presentation about hard work

The Power Of Hard Work: Importance, Benefits, And Value

Updated on July 5, 2024

Many people are not aware of the importance, benefits, and power of hard work. In a world fueled by ambition and innovation, one timeless principle remains an unwavering foundation for success – hard work. From the determined ant to the visionary inventor, history has shown that the path to achievement is paved with unwavering commitment and relentless effort. In this blog, we will delve into the significance and power of hard work, exploring its far-reaching benefits and the intrinsic value it brings to our lives.

Table of Contents

The Power Of Hard Work

Ant’s Anthill: A Moral Story Of The Value Of Hard Work

The Importance Of Hard Work

Hard work is more than just a means to an end; it is the very essence of progress and personal growth. It fuels our dreams and aspirations, propelling us forward on our journeys. One of the key reasons hard work holds such importance is its direct correlation with accomplishment. When we dedicate ourselves to a task or a goal with diligence, we set ourselves up for success.

Moreover, hard work builds character and resilience. It teaches us discipline, determination, and the value of perseverance in the face of challenges. Whether it’s in our academic pursuits, professional endeavours, or personal goals, hard work is the catalyst that transforms potential into tangible achievements.

Benefits Of Hard Work

Achievement And Success: Hard work is the stepping stone to achieving our goals . It amplifies our skills, knowledge , and capabilities, making it possible to accomplish what might have seemed impossible.

Skill Development: Engaging in hard work sharpens our abilities and hones our talents. It’s through consistent effort that we refine our craft, becoming masters in our chosen fields.

Self-Confidence: The process of setting and achieving goals through hard work boosts our self-esteem . Each accomplishment serves as a reminder of our competence and potential.

Resilience: Hard work teaches us to bounce back from setbacks. It cultivates a resilient mindset, allowing us to adapt and overcome obstacles with grace.

Long-Term Fulfillment: The satisfaction that comes from seeing the results of our hard work is unparalleled. It creates a sense of fulfilment and purpose that lasts far beyond the immediate moment.

The Intrinsic Value of Hard Work

Beyond external rewards, hard work carries inherent worth that extends deep into our character and well-being. It instills a sense of pride and integrity, as we learn to take responsibility for our actions and choices. Each ounce of effort invested contributes to personal growth and self-discovery. Through hard work, we uncover strengths we never knew we had and unlock the potential for continuous self-improvement.

Hard work also nurtures patience and perseverance. It teaches us that progress is a gradual journey and that setbacks are merely stepping stones toward our goals. This patient endurance fosters a resilient spirit that is ready to face any challenge.

In a world where shortcuts and instant gratification often tempt us, the enduring value of hard work shines brightly. Its importance stretches beyond the immediate achievements, weaving a tapestry of resilience, determination, and fulfilment into the fabric of our lives. Just like the ant diligently building its anthill, or the artist meticulously crafting a masterpiece, our hard work shapes not only our outward success but also the very essence of who we are.

So, let us embrace the sweat, the late nights, and the extra mile. Let us understand that the journey of hard work is not merely about reaching the destination but about becoming the best version of ourselves along the way. As we stand at the intersection of effort and accomplishment, may we remember that the power of hard work is a beacon that guides us toward a future filled with purpose, growth, and the sweet taste of success.

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Hard Work Vs Smart Work

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Get hold of our innovative Hard Work vs. Smart Work presentation template, designed for Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides theme, to explain the difference between hard work and smart work.

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Hard Work, Practice, Goals and Achievement

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Hard Work vs Smart Work: What’s Better?

• Updated on  
• Jan 15, 2024

Is hard work better or smart work? We are always taught that working hard can help us achieve our dreams and aspirations. But finding what’s better between hard work and smart work is quite a debate. Often asked in interviews or group discussions , we often look for the question of ‘how to answer: the difference between hard work vs smart work’ .

Read this blog to know about which is better in the battle of hard work vs smart work, along with an interview answer, essay sample, as well as the key to blending both hard work and smart work and becoming efficiently effective.

This Blog Includes:

Difference between hard work vs smart work, smart work and hard work examples, how to answer ‘difference between hard work and smart work’, hard work vs smart work ppt, hard work vs smart work quotes, what does smart work mean, elements of smart work, is your approach smart.

Check out these 20+ Daily Used English Words with Meaning

While working hard puts essential emphasis on putting in hours, smart work aims to find better and more efficient ways to tackle different tasks. Check out the most important differences between hard work vs smart work:

As discussed, hard work is the key to success only if done smartly. However, to bring more clarity, let us understand it through some smart work and hard work examples:

Being one of the most common interview questions, you might be asked to elaborate upon the difference between hard work and smart work by the interviewer. Here is the best answer for ‘hard work vs smart work:

“I believe that hard work and smart work are both essential to bring effectiveness and efficiency to a task. While hard work makes sure that we are putting in the hours needed to accomplish certain things within time, smart work focuses on bifurcating the quintessential factors like who is the best person to do a particular task, when is the right time for doing it and what kind of hurdles we can anticipate. So, when blended, we can find the best way to complete a set task within time and ensure its optimum quality.”

“I prefer smart work over hard work and the reason for this is smart work has a more holistic approach to tasks than hard work. Despite yielding results, working hard incurs lots of time and energy while working smartly includes more work in a lesser amount of time. Working smart includes having better judgment, knowing what component of the work takes the longest time, and trying to reduce it creatively and rationally. Thus, smart work uses the key principles of management while also finding the best creative ways to approach work.”

Here are some of the most popular hard work vs smart work quotes:

• “I don’t believe in luck or hard work without the so-called “work smart”. It’s not all about how you work hard but it’s about how you manage your time, resources, and mind to work together for a better output.” ―  Jayson Zabate.
• “You ain’t get nothing for staying low, lazy. The world only trembles at the feet of the few craziest doers ever lived.” ―  Olawale Daniel.
• “Hard work pays off and pays the bills.”
• “Nothing in this world is handed to you. You have to go out and get it! Nobody said it would be easy but hard work always pays off.”
• “Successful people are not gifted; they just work hard, then succeed on purpose.”
• “Beautiful pictures come to mind when eyes are closed. They can be realistic too when opened. It’ll require a blend of hard work and strategic moments.” ―  Adeyemi Taiwo Eunice
• “Work hard, and you will earn good rewards.
• Work smart, and you will earn great rewards.
• Work hard and work smart, and you will earn extraordinary rewards.” ―  Matshona Dhliwayo
• “The early bird gets the first worm, but the wisest bird gets the fastest one.”―  Matshona Dhliwayo
• “Be humble, ambitious, and always strive to be the most competent worker wherever you find yourself. Don’t just work hard; think smart, work smart.” ―  Emmanuel Apes

Way back in the 1930s, Allen F. Morgenstern said, “ Work smarter, not harder ”. However, the discussion on hard work vs smart work arose even more, when Gordon B. Hinckley said, “ Without hard work, nothing grows but weed .” So, which one to choose? Hard workers are people who are goal-focused and study in-depth, without realizing the limitation of time. Their rigorous concentration often misleads them as they do not realize how dynamic the circumstances can be. Here is exactly where smart work comes into play. Sharply using your brain and by administering your analytical reasoning skills you can achieve your target in comparatively less time with minimal usage of resources and energy consumption.

A job that takes hours to complete for someone who works hard, a smarter individual can finish in less time. One of the classic examples of working smartly is Aesop’s Fables’ story of “The Crow and the Pitcher”. Smart work doesn’t indicate the absence of work but it is the ability to be spontaneous and use creative strategies. This boosts growth and also leaves time for other activities and creativity. However. “Smart work” is highly subjective and varies according to each individual. 

