Major Prisoner Release Leads Political Headlines This Week in the U.S.

With less than 100 days until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are ratcheting up their campaign efforts. But the big news of the week on the world stage was a historic prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia. Here is a look at what happened this week in politics.

Two Dozen Hostages Released in Massive Prisoner Swap

The biggest news story of the week was the unexpected announcement of a major hostage swap that brought home former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and over 20 more detainees on Thursday.

The prisoner exchange was the largest of its kind between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War era. Turkey played a significant role in the negotiations that resulted in the release of 24 total detainees across seven countries.

Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was also a part of the swap. U.S. President Joe Biden met Kurmasheva's teen daughter and other family members at the White House on Thursday to celebrate the good news. Three of the American detainees arrived back on U.S. soil late Thursday, arriving at Joint Base Andrews at about 11 pm local time.

The recently released detainees were greeted by Biden and Harris as they stepped off the plane. After visiting with their loved ones, they will travel to San Antonio for medical evaluation at the country's premiere treatment facility.

It has been over five years since Whelan has been a free man. Meanwhile, Gershkovich had been wrongfully detained by the Russians for over one year.

Donald Trump Ruffles Feathers With Comment About Harris' Black Heritage

Donald Trump ruffled feathers at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABL) meeting on Wednesday. Trump was appearing on a panel moderated by ABC News' Rachel Scott when he said that Vice President Kamala Harris "happened to turn Black" just a few years ago. Harris immediately responded to the attack, calling it divisive and disrespectful.

The presumptive Democratic nominee's mother was Indian while her father is Jamaican. Both of Harris' parents immigrated to the U.S. She was born in California and attended Howard University, a historically black college.

Also during the panel, Trump said that he would "absolutely" pardon the convicted rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 if he were to return to the Oval Office.

Kamala Harris Campaigns in Swing State Georgia

Kamala Harris appeared in front of a raucous crowd in Atlanta on Tuesday night, marking her first major rally since launching her campaign over a week ago. Harris spoke in front of thousands of supporters at Georgia State University, going on the offensive as Republicans attack her record on immigration.

The Harris campaign used the appearance to affirm that they believe they can win the state of Georgia. Prior to Harris appearing on stage, Grammy-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion performed in front of the energetic crowd.

President Biden Urges Widespread U.S. Supreme Court Reform

President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to make sweeping changes to the U.S. Supreme Court. Biden announced the call for action on Monday at an event at the President Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin.

Biden is the first sitting president in decades to urge significant changes to the nation's top court. The president's proposal calls for term limits for justices as well as the implementation of a formal code of conduct. Biden also called for a new amendment to the Constitution that would remove the protected immunity for presidents.

The proposals are likely a shot in the dark as a divided Congress is not expected to pass any of the tenets into law. However, the formal request for changes by the Democrats is a sign that they are reaching out to the progressive fringe of the party heading into the meat of the election season.

Latest Polling Shows Dead Heat

Many of the most respected polling agencies show that Trump and Harris are in a statistical dead heat heading into August, signaling that it is likely to be one of the closest races in U.S. history. In addition to the nationwide polling indicating a close race, polls in the crucial battleground states also show that the competition is within the margin of error for a tie.

Harris is leaning on some of the party's heavy hitters to stump for her on the campaign trail. Those speaking on her behalf over the past few days include Sen. Bernie Sanders and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords. She has also enjoyed a swell of support from the political leaders rumored to be in the running for the vice presidential nod, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper withdrew his name from consideration earlier in the week.

The Harris campaign has confirmed that she will make her choice no later than August 7. It is being reported on Friday that Harris will spend the next 72 hours meeting personally with the candidates.

Update on Fundraising Numbers

Campaign officials for Donald Trump announced on Thursday that they raised $138.7 million over the month of July. The campaign also detailed that the organization has $327 million in its cash reserves heading into August. While the July numbers outpaced the June total of $112 million, the figure is significantly smaller than what his competitor raised in the early days of her campaign.

The Harris campaign confirmed on Friday that the Democratic Party hauled in $310 million in July, more than doubling Trump's donations. Party officials also said that it brought in about $200 million during the first week of the Harris candidacy. Leaders also note that she signed up 170,000 new volunteers for the campaign.