BILL RICHARDSON

WASHINGTON — (AP) — Russia has released a U.S. Navy veteran who apparently illegally crossed the border from Poland into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad last year and was held there for nine months. Bill Richardson announced that Taylor Dudley had been handed over to U.S. custody in Poland on Thursday. The State Department had no immediate substantive comment but said it was aware of “reports” that an American citizen had been deported from Russia. The department said it was constrained in what it could say about the case due to privacy concerns. A spokesman for his family said Dudley had traveled to Europe to backpack, had gone to Poland for a music festival and at some point crossed into Kaliningrad and was detained in April, 2022.

Michelle Lujan Grisham prepares to pick a new commission as part of an overhaul that takes New Mexico voters out of the equation. He called it “a glaring omission,” saying residents in the area need to have a voice in future regulatory decisions. “We now have no say in what the energy future holds for frontline communities.”Curley said the fight to hold government officials accountable for the health and well-being of Native American families will continue. More than 20 years ago, state lawmakers on a transition committee carved out a commission district with a high Native American population to represent northwestern New Mexico. She said a Native voice on the commission is a must and she hopes the governor makes the right choice.

Many decisions by New Mexico’s most powerful regulatory panel have had direct economic and environmental consequences for one corner of the state, and yet not one candidate nominated to fill the Public Regulation Commission is from northwestern New Mexico.

Many decisions by New Mexico’s most powerful regulatory panel have had direct economic and environmental consequences for one corner of the state, and yet not one candidate nominated to fill the Public Regulation Commission is from northwestern New Mexico. Critics are concerned about the lack of representation as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham prepares to pick a new commission as part of an overhaul that takes New Mexico voters out of the equation. A constitutional amendment approved in 2020 turns the commission from a five-member elected body to a three-person appointed panel charged with overseeing electrical utilities and other industries.

Biden will hold meetings at the White House with Griner’s wife and Whalen's sister to discuss bringing home their family members, who have been held in Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia to facilitate a swap. In in interview with The Associated Press last month, Richardson said he was hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap. The person who confirmed Richardson's visit insisted on anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which Richardson founded, issued a statement declining to comment on his visit. CNN was first to report Richardson's visit.

Bill Richardson, who has worked to secure the releases of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, visited Moscow this week and held meetings with Russian leaders.

Russia Griner WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a court room ater a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. A judge in Russia has convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (Alexander Zemlianichenko)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, said Tuesday he was hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in Russia's release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. “And that is why I think a two-for-two deal is hopefully a likely outcome,” Richardson said. Though Richardson said he was cautiously optimistic, and even though there is recent precedent for prisoner swaps, such deals aren't easy.

Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, says he's hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

LeBron James is publicly criticizing the United States’ handling of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s case in a trailer for an upcoming episode of his television show: “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”.

The vast majority of Americans wrongfully imprisoned abroad today are not held by terrorist groups, but by foreign governments. Lesley Stahl reports.

As WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner approaches the three-month mark of her detention in Russia, she has no clear prospect of release.

A series of factors helped pave the way for Trevor Reed's release from a Russian prison this week as part of a prisoner exchange.

Russia and the United States have exchanged prisoners.

The vast majority of Americans wrongfully imprisoned abroad today are not held by terrorist groups, but by foreign governments. Lesley Stahl reports.

The effort to free Danny Fenster, a journalist imprisoned by Myanmar’s junta, shows a new threat to U.S. citizens worldwide.

An American journalist who was recently freed after spending nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar helped light one of eight Hanukkah candles during a holiday celebration in downtown Detroit.

The prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell doesn't involve the salacious allegations that the British socialite offered up one of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers to England’s Prince Andrew for sex.

Myanmar US Journalist American journalist Danny Fenster speaks at a news conference at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, after arriving in the United States following a six month detention in Myanmar. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (Craig Ruttle)HUNTINGTON WOODS, Mich. — (AP) — American journalist Danny Fenster, freed after nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar, said he feels "incredibly fortunate" to be back home in suburban Detroit after his uncertain time behind bars. Fenster, 37, was greeted by family and friends Tuesday night as he returned to Huntington Woods. He was sentenced last week to 11 years of hard labor in Myanmar, but was handed over Monday to former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson, who helped negotiate his release. She remains in Myanmar, but is expected to be back in the U.S. before Thanksgiving.

American journalist Danny Fenster, freed after nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar, says he feels “incredibly fortunate” to be back home in suburban Detroit.

