so that's what brittany griner was doing over there. she was a champion basketball player in russia, and that's the other part of this. like the idea that airport security didn't know exactly who she was when they approached or is another part of this story that we have to say. it just beggars believe that their story that a dog smelled, has she soil in her bag and that's how we've gotten down this road. it's like, come on, please don't spit in my face and tell me it's raining. then you know, when you can actually go ahead, go ahead. yeah. i was just going to say that and there's actually 3 americans currently being detained in russia. they're all wheel and, and trevor read has been held for several years. and my understanding is that they were arrested shortly after the united states arrested to russian intelligence, aiden. and so you can see, with those cases that it is almost a very clear that russia holding these americans because they want to get these 2 agents help. and with brittany griner case, i mean, in some sense is from russ

griner was making less than that. in russia, where oligarchs own these teams and put a lot of resources into it, players like brittney griner can make well more than $1 million just playing part of a season. >> reporter: back in 2017, our colleagues at espn's e-60, owned by abc news' parent company, traveled with griner to yekaterinburg to take a look at what her life was like overseas. >> i've got everything you might need in here. so i have water. and apple juice. so if you're thirsty, i got you. >> reporter: in the u.s., griner has long been open and proud about being a lesbian. but in russia, where lgbtq harassment and even violence is frequent, the star, known for being brash on the court, has had to be more discreet. >> over here it's like, yes, you're good here, but just don't tell anyone, but you're fine. so it's like still kind of cover yourself a little bit. >> reporter: with trevor reed stepping back on american soil, there is renewed hope for bringing back brittney griner and paul whelan. what would your m

b, a star, brittany griner as well as other us citizens detained in russia. griner a to time olympic gold medalist who also plays in a russian league was arrested in february after authorities allegedly found cannabis oil and her luggage. she could be facing up to 10 years in prison. but his greiner situation really a hostage taking by russia and house should such cases be handled. let's meet our guests today. ok, let's start with you. jason. please introduce yourself to our international audience. i'm jason resign. i'm a global opinions writer for the washington post, and i am the host of the spotify original podcast. 544 days, which is about my time as a hostage, being held in iran by the iranian regime. when i was the bureau chief for the washington post and which i should say has been nominated for a website and you should definitely check out, dave, please share with our audience. now while you're here and what you do. well, i'm here because you asked me, which was awesome of you. so thank you. i'm my name is dave zire in on the sports editor of the nation magazine. i'm the host

brittney griner is 6'9". top athletes in the united states, one of the top athletes around the world. two-time olympic gold medalist. she is black. she is gay. and we know that -- going back to 2014, the sochi olympic games -- vladimir putin had his anti-gay propaganda law -- whatever that meant. but clearly, an attack on gay athletes before the sochi olympics and during the sochi olympics so that heightens concerns, frankly, about brittney griner because she is pretty much everything that putin hates. >> it is such a concern, isn't it? of course, griner is clearly much loved by her fans and the wnba. how big a deal is she in women's basketball? >> a very pbig deal. >> as i mentioned, two time olympic gold medalist. i think for many people, whenever sports fans got a chance to see her and get to know her name, had she was playing for baylor and really changing the face of women's basketball. 6'9". i mean, taller than ever and you certainly see 6'4", 6'5" women playing and just being fantastic athletes but 6'9

>> brittney griner is an incredible athlete.so to me a really important political and cultural figure. one of the most important political figures in women's basketball and in sports in the last 10 years. she has been overcoming huge obstacles throughout her entire career. in college, she went to a, baylor university in texas, that had anti-gay rules at the time in 2012. she graduated in 2013. it was still in the student handbook. she wasn't allowed to come out by her coaches and the administration. soon after she was drafted by the wnba, she wrote this autobiography where she talked openly and critiqued that strategy to not let her come out publicly, to be denied her full self-expression. she even wrote in the autobiography, becoming a professional basketball player wasn't just about making money or proving myself. was about freedom, too. so brittney griner has been seeking freedom for a long time. she has long faced vitriol and public backlash around questioning her gender. she is somebody who has become an outspoken advocate

what does this mean for britney griner? one legal expert warns, it can be a very bad thing for the wnba star. i'm going to talk to an investigative journalist who has it helped -- who was captured himself by the taliban. later, a new kind of book fanning. one tongue and cheek protests against publican repel -- by law should be banned in state schools. i want to know, could stuff like this actually make a difference? all of this and more is coming right up. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> a good saturday morning to you. i'm katie fang. sean hannity, one of the most powerful man in media, now says it should not matter that he teamed up with the trump white house as they tried to overturn the 2020 election. wait until you hear this. >> yes, i'm a member of the press i have 675 radio affiliates, i'm on the fox news channel, which is a news channel. i do not claim to be a journalist. i claim to be a talk show host. >> talk show host. this talk show host was reacting to a newly-released text messages obtained by cnn that show hannity acting more as a g