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.”-Bill Gates 

There isn’t any secret strategy that one can use. Even though some people are born/raised with certain qualities, developing skills for smart work is possible but takes substantial time. Here are a few points that can help you build yourself. The elements of smart work include:

• Coming up with creative and rational ways.
• Being adaptable to situations.
• Being spontaneous in your actions and thoughts.
• Updated Knowledge of various prospects of your work.
• Being bold but not rebellious with your moves.
• Knowing the networks.
• Being able to make appropriate decisions at uncertain moments.
• Improvisation
• Knowing how and where to invest time and money.
• Knowing who’s who of your work or similar industries.

These were a few elements of smart work. We are given abundant resources to know the current world affairs /issues and learn newer things. We must utilize these to deliver ‘Smart work’. To build qualities one must read books, newspapers, articles, and blogs; research in the relevant fields; watch related movies/ series; understand what tactics are being used. 

Are you looking to understand smart work vs hard work? Merely working smart would not fetch you fruitful results in the long run. It is essential to work hard first because then only you will understand what you are doing and accordingly construct a smarter plan. Unfortunately, people tend to switch to smart work without putting in additional effort in this fast-paced world and it might lead to a downfall. Just like preparing for competitive exams like the GMAT , SAT , GRE , etc. students directly jump to problem-solving instead of focusing on the concepts that would require a little hard work.

Learning Skills For Students & Working Professionals

When fighting for hard work vs smart work, let’s take a look at the main ingredients of smart work that would guarantee you speedy success when combined with hard work:

Working Hard Plus Intelligent Decisions Do you think working round the clock would ensure you successful returns? When you want your hard work to pay off, it is equally important that you make smart decisions so that you get efficient outcomes using minimal effort and resources.  

Know About your Goals Before you even start working hard, it is of utmost importance that you have a clear vision of what your objectives are. When you do not know where your hard work is going, you end up wasting your time and energy. Always prepare a list of your short-term and long-term plans and trace your progress accordingly.

Manage your Time Time is always precious and you have to be able to identify and schedule all your tasks precisely. Everything you do, ensure that you’re hampering your time and be aware of what type of tasks take the maximum time to complete. You would not want to ruin even your seconds doing anything wasteful, would you?   

Know the Impact of Your Work Your aim should not be to achieve your goals anyhow but to ensure fruitful and productive results. Do not execute your tasks blindly, rather know the impact of your work and how does can help you accomplish your targets. Keep track of your working techniques and progress for profitable results.

Imbibe Smart Work as a Prominent Quality

Ever wondered how Elon Musk became the richest man in the world today? He was a game-changer and believed in working smartly and wasn’t a trend follower. In the contemporary world, with various opportunities and areas of work, competition is equally fierce and companies require efficient workers.  To reach the top of the pyramid of excellence, one must possess qualities that make them stand out.

Finding more straightforward and efficient ways to finish your chores in the allotted time while maintaining quality is what brilliant work entails.

The truth is that effectiveness takes precedence over efficiency. Task completion, activity completion, and goal attainment are all characteristics of effectiveness.  Efficiency is defined as the most optimal or cost-effective way of doing a task.

Intelligence outperforms personality attributes like being kind, diligent, and generous in terms of success.

The following are the elements of smart work: Coming up with creative and rational ways. Being adaptable to situations. Being spontaneous in your actions and thoughts. Updated Knowledge of various prospects of your work.

The following are the tips for a smart-work approach: Know about your goals Manage your time Know the impact of your work

We hope you liked our blog, where we tried to cover the difference between hard work vs smart work. To read more informative articles like this one, keep following Leverage Edu !

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I love this blog because the blog clearly defines smart work and hard work. Thank you so much for giving us a clear definition.

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thanks for your valuable feedback

It’s awesome.

Hard work is very important than smart work.

Love this article. Hope many useful articles like this

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The Go-to Presentation Checklist That'll Help You Knock it Out of the Park

Some presentations are so good that you can’t help but assume that person’s just a natural. They’d have to be, right? After all, presenting in front of an audience is a challenge for most people, yet there are those who make it seem like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

But you want to know the secret to that confidence? Preparation! No matter how effortless your favorite speakers make it seem, every one of them were meticulous about creating their slides, jotting down thorough speaker’s notes, and practicing the you-know-what out of it.

Want to impress the heck out of your client, your colleagues, or your boss the next time you have to present? Use the checklists below to stay on track and make sure you’re prepared.

Build Your Presentation

You might be reusing an old PowerPoint document. Or you might need to create one from scratch. Either way, spend time creating your slides in advance . Plan on spending an hour outlining the presentation, another hour prepping the speaking notes, and a third hour working on the design.

If that feels like a lot, let’s break it down:

The Outline

Research the daylights out of your topic. If it’s a sales pitch, get the data you need to drive home the point. If it’s for a larger audience, back up your main talking points with research-based data. This might sound like a lot of work, but a good outline will make your life so much easier over the next few days.

The Speaking Notes

Here’s where you should figure out what types of speaking notes you need. Some people might need short reminders to reference during their talk. For those of you like me, you might need to write out your entire presentation. Neither is wrong—but here’s where you should figure it out for yourself.

Creating presentation slides are one of those things that seem harder than they really are. Even if you don’t have an eye for design you can still make it look cohesive by choosing a color scheme, using templates (such as these free ones from Google Drive), and keeping it simple.

Nail Down the Logistics

Do you have to book a conference room? Figure out the tech in the conference room? Dial people in? Do you know how long it should last? Should you leave time for questions?

Do yourself a favor and get answers to all these questions now.

Oh, and expert tip, book the room a day before, too so that you can practice in the real setting.

Pick Out Your Outfit

This might sound silly, but this will help you avoid a lot of stress on the day of your talk. It doesn’t have to be formal—especially if your office isn’t—but it should be something you feel confident in. The fewer choices you have to make that morning, the more you can focus on what’s important

Get Feedback on Your Slides

Reach out to a few of your most honest, trustworthy teammates and ask them for feedback on both your presentation itself and your presentation style.

Here are a few things you could (and should) ask for them to look for:

• How do these slides look?
• Does the information flow well?
• Are there any grammatical errors?
• Is it too long? Too short?
• Did I talk too fast?
• Is there a clear takeaway?
• My goal of this presentation is to get across [goal here]. How can I make that more clear?

Remember: This is a good opportunity to time yourself, practice exactly what you want to say, and even insert a little humor if you think it’s appropriate. With your colleagues in the room, you’ll get instant feedback on how you can expect your audience to respond.

Make Final Edits to Your Slides

From both a design and speaking perspective, you’ve gotten a good amount of feedback by now. While there’s still a good amount of work to do, take an editor’s pen to your slide deck and make final changes.

And when I say final, I mean final . The more you tweak your presentation, the more you’ll confuse yourself when it’s show time.

Practice Your Talk (Again)

This time, practice your talk under the exact circumstances you’ll be presenting it the next day. Is it a webinar-style call? Test your video conferencing software and iron out the technical kinks. Then, run through your deck.

If you’ve followed this checklist, you should have already booked your practice space. Take advantage of that and set up everything you need for the next day.

Give Yourself a Break

You might want to jump back into your normal tasks to catch up a bit. But don’t forget to give yourself some time to relax. Grab a coffee in the kitchen or take a walk around the block. Do something nice for yourself, even if you only have a few minutes. After all, you’ve put a lot of hard work into your presentation.

Read Through Your Speaker’s Notes One Last Time

You’ve done a lot of work to get to this day. Don’t overthink it, but give your speaker’s notes one last look-through before you present. If you’ve identified areas that you’ve tripped up on during your practice, so make additional notes wherever necessary.

Get to the Room Early

If it’s possible, get in there five minutes early to start setting up and making yourself feel comfortable.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

Even the most manicured presentations have their hiccups. It could be a faulty internet connection. Or maybe a joke won’t land as you hoped it would. Try not to beat yourself up too much about these things, especially before they’ve happened. Trust me, it happens to even the most accomplished presenters.

