>>> RUSSIA IS ACCUSING THE U.S.
OF WAGING ECONOMIC WAR IN
RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BIDEN
BANNING RUSSIAN OIL, NATURAL GAS
AND COAL IMPORTS TO THE U.S.
THE KREMLIN SAYS THE COUNTRY
WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO
DEFEND THE INTEREST.
MEANWHILE AMID THE HISTORIC
SANCTIONS CONCERN IS GROWING FOR
AMERICANS DETAINED IN RUSSIA
LIKE BRITTNEY GRINER, ONE OF THE
MOST DOMINANT PLAYERS DETAINED
IN RUSSIA FOR WEEKS AND NOT BEEN
ALLOWEDED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
THE RUSSIAN FEDERAL CUSTOMS
SERVICE SAID IT DISCOVERED CART
GAUGES CONTAINING MARIJUANA OIL.
AN OFFENSE THAT COULD CARRY A
MAXIMUM PENALTY OF TEN YEARS IN
PRISON.
HERE IS AN APPARENT PHOTO OF
GRINDER ER
BRITTNEY GRINER USED ON RUSSIAN
TV.
IT INCLUDE AS TRACK LOIN THAT AI
SAYS THE HOPE OF AMERICAN FEMALE
BASKETBALL IS POSE INCOME A
POLICE STATION WITH A SIGN WITH
HER SIR NAME ON IT.
CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE
CALLED ON THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
TO RELEASE GRINER AND JOINS ME
NOW.
I UNDERSTAND MS. GRINER IS
ORIGINALLY FROM USE DISTRICT SO
YOU ARE SPEAKING OUT ON HER
BEHALF.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE HEARD
ANYTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION
THAT SHE IS IN NOW?
HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY SORT OF
FEEDBACK FROM THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OR ANYWHERE ELSE?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, JOY,
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND
BEING CONCERNED.
WE LOVE BRITTNEY GRINER, FAMILY
MEMBERS ARE THERE, COACHES ARE
THERE, AND JUST ALL OF HER HIGH
SCHOOL FRIENDS OF COURSE AND
LOOK AT HER NOW.
PUTIN IS A BABY KILLER SO IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW HE
WOULD HAVE COMPASSION FOR THIS
YOUNG WOMAN.
WE KNOW THAT IN A FEW DAYS, WE
MAY HEAR MORE DETAILED ACCOUNT
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT
BECAUSE OF SOME PROCEDURAL
MATTERS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN
CLEARED UP.
WE DO KNOW SHE'S DETAINED BUT I
ALSO KNOW THAT THESE ALLEGATIONS
ARE ONES THAT ARE ALLEGED AND
THEY ARE PROMOTED BY A RUSSIAN
OFFICIAL.
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS WHO KNOW AND
KNEW BRITTNEY GRINER AS A
LONG-TIME PLAYER FOR THEIR TEAMS
AND ONE WHO HAS GIVEN GREAT JOY
TO THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE.
THAT CUSTOMS AGENT WELL KNEW HE
COULD HAVE PROVIDED HER A
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OUT OF THE
COUNTRY AND NOT ABLE TO COME
BACK FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, COULD
HAVE CONFISCATED WHAT SHE HAD
ALLEGEDLY AND SENT HER ON HER
WAY.
YOU WONDER WHY SHE WAS SELECTED.
SHE'S VERY WELL-KNOWN AND WHY AT
THAT POINT IN TIME SHE HAD TO BE
SELECTED OR HAD TO BE EXAMINED
FURTHER AND THESE PARTICULAR
ITEMS THAT THEY SAY, THAT I
DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE, BECAUSE I
DON'T BELIEVE THE
REPRESENTATIONS THAT THEY'VE
MADE AND THESE FACTS HAVE NOT
BEEN BROUGHT TO BEAR TO US.
I DO KNOW THAT AS AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN, THAT SHE HAD NO REASON
TO BE HELD FOR THIS EXTENSIONVE
PERIOD OF TIME.
WE KNOW THAT THERE IS ANOTHER
CASE THAT HAPPENED AND THAT
PERSON WAS LET OUT IN A MONTH.
WE SEE HER APPROACHING A MONTH
AND NO EVIDENCE OF THAT AT THIS
TIME.
SO WE'RE CONCERNED.
SHE HAS A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL
WORKS FOR HER INCLUDING RUSSIAN
COUNSEL.
I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
THE UNITED STATES TO WORK FOR
HER AND A MEETING WITH THE
PRESIDENT, I PRESENTED HIM WITH
A LETTER TO HELP US AND I'M VERY
GLAD THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AND THE PRESIDENT IS WELL AWARE
OF BRITTNEY GRINER.
>> AND I WILL NOTE HER WIFE
POSTED AN INSTAGRAM PHOTO THAT
WE CAN PUT UP JUST TO SHOW
THANKING EVERYONE THAT'S REACHED
OUT AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE
BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE VICE
PRESIDENT'S OFFICE BUT SHE IS IN
THE REGION.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY VOCAL.
I'M SOMEWHAT SURPRISED WE
HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH FROM ANY OF
THE ARIZONA, EITHER THE QUITE
SEN
-- UNITED STATES SENATORS FROM
ARIZONA, SHE PLAYS IN ARIZONA.
I WONDER IF THERE SAY THOUGHT
THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT WHILE
THERE MAY VOICE SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS.
>> I DON'T WANT TO SPECULATE BUT
IT CERTAINLY APPROPRIATE.
SHE'S OBVIOUSLY THERE IN POLAND
TO DEAL WITH THE CONFUSION ABOUT
THE FIGHTERS AND THE NECESSITY
OF AIR COVER FOR UKRAINE AND THE
REQUEST THAT PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY
HAS MADE BUT I'VE SEEN THE KIND
OF -- YOU CALL THEM SIDE BAR
CONVERSATIONS AND A SIDE BAR
CONVERSATION CERTAINLY WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE AND I WOULDN'T PUT
IT PAST HER AGENDA THAT THAT
MIGHT BE RAISED.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
SAY THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING IS
THERE IS RUSSIAN COUNSEL GIVING
GUIDANCE AND I RESPECT THAT
GUIDANCE BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, THE
PRESIDENT, THERE ARE OTHERS
BEING HELD IN RUSSIA AND THEY
HAVE BEEN HELD IN SUCH VICIOUS
CONDITIONS, THEIR HEALTH IS
DETERIORATING LIKE MR. REED AND
OTHERS AND THE POINT IS, WE
CAN'T LET THE BRUTALITY OF
PUTIN -- YOU KNOW, I STARTED BY
SAYING HE'S A BABY KILLER.
THIS IS HIS WAR.
THERE WAS NO VOTE FOR THIS.
HE HAS 6,000 RUSSIANS IN JAIL
RIGHT NOW AND CONTINUES TO
CREATE A WORLD WAR III
ATMOSPHERE IN UKRAINE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO STEP IN AND
EXERT OUR SOVEREIGNTY OVER OUR
CITIZENS AND DEMAND THAT THEY BE
RELEASED.
>> INDEED.
>> AND GET THEM OUT OF THERE IF
I MIGHT SAY IT IN THAT WAY.
>> I KNOW 13,500 PROTESTERS THUS
FAR HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR BEING
BRAVE ENOUGH TO DARE PROTEST
AGAINST PUTIN'S WAR OF CHOICE,