in february brittany griner, a wnba women's, women's national bhct association player, was arrested for allegedly bringing drugs into russia. she face the up to 10 years in prison if convicted. i fear she, too, will be held a hostage by the russian dictator and i appreciate her member of congress, sheila jackson lee of houston, being such an outspoken proponent for her release. i would be remiss not to mention one of the fiercest advocates of the democratic russia who has been poisoned twice by the putin regime. faces up to 15 years in prison for speaking the truth about putin's unprovoked war of aggression and murder in ukraine. he is a brave freedom fighter who does not deserve to be locked up for shining a light on putin's brutality and corruption. putin must stop using innocent americans as diplomatic pawns and release them immediately. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution so paul and his family know that the u.s. congress stands with them. democrats and republicans, and will do everything in our power to make sure paul can join trevor in coming back home. i

wnba star brittney griner was detained after authorities said they found cannabis oil vape cartridgesluggage. now the u.s. government can sometimes be hesitant to carry out this type of a prisoner swap for fear that it could encourage. >> other countries to take additional american prisoners on bogus charges. they back to you. yes. so alex, did the white house address, you know why the administration decided to move forward with the swap? they did on? they called it a very difficult decision and said that several factors were taken into account. for starters, they said these negotiations started months ago before russia invaded ukraine. they also said that in this case that russian prisoner >> had already served a significant portion of his sentence about 12 years or so. and then in addition to that, there were some really serious concerns about reid's health. we're told there were several health conditions that he was suffering from, that he didn't get proper medical treatment for in that russian president. and they were getting really worried about his medical condition. >> i thank

nearly two months, the president of the players association speaking on griner's detention. abc news exclusive. >>> also ahead, how a quick-thinking teacher saved a student with a bottle cap stuck in his throat. >>> first back to ginger. >> another image of that wicked rotation across arkansas. we told you from anywhere in minnesota to texas today, but tomorrow it's an even larger area, chicago to our friends in jackson, mississippi, again so we'll be opening that up for the next two days. your local weather in 30 seconds. now a check a little closer to home. drew: sunny skies today but it is windy again this afternoon. gusting at 30 to 35 miles per hour. temperatures in the 50's to low 60's. overnight we will have clouds moving in after midnight. numbers in the 30's and 40's. here is the seven-day forecast. we will track the wind again this afternoon. rain late tomorrow night into thursday. another chance on saturday and another chance >>> we are just getting started. we are -- >> sorry. >> oh, our day is getting brighter. >> hey, we'll be back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the ihop rewards pro

official visited griner. the state department is now pushing for regular access.mind last night during the wnba draft. >> i want to take a moment to reiterate the wnba support for phoenix mercury star brittney griner. please know that getting her home safely continues to be our top priority. >> the commissioner also announced a new initiative to support griner's charity projects. >>> former u.s. marine trevor reed goes before an appeals court in moscow today as u.s. officials express concern about his health. the state department is calling on russia to provide adequate medical care. reed has been in prison since 2019 accused of assaulting a police officer. >>> and we turn now to showg a lf-drivingizarre r tweeg being ver bye francio. it ts crazyhe w pleer without headlights on. at first it looks like an ordinary traffic stop. an officer gets out of his car to speak to the driver only to discover. >> ain't nobody in it. >> reporter: and then the car speeds away from the officers passing through an intersection. before pulling over again. multiple officers then app

officials believes putin has strong motivation to keep holding griner. the fact she's a u.s.y right after the olympics when russia was roundly embarrassed yet again for doping of its olympic athletes. a way to get revenge at the u.s. olympic committee. >> reporter: another american held in russia trevor reed on tuesday had a court appearance by video, his appeal kicked back to a low are court. his parents worried he may have tuberculosis. >> looks terrible in that shot on the tweet, and really concerned because he really looks thin. >> reporter: u.s. officials openly concerned about reed's health. >> we believe he needs urgent treatment to prevent further deterioration in his medical condition. >> reporter: reed sentenced to nine years for allegedly endangering the lives of russian police office while drunk, which his family and u.s. officials deny. on tuesday reed's father made a bold statement about his son's situation. >> taking him for trade what they want. he's not coming home unless they get that. >> reporter: court brittney griner, trevor reed or the other american det