Myanmar US Journalist Richardson Former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Richardson countered Tuesday by suggesting that though he was attacked for bestowing legitimacy with a photo-op, what he was really doing was laying the groundwork for Fenster's release. Richardson has been involved in other high-profile prisoner releases more recently, including the 2014 freeing of U.S. Marine reservist Sgt. Richardson ran briefly ran for president in 2008, becoming the first Hispanic candidate with a legitimate shot at the White House. —-This story has been updated to CORRECT that Richardson previously visited Myanmar earlier this month, not in February.

Danny Fenster had been in detention since his arrest at Yangon International Airport on May 24.

Myanmar US Journalist Richardson Former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. From Iraq to Sudan to North Korea, Richardson has repeatedly proven willing to talk with dictators, military juntas and reclusive strongmen — forging relationships with notorious regimes outside formal diplomatic channels. In 2006, he helped secure the release of Paul Salopek, a then-Chicago Tribune correspondent who was jailed in Sudan. Richardson has been involved in other high-profile prisoner releases more recently, including the 2014 freeing of U.S. Marine reservist Sgt. Richardson ran briefly ran for president in 2008, becoming the first Hispanic candidate with a legitimate shot at the White House.

Bill Richardson’s success in helping secure the release of journalist Danny Fenster from a Myanmar prison is the latest demonstration of the former New Mexico governor’s knack for flying into some the most closed societies on earth and persuading those in charge to do Washington a favor.

APTOPIX Myanmar US Journalist In this photo provided by the Richardson Center, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson, right, poses with journalist Danny Fenster in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (The Richardson Center via AP) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — American journalist Danny Fenster, who was freed after nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar, was expected to arrive in the United States on Tuesday. The longer it drags on, the more worried you are that it’s just never going to end.”While jailed, Fenster told his lawyer that he believed he had COVID-19, though prison authorities denied that. Fenster, the managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was convicted Friday of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations.

American journalist Danny Fenster, who spent nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar, has arrived in the United States.

APTOPIX Myanmar US Journalist In this photo provided by the Richardson Center, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson, right, poses with journalist Danny Fenster in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (The Richardson Center via AP) (Uncredited)BANGKOK — (AP) — American journalist Danny Fenster, who spent nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar and was sentenced last week to 11 years of hard labor, was freed Monday and began his journey home. “I'm feeling all right physically,” a bearded Fenster, in baggy drawstring pants and a knit hat, told journalists on the tarmac. So that was the biggest concern, just staying sane through that.”While still jailed, Fenster told his lawyer that he believed he had COVID-19, though prison authorities denied that.

Danny Fenster was released after being sentenced to 11 years hard labor for allegedly spreading false information and violating visa regulations.

BANGKOK — (AP) — American journalist Danny Fenster, who was recently sentenced to 11 years of hard labor after spending nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Myanmar, was freed and on his way home Monday, a former U.S. diplomat who helped negotiate the release said. Frontier Myanmar Editor-in-Chief Thomas Kean welcomed the news of Fenster’s release, while calling for the country’s military rulers to release all journalists still behind bars. “Danny is one of many journalists in Myanmar who have been unjustly arrested simply for doing their job since the February coup,” he said. Richardson said he discussed Fenster’s release during a recent visit to Myanmar when he held face-to-face negotiations with Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the country's ruler. At the time, Richardson said his staff had been in touch with Fenster’s family, and when asked if there was hope for Danny Fenster’s release, he replied: “There’s always hope.

Myanmar US Journalist FILE - U.S. journalist Danny Fenster works out of his van that he made into a home/office in Detroit in 2018. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson said Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, American journalist Fenster has been released from prison in Myanmar. (Fenster Family photo via AP, File) (Uncredited)BANGKOK — (AP) — American journalist Danny Fenster, sentenced only days ago to 11 years hard labor in Myanmar, has been freed and is on his way home, former U.S. Richardson said in a statement that Fenster had been handed over to him in Myanmar and would return to the U.S. via Qatar over the next day and a half. He last visited Myanmar in 2018 to advise on the crisis involving the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority.

Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson says American journalist Danny Fenster has been released from prison in Myanmar. Richardson said in a statement Monday that Fenster had been released from prison and handed over to him in Myanmar and would be soon on his way home via Qatar. “This is the day that you hope will come when you do this work,” Richardson said. Fenster’s sentence was the harshest punishment yet among the seven journalists known to have been convicted since the military took power. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

American journalist Danny Fenster is on his way home from military-ruled Myanmar.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson acknowledges criticism of his humanitarian visit to Myanmar, but he tells The Associated Press he feels his trip was constructive.

