Brittney Griner, the American basketball star who was imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, was finally, after 10 months, released from a labor camp and is currently making her way back to the US. And all it took was a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer nicknamed “The Merchant of Death” who provided inspiration for Nicolas Cage’s character in the 2005 film “Lord of War”. Of course there are some who think it’s an unfair trade, but considering the US has long been the global leader in arms exports, this is technically just par for the course. At the very least it proves that Ol’ Joey B can still manage a useful act or two, even in the midst of his memory loss and strikebreaking. Or, more likely, it proves that Vin Diesel always gets his way.
Viktor Bout is already in Moscow, where state television showed him hugging his wife and mother. Meanwhile, Griner was, as of this writing, on a flight bound for a medical center in Texas where she’ll be reunited with loved ones. I’m a big supporter of freeing all political prisoners, regardless of the cost, but particularly when they’re unwillingly being used as political pawns. Griner should’ve never been in this vulnerable position, but she also should never have been forced to play basketball overseas during her offseason to try and earn enough money. Perhaps this situation will lead to greater awareness of how women’s sports leagues deserve more investment to avoid similar situations in the future, but for now we can breathe a little easier that an innocent prisoner has regained her freedom.
Side Items
NYT On Strike: Hundreds of journalists, photographers, and staff at the New York Times have staged a 24-hour walkout, in what is considered the first strike of its kind at the newspaper in more than 40 years. Newsroom employees and other members of the NewsGuild of New York are fed up with contract bargaining that has dragged on since March 2021. The union announced last week that more than 1,100 employees would stage a 24-hour work stoppage starting on Thursday unless the two sides reached a contract deal. The main differences concern wages (of course) as well as remote work policies. This is a great opportunity to explore and support small, independent journalists and outlets like this one that exploit no one while trying to share important news
Palestine at the World Cup: If there’s one clear winner at this World Cup, it’s Palestine. The outpouring of global support, expressed in chants, on huge “Free Palestine” banners displayed in the stands, and by fans who intruded on Israeli television interviews to wave Palestinian flags and berate Israeli reporters, made it clear how badly Donald Trump’s Middle East pacification plan has failed. Trump and his robotic son-in-law Kush-daddy Kushner really convinced a few Arab autocrats to sign economic cooperation deals with Israel that ignored the rights of Palestinians and thought they’d solved the conflict. But the voice of the people remains undefeated
Netflix Royal Drama: The streaming giant is apparently giving us even more royal content, with a new series focusing on Harry and Meghan Markle. Who exactly is asking for this content, I’d like to know. The docu-series apparently exposes long-hidden secrets like the fact that Britain has an endemic problem with structural racism, particularly in relation to the Royal Family and the media…shocking