official believes putin has strong motivation to keep holding griner. the fact that she's a u.s. february right after the olympics when russia was roundly embarrassed yet again for doping of its olympic athletes. and so this might be also a way of getting revenge at the u.s. olympic committee. >> reporter: another american held in russia, trevor reed, on tuesday had a court appearance by video, where his appeal was kicked back to a lower court. his parents are worried he may have tuberculosis. >> he looks terrible in that shot that they had on the weet and we're really concerned because he really looks thin. >> reporter: u.s. officials openly concerned about reed's health. >> we do believe that he needs urgent treatment to prevent any further deterioration in his medical condition. >> reporter: reed was sentenced to nine years for allegedly endangering the lives of russian police officers while drunk, which his family and u.s. officials deny. on tuesday, reed's father made a bold statement about his son's situation. >> they're taking him for trade, and that's what they want, and

paul whelan and wnba player brittney griner? and trevor reed's parents tonight with a message to all of the other families waiting for their loved ones to come home, too. our interview here and cecilia vega standing by live at the white house. >>> tonight, vladimir putin's new threat, warning that russia will now respond with, quote, lightning fast strikes, against countries who want to interfere in the war in ukraine. it comes after the kremlin cut off those gas supplies to two nato members, poland and bulgaria, vowing other nations could be next. marcus moore in kyiv again tonight. >>> back here at home this evening, the pandemic and amid rising cases in more than 30 states, some are now asking why dr. anthony fauci declared while on pbs that the u.s. is now finally out of the pandemic phase of this. what did he mean by that? and what he's saying now. >>> this evening, the new and chilling case in wisconsin. the murder of a 10-year-old girl. a 14-year-old boy arrested. that boy now being held on $1 million bond. what police ar

xwr griner was retained in february on drug smuggling charges. nada, wonderful to see trevor reed finally making his way home. where are we on the efforts to release the other detainees, paul whelan and brittaney grine? >> certainly wonderful news for trevor reed and his family, that is echoed by the family of paul whelan. but they share their statement yesterday expressing that they felt mixed emotions upon hearing the news. his parents are said to have been devastated and completely crushed upon hearing the fact that trevor reed had been released and paul whelan not. and we heard directly from paul whelan, he shared a statement with his family and i can read you a little bit of what he said yesterday. why was i left behind? while i'm pleased trevor is home with his family, why hasn't more been done to secure my release in that is the question that he and his family are asking, what is being done to secure his release. the biden administration as you mentioned there has said that trevor's release is a testament to the priority that the biden adm

there's brittney griner. how important these americans are all around the world, in north korea, in iran and venezuela where they are detained as bargaining chips but i commend the president. this was a big triumph for him. he made the decision to proceed with the prisoner exchange, and i commend the reed family because they went to the president, and they met with the president and convinced him that this should happen, and there's so many parents all around america, joy, that has prisoners in many countries that deserve that kind of strength from their government, and it happened. >> yeah. let me play -- i'm going to read what president biden's statement will say on reed's safe return is a testament to the priority my administration placed on bringing home americans held hostage and ronningfully detained abroad. we won't stop until paul whelan and others join trevor in the loving arms of their family and friends. there are trevor and others, paul whelan was named. brittney griner was not named in person. is

russian authorities arrested griner in february at a moscow airport.gling significant amounts of a narcotic substance into the country, according to the russian government. cnn's kylie atwood live at the state department with more on this. kylie, what can you tell us? >> reporter: yeah, so this is new information about brittney griner's situation while she has been detained in russia, as you said, since the middle of february. she has twice a week been able to see her representatives while she has been detained. and she's also able to receive letters and correspondence, according to espn reporting. but it also mirrors what cnn reported last month, according to a source familiar that she has been able to see her legal team multiple times a week while she has been detained. they said she is doing well. that she is in good condition. now, of course, this comes after just yesterday the wnba commissioner ahead of their draft spoke about brittney griner. of course she is an american basketball star. and the commissioner talked about how diligently the legal

paul whelan and brittney griner.e have it all covered tonight, including our interview with trevor reed's parents, but we begin with our chief white house correspondent cecilia vega, leading us off. >> reporter: today, an extraordinary scene on a tarmac n turkey. former u.s. marine trevor reed on the left, walking right past a convicted russian drug smuggler. the prisoner exchange broadcast on russian state tv, ending in a handshake and reed boarding a flight to freedom. a closer look shows reed flanked by russian soldiers, appearing gaunt as he started that journey home. the white house saying his deteriorating condition was behind the urgency to get the deal done. >> trevor's freedom is the result of months and months of hard, careful work across the u.s. government. >> reporter: the negotiations to free reed took months of diplomacy at the highest levels, at a time when u.s./russian relations are at an all-time low. tday, president biden saying, "the negotiations that allowed us to bring trevor home required diffi