I just outlined a lot, but the good news is that I’ve created this checklist to go along with it.

Let’s face it: Giving presentations is hard. But because you’ve prepared like crazy, you’ll be in a much better position to knock it out of the park. It might not go exactly to plan, but it won’t be because you didn’t do everything in your power to put everything in place for success. Plus, I’m willing to bet that you’ll be way harder on yourself than anyone who’s listening to you speak—especially since you’ve done all this work to get ready.

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Awesome Hard Work PowerPoint And Google Slides Template

Creative Hard Work PPT Presentation Slide

Hard work is the backbone of success, involving dedicated effort and persistence in pursuing goals. It demands dedication, discipline and resilience to overcome challenges and obstacles in the journey. Indispensable in various domains such as education, career, sports and personal endeavours, hard work helps individuals unlock their full potential, acquire new skills and achieve their goals, fostering personal growth, satisfaction and fulfillment. Professionals, students, entrepreneurs, athletes, and anyone who loves success can use this template to create motivational presentations that emphasize the importance of hard work. Featuring customizable templates with inspirational quotes, success stories and actionable tips, this slide deck helps users tailor content to their specific needs and presentation goals, ensuring audience engagement and resonance. Ideal for seminars, workshops, training sessions and motivational speeches, this template gives presenters the tools to inspire and motivate others by embracing the value of hard work and fostering a culture of excellence and achievement. Leveraging this template helps presenters elevate their presentations, deliver impactful messages, and inspire audiences to realize their full potential.

Features of this template

• 100% customizable slides and easy to download.
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Hard Work Vs Smart Work

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Motivation at Work

Hard Work Icons

Download the creatively designed Hard Work Vs Smart Work PPT template and use the visuals to portray two different approaches of working on a task, how they are different from each other, which one is better, and other intricate details in a visually appealing manner. The pre-designed visuals will let you prepare an informative presentation through which you can portray - can a smart worker be a hard worker & vice-versa, which one (smart or hard work) can lead to success, etc. Online speakers, business leaders, and many other professionals can make most of this deck.  

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Smart work v/s Hard work - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Smart work v/s Hard work

This proves that without hardwork, even the smartest way of studying can't help us out. work hard + work smart = wealth and success * * title: – powerpoint ppt presentation.

• Working smart is working with a goal in mind, a goal that is meaningful to you.
• Working smart also means knowing what points are high priority and what you can be flexible on, so you can focus on what's important.
• Smart work also refer being creative and looking for other ways to get work done faster.
• Hard work involves commitment, involvement and seriousness
• Working hard also means working honestly.
• The harder you work, the luckier you get. The only failure is not trying.
• Smart work - through brain and mind(Accomplishes the same goal as hard work but with less sweat.)
• Hard work - through physic (involves lot of strain and stress)
• Smart working does not mean that you becomes a shirk and start avoiding hard-work because again same adage comes There is no substitute for hard work.
• Smart work means hard-work in right direction.
• Smart work is essential to ensure we aren't wasting our time doing something that in the end, bring no profit, while hardwork teaches that even though how smart we are, how genius we are, how cunning we are, " Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration,"-Thomas Edison. This proves that without hardwork, even the smartest way of studying can't help us out.

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How to Give a Killer Presentation

• Chris Anderson

For more than 30 years, the TED conference series has presented enlightening talks that people enjoy watching. In this article, Anderson, TED’s curator, shares five keys to great presentations:

• Frame your story (figure out where to start and where to end).
• Plan your delivery (decide whether to memorize your speech word for word or develop bullet points and then rehearse it—over and over).
• Work on stage presence (but remember that your story matters more than how you stand or whether you’re visibly nervous).
• Plan the multimedia (whatever you do, don’t read from PowerPoint slides).
• Put it together (play to your strengths and be authentic).

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style. In fact, it’s fairly easy to “coach out” the problems in a talk, but there’s no way to “coach in” the basic story—the presenter has to have the raw material. So if your thinking is not there yet, he advises, decline that invitation to speak. Instead, keep working until you have an idea that’s worth sharing.

Lessons from TED

A little more than a year ago, on a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, some colleagues and I met a 12-year-old Masai boy named Richard Turere, who told us a fascinating story. His family raises livestock on the edge of a vast national park, and one of the biggest challenges is protecting the animals from lions—especially at night. Richard had noticed that placing lamps in a field didn’t deter lion attacks, but when he walked the field with a torch, the lions stayed away. From a young age, he’d been interested in electronics, teaching himself by, for example, taking apart his parents’ radio. He used that experience to devise a system of lights that would turn on and off in sequence—using solar panels, a car battery, and a motorcycle indicator box—and thereby create a sense of movement that he hoped would scare off the lions. He installed the lights, and the lions stopped attacking. Soon villages elsewhere in Kenya began installing Richard’s “lion lights.”

• CA Chris Anderson is the curator of TED.

Partner Center

6 ways to crush a presentation at work, from people who know

• Giving a successful presentation isn't always easy, but there are some key tips to make the process easier.
• Preparation is key, including practicing your presentation and structuring it properly.
• We asked three experts for their best tips for crushing a presentation at work.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Whether you're speaking at a weekly meeting or pitching a major proposal to your company's executive team, presentations are a common source of stress for employees everywhere.

It's natural to sweat under the spotlight, especially when you only have a short amount of time to get your point across.

But it doesn't have to be that way. It is possible to crush your presentation — each and every time — by keeping some key concepts and tactics in mind.

We spoke to three experts who know a thing or two about presentations for their best advice.

Talk it out

You might feel like you're back in high school practicing your lines for the school play, but rehearsing your presentation beforehand is an important way to prepare. That's what Adam Zukor, the director of executive communications at Microsoft who specializes in speech writing and content for top Microsoft executives, told Business Insider.

"There's no substitute for practicing out loud, ideally in front of someone you trust, to give you feedback, or at least to a mirror," he said. "How you think about your presentation and how it sounds out loud can be very different, so always practice out loud — in the shower, while you are getting dressed, or as you drive to work."

Focus on a few key points, and structure accordingly

When preparing, think long and hard about the main points you want to make, because you really only get a few, Zukor said.

"No matter how high-stakes or complex the presentation, your audience is only going to take away a few key ideas," Zukor said. "Make sure you're clear-eyed about what those important takeaways are, then start framing around them."

He added that this old speech-writing adage still holds true: Tell the audience what you're going to tell them, then tell them, and then tell them what you told them.

"If something is worth saying, say it more than once to get the point across," he said.

Control those nerves

Being nervous is normal, but Mitch Grasso, CEO of the presentation software company Beautiful.AI , has some hacks to to help you relax before and during your presentation.

"First, give up on perfection — it will almost never go as planned," he told Business Insider. "Remember that ​you​ are an expert on your story and you have prepared for this moment."

Also, it's OK if you don't know every answer that your peers or even your superiors ask during your talk, he said.

"Never try to fake it — that backfires every time. Acknowledge that it's a great question, you don't have the answer, and try posing the question back to the group," he said. "It can help with audience engagement while giving yourself a short mental break."

Create simple visuals, and use the right tools

The KISS rule applies to any kind of visuals you're using for your presentation: Keep it simple, stupid. Kill the bullets, limit text, and use beautiful images, Grasso said. Less is more.

"Nobody wants to be messing around with text boxes at 2 a.m. the night before a presentation," he said. "Find a tool that makes it easy to visualize your story so that you don't spend endless hours creating your presentation. Poorly designed slides are going to be a distraction, and you risk losing your audience. Good design is transparent and fosters connection."

He noted that the actual presentation isn't the main attraction — your story is. So the slides should help take the audience on a journey while serving, and not distracting from, your primary purpose.

Be specific

Instead of pointing to larger trends to get your point across, zero in on a specific example that illustrates the trend to better connect with your audience.

