Russia

The trip was Putin's first-ever visit to the Donbas region, which Russia illegally annexed last year. It followed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue a warrant for him on war crimes.

The ICC has issued warrants for the Russian president and his children's rights commissioner for alleged war crimes involving accusations that Russia has forcibly taken Ukrainian children.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was not the aggressor in the Ukraine war, but that his country was simply trying to defend itself, to which the crowd laughed and groaned.

The embassy in Moscow warned of the "unpredictable consequences" of the war in Ukraine, and said dual U.S.-Russian citizens in particular risked being forcibly conscripted into Russia's armed forces.

Griner was traded for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The swap did not include former Marine Paul Whelan who remains imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges the U.S. says are false.

The winners of this year's Nobel Peace Prize are recognized, the Nobel Committee said, for years of protecting the fundamental rights of citizens in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to formally annex four territories from Ukraine on Friday, following staged referendums that were condemned by the West.

At least one local grocery says it's running low on certain staples and treats from Ukraine.

A bill would require the state's five public employee pension funds to divest themselves of Russian assets and ban state and local governments from contracting with Russian companies; Legislation would restore the pensions of more than 20,000 Delphi retirees; the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is bumping the pay for poll workers; and more stories.

Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission have sent an adjusted map of congressional districts back to the state’s high court that delivers two-thirds of the seats to their party; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is urging the state's five public employee retirement funds divest themselves of Russian financial holdings; An Ohio judge has blocked preemptive enforcement of a law imposing additional operating requirements on consulting physicians at abortion clinics; and more stories.