Putin‘s Hostages

Plus, Haley’s exit, a Harvard update, and why ’White nationalism’ doesn't explain Trump

The Israeli hostages will be represented in force at the State of the Union address tomorrow night, with a freed hostage, Mia Schem, attending the event as a guest of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and family members of at least 17 other hostages reportedly planning to attend.

Less of a spotlight has been on the American hostages held by Russia, but they, too, are suffering. Speaker Johnson announced he will host Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich, parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

There are at least four other Americans being held captive by Russia: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, former Marine Paul Whelan, history teacher Marc Fogel (sometimes his last name is spelled Vogel), and Ksenia Karelina, a ballerina who worked at a spa in Beverly Hills and was detained in January while visiting her grandparents. As Jeffrey Gedmin, who hosted a recent event designed to draw attention to the problem, put it, “Russia keeps collecting hostages.”

At that event, Natan Sharansky spoke about his own experience in Soviet prison and said that attention from the West provided some hope to prisoners. Sharansky said the greatest weapon the West has against Russia, China, and Iran is the desire of people to live in freedom.

Haley’s exit: Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign this morning.