we will see a similar arrangement involving brittney griner and bringing the wnba star home as well two >> reporter: that is what a lot of people are asking and hoping for. that these other two americans still in russia are also released at some point. but to give you some background on brittney griner's case, she has been held in russia since mid february on drug charges . russian officials said they found cartridges in her possession with an oil derived from cannabis. now, she has spent years playing in russia, playing basketball in russia during the winter months. she plays in the states for the phoenix mercury. but again, the release of trevor reed has raised a lot of awareness about these other cases. the state department spokesman today called grantor's case a type top priority for them. they are working closely with her team and also adding that they are working day in and day out on paul whelen's case. he has been in russian custody since 2018, ryan. >> thank you very much. natalie brand reporting live from the white house. >>> united nations has no put together a team that

paul whelan, brittney griner. there could be these negotiations taking place in parallel or despite the fact that the relationship with the united states and russia has deteriorated to sort of unprecedented depths, specifically over the war in ukraine. and so the fact that there can be this absolutely awful relationship between washington and moscow on the one hand, on the other hand, they can still be back room negotiations that results in this kind of deal, which sees the freedom of an american citizen in a russian jail, will give, i suspect, people like paul whelan, people like brittney griner a high degree of hope that their futures can also be settled in such a positive way. >> what about brittney griner and paul whelan? both of them remain detained in russia. what do we know about the efforts to get them released? >> they're active. the state department is continuing to work on both of those cases. brittney griner was detained in russia earlier this wheel. paul whelan has been detained since 2018. it's impor

the state department is focused on the release of both griner and whelan. and ambassador mcfaul, what do you make of these type of negotiations going on during a hot war like this. i guess is it a good sign? >> any time an american gets out of russian prison, it is a good sign. so it is great to see trevor reed out of russia. it doesn't mean necessarily that they'll be a similar deal for paul whelan or brittney griner. although, just as you've been reporting. >> think they are working both of those cases behind closed doors. and in different ways. especially brittney griner is in a different place because she hasn't been convicted with these long, year long sentences. she's still early on and that gives me cautious hope that that there might be a way to get her out before she gets on the list that paul whelan is on. i've looked closely at paul's situation and britney, i don't see any justification for why they'll be being held and i hope our diplomats behind closed doors could get them out. >> general, finally, as you know we've all seen this war has gone i

brittney griner since february, we learned of it in march.pecifically on griner, the wnba player, as we know by now. there was reporting then that intense media coverage of her case would make her more of a valuable bargaining chip, but the biden administration source says today that the media interest in the reeves case helped secure his release. does the media attention on these cases help or hurt to bring them back home? >> well, you know, i want to respect the family and all of those who love britney for their assessment being guided by the russian lawyers. but let me just speak for myself. i absolutely believe that the media attention helped trevor and hopefully will help paul, and now it needs to help britney. i'm of the view that we need to tell the story because russia is vicious. they're killing babies in ukraine. they're bombing shelters where people are trying to save themselves, civilians, not allowing humanitarian rounds. there is no consciousness in both the leader of russia, mr. putin, or those who are his henchman. what we nee

when it comes to brittney griner, her case is a top priority for us.ruary on allegations of drug smuggling. authorities say they found cannabis oil in her luggage. one believes that vladamir putin has strong motivation to keep holding brittney griner, the fact that she's an olympic gold medalist. >> she was seized in february after the olympics, when russia was roundly embarrassed yet again for doping of its olympic athletes. this might be a way of getting revenge at the u.s. olympic committee. >> reporter: she's had at least one consul visit by a u.s. official in moscow. they reported she was in good condition. paul weland has been detained since 2018 on espionage charges, which he denied. one says that charge doesn't bode well for him. >> espionage charges, that's basically for life in russia. so i think the united states, if they're involved in that negotiation, together with the government, that's going to take a very long time because of the complexity of the case. >> reporter: weland's brother says getting him out will require courage and high le

griner's detainment took place in the days before russia's invasion of ukraine. fears that russian president putin may be using her as a bargaining chip and the ongoing conflict. her situation highlights americans caught in the political crossfire of the war in ukraine. police commissioner said before monday's draft griner is safe, but they want to get her back home. now. >> we're trying everything we can. >> every angle working through with her. representation her age i'm elected leaders, the administration, just everybody in our ecosystem to try and find ways to get her home safely and i'm very as quickly as we can. >> the biden administration is also trying to get to former u.s. marines back to the states. paul whalen, who was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in 2018 on espionage charges, which both the u.s. and his family say are fabricated. and trevor reed was sentenced to 9 years in prison for allegedly assaulting 2 russian police officers on a drunken night out. in national news, president joe biden is taking a step to address gas prices. inflation rise

