Author: Press Room

Love and basketball. Brittney Griner is one of the best athletes in the WNBA — and she always has her sweetheart, Cherelle Griner, cheering her on from the sidelines. The Olympic gold medalist and the teacher met as undergraduates at Baylor University in Texas while Brittney was making a name for herself as one of the best college basketball players of all time. They didn’t start dating until years later, however, when they reconnected after the athlete split from her first wife, Glory Johnson. “I will never forget the day I met you at Baylor in the sub area!” Brittney…

Roger Federer says Rafael Nadal was one of the first people outside his family and team he told that he was retiring from tennis.In September the 20-time Grand Slam title winner announced publicly he would be retiring from the sport after the Laver Cup with a knee injury ultimately spelling the end of his decorated career.However, the former world No. 1 was hoping to finish it by playing a doubles match alongside his great tennis rival and friend Nadal. The 41-year-old called the Spaniard after the US Open asking if he would join him at the O2 Arena in London…

Washington CNN  —  Detained American Paul Whelan told CNN he is “disappointed” the Biden administration has not done more to secure his release, meaning he’s been left behind in Russia after fellow detained American Brittney Griner was freed on Thursday. “I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” he said in an exclusive phone call from the penal colony where is being held in a remote part of Russia. “I don’t understand why…

Get your daily, bite-sized digest of cryptoasset and blockchain-related news – investigating the stories flying under the radar of today’s crypto news.__________Payments newsPayPal will expand its crypto service to Luxembourg “in coming days,” the payments company said in an announcement. “Once available, eligible customers will be able to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash in their PayPal accounts via the website or the mobile app,” it said.Financial technology company Ramp launched its off-ramp product in the United States, which enables users to sell 34 digital assets across 17 blockchains, while also offering real-time payments (RTP), said…

Authorities say three people have been shot at the Benning Road metro station in northeast Washington, D.C.Police say there is “no ongoing threat” at this time and have identified the victims as a woman, teenager and child. The teen boy is possibly suffering life-threatening injuries.The shooting reportedly occurred around 9 a.m. after a physical altercation. The suspect took off.Metro officials say Silver and Blue line trains are bypassing the station. Silver Line trains will operate between Ashburn and Stadium Armory and Blue Line trains are single tracking between Stadium Armory and Addison Road. Shuttle buses have been requested.The incident happened…

CNN  —  The House is expected to vote on Thursday to pass sweeping legislation that would authorize $858 billion in national defense funding and rescind the US military’s Covid vaccine mandate. House lawmakers will take up a final negotiated version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, which sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. Following passage in the House, the measure would next need to go to the Senate to be approved before it could be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. As part of its $858…

A bottleneck is building across an important trading route for oil, which if left unresolved could knock global supply and boost prices at a fragile moment for energy markets. As of Thursday, sixteen oil tankers traveling south from the Black Sea were waiting to cross the Bosphorus strait into the Sea of Marmara, an increase of five from Tuesday, according to a report from Istanbul-based Tribeca Shipping Agency. A further nine tankers were waiting to cross southbound from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean. The snarl-up in waterways controlled by Turkey, which one analyst said…

New York CNN  —  A recession may be coming, but consumers still want to look fashionable. Subscription clothing service Rent the Runway reported a more than 30% increase in sales for the third quarter after the closing bell Wednesday. Shares of Rent the Runway soared more than 35% on the news. But the company is still not exactly a picture of financial health, posting a net loss of $36.1 million last quarter. Rent the Runway’s stock has plunged nearly 80% this year, even after accounting for the recent gains. The company announced a restructuring in September, laying off 24% of…

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is slamming longtime members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., after they voted to enforce a contract on railroad workers to thwart a national rail strike.”Biden and his administration sold out workers when they imposed this terrible contract on railroad workers through the antiquated Railway Labor Act (RLA),” DSA said in a press release. “We disagree and are disappointed with the decision of DSA members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Cori Bush to needlessly vote to enforce the TA [tentative agreement].”President Biden signed into law on Friday the legislation that he said…

The Kingdom Tower (center) stands on the skyline above the King Fahd highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images Saudi Arabia reported its first budget surplus in nearly 10 years, thanks to its revenue being ramped up by elevated oil prices.The 2022 surplus came to 102 billion riyals ($27 billion), constituting 2.6% of Saudi gross domestic product, according to the kingdom’s finance ministry, releasing what it said were preliminary estimates. Total revenue for this year was estimated at 1.234 trillion riyals, while spending amounted to 1.132 trillion riyals.The government of the hydrocarbon-rich country approved a 1.114 trillion…