::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

BIDEN ON ALLIES ASSISTING WITH PRISONER SWAP: " They stepped up and took a chance for us." By Mona Austin Just around midnight in Maryland, on a dark landing strip at Joint Base Andrews,  family members of American detained in Russia cried puddles of tears while erupting with  cheers of joy as their loved ones arrived back in the biggest prison swap between the  United States  Russia since the Cold War.  President joe Biden had secured their freedom in a triumph of diplomacy.  Seven countries were involved in the deal that led to the  release of  4 wrongfully-detained individuals (3 American citizens and 1 a green-card holder)--f ormer U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and  journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich .  They were a part of a 16 person swap for 8 Russian nationals.   Vice President Kamala Harris joined Pres. Joe Biden for the welcome saying it was the outcome of  "having a president who understand diplomacy." Sp...

Brtiney Griner was recently transferred from jail  to a Russian penal colony after losing an appeal for her release in October.  Depite their best efforts US negotiators have not been able to convince the Russians to let her go.  The Phoenix Mercury star, 32,  is serving a 9-year sentence on drug smuggling charges and have been detained since Febuary. Her attorneys have visited her i the city iof Mondrovia and sy she is trying to stay strong.    Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre  “Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long. As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony” “As we have said before, the  U.S. Government made a significant offer to the Russians  to resolve t...

   This is a critical moment to accelerate our work to improve domestic cybersecurity and bolster our national resilience.  I have previously warned about the potential that Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed on Russia alongside our allies and partners. It’s part of Russia’s playbook. Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks. From day one, my Administration has worked to strengthen our national cyber defenses, mandating extensive cybersecurity measures for the Federal Government and those critical infrastructure sectors where we have authority to do so, and creating innovative public-private partnerships and initiatives to enhance cybersecurity across all our critical infrastructure. Congress has partnered with us on these efforts — we appreci...