the latest on brittney griner and how the wnba is responding to her detention in russia.he president of the players union is only on gma. philadelphia becomes the first major city to bring back indoor mask mandates. reggie will have something to say about this. covid cases are climbing. will other cities follow? we are celebrating "brighter by the day." that is what you two always make me. me. at denny's, we're open for anything. like making our breakfast eeennndddllleeesssss. for a limited time, enjoy all the pancakes, scrambled eggs, and hash browns you want. that's endless yummmm for just $6.99. new endless breakfast. only at denny's. what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more.. catching my train... making moves... ♪ making a connection... a train connection. that's how you du more with dupixent, which helps prevent asthma attacks. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even

brittney griner, the wnba and paul whelan still in detention. arlette, president biden in his statement said the negotiations required difficult decisions. do we know what those difficult decisions were, specifically? >> well, jim, the white house has yet to detail what exactly the decisions were. but president biden did describe those secret negotiations, the decisions that were made were difficult ones. it is remarkable that this prisoner exchange happened given the state of affairs between the u.s. and russia as russia continues to wage its unrelenting war against ukraine. now, you heard the parents of trevor reed say they were on the phone with their son, shortly after his release, when president biden called them, and in a statement this morning, president biden described that phone call with trevor reed's parents. he said, i heard in the voices of trevor's parents how much they worried about his health and missed his presence. and i was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about trevor's freedom. now in his statement, the

but, of course, one thing we should note, guys, is that brittney griner and paul whelan are two americansstill detained in russia. so yesterday was a great day for trevor reed's family, they are elated, but those families, of course, were devastated to hear the news that their family members weren't coming home. and trevor reed's family is actually quite close with paul whelan's family, both of the men were former marines, they had been detained in russia, a lot of similarities there, and paul whelan had been detained for longer, since 2018. so listen to what trevor reed's mother said yesterday when she was talking about just her emotions surrounding the fact that paul whelan and brittney griner haven't yet come home from russia. >> we have a close relationship with the whelan family and we talk to them regularly all the time. so our hearts were a little broken when we found out it wasn't going to -- the deal was not going to include paul. so our hearts go out to them. we texted with them, we know. she knows that. their family knows that. and as far as brittany's family goes, we're going

the state department has said the cases of brittney griner and paul whelan are so high-priority casesm. laura: how is it that is one prisoner swamp was able to happen despite the immense tensions between the u.s. and russia at this moment over the war in ukraine? >> it is interesting, the government has said this is nothing to do with ukraine, not related at all. but what it does show is the communication channels are still open and despite the fact that relations between ukine and america, russia and america are at an all-time low. they can still engage in basic diplomacy. >> separately, it was a big date in washington. the funeral service was held for the first female u.s. secretary of state, madeleine albright. you are attending outside. tell us about the eulogies and what was said about her. >> yes, i was at the washington national cathedral were more than 1400 people were packed in to see and hear president biden deliver the eulogy for madeleine albright. it was a mixture of politics and personal. former president clinton also liver to speech as well as the former secretary of st

. >> brittney griner, marine veteran trevor reed and security executive paul whalen.li meyer reports on the distrust between the u.s. and russia. and many say it's at an all-time high. >> americans being targeted in russia in recent weeks. we have seen reports of u.s. citizens being singled out and detained by the russian military in ukraine. the state department says americans face harassment by russian security officials and can be arrested. spokesperson ned price says they don't have a solid number of americans detained in russia, but they're able to visit a few notable americans like wnba star brittney griner, who remains incarcerated. >> the state department warning americans of traveling to russia and ukraine as the war enters a new phase. russia promising to scale back troops as peace talks continue u.s. officials caution don't call it a russian retreat question. what are going back and forth? >> was on how exactly would. for. there's no clear evidence of point on it was forced out. >> the pentagon says those forces are moving into the neighboring country of be

andy scholes has the latest. >> brittney griner's been in russia since february.y're working to gain her release. it's certainly a slow process. >> obviously we're getting a ton of support from the government, from specialists from -- you know, her representation are able to visit with brittney. we know she's safe but we want to get her home. it's just a very complex situation right now. we're following the advice. there's not a day that goes by that we're not talking to someone who has views on what we've been doing and how we're moving forward. i know we're all frustrated but we do need to be pash zblend espn reports griner has been able to see her legal representative twice a week. she was the number one pick in the 2013 wnba draft. the lying is holding its annual draft last night. they selected ryan powers. >>> in the nba the lakers officially parting ways with frank vogel. his firing comes 18 months after leading the lakers to an nba title. this is a nightmare for the lakers. they didn't make it to the play in tournament. on tnt the nets host the cavs. that's

