Three Americans and one U.S. green card holder detained in Russia are heading home following the conclusion of the most complex multinational prisoner swap since the Cold War. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and Marine veteran Paul Whelan were inbound to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Thursday evening.

Russia accused Gershkovich and Whelan of spying and Kurmasheva of spreading false information about the Russian military. In all, 16 people were released from Russia to the United States, Germany, and the UK. The United States and its allies returned eight prisoners to Russia, which included a convicted assassin, two admitted and two alleged spies, and three convicted criminals.

The swap was part of an eight-nation negotiation mediated by Turkey that involved 24 prisoners between the United States, Germany, Norway, Poland, and Slovenia on one side and Russia and Belarus on the other.

U.S. President Joe Biden said during a press conference that the complex effort relied upon the cooperation of allied nations, and he underscored the importance of maintaining strong international partnerships to ensure that such deals could continue to be made.

As America’s ranchers struggle to earn a living, domestic cattle herds are shrinking to the lowest numbers in 70 years and cattle farmers are exiting the business by the tens of thousands each year, leaving the United States ever more dependent on imports, agriculture analysts say.

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City highlights the plight of cattle farmers, stating that higher interest rates are now putting many of them into the red. And ranchers say that escalating loan expenses are just one of several factors driving them to sell off their herds, which may herald even higher beef prices for consumers in the years to come.

“It’s hard to trust this thing, keeping herds or buying more,” Kansas rancher Kyle Hemmert told The Epoch Times. Rather than borrow to invest in new herds, he said, many ranchers are opting to simply sell off their cattle.

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