"Someone smarter than me once said that a single death is a tragedy but a million deaths is a statistic," Jeff Kreisler, a behavioral science expert and editor in chief of PeopleScience.com , told Business Insider. " That's a little dark, but the point is, the identifiable victim effect confirms that highlighting individual examples and stories is a more effective way to have those stories connect with and impact an audience than the too-big picture."

For example, he pointed to how politicians on the campaign trail talk about meeting everyday people being impacted by a certain issue as a way to discuss their stance on a particular policy.

" They use that formula because it works. And it can work for you, too," Kreisler said. "You need a budget increase? Start by telling me how it's going to change one specific client's relationship with us, then go to the big numbers."

Stick the landing

Ending strong is crucial. Of course, you want to do well throughout the entire presentation, but, if there's one portion you really need to nail, it's the finish.

"According to the peak end rule , ending on a strong note will increase recall, rating and enjoyment of a presentation, and any experience, really," Kreisler said. "So, if there's one part of your talk you really want to nail — concise, emotional, and packed with takeaways — it's the ending. Finishing on a laugh never hurt, either."

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Sep 27, 2014

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Hard work. מחשב נישא.

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Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan reunite with their families in U.S. after massive prisoner swap

What we know.

• Four U.S. residents have been released from prison in Russia as part of a massive exchange involving seven nations and 24 people.
• President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich , former Marine Paul Whelan , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva as they arrived in the U.S. late last night. Russia also released Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who had been jailed on treason charges for 25 years.
• Gershkovich was wrongly sentenced to 16 years in a maximum security prison last month after he was found guilty of espionage in a case that the Journal and the U.S. government condemned as a sham.
• In his first public comments , Gershkovich called for the release of political prisoners languishing in Russian jails. "Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs," he said.
• Whelan, 54, who had been detained since he visited Russia for a friend’s wedding in 2018, was also convicted of espionage and had been serving a 16-year sentence in a penal colony. "I’m glad I’m home. I’m never going back there again," he told reporters.
• The three released prisoners were offered medical assessments at Brooke Army Medical Center, a defense official told NBC News.

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on this story, please click here .

Jake Sullivan defends Biden admin's work on releasing U.S. prisoners around the world

Patrick Smith Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said he will continue to fight to release more U.S. citizens detained in Russia after complaints from their families that their loved ones weren't part of this week's deal.

Speaking to NBC’s “TODAY” show this morning from the White House, Sullivan defended the administration's record and said there were now fewer Americans detained abroad than when Biden came to power in 2020.

"These are very tough decisions and the president has to weigh, as do the other leaders, giving up criminals to get Americans and other citizens home," he said.

"But at the end of the day, the president asked this question: 'Am I going to let these people rot for life in a Russian jail?' And his answer to that question was no.

Sullivan was asked about a statement from the family of school teacher Marc Fogel, who said they were "heartbroken" that he remained detained after the current prisoner release. They argued that Fogel is not rich, doesn't have powerful connections, and has been left to die in prison.

"Paul Whelan, a former Marine who we got out of Russia is not powerful and politically connected, Trevor Reed, another former Marine who we got out of Russia, is not powerful or politically connected," Sullivan responded.

Sullivan said the administration was working daily "to get more than 70 Americans out of prison or out of hostage-taking situations around the world," adding that he personally continues to work on the Fogel case.

Evan Gershkovich calls for the release of political prisoners in Russia

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich called for the release of political prisoners languishing in Russian jails, in his first public comments since being released from prison in Russia.

“I just spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where basically everyone I was sat with is a political prisoner. Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs, they’re not all Navalny supporters, everybody knows about them,” he said on the runway, having just stepped off the flight from Russia to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

“Today was a really touching moment ... but it would be good to see if we could potentially do something about them as well, “ he said.

Asked how he was doing, the journalist said: “I’m all right, it was a good flight,” adding that the show of support had been “overwhelming.”

Paul Whelan: 'This is how Putin runs his country'

Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine who was detained after a friend’s wedding in Russia five years ago, has thanked the many thousands of supporters who sent cards and messages of encouragement during his detainment, and described the charges against him as "nonsense."

“So, I went on a two-week vacation, you know, the FSB grabbed me, said I was a spy,” he said of his arrest by Russia’s intelligence service in 2018.

“This is the nonsense narrative they came up with and they just, they wouldn’t let it go. So, this is how Putin runs his government. This is how Putin runs his country. Yeah, I’m glad I’m home. I’m never going back there again,” he said.

He also told reporters at the Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio early today that President Joe Biden had given him the U.S. flag pin he was wearing.

Whelan said he was “looking forward to seeing my family down here and recuperating from five years, seven months and five days of just absolute nonsense by the Russian government.”

He said the release didn’t feel real until their plane flew over Britain.

“I’m a British citizen, Irish citizen, Canadian and American. So, as we came over England, and I looked down, you know, that’s when it became real,” he said.

Whelan said he had so many letters and cards arriving for him in prison that the FSB, the Russian security agency, stopped handing them over.

Released prisoners and their families land in San Antonio

The three released Americans and their families arrived at Kelly Field Air Force Base in San Antonio early today and expressed their relief at the end of their long ordeals.

Pool footage of the former prisoners showed them smiling and talking to journalists inside an aircraft hangar at the base. The plane carrying Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva previously landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 11:38 p.m. last night.

Biden expresses 'satisfaction' at bringing prisoners home

Speaking after meeting with the newly freed Americans, Biden told reporters that he felt "satisfaction" at bringing them home.

Biden said the prisoner exchange was about families being able to have access to loved ones.

Harris, meanwhile, praised American leadership. "This is an example of the strength of American leadership in bringing nations together,” she told reporters.

President says other countries made difficult decisions to get deal done

Phil Helsel

Biden said other countries made difficult decisions in making the exchange happen, and he singled out Germany, which agreed to release a convicted hitman who killed someone in Berlin, as well as the chancellor of Slovenia.

“The toughest call on this one was for other countries, because I asked them to do some things that were against their immediate self-interests — and it was very difficult for them to do," Biden told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews after three Americans were back on U.S. soil late last night.

Biden and Harris said the remarkable prisoner exchange with Russia highlighted the importance of diplomacy and having allies.

'We've got more work to do,' Biden says

Megan Lebowitz

Moments after Biden welcomed home the newly freed Americans, he spoke to reporters.

“We've got more work to do," he said, while he praised allies’ help with pushing the prisoner deal forward.

“My job is to make sure, No. 1, they don’t get them,” Biden said, referring to countries imprisoning Americans. “And if they do, we get them back.”

Harris said she is thankful for Biden and his ability to bring allies together.

Biden shared videos of freed Americans’ families talking to loved ones

Biden posted a video to X of him and the families of the Americans freed in the prisoner swap talking on the phone with their loved ones.

“No word is strong enough for this,” Vladimir Kara-Murza said in the video. “I was sure I’m going to die in prison because I don’t believe what’s happening.”

“You’ve done a wonderful thing by saving so many people,” Kara-Murza added.

Biden, Harris welcome home Americans on tarmac

Biden and Harris greeted freed Americans Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews.

Friends, family members and officials are also there.

The plane touched down around 11:38 p.m. Biden and Harris stood at the base of the stairs to greet the freed Americans as they stepped off the jet.

Biden and Harris were seen talking to Whelan after he got off the jet. Biden and Whelan hugged. Gershkovich was next and was greeted by the president and the vice president, and then was followed by Kurmasheva.

Kurmasheva hugged her two children and husband. There was applause as each former prisoner hugged their family back on U.S. soil.

Cameras did not pick up what was said between the three Americans and the president and the vice president.

Freed Americans touch down on U.S. soil

A plane with freed Americans Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva has touched down at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

The Americans are among 16 people released from Russian detention in a negotiated deal with the U.S. and other nations.