here's the problem here, for whelan and griner, well isn't accused on espionage charges. that is a big deal, russia wants to make propaganda deem. we have an american spy, which in my assessment does not appear to be the calls. in griner's situation, have you an african-american woman openly gay, this is something the russians rail against. you heard the corruption of western society and our failing morals, all of that stuff. so both of these people still unfortunately imprisoned in russia, in likelihood with no good reason will be used as political pawns that putin wants to make. >> grateful for your important insights at this moment. we will continue to follow those stories as well. >>> up next, a show of unity from republicans, leader melania trump e kevin mccarthy gets a standing ovation, despite newly recordings where he is heard criticizing donald trump and several republican lawmakers.. (vo) verizon business unlimited is going ultra! get more. like manny. event planning with our best plan ever. (manny) yeah, that's what i do. (vo) with 5g ultra wideband in many mor

you also have brittney griner, the basketball star, superstar.have had very little communication from anyone about what's going on there. >> that's very true. i think to me it seems that -- paul whelan has been a topic of discussion for some time. brittney griner is a new hostage that the russians have taken. these things play out -- it's a criminal regime. they take -- they look at these individuals as hostages. they are going to try to do horse swapping. the u.s. is not going to be held hostage. if there's an opportunity to free a u.s. citizen, i think we are going to do the best we can to do that. >> you think there's a chance to get paul whelan and brittney griner out, even as we are in this terrible face-off with russia making nuclear threats against the u.s.? >> clearly, freeing trevor is an indicator we can continue to do that. i don't think that these are meaningfully different circumstances, whether it's a fabricated drug offense or the claims of espionage whelan has been convicted of. all these things are kind of immaterial to somebody

whelan detained on charges he deny, and griner on drugs, that she denies. they will not rest until both are released. >> overnight, an askalation between -- russia cut off gas supplies to poland and bulgaria, and they must pay for gas in russian rubles. they call it black mail. officials saying they are using unguided bombs in that city, increasing the risk of civilian casualties. staff members travelled to be the first step of more travel in the future. the u.s. is preparing to reopen their embassy in kyiv as soon as possible. >> a pentagon correspondent for the new york times, and a political contributor. what is it like in the ground where you are today? >> i got back from the frenches've kyiv. we embedded for the morning with the in territorial defense is a force made up of civilian volunteer. it is a weapon used to take out russian tank, a gift from the british government, costs 30 to 40 thousands each. and gave us a tue of the all of this to illustrate the press conference of that western support, on show in germany, with you u.s. secretary of defense

>> reporter: but the white house once again reiterated its commitment to bringing both whelan and grinervor reed exchange could have happened during the war in ukraine when u.s.-russian relations are so low, tonight, president biden says it's because he raised the issue with the russians three months ago. norah. >> o'donnell: weijia jiang, thank you. well, earlier, we spoke with joey and paula reed, trevor's parents, and we asked how their son was doing. >> he's doing better. we spoke to him early this morning, right after he got on the plane. and he sounded a little subdued, kind of like he was maybe in shock, but then we spoke to him i guess about an hour ago, and he sounded much better. they got some fluids and food into him. >> o'donnell: the world woke up to this news. when did you find out your son would be freed? >> we had some indication from the state department over the last few days that something, you know, might be coming. and then we got the call in the early-morning hours today that it was happening. >> o'donnell: how was your son treated while he was in this russian priso

the case of brittney griner is moving very slowly.n other news, house minority leader kevin mccarthy faced new disclosures that he criticized far right republicans after january 6 of last year. the new york times released another reported conversation with mccarthy following the attack on the u.s. capitol. he warned some lawmakers could incite fresh violence with their fiery statements. >> tension is too high, the country is too crazy. i don't want to look back to think we caused something or missed something and someone was hurt. amna: in public mccarthy made no criticism of the lawmakers or of foer president trump. today he met with house republicans and received a standing ovation. lawyers for mr. trump appealed a contempt finding today and fines of $10,000 a day. state judge in new york cited him for failing to hand over documents in a civil investigation. that centers on allegations that the trump organization misled bankers and tax officials about the value of its properties. it's unclear whether the appeal puts the fines on hol

at least two well-known americans remain in russian custody, w19 star brittney griner, who was arrested in february, and paul whelan, also a marine vet, accused of espionage, who has been detained since 2018, longer than reed. his twin brother, david whellan, said his family is full of emotions. >> disappointment, and, perhaps more than disappointment, i would even say, you know, urging towards anger. >> reporter: whelan said they found out about reed's release on tv and before today they had not heard from the biden administration in three months. do you think the release of trevor reed will impact paul's release in any way for better or worse? >> i think that the u.s. government has a limited number of concessions it's willing to give. the russian government, and it has given up one of them. >> reporter: but the white house once again reiterated its commitment to bringing both whelan and griner home. asked how the trevor reed exchange could have happened during the war in ukraine when u.s.-russian relations are so low, tonight, president biden says it's because heaised the issue with

