Gershkovich Free

Plus, social media sleuth.

August 02, 2024

The Flag

Good morning and Happy Friday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:

  • US: US reaches plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (CNN)

  • World: Up to seven reportedly dead in Nigeria after clashes between police and citizens (The Guardian)

  • Business: U.S. proposes ban on airline fees for seating parents next to kids (CBS News)

  • Technology: Google releases new ‘open’ AI models with a focus on safety (TechCrunch)

  • Sports: Biles grabs gold, Lee bronze in women's all-around gymnastics final (ESPN)

And of course, some good news: Art Historian Discovers Long-Lost Portrait of Henry VIII in Background of Social Media Post.

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Left: How Harris Will Pick a Running Mate, Gabriel DeBenedetti, New York Magazine

Right: The Mean Girl Rebranding of the Democratic Party, Miranda Devine, New York Post

Right: Harris Campaign Tries To Create the Appearance of Excitement, Seth Barron, The American Mind

Right: Secret Service, FBI’s Trump Shootin Stonewall, Editorial Board, Washington Times

SUPREME COURT

Gershkovich Free

Today’s Top Story: On Thursday, U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were released by Russia as part of the biggest East-West prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War.

Reporting from the Left: Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since Cold War (The Guardian)

Reporting from the Right: Russia and the West agree largest prisoner swap since the Cold War (The Spectator)

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Was This Putin’s Plan All Along?

The Top Argument From The Left: The Joyful Release of Evan Gershkovich Came at a High Price, Serge Schmemann, The New York Times: “…even as we celebrate the liberation of these innocent people, it is hard to avoid the troubling fact that Putin has successfully used their detentions to get real criminals out of the prisons where they belong, most notably Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin serving a life sentence in Germany. Biden was right to do everything he could to bring back wrongfully imprisoned Americans, but the readiness of authoritarian states like Russia to seize innocent foreigners as hostages is galling. It’s why they are known as “abductor states” in Washington parlance. … With time, the details of how the complex exchange was arranged may come to light. One question that may never be answered is whether Putin calculated the pros and cons of concluding the exchange while Biden was still in office or waiting to see whether Donald Trump would be back to garner the garlands. Perhaps he concluded that with Trump’s changing political fortunes, such a complex deal was best done now. Another question is why another American being held in Russia — Marc Fogel, a history teacher in a school for foreigners in Moscow — was not included in the exchange.”

Honorable Mention #1: Putin’s narrative on the prisoner exchange? Don’t believe a word of it., Christian Caryl, The Washington Post.

Honorable Mention #2: The Wall Street Journal Kept Gershkovich’s Detention Front and Center, Katie Robertson, The New York Times.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

This Was Necessary, But There Will Be Consequences

The Top Argument From The Right: Evan Gershkovich swap carries a dangerous FSB cost, Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner: “To be clear, this deal was worth making. It brings necessary freedom for Gershkovich, Kurmasheva, and Kara-Murza, in particular. Still, Krasikov’s release means there are significant costs attached here. At the strategic level, Putin has learned that if he exerts enough pressure, he’ll likely be able to secure the release even of his assassins. This will fuel Putin’s perception that the West is malleable to his will. Putin has skillfully played on rising U.S. elite sentiments in favor of getting Gershkovich home as soon as possible. He will have noticed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s pledge to bring Gershkovich back on his first day in office. Putin clearly assessed that the longer he waited, the more the Biden administration would pressure Germany to release Krasikov. And he was right. Gershkovich was an easy target of opportunity. Putin knew the reporter was simply doing his job, journalism, but all the Russian leader needed to do was pretend that Gershkovich was a spy, arrest him, and hold him for today’s event. He knows the West would never do the same thing.”

Honorable Mention #1: WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Free, Hinshaw et al., The Wall Street Journal.

FLAG THIS

Exchange Details and History

As it has been noted, this is the most significant East-West prisoner exchange in post-Soviet history, involving 24 prisoners from seven nations. Along with Gershkovich and Whelan, this multinational agreement saw the release of other activists, opposition figures, and human rights campaigners (AP).

Comparatively, in 2010, another notable swap took place at Vienna International Airport, where the United States released 10 Russian spies, including Anna Chapman, in exchange for four individuals, among them Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, an MI6 operative (Sky News).

WATERCOOLER

Signatures Affixed, Cheetah Lessons, Earth Shakes

On This Day in 1776, members of Congress affix their signatures to an enlarged copy of the Declaration of Independence. Fifty-six congressional delegates in total signed the document, including some who were not present at the vote approving the declaration.

Today I learned the Earth shakes every 26 seconds, and scientists aren’t sure why.

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