A 50-year-low that surprised everyone, the lead starts right now.

The US economy has regained all of the jobs lost during the pandemic, what the July jobs

report stunner means for the high cost of basics, like gas, food, and housing.

And then missiles, military drills, and now a communication cutoff, tensions between

the US and China get worse as the White House summons China's ambassador, and Beijing's

sanctions, Nancy Pelosi.

Plus, water wars, pity neighbors against neighbors, a state's fight over who gets to use the

river that fuels life.

We visit two states that are facing off.

Hello and welcome to the lead on this Friday on Pamela Brown in for Jake Tapper, and we

begin this hour with our world lead, and a pair of escalating international crises.

Russia and the United States are now indicating they're ready to hold talks about a prisoner

swap.

Just a day after a Russian court convicted American basketball star Brittany Griner of

Drugs Mugling and sentenced her to nine years in prison.

Now potential prisoner swap talks could include fellow American Paul Wheelland, who has been

detained in Russia since 2018.

We're going to have more on that in just a moment, but first another crisis unfolding

in China is taking dramatic new steps in retaliation for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit

to Taiwan, including sanctioning Pelosi and her family.

Plus, military escalation, Taiwan's Defense Ministry reports dozens of Chinese warplanes

crossing into its air defense territory today.

...