The plane touched down at 11:38 p.m.

They will be greeted by Biden and Harris.

Families of Americans at Joint Base Andrews to welcome them home

The families of Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva, held hostage in Russia but freed in an exchange, are at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, awaiting a plane carrying them home.

The jet is expected to touch down shortly.

VP Harris says she called Alexei Navalny's widow after prisoner swap

Harris said she called Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, following the massive deal that led to the release of people imprisoned in Russia, including members of Navalny’s team.

“Some of them worked with Navalny to combat corruption and build a free, democratic Russia,” Harris said on X.

“I thanked Yulia for her courage in continuing her husband’s work and reaffirmed my commitment to stand with those fighting for freedom in Russia and around the world,” Harris wrote.

Navalny survived being poisoned in 2020 and was sentenced to a combined 30 ½-year jail sentence in Russia. He died in prison in February at age 47.

Biden and others directly blamed Putin. “Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” Biden said at the time.

Freed Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza was pallbearer at John McCain funeral

Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, freed from a 25-year sentence at a Siberian penal colony as part of today’s massive prisoner exchange, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Sen. John McCain .

Kara-Murza is a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a promoter of a democratic Russia.

He was twice poisoned, and he was imprisoned after he criticized Putin over Russia’s 2022 unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

“Vladimir Kara-Murza, who honored Senator John McCain as a pallbearer, embodies the unwavering spirit of democracy,” the McCain Institute said in a statement today .

“Despite facing multiple assassination attempts orchestrated by the Kremlin, his steadfast commitment to promoting human rights in Russia continues to inspire hope for a just future,” the institute said.

McCain, R-Ariz., died in 2018.

Kara-Murza is Russian, but he is an American green-card holder.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issue statement

The Republican House speaker and the Senate minority leader said in a statement about the release of Americans wrongfully jailed in Russia that the deal “does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

“The release of innocent Americans and Russian political prisoners from wrongful detention is encouraging news. We eagerly await the return of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza to their homes and loved ones and will continue pressing for all Americans to be released,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

“Their unjust captivity will be an enduring reminder of the Russian government’s longstanding fear of free people and the free press. And the continued imprisonment of American citizens and innocent Russians is a damning indictment of Vladimir Putin’s hostility to the United States and his disdain for the rule of law.

“Without serious action to deter further hostage-taking by Russia, Iran, and other states hostile to the United States, the costs of hostage diplomacy will continue to rise. As we renew our call for the return of all persons wrongfully detained by the Kremlin, we recognize that trading hardened Russian criminals for innocent Americans does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

'It’s hard to describe what today feels like,' Gershkovich family says

Evan Gershkovich’s family released the following statement:

“We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close. Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this, and so we share relief and joy today with Paul and Alsu’s families.

“We are grateful to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Chancellor Scholz and every U.S. or foreign government official who helped get Evan released.

“Our family has felt so much love and support from Evan’s fellow journalists, his wonderful friends, and many, many people around the world. It made a difference to Evan and to us. And we especially thank Evan’s colleagues at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. They have taken care of Evan and our entire family since the beginning, and we are forever grateful.

“The Gershkovich Family

“Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich and Danielle Gershkovich”

German Chancellor Scholz says jailed Memorial co-chair among those being released by Russia

Carlo Angerer

A co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient organization Memorial and several members of the team of the late dissident Alexei Navalny are among the Germans Russia is releasing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

He did not name the people expected to be released. The U.S. earlier identified Oleg Orlov, a co-chair of Memorial, as those to be released.

Orlov was sentenced in February to 2½ years after he wrote in 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked attack, that Russia under Putin had descended into fascism, Reuters reported at the time.

Memorial is a Russian human rights organization that was founded in 1987, when the Soviet Union still existed. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 “for its fight for human rights, democracy, and peaceful co-existence,” the Nobel Peace Center said.

Wall Street Journal newsroom erupted in applause, cheers at news of reporter's release

Video posted on X by Wall Street Journal senior executive producer Vaughn Sterling shows applause and reaction in the newspaper's newsroom on the announcement of the exchange to free Gershkovich and others.

Committee to Protect Journalists say 320 journalists are imprisoned around the world

The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the release of wrongfully detained reporters released in a deal with Russia and said more than 300 journalists remain jailed around the world.

The 320 jailed journalists found in the group’s most recent census are the second most it has ever recorded.

"Evan and Alsu have been apart from their families for far too long," CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement , referring to Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva.

"They were detained and sentenced on spurious charges intended to punish them for their journalism and stifle independent reporting. Their release is welcome — but it does not change the fact that Russia continues to suppress a free press," Ginsberg said.

China, Myanmar, Belarus and Russia led the list with the most jailed journalists, th e census showed.

Kirby tells Americans, ‘Absolutely don’t go to Russia right now’

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby issued a stark warning to all Americans as released U.S. citizens unjustly jailed in Russia were returning home in a prisoner exchange.

“Absolutely, don’t go to Russia right now,” Kirby said on MSNBC.

Kirby was asked whether prisoner exchanges like today’s could encourage countries to take hostages, and he said he wasn’t sure that was the case.

“I think it’s an open question that that precept is actually true, that negotiating a deal like this just encourages more hostage-taking. The truth is we haven’t seen data that actually confirms that that’s the case,” Kirby said.

“I mean, even when you’re not negotiating deals, bad actors like Russia, bad actors like Iran are still taking hostages,” he said.

The State Department warns U.S. citizens about countries where there is a risk of being detained, and he encouraged any American considering travel to view those warnings.

Alsu Kurmasheva's husband says call of freedom ‘very moving’

The husband of freed journalist Alsu Kurmasheva said he spoke to her from the Oval Office next to Biden and other families.

“It was so overwhelming. It was such a mix of emotions — and the setting was very special to us, because we got to speak from the Oval Office standing next to the president with all the other families,” Pavel Butorin said in a brief phone interview this evening.

Butorin will be at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, near Washington, as Kurmasheva and other Americans return home after their detention in Russia.

A Russian court last month sentenced Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, to 6 ½ years in prison .

Butorin has said her arrest was related to a book she edited, “Saying No to War. 40 Stories of Russians Who Oppose the Russian Invasion of Ukraine," Reuters reported at the time of her sentence.

Russia has made it a crime to discuss its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including calling it a war.

“It was a very moving experience,” Butorin said of the Oval Office call. “I don’t even really remember what she said — I do remember her saying, ‘I love you guys.’”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes freed prisoners in Germany

The Associated Press

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed Germans and Russians freed in the prisoner swap to Germany and says he had “very moving” conversations with them.

Scholz said after they landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport late today that “all arrived safe and sound” and will undergo health checks in the coming days.

He said that “many did not expect this to happen now and are still full of the feelings that are connected with suddenly being free.” He added that “many feared for their health and their lives; that must be said very clearly.”

The 16 prisoners freed by Russia and Belarus included five German citizens, and the deal involved Germany's deporting Vadim Krasikov to Russia. Krasikov was serving a life prison sentence for what judges concluded was a Russian state-ordered killing in Berlin in 2019.

Scholz said: “I think this is the right decision. And if you had any doubts, then you lose them after speaking with those who are now free.”

He said it was “a special moment for me, a moment that certainly has also very much intensified the friendship between the U.S and Germany.”

The role Harris played in making the exchange deal happen

Carol E. Lee Carol E. Lee is the Washington managing editor.

Gabe Gutierrez

In February, Harris met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, asked most of the aides to leave them and asked for Scholz’ help with a planned prisoner exchange with Russia, a White House official said.

Harris raised something Biden had recently discussed with Scholz — that Germany’s release of Vadim Krasikov was a critical component of getting a prisoner swap, the official said.

Krasikov, who was released as part of the exchange, is a Russian hitman who was jailed for life in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen militant in Berlin.

