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1 Brittney Griner Found Guilty, Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison
A Russian judge handed down a nine-year sentence for Brittney Griner on Thursday after her conviction on charges of drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent. In addition to the sentence, the judge fined her one million rubles, which is roughly $16,300 U.S. dollars. After the sentencing, President Joe Biden called the sentence “unacceptable” and pledged to “work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue” to bring her back to America, adding “I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.” The judge’s sentence comes almost six months after Griner flew into a Moscow airport and was found with .702 grams of cannabis oil in her luggage, which prosecutors said was enough to meet the “significant amount” threshold under Russian law.
2 Biden Declares Monkeypox Outbreak A Public Health Emergency
The Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday during a briefing with the Department of Health and Human Services. Since the first U.S. monkeypox case was identified in May, more than 6,600 probable or confirmed cases have been detected in the U.S., with cases being found in every state except Montana and Wyoming. The declaration on Thursday follows the World Health Organization announcement last month that monkeypox is a public health emergency of international concern. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden named Robert Fenton, a regional FEMA administrator, as the White House’s national monkeypox response coordinator.
3 Police Search For Suspects After Shots Fired Into Crowded Store At The Mall Of America
Police are searching for suspects after gunshots were fired into a crowded store in the Mall of America on Thursday. The suspects, described as young adults after authorities viewed video of the incident, fled the scene, and preliminary information indicates only one person fired three shots. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said that in the video, “we observed two groups get into some type of altercation at the cash register in the Nike store. One of the groups left after the altercation, but instead of walking away they decided to demonstrate a complete lack of respect for human life.” The mall went into lockdown after the incident and was closed for the day but is expected to reopen today.