It's the Brian Lair show on WNYC. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Matt Katz, reporter in the WNYC

newsroom, and I'm filling in for Brian today. Now for our monthly Call Your Senator segment with New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

There's plenty to discuss this morning from the big changes at the top of the presidential ticket on the Democratic side

to her recent efforts on behalf of veterans and 9-11 responders and more.

So if you're a New Yorker, call your senator with your relevant questions at 212-433 W-N-YC.

Non-New Yorkers are allowed to call to.

Senator Gillibrand is your center to during these call-ins.

212-433-9692.

You can also text the question to the same number.

212-433-9692. Senator, we always appreciate that you do this. I'm sorry you got me today instead of

Ryan, but welcome back to WNYC. Thanks so much. I'm glad to be on the call. Thank you.

Excellent. So just to start off with some breaking and apparently good news, we're hearing

reports of a big prisoner swap with Russia that will see the release of Wall Street Journal

reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whalen. They've been jailed there without due

process. Do you know anything more about this prisoner swap that you're able to share?

I don't.

I wasn't briefed on it ahead of time.

And I'm so excited about it because for New York and for our communities, we've been particularly disturbed by these two imprisonments. I think for the media

world, Evans' imprisonment has been just gut-wrenching and so distressing, and so I'm very excited

that Evan is coming home. And for our Marine veteran, Paul Whalen, to be alleged to be a spy, was deeply problematic.

And we really wanted this hostage exchange.

There's also a third one, a radio journalist, who's also being exchanged, which I think is really exciting.

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