The meeting between Harris and Scholz occurred on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“She moved the ball forward significantly in that meeting,” the White House official said.

At Munich, Harris also met with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in a meeting arranged specifically to try to help bring Slovenia on board with the multicountry prisoner swap, the White House official said.

Freed Americans expected to be offered post-isolation support

Mosheh Gains

Courtney Kube

After their arrival at Joint Base Andrews tonight, Whelan, Gershkovich and Kurmasheva and their families will be offered a flight to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to receive post-isolation support at Brooke Army Medical Center, a defense official told NBC News.

They are due to arrive at 11:30 p.m. ET and are expected to be welcomed home by Biden and Harris.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was on the tarmac at Vnukovo Inernational Airport to offer hugs and handshakes to returnees who were released in the prisoner exchange deal with the U.S.

Griner: Any day Americans come home, that’s a win

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said tonight that she is “head over heels” that fellow Americans are going home from Russia.

“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said after the U.S. women’s basketball team beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Games quarterfinals. “We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, went through her own high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling that year.

Following the release of prisoners held in Russia, Harris told reporters, “It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over.”

She added that she is committed to bringing back Americans who have been wrongfully detained or held hostage. 

‘He’s definitely not going to stop,’ associate says of dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza

The head of a global campaign that has led to sanctions against Russian officials who knows dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza says the outspoken Putin critic is not going to stay silent now that he is free.

"He’s definitely not going to stop," William Browder, who heads the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, said on MSNBC.

Kara-Murza helped get the 2012 Magnitsky Act passed. The law, which allows the U.S. to freeze the assets of human rights offenders, is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblowing attorney who died in a Russian prison.

"In fact, I just got a letter from him from prison last week where he told me that he’s learning Spanish," Browder said of Kara-Murza.

“And the reason he’s learning Spanish is he wants to go down to Latin America and get the Latin American countries to pass Magnitsky Acts so they can freeze the assets of the Putin regime and other Russian criminals,” he said.

Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022 after he spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was sentenced to a Siberian penal colony , and Browder said he would have died there but for this exchange. Kara-Murza also survived two poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017, Browder said.

"He will go back full-steam," Browder said. "But the one thing he won't do — because I won't let him — is go back into Russia."

Video from Russia’s security service, the FSB, shows Gershkovich and Whelan boarding a plane along with Vladimir Kara-Murza, Patrick Schobel and Vadim Ostanin.

Russians released in prisoner swap land in Moscow

Daniella Silva

Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the Russian prisoners released in the multinational prisoner swap today after they landed in Moscow.

“I would like to address those of you who are directly involved in military service. I would like to thank you for your loyalty to your oath, your duty and your Motherland, which has not forgotten you for even a minute,” Putin said on Russian state television. “And now, you are home.”

The first man greeted Putin greeted was Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist, in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination.

“All of you will be presented with state awards. We will see each other again, talk about your future,” he said. “Now I just want to congratulate you on your return home.”

Biden and Harris to welcome freed Americans at 11:30 p.m.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are scheduled to greet Americans freed from wrongful detention in Russia tonight at around 11:30 p.m. at Joint Base Andrews, according to a schedule released by the White House.

Voice of America welcomes release of Kurmasheva and others

Voice of America today said it was welcoming home Alsu Kurmasheva, a reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, and Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Radio Free Europe is a private nonprofit organization that is funded through a grant by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also oversees Voice of America.

"Their unjust imprisonment highlights the urgent need to redouble efforts to protect the safety of journalists under threat simply for doing their jobs," Voice of America said in a statement .

Russia says 8 citizens, as well as children, were returned in swap

The Russian Federal Security Service said today that eight of its citizens, including children, who were detained and imprisoned in a number of NATO countries “were returned to their homeland as a result of an exchange that took place at the airport in Ankara.” Turkey previously said 10 prisoners, including two children, had been transferred to Russia.

“Their return was made possible thanks to the systematic and task-oriented work of representatives of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other competent government agencies, as well as foreign partners,” the Russian government said. 

“The Russian citizens were exchanged for a group of individuals who acted in the interests of foreign states to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

Four U.S. residents who were wrongly imprisoned in Russia were released and on their way home Thursday.

Harris played ‘critical’ role in negotiations, WH press secretary says

Caryn Littler

Vice President Kamala Harris played “a critical role in this diplomacy at a number of key moments” leading to the prisoner exchange, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said today.

“She met with the chancellor of Germany in Munich to help pave the way,” Jean-Pierre said.

“She also met with the prime minister of Slovenia to help bring them into the negotiations,” she added. “They were partners in this and then you’ll see her tonight join the president to welcome back those Americans who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia.”

Gershkovich family ‘on the moon’ over release, Journal editor says

Wall Street Journal associate editor Paul Beckett said today on MSNBC that there had been brief communication with Gershkovich’s family “and they’re just on the moon” over his release.

Beckett said that in the Journal newsroom today, there were “tears of relief, smiles of joy, huge gratitude.”

“We’re incredibly excited and exhausted at the same time, and that’s how we’re feeling, so you know, can only imagine how Evan and his amazing family are doing as they wait to be reunited in a few hours,” he said.

What Biden administration has said about negotiations over Marc Fogel's release

A senior administration official stated today that the Biden administration has been working to negotiate Marc Fogel's release since as early as the negotiations for the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.

The senior official said it was the same case in today’s deal.

“We absolutely wanted Mark to be included. But it just wasn’t going to happen. You do the best you can and you get what you can,” the official said.

The official said that after years of trying, in this case they were able to secure the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan , but not Fogel. 

“What that tells us is we have got to keep redoubling our efforts, and we are,” the official said. “I can assure you that there are ongoing conversations and dialogue about Marc and about trying to get him released.”

“We understand that today, it will be a tough day for the Fogel family,” the official said. “We just want to make sure that they understand we have not forgotten Mark. And we’re going to continue to work for his release.”

Family of Marc Fogel, still held in Russia, is ‘heartbroken and outraged’

The family of Marc Fogel, an American serving 14 years in a Russian prison who was not released today, said that “for the second time in three years since Marc Fogel’s detention in Russia, we are completely heartbroken and outraged that Marc has been left behind while the U.S. government brought other Americans home.” 

Fogel had been teaching in Russia and was sentenced to 14 years for having a small amount of medical cannabis that had been prescribed to him in the U.S., but was illegal in Russia.

“Today, Marc is missing from the historic prisoner exchange orchestrated by the Biden Administration,” the family said in a statement through its attorney Sasha Phillips.

“It is incomprehensible that the U.S. government, which has secured the release of other Americans and even foreign nationals detained long after Marc, has refused to do the same for Marc Fogel,” the family said. “This glaring injustice and indifference are unacceptable. It is wrong, unfair, and not the America we know and love.”

The family said Marc was not rich, a celebrity or connected to powerful patrons, but was supported by his family in the fight for his freedom.

“This fight has been met not with support and understanding, but with stonewalling, double standards, and—today—abandoning Marc to die in prison for less than an ounce of medical marijuana prescribed to manage his severe decades-long spinal disease,” the statement said. 

“We refuse to remain silent and will continue to fight for Marc. We demand immediate action to secure Marc’s release and call on President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Deputy Secretary Verma, and National Security Advisor Sullivan to say Marc Fogel’s name, designate him as wrongfully detained, and bring him home. The time for half-measures is over; we need results now,” the family said. 

A senior administration official told NBC News earlier that the White House plans to restart efforts to get Fogel and other wrongfully detained Americans out of Russia.

Schumer says released prisoners have shown ‘incredible resilience and courage’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said today that “after years of brutal and wrongful detention in Russia at the hands of Putin’s regime, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza are finally on their way home.” 

“Today is a joyous day for their families who have waited a long time to see their loved ones,” he said. 

Schumer said that throughout their “heart wrenching imprisonment, they have remained strong and they have showed the world their incredible resilience and courage.”

Schumer said he was "proud to stand shoulder to shoulder" with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell "in a bipartisan show of unity to fight for their safe return, and I commend President Biden for getting them home."

He said it took “painstaking and intense negotiations to return these Americans to freedom.”

“Vladimir Putin’s thuggish tactic of using Americans as bargaining chips only shows his weakness and desperation, not strength, as he seeks to bring back the failed Soviet-style repression at home and aggression abroad,” he said. 

“For other Americans held hostage or unjustly imprisoned around the world, today shines as a beacon of hope that America will never give up on you,” he said.

Biden posts photo of Americans on a plane heading back to U.S.

President Biden posted a photo on X of the Americans heading back to the U.S.

"After enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty, the Americans detained in Russia are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families," Biden wrote in the post.

Putin signs decree pardoning released prisoners

Natasha Lebedeva

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to pardon more than a dozen of the prisoners, including the three Americans and one U.S. resident , who were freed in a multicountry swap, the Kremlin said .

The move was done with "the aim of returning Russian citizens detained and imprisoned in foreign countries," according to the Kremlin. It also said it was "grateful to the leadership of all countries that provided assistance in preparing the exchange."

Turkey calls swap ‘the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times’

The Turkish government said today that “the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times took place in Ankara” and involved a total of 26 people from prisons in seven countries — the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that seven aircraft, two from the U.S., and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia, had transported prisoners to Turkey as part of the exchange. 

Ten prisoners, including two children, were later transferred to Russia, 13 to Germany, and three to the United States, the Turkish government said.

The statement said Turkey “will continue to make every contribution to ensure international peace and stability.”

Biden and Harris will be at Joint Base Andrews to welcome released citizens

President Biden and Vice President Harris will be at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland tonight to welcome the three released U.S. citizens when they arrive on U.S. soil, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said today during the White House Press briefing. The three are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a legal permanent resident, will be traveling to Germany, where his family will meet him after standing with Biden during his address earlier today, Sullivan said. 

“We expect him back here in the United States soon,” Sullivan said, where he will be able to see the president and others in the U.S. government. 

Former Russian president mocks released prisoners

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on his official Telegram channel that he would like for the "traitors of Russia to rot in prison or die in jail, as has often happened” in remarks about the high-profile prisoner exchange, which included three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident who were all wrongfully imprisoned.

"But it is more useful to get out our own, who worked for the country, for the Fatherland, for all of us,” said Medvedev, who is also deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, which is chaired by Vladimir Putin. “Let the traitors now feverishly select new names and actively disguise themselves under a witness protection program.”

Two Russian cybercriminals among those released

Kevin Collier

Two of the Russian prisoners released today are convicted cybercriminals who the U.S. says stole hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans.

Many of the most persistent cybercriminals who attack Americans hail from Russia, which does not extradite its citizens. Western law enforcement generally considers it a major victory to get any prominent Russian criminal hacker behind bars, making their release remarkable.

The two men, both in their 40s, are Vladislav Klyushin, part of a ring that hacked U.S. earnings reports to game the stock market; and Roman Seleznev, a seasoned credit card thief and son of a Russian lawmaker .

Read more here about the Russians freed in today’s prisoner swap.

Three Russians released from U.S. custody were prosecuted by DOJ

Ken Dilanian

The three Russians released from U.S. custody in today’s prisoner swap had been prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Two of them had been convicted and sentenced. 

Vladislav Klyushin was sentenced to 9 years in U.S. prison in September 2023 after being convicted of participating in a $93 million insider trading scheme involving confidential earnings information obtained by hacking security databases. He claimed he turned down efforts to recruit him as a spy by the CIA and Britain’s MI6.

Roman Seleznev was sentenced in 2017 to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to a $9 million bank fraud conspiracy and involvement in a cybercrime ring for $50 million in online identity theft. 

Vadim Konoshchenok was arrested in Estonia last year and extradited to the U.S. on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government.  The U.S. suspected he had ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service. He had not been tried and convicted. 

 The Justice Department declined to comment.

Read more here about the Russians freed in today's prisoner swap.

Blinken says 3 U.S. citizens released sounded 'strong of spirit'

Abigail Williams

Blinken spoke by phone to the three U.S. citizens released today in a prisoner swap and said they sounded "strong of spirit."

“They all sounded strong of voice, strong of mind, strong of spirit,” Blinken said, speaking from the Yokota Air Base, a Japanese and American air force base in Tokyo, Japan.

“I told them the hospitality at home would probably be a lot better than the hospitality they have been receiving. It was just very good to actually hear them,” he said.

Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that while on the tarmac, Blinken spoke with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva while the three were together in Ankara.

Blinken was asked about the Russians getting back Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist, in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination.

He said, “These are always incredibly hard decisions” and the nature of the prisoners swapped “shows you what they value, shows you what we value.”

Reporters Without Borders says it’s ‘hugely relieved’ by release of two journalists

Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom advocacy group, said it was “hugely relieved” that journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva “are finally free.”

The group also said that it “condemns the Kremlin’s arbitrary detention of these journalists, which amounts to state hostage-taking.”

“We are hugely relieved by reports that both Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva have been released, following 16 months of detention for Gershkovich, and nine months for Kurmasheva,” Rebecca Vincent, the director of campaigns for Reporters Without Borders, said in the statement. 

“Neither should have spent a single day in a Russian prison for doing their jobs as journalists.,” Vincent said. “As we await confirmation of their safe return to the United States, we emphasize that journalists are not targets and must not be used as political pawns in this way. The international community must make clear to the Russian government that their outrageous practice of state hostage-taking will not be tolerated. In the meantime, we continue to advocate for the release of the more than 40 other journalists who remain detained in Russia in connection with their work.”

Biden calls out Trump for comments on ability to release prisoners 

When asked during his address to respond to former President Donald Trump’s comments that he could have secured the release of U.S. prisoners without giving up anything in exchange, Biden said, “Why didn’t he do it when he was president?”

Biden leads singing of 'Happy Birthday' to daughter of released prisoner

During his address today, President Biden led the singing of "Happy Birthday" to Miriam Butorin, the daughter of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. He mentioned she was turning 13 tomorrow, following the long-awaited release of her mother.

"Now, she gets to celebrate with her mom. That’s what this is all about, families able to be together again, but they should have been all along," Biden said during his address. 

"Thank you again to everyone who did their part. In just a few hours, welcome home, our fellow Americans," Biden said. "We’re looking forward to that, God willing, Thank you. And it’s a good day."

Biden thanks allies for making ‘bold and brave decisions’ for prisoners’ release

Biden said during his address today that the release of the four U.S. residents and others, “would not have been made possible without our allies, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey, they all stepped up, and they stood with us.” 

“They made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being held in their countries who were justifiably being held and provided logistical support to get the Americans home,” he said.

Biden said his administration and the United States “work relentlessly to free Americans who are unjustly held around the world.”

He also said the State Department has introduced new warnings for Americans about the risk of being wrongfully detained by foreign governments.

“Deals like this one come with tough calls. There are never any guarantees,” he said. “There’s nothing that matters more to me protecting Americans at home and abroad and so we’ll continue to work for the release of all wrongfully detained Americans around the world.”

The multiple family members of released prisoners who joined Biden during his address

Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner

Multiple family members of the four released U.S. residents joined Biden during his address today, the White House said.

To the president’s right were Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan; Pavel Butorin, the husband, Bibi Butorin, the daughter, and Miriam Butorin, the daughter, of Alsu Kurmasheva; and to the president’s left, Mikhail Gershkovich, the father, Ella Milman, the mother, Danielle Gershkovich, the sister, Anthony Huczek, the brother-in-law, of Evan Gershkovich; and Evgeniya Kara-Murza, the wife, Ekaterina Kara-Murza, the daughter, Daniil Kara-Murza, the son, of Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Who were the most notable Russian prisoners released?

The most notable Russian prisoner released as part of the swap is Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist,   in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination. Russian authorities say they believed Khangoshvili was involved in multiple attacks on Russian soil, including the 2010 suicide bombings on the Moscow Metro. 

The U.S. released three Russian prisoners, including an  intelligence operative  facing charges of smuggling U.S. technology and ammunition to the Russian military. Slovenia released two Russian prisoners, Norway and Poland each released one.

Russia released   12 German prisoners, most of them connected to opposition leader  Alexei Navalny  who died in prison in February, following a yearslong struggle against official corruption and  President Vladimir Putin’s  government that included  several poisoning attempts . 

Read full story here.

VP Harris celebrates release of those ‘unjustly held in Russia’

Vice President Kamala Harris said today that “we celebrate the release of Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir and others who were unjustly held in Russia.”

“It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families,” Harris said in a post on X , and added that she and President Biden “will not stop working until every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage is brought home.”

Biden addresses nation joined by families of released U.S. prisoners

President Joe Biden addressed the nation today, with the families of newly released U.S. prisoners at his side, to say that the four U.S. residents will soon be "wheels up on their way home to see their families.”

“Now, their brutal ordeal is over and they’re free,” Biden said. “Moments ago, families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office. They’re out of Russia. Earlier today, they were flown to Turkey, and soon they will be wheels up on their way home to see their families.”

"This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here. It’s relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who have been praying for this day for a long time," Biden said. "The deal that made this possible was the feat of diplomacy and friendship."

American reporter 'did nothing wrong,' employer says

Valeriya Antonshchuk

With the release of Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva , her employer, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said in a statement celebrating her freedom that she was "targeted because she was an American journalist who was simply trying to take care of a family member inside Russia."

"She did nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve the unjust treatment and forced separation from her loving family members and colleagues," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty CEO Stephen Capus said. Kurmasheva had been detained since October on a charge of spreading false information.

Capus said the media outlet still has three other journalists imprisoned in Belarus and Russian-occupied Crimea. "We will not rest until all our unjustly detained journalists are home safe. Journalism is not a crime," he added.

'Paul Whelan is free,' says brother of former U.S. Marine

Whelan's brother thanked President Biden and others for the release of his family member after “Paul was held hostage for 2,043 days.”

"Paul Whelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government for making Paul’s freedom a reality. We’d like to thank President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and National Security Advisor Sullivan for their engagement with the Russian Federation to create the environment where Paul’s freedom became a possibility," David Whelan said in a statement today.

He went on to thank members of Congress and people who supported his brother’s release "from across the globe."

"There is no way to thank the many Americans and others who helped and gave hope to Paul from afar, writing letters and donating to his GoFundMe prison account," he said in the statement. "We are grateful for the assistance that, like Paul’s extended family, came from across the globe."

David Whelan also said that "we were discouraged from speaking out about Paul’s case."

"But we believe the media attention has been a crucial factor in securing Paul’s freedom," he said. “Those first years were hard when the Trump Administration ignored Paul’s wrongful detention, and it was media attention that helped to finally create critical mass and awareness within the U.S. government.” 

“Paul Whelan is not in a Russian labor colony any longer, but he is not home,” his brother said. “While Paul was wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, he lost his home. He lost his job. We are unsure how someone overcomes these losses and rejoins society after being a hostage.” 

David Whelen ended his statement reiterating, “we are grateful for everyone’s efforts to help Paul while he was away” and asked for space and privacy for his brother.

Blinken: Release of prisoners was achieved through ‘extraordinary efforts’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of the release of the four U.S. residents today that "through the extraordinary efforts of countless people in the State Department and across our government, the United States was able to strike an agreement to secure their freedom, as well as that of Vladimir Kara-Murza and twelve others held prisoner inside Russia."

Blinken said the U.S. was grateful for the support from allies that made the deal possible and appreciated the Turkish government for providing a location for the safe return of individuals to the U.S. and Germany. 

"Through many difficult conversations over the past several years, I told the families of those wrongfully detained in Russia that we would not forget them," Blinken said. "I know there are many times over those years where they have wondered if our work would ever bear fruit. But I also know that they never gave up hope, and neither did we."

"My pledge to the families of those still separated from their families is the same that I made to those returning home today," he said. "We will not forget you, and we will not rest until you see your loved ones again."

These are the Americans and U.S. resident freed by the Russians

Corky Siemaszko

Three Americans and one permanent U.S. resident were among those freed from Russian captivity Thursday in one the biggest prisoner exchanges since the Cold War — a feat of dogged diplomacy that involved half-a-dozen countries and took months to pull off.

Wall Street Journal reporter  Evan Gershkovich,  who was convicted in July of espionage after what the U.S. government and his employer called a sham trial, was released after months of public campaigning by his newspaper, family and fellow journalists from around the world.

The cause of former Marine  Paul Whelan , who was arrested in 2018 and convicted of espionage, was championed largely by his family and he was freed after having already served four years of a 16-year sentence in a grim Russian prison.

Two more of the released prisoners are also journalists:  Vladimir Kara-Murza , a dual Russian British national critical of the Kremlin, and  Alsu Kurmasheva , a Russian American reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty who is also a permanent resident of the U.S.

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Biden says U.S. prisoners ‘who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home’

President Joe Biden said in a statement today that the three Americans and one American green-card holder "who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home."

"The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country," Biden said. "Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over."

Biden said he was grateful to the U.S. allies "who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome— including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey."

"This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer," the president said. 

Biden said he "will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family" and that his administration has brought home more than 70 such Americans, "many of whom were in captivity since before I took office."

"Still, too many families are suffering and separated from their loved ones, and I have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home," he said.

 "Today, we celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir and rejoice with their families," Biden said. "We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong."

White House official says prisoner exchange is ‘historic’

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that today’s prisoner exchange was “historic.”

“Not since the Cold War has there been a similar number of individuals exchanged in this way and there has never, so far as we know, been an exchange involving so many countries, so many close U.S. partners and allies working together,” Sullivan said on a call with reporters.

“It’s the culmination of many rounds of complex, painstaking negotiations over many, many months,” he said.

NSC details names of those involved in prisoner exchange between multiple countries

The White House National Security Council said in a press call today that the three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident returning home from Russia, include: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and legal permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The 12 German nationals and who will return to Germany, include: Dieter Voronin, Kevin Lick, Rico Krieger, Patrick Schoebel, Herman Moyzhes, Ilya Yashin, Liliya Chanysheva, Kseniya Fadeyeva, Vadim Ostanin, Andrey Pivovarov, Oleg Orlov, Sasha Skochilenko, according to the NSC call.

The individuals returning to Russia, include: Vadim Krasikov (from Germany), Artem Viktorovich Dultsev (from Slovenia), Anna Valerevna Dultseva (from Slovenia), Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin (from Norway), Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov (from Poland), Roman Seleznev (from the U.S.), Vladislav Klyushin (from the U.S.), and Vadim Konoshchenock (from the U.S.).

Wall Street Journal's top editor: 'A great day for press freedom'

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker celebrated the release of Evan Gershkovich with a post on X.

In a letter on The Wall Street Journal's website, Tucker expressed her joy and relief for Gershkovich's release as well as the freeing of fellow detainees in Russia.

"That it was done in a trade for Russian operatives guilty of serious crimes was predictable as the only solution given President Putin’s cynicism," Tucker wrote. "We are grateful to President Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn’t commit."

Tucker also thanked Gershkovich's family, his colleagues and supporters who have called for his release over the past 16 months. She ended: "My greatest thanks, though, must go to Evan himself."

Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan released in exchange

Three U.S. citizens — including journalist  Evan Gershkovich  and Marine veteran  Paul Whelