grateful for whatever you can do at this mome

>>> and wnba star brittney griner's trial begins in russia. the u.s. calls her wrongfully detained and her family says the president must do whatever it takes to get her out. >> i would love for him to tell me he cares. the only thing that the biden administration can do for me is get my wife back. >> "inside politics," the biggest stories, sourced by the best reporters now. >>> welcome to "inside politics" sunday. i'm abby phillip. the 2024 election is more than two years away, but donald trump does not want to wait. sources are telling cnn that he's recently discussed a formal campaign launch this month, ditching plans to wait until after the midterms. one source says he knows that if he -- if he announces, he'll be center stage again. and trump's discussions about running again come as bombshell testimony before the january 6 th committee is shedding new light on his involvement in the capitol insurrection. testimony like this from former white house aide cassidy hutchinson. >> mr. cipollone said something to the effect of please make sure we don't

. >> kylie atwood at the state department, that letter from brittney griner, sharelle griner herself would like to speak to president biden, obviously, this family is pushing hard to get brittney griner back to the united states. brianna. >>> the shot that killed al jazeera correspondent shireen abu akleh was likely fired by the israeli military but no reason to believe she was deliberately targeted. cnn's hadas gold is live in jerusalem. hadas, what have you learned and how is this perceived with israelis and palestinians? >> reporter: this the first time that the biden administration is picking up information on what happened on the day shireen abu akleh was covering in may. a ballistic examination of the bullet was inclusive because of how badly damaged the bullet was matched to a weapon that was used. both the palestinian and israeli investigation, they came to the conclusion that it was most likely israeli gunfire is what will caused her death, but they have no reason to believe it was intentional saying it was, rather, the result of tragic circumstances during a military operat

they say brittney griner is being wrongfully detained here in russia. i want to listen to some of what the charge said. >> the u.s. embassy, the american government cares very deeply about this case and about miss griner's welfare as do millions of americans, as well as we care about the welfare of all u.s. citizens imprisoned overseas. i did have the opportunity to speak with miss griner in the courtroom. she is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances. and she asked me to convey that she is in good spirits, and is keeping up the faith. >> reporter: so there is the charge d'affaires saying brittney griner continues to be in good spirits, despite the fact, of course, that this trial is one that could carry a significant prison sentence with it. the worst could be up to ten years in a russian penal colony. there were some details as to what exactly this trial is about that we found out today as well. the prosecutor apparently saying that they found two vaping cartridges inside brittney griner's hand luggage and her luggage when s