💬 Quoted… ​​“We put a substantial proposal on the table.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed yesterday that the federal government has made an offer to Moscow to secure the freedom of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan, both of whom are currently detained in Russia.

• Per ABC News (which cited three internal sources), the US proposed a deal to swap convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for both Griner and Whelan.

🦠 Stat of the Day: One million people in Wuhan have been placed on lockdown this week after four new Covid cases were recorded in the Chinese city.

🤯 Did You Know?... Mountain Dew and Fresca are both banned in the EU and Japan due to the presence of brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which contains bromine. This element can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss or skin and nerve problems.

📖 Worth a Read: Hype? Hope? Hell? The Metaverse in 2040 → (Pew Research)

📊 Poll results: Yesterday, we asked what you all thought of banning Chinese companies from accessing US infrastructure, similar to measures in other Western countries.

• 77% of y’all would support a hypothetical ban, 10% would be against it, and 13% were unsure or had a more nuanced opinion.

See the full 360° view here.