Bill Richardson Myanmar FILE - Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson emerges from his office in Santa Fe, N.M., Thursday, March 9, 2020. The veteran U.S. diplomat and former Governor Richardson is heading to Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission that will focus on pandemic support, his spokesperson said Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was aware of the mission, said Richardson spokesperson Madeleine Mahony. He is the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, an online magazine based in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city.

The Biden administration says it welcomed a private mission to Myanmar by former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson as a possible way to help speed humanitarian access to the country.

Bill Richardson Myanmar FILE - Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson emerges from his office in Santa Fe, N.M., Thursday, March 9, 2020. The veteran U.S. diplomat and former Governor Richardson is heading to Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission that will focus on pandemic support, his spokesperson said Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. Bill Richardson is heading to Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission that will focus on pandemic support, his spokesperson said Sunday. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was aware of the mission, said Richardson spokesperson Madeleine Mahony.

Former U.S. ambassador and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is heading to Myanmar on a private humanitarian mission that will focus on pandemic support.

Knowledgeable sources and message exchanges reveal that Venezuela’s government quietly offered last year to release imprisoned Americans in exchange for the U.S. letting go a key financier of President Nicolás Maduro.

Virgin Galactic Branson Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson waves to school children while heading to board the rocket plane that will fly him to space from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Sunday, July 11, 2021. Rick Homans, the state economic development secretary who led early negotiations with Virgin Galactic, was among those in attendance. While Sunday's flight helped to promote Virgin Galactic, state officials said it also gave millions of people around the world a look at New Mexico. Lujan Grisham claimed there are potentially billions of dollars at stake as the space industry grows — from science and technology investments to tourism spending. “We absolutely want more companies identifying New Mexico as their corporate headquarters,” she said, adding that the space industry could help to stabilize the state's economy.

Virgin Galactic has made its highest profile test flight to date with boss Richard Branson aboard.

Virgin Galactic has made its first rocket-powered flight from New Mexico to the fringe of space in a manned shuttle, as the company forges toward offering tourist flights to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The oil executives jailed in Venezuela more than three years ago on corruption charges were granted house arrest on Friday, April 30, 2021, in a gesture of goodwill toward the Biden administration as it reviews its policy toward the politically turbulent South American country. The partial release of the six employees of Houston-based Citgo was confirmed to The Associated Press by family members of the men. Tomeu Vadell, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Gustavo Cardenas and Jose Pereira were hauled away by masked security agents while at a meeting in Caracas just before Thanksgiving in 2017. They had been lured to Venezuela in order to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgo's parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA. In releasing the men, Maduro could be betting he’ll receive a better hearing from President Joe Biden, who on the campaign trail called Trump’s policy of regime change an “abject failure” that has served only to strengthen the socialist leader.

The oil executives jailed in Venezuela more than three years ago on corruption charges were granted house arrest on Friday, April 30, 2021, in a gesture of goodwill toward the Biden administration as it reviews its policy toward the politically turbulent South American country. The partial release of the six employees of Houston-based Citgo was confirmed to The Associated Press by family members of the men. Tomeu Vadell, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Gustavo Cardenas and Jose Pereira were hauled away by masked security agents while at a meeting in Caracas just before Thanksgiving in 2017. They had been lured to Venezuela in order to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgo's parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA. In releasing the men, Maduro could be betting he’ll receive a better hearing from President Joe Biden, who on the campaign trail called Trump’s policy of regime change an “abject failure” that has served only to strengthen the socialist leader.

Six American oil executives jailed in Venezuela more than three years ago on corruption charges have been granted house arrest in a gesture of goodwill toward the Biden administration as it reviews its policy toward the politically turbulent South American country.

Six American oil executives jailed in Venezuela more than three years ago on corruption charges were granted house arrest on Friday in a gesture of goodwill toward the Biden administration as it reviews its policy toward the politically turbulent South American country. The partial release of the six employees of Houston-based Citgo was confirmed to The Associated Press by family members of the men. Tomeu Vadell, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Gustavo Cardenas and Jose Pereira were hauled away by masked security agents while at a meeting in Caracas just before Thanksgiving in 2017.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government is intensifying efforts to court the Biden administration as the new U.S. president weighs whether to risk a political backlash in Florida and ease up on sanctions seeking to isolate the socialist leader.

In this Feb. 26, 2021, file photo, an injured protester is escorted as police tried to disperse a demonstration against the military coup in Mandalay, Myanmar. Myanmar's security forces have killed scores of demonstrators protesting a coup. (AP Photo)TOKYO – Myanmar's security forces have killed scores of demonstrators protesting a coup. Before that opening up began, Myanmar had languished under a strict military rule for five decades that led to international isolation and crippling sanctions. But even tough sanctions from those countries are unlikely to yield anything, though they may weigh heavily on ordinary people.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Moving quickly to assert influence over energy issues, President Joe Biden has named two Democrats to lead regulatory agencies that oversee nuclear power, natural gas and other energy infrastructure. Christopher Hanson, the new chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Rich Glick, leader of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, replace Republicans who led the panels under President Donald Trump. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, including in medicine, while FERC regulates interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil. It also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas terminals, interstate natural gas pipelines and hydropower projects. He also has served as a senior adviser in the Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy and other department roles in the Obama administration.

