Hello from CNN, I'm Joe Beck, with the five things you need to know for Friday August 2nd.

After what the US is calling the largest prisoner swap between Russia and the West since the Cold War,

three Americans are now back home.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerschkevich,

Marine veteran Paul Wheelen, and journalist Al-Sukamishiva touched down in Maryland just before midnight last night.

Weelen spoke about flying home.

You know, that's when it became real.

We flew over Ireland, then Canada and into America, and then I knew I was home. So getting

off the plane, seeing the President, the Vice President, that was nice. It was a good homecoming.

So looking forward to seeing my family down here and just recuperating from five years, seven months and five days of just absolute nonsense by the Russian government.

All three Americans were met by joyful family members and there were lots of hugs and tears.

And they're now in Texas to have medical examinations.

U.S. officials say the swap came after years of complicated negotiations and secret meetings, which at least seven countries were involved in.

24 people were exchanged in total, including Russian opposition figures, an FSB colonel, people accused of spying or cybercrime

and a Russian assassin.

Vice President Carmelah Harris's presidential campaign says it raked in a whopping $300,000. President

President-In, says it raked in a whopping $310 million just in July.

It's the latest sign of how energized supporters feel about the change at the top of the Democratic ticket, and is twice

the amount raised by former President Donald Trump last month.

The new election dynamic seems to have also affected the value of Trump's stake in the company that owns

Truth Social, which has dropped by $900 million since Harris entered the race.

Meanwhile, as many are watching who Harris will pick as her running mate, Trump's partner on the Republican ticket, Senator JD Vance, is playing down the significance of the role.

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