. >> you brought up the other americans, brittany griner is obviously still there. and paul whelan. cnn obtained a statement that paul whelan gave yesterday. he said why was i left behind? while i am pleased trevor is home with his family, i have been held on a fictitious charge of espionage for 40 months. the world knows this charge was fabricated. why hasn't more been done for my release. . >> i have been advocating for his release publicly and in negotiations with the russian government since before i got here as ambassador. when i was deputy secretary of state. when paul was originally arrested back in december of 2018. i've said that since i arrived here as ambassador in january of 2020 we have no higher priority, and president biden has no higher priority, than the release of all americans who are wrongfully detained here. this is just one step, alyson, this case, trevor's case is just one step. i've never relented in my advocacy for paul in an engagement with the russian government for paul's release. and my hope and expectation is that we will ultimately see that lead to suc

but again, no timeline on griner's possible release. the 31 year-old was arrested in february when russian officials said they found hash oil in her luggage in march or detention was extended to at least may 19th griner was playing professionally in russia. many women play in europe in their offseason because they often earn far more money than they do in the wnba. >> coming up tonight at 8, the top picks are waiting to find out their future. we will hear from nfl draft prospects. is they wait for the big day? >> plus, some windy weather serving as a reminder of the arrival of fire season. how officials around the bay area we're trying to take action right now. >> but first, new details offer a different option on how a local man died last year while being taken into police custody. what a second autopsy says about the death of mario gonzalez. (music throughout) >> new developments tonight in the death of mario gonzalez says second independent autopsy lists. his official cause of death as restraint. a fixation and not drugs. 26 yearold

brittney griner and her family? >> he's right. it's a case we're working on and working on the case of brittney griner, as well. look, this president has made a clear commitment to bring home americans who are unjustly detained, held hostage around the world. we made good on that commitment once again yesterday. that adds to the countries from which we brought home americans who have been unjustly detained from afghanistan, venezuela, haiti, burma and as of yesterday, russia. trevor reed is reunited with his family in texas where he arrived this morning. but we made clear yesterday that our work is not finished. it is not finished in russia or countries across the world that are unjustly holding americans against their will. when it comes to paul whelan, we are working with his family and doing everything we can to try to get him -- see him released from russian custody as soon as we can. when it comes to brittney griner, we are working closely with her team and network, with the wnba, providing precisely all the forms of support

>> reporter: but the white house once again reiterated its commitment to bringing both whelan and griner home. asked how the trevor reed exchange could have happened during the war in ukraine when u.s.-russian relations are so low, tonight, president biden says it's because he raised the issue with the russians three months ago. norah. >> o'donnell: weijia jng, thank you. well, earlier, we spoke with joey and paula reed, trevor's parents, and we asked how their son was doing. >> he's doing better. we spoke to him early this morning, right after he got on the plane. and he sounded a little subdued, kind of like he was maybe in shock, but then we spoke to him i guess about an hour ago, and he sounded much better. they got some fluids and food into him. >> o'donnell: the world woke up to this news. when did you find out your son would be freed? >> we had some indication from the state department over the last few days that something, you know, might be coming. and then we got the call in the early-morning hours today that it as happening. >> o'donnell: how was your son treated while he was

russian jail serious concerns about the condition of star american basketball player brittney gr griner of the wnba players union on nbc. >> we're really most concerned about her health and safety, especially her mental health. we're hearing that in that respect she's okay. >> reporter: the wnba commissioner says greiner, jailed on allegations she was carrying cannabis oil at the moscow airport, is safe and is getting access to her legal team in russia. >> we're trying everything we can, every angle, working through with her legal representation, her agent, elected leaders, the administration. >> reporter: greiner has been able to see her representative in russia twice a week and is able to receive letters and correspondence, sources tell espn. but vladimir putin's war in ukraine could dash any hopes for a speedy release. >> he's not going to release anyone that he has in custody. he's going to try to use it as he has been probably behind the scenes all along as a bargaining chip to get something from us. >> there's very little the u.s. government can do right now. we have very limited

brittney griner, of course, the wnba star who was held since february.vladimir kara-murza, right, who's a russian citizen, but a green card holder here in the u.s. his wife and his kids are americans. did any of their names come up in these talks or any other potential trades or swaps in the works? ned: we're always working to secure the release of americans who are held unjustly around the world. and that includes in russia. i should say that, today, we had a successful outcome in the case of trevor reed, but ouwork isn't finished. far from it. we're continuing to do everything we can to see the successful and prompt release of paul whelan. it's something we have called for, for months and months now. we're doing everything we can to support brittney griner, to see to it that we have regular consular access to her. a senior embassy official was able to visit her in recent weeks. we're continuing to work with the russian government on her case to see to it that we have regular, consistt access to her, and that she is being treated fairly and being afford

. >> at that time he didn't know basketball star britney griner had also been detained.cy. >> he's coughing up blood throughout the day. he has pain in his chest. just all the signs. >> his parents lobby. even protested in front of the white house. then on march 30, granted a face to face meeting with president biden. they came with a request. consider a prisoner swap. >> we always said in a campaign from the beginning, if we can just get his parents in front of president biden, we were confident president biden would make the deal. and he did. >> which sources say was a tough call for the president. tonight with a attention focussed on the two americans still held by putin. the family is worried about the cards biden can play. >> it may not be willing to cross lines to do exchanges with more hardened criminals or serious criminals. to bring paul home. it seems like the option is narrow. >> there may not be many options for trade for whelan or griner. one that is often coming up in public discussions right now is the possibility of the u.s. handing victor boot over to th

espn reports griner has been able to see her legal representative in russia twice a week, and is ables. the wnba commissioner says they are doing everything they can to bring her home but she acknowledged it is a complex geopolitical situation with russia and ukraine, and they don't want to jeopardize her safety in any way. >>> well still to come, president biden and the indian prime minister's candid exchange over russia's war on ukraine. why india's neutral position has caused increasing concern in the united states. >>> plus, economic sanctions haven't stopped everyone from doing business with russia. who is still buying russian gas and oil? that's just ahead. (vo) a thin painted line. the only thing between you and a life-changing accident. but are these lines enough? a subaru with eyesight... (kid vo) hey dad! (vo) ...watches the lines for any danger... and can automatically stop itself. (mom) is everyone ok? (kid) i'm ok. (vo) your family is safer in a three-row subaru ascent. love. it's what makes subaru, subaru. >>> welcome back, everyone. i am john vause live in lviv, ukraine

brittany griner, the basketball player. so we should pursue that. my foundation is continuing to work. here's where the private humanitarian effort, this is my foundation, can work also. besides the government to make this happen but the president should take credit to this. president biden. he did good, and he should continue doing this. >> you call it good news and it is also very good to have you here to talk about it. thanks for your efforts and thank you for coming on, ambassador. >> thank you. >>> now let's get to the very latest on the war in ukraine. russia claiming that it has been hit. explosions in three separate regions of the country. one of those explosions at an ammunition depot near belgorod. if true, these strikes, these attacks would mark a significant escalation but of course, important to note once again, the kremlin often lies about attacks to try to justify further aggression in ukraine. cnn's scott mclean live in lviv for us. what can you tell us? what are you learning about these explosions in russia? >> reporter: hey, kate.

we have a wnba star, brittany griner who is still there.o the state department is working to release those americans, but, of course, because this prisoner exchange happened, there will be questions by americans who are detained all over the world as to if there can be prisoner changes in their as well, anna. >> caitlin, this is fantastic news for trevor reed and his family. as we are discussing, he was one of three held in russia. how did he become the lucky one? >> that raises a big question, why this, why now? why trevor reed, you do have paul whelan and brittany griner detained wrongfully, according to united states in russia. this is something you seen paul whelan's brother, saying he wants his brother to be release. as you heard, they did not realize when they got a call from their son today, from the state department. they were on the phone with trevor reed, they found out he had been staying in a prison that paul whelan had been in. so, of course, it still raises questions about when they could get released, when that could happen.

what's raising special concern about whelan and brittney griner, another high-profile of an american detained there, is the prisoner swap as it was described to secure reed's release, yushchenko was much sought after by russian figures as they've been discussing potential releases. the concern is because russia received now their most high-profile ask, there is no similar bargaining chip to secure the release. reed's parents say they hope there might be other similar avenues that could secure other releases as well. >> mike in washington, thank you. >>> overnight, new attacks in ukraine in kherson, a series of reported explosions rocked the city, including a tv tower struck by a missile. >>> unfolding in mariupol, the city council warns 100,000 residents are in mortal danger because of unsanitary conditions in the city stemming from a lack of clean water. and the u.n. secretary-general visited the outskirts of kyiv to witness the aftermath of those reported civilian massacres that took place under russian occupation. >> the civilians always pay the highest price. innocent civilians l