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Dennis Rodman flying to Griner’s rescue is no more. Two days after former NBA star Dennis Rodman told NBC News he had secured permission to travel to Russia, Rodman is now reneging the offer. On Monday, he told ABC News he no longer has plans to make the trip. Rodman’s hesitancy and ultimate reversal comes amid scrutiny from the U.S. government which condemned his ambitions, stressing such efforts would do “more harm than good” and that they did not stand in solidarity with the endeavor.

WASHINGTON — Former NBA player Dennis Rodman said he plans to travel to Russia to help Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison earlier this month, according to NBC News. "I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl," the 61-year-old told NBC News on Saturday. "I'm trying to go this week." Rodman was vague about what kind of permission he was granted to visit Russia. Currently, the State Department has a travel advisory that strongly urges Americans to avoid visiting Russia. "Do not travel to Russia," the State Department advises,...

A Facebook post apparently published by a San Francisco Police Department investigator has renewed concerns about bias and the department’s role in weeding it out. The post, which appears to come from SFPD Investigator Ernie Ferrando’s personal Facebook account, includes a meme mocking Brittney Griner, a professional basketball player who was recently sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison after authorities there purportedly found marijuana vape canisters in her luggage. Griner, who is Black and a lesbian, reportedly has a medical prescription for cannabis and is appealing the sentence. In one half of the meme, labeled “How it started,”...

With Brittney Griner recently being sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for possession of cannabis, members of the underwhelming WNBA are speaking out about the trauma this is causing them. One of them even told media members during a press conference that this means something because Griner is no ordinary American. Read that again. “It’s our sister,” Skylar Diggins-Smith said. “This is not some random Jane off the street.”Before we look deeper at the rest of her comments, let’s pause right there. So, what if it was just some random Jane off the street? Would they be less...

MOSCOW — A daring attempt by a group of WNBA players to rescue Brittney Griner was foiled when the keys to her prison cell were found to be hanging from a hook ten feet off the ground. "Is this thing regulation?" said a frustrated Dearica Hamby as she jumped over and over in vain. "Ugh, it's so high! I knew we should have brought the mascot with his trampoline!" The players hatched the plan for a raid after learning of Griner's nine-year prison sentence. "It's absolutely asinine that Brittney should serve jail time for drug possession. I mean sure, we...

The Kremlin said Friday that it's open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned Washington against publicizing the issue....Lavrov said Moscow was "ready to discuss" a prisoner swap but that the topic should only be discussed via a dedicated Russia-U.S. channel that President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to establish when they met in Geneva in June 2021."If the Americans again try to engage in public diplomacy and make loud statements about their intention to take certain steps, it's their business, I would even say their problem," Lavrov...

Griner has previously kneeled for the National Anthem and demanded the WNBA remove American flags from basketball arenasWNBA basketball player Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison on drug possession and smuggling charges today after she pleaded guilty to a Russian court last month. Griner was arrested in February when entering Russia to play for a women’s basketball team after authorities found THC vape cartridges in her luggage. While the cartridges are legal in some parts of the United States, marijuana is strictly prohibited under Russian drug laws

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaking of "good representation" by farmers in talks set for tomorrow over the climate change cow gas rules. Rutte visited a farm today ahead of the talks that are being boycotted by major farm protest organizations... "The globalists can go to hell. I have come to Texas" Some of the speech from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas... In Arizona the vote count continues from Tuesday's Primary. In the Republican race for Governor Kari Lake endorsed by President Trump now leads Karrin Taylor Robson 46.8 percent to...

WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday after a Russian court found her guilty of drug smuggling with criminal intent. Her sentence also includes a fine of 1 million rubles. (snip) President Joe Biden is calling on Russia to "immediately" release Brittney Griner. The president released a statement shortly after Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of drug smuggling by a Russian court Thursday."Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," Biden said...

KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — A judge in Russia has convicted and sentenced American basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling. Judge Anna Sotnikova said the time Griner has served in custody since her arrest in February would count toward the sentence. Griner reacted to the sentence with little emotion. She listened to the verdict with a blank stare on her face. While recapping the evidence and giving her findings Thursday, the judge said the 31-year-old Griner illegally brought drugs into Russia.

Russian prosecutors have asked a court to sentence the US basketball star Brittney Griner to almost 10 years in prison on drugs charges. The Olympic gold medallist was detained in February at an airport near Moscow when cannabis oil vape cartridges were allegedly found in her luggage. Cannabis is illegal in Russia for both medicinal and recreational use.

President Donald Trump suggested that the proposed prisoner swap between Russia and the United States that would return jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner in exchange for a Russian arms dealer "doesn’t seem like a very good trade." "She knew you don’t go in there loaded up with drugs, and she admitted it," Trump told the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show. "I assume she admitted it without too much force because it is what it is, and it certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s absolutely one of the worst in the world, and he’s gonna...

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday in the highest-level known contact between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Blinken urging Russia to accept a deal to win the release of American detainees Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.Russian officials gave no public hint whether Blinken had made any headway, only issuing a chiding statement afterward urging the U.S. to pursue the Americans' freedom through “quiet diplomacy, without releases of speculative information."...Blinken did not provide details of Lavrov’s response to what he had previously called a “substantial proposal" for Russia...

"Now he has a busy schedule with international contacts: the SCO Ministerial Council in Tashkent, bilateral meetings," said spokesperson Maria Zakharova. “Foreign Minister Lavrov is in the midst of travel so I don’t have any update to provide in terms of when they may be able to connect,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Price on Thursday suggested that Moscow has not meaningfully engaged on the (prisoner swap) proposal. "The fact that, now several weeks later, we are where we are, I think you can read into that as being a reflection of the fact that this has not moved...

The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine to discuss the deal and other matters. Blinken's comments marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and...

The Biden administration has formally asked Moscow to make a deal aimed at bringing home WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom are imprisoned in Russia on dubious charges. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Wednesday that U.S. officials presented Russia with a “significant proposal” weeks ago relating Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan, but declined to confirm reports that the Biden administration is proposing to swap the two for notorious Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, who is in prison in the United States. A report by CNN Wednesday claimed that after months of...

WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February, could return to the U.S. after Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed Wednesday that the Biden administration has offered a "substantial proposal" for her return that includes American Paul Whelan.

Raw cannabis cannot be used in Russia, including for medical purposes. Among the narcotics and psychoactive substances, cannabis is on Russia’s “List I.” There is strict government control over the circulation of substances on List I. According to the Russian Criminal Code, narcotic and psychotropic substances, their analogs, and plants containing them (including cannabis) are prohibited if manufactured, sold, or delivered without authorization.

Abdul-Jabbar wrote that Griner's supporters should focus their efforts on putting pressure on Russia rather than the U.S., arguing pressuring American officials might postpone Griner's release while the government "deals with Russia's outrageous demands." He added: "Everyone supporting Brittney Griner has their hearts in the right place. Good people, one and all. But heart alone isn't effective in bringing about her release, and by publicly pressuring the U.S. government, we may be inadvertently delaying her release."

Brittney Griner, wearing a Nirvana T-shirt, was back in court Friday, where the WNBA star's attorney told the judge BG, who's being tried on a drug charge, was prescribed cannabis for medical use ... the same substance she was caught carrying. Griner's lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, told the court on Friday, "The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medical cannabis." "The permission was issued on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health," she added. Blagovolina also submitted tests to the court ... showing 31-year-old Griner underwent testing to ensure she complied with anti-doping regulations, and the results revealed...