Virgin Galactic is celebrating the second successful glide flight of its spaceship over Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. (Virgin Galactic via AP)ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The window opens Friday for Virgin Galactic’s first rocket-powered test flight from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico as the company prepares for commercial flights next year. Officials with Virgin Galactic and the state-financed spaceport said the test flight will mark another key milestone in the march toward commercial flights. The impending flight will be the third space flight for Virgin Galactic and the first from New Mexico. In addition to those who have put down deposits for a ride with Virgin Galactic, several thousand more have registered their interest online.

(Courtesy of John Pereira via AP)CARACAS – The family of a Houston-based Citgo oil executive convicted and ordered to prison in Venezuela alongside five others appealed directly to President Nicolás Maduro on Friday for mercy. “Our purpose for this letter is not to enter into legal tirades about the case,” the letter says. The so-called Citgo 6 are employees of Houston-based Citgo refining company, which is owned by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA. Judge Lorena Cornielles, who oversaw the trial, did not respond to a letter from The Associated Press seeking permission to observe. Pereira's family said in the letter that he suffers from at least seven chronic health problems including diabetes and back trouble that requires surgery.

Jesus Loreto, an attorney representing Tomeu Vadell, one of six U.S. oil executives jailed for three years in Venezuela, shows a letter written by Vadell, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. The so-called Citgo 6 are employees of Houston-based Citgo refining company, which is owned by Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA. Despite his circumstances, Vadell held out hope. With encouragement from his family, Vadell broke his silence, taking a risk relatives said was necessary. During his 35-year career with PDVSA and Citgo, Vadell ended up running a refinery in Lake Charles and then became vice president of refining.

WASHINGTON As Joe Biden nears the announcement of his vice presidential choice, the top contenders and their advocates are making final appeals. That's one week before Democrats will hold their convention to officially nominate Biden as their presidential nominee. As Biden prepares to make his choice, a committee established to vet running mates has provided him with briefing materials. He has pledged to select a woman and is facing calls to choose the first Black woman to compete on a presidential ticket. Too much is at stake for our community and we believe having a Black woman vice presidential candidate is the clearest path to the victory in November that our country needs to move forward, said Rev.

WASHINGTON As Joe Biden nears the announcement of his vice presidential choice, the top contenders and their advocates are making final appeals. Bill Richardson, who was vetted for vice president in 2008. The selection amounts to the most significant choice Biden has confronted in his nearly five-decade political career. On Friday night, Biden held a virtual fundraiser with Elizabeth Warren, who has also been considered as a running mate. The two talked for nearly an hour but did not mention the vice presidential selection process.

White, a Navy veteran who's been detained in Iran for nearly two years has been released and is making his way home, with the first leg on a Swiss government aircraft. White's release was cheered by Trump, whose administration has said it considers the release of detainees and hostages a priority. Despite widespread speculation, Whites release was not related to the deportation to Iran this week of Iranian scientist Sirios Asghari, the officials said. Trump administration officials in recent months stepped up public pressure to release White. The U.S. has also urged Iran to release other Americans jailed in Iran.

WASHINGTON Joe Bidens search for a running mate could be reshaped by the police killing of George Floyd and the unrest it has ignited across the country, raising questions about contenders with law-and-order backgrounds and intensifying pressure on the presumptive Democratic nominee to select a black woman. Biden, who has already pledged to pick a woman, has cast a wide net in his search. Biden was pressed to pick a black woman on Monday when he visited a black church in Wilmington, Delaware. Well, weve never seen a black woman selected as a vice presidential candidate, she said. Its important for him to see the candidate, talk to the candidate, get body language from the candidate.

The once-empty hangar that anchors the taxpayer-financed launch and landing facility has been transformed into a custom-tailored headquarters where Virgin Galactic will run its commercial flight operations. On the upper deck, shades of white and gray speak to Virgin Galactic's more lofty mission. Company officials say the space is meant to create "an unparalleled experience" as customers prepare for what Virgin Galactic describes as the journey of a lifetime. Billionaire Richard Branson , who is behind Virgin Galactic, and former New Mexico Gov. Virgin Galactic posted on social media earlier this week that its main operating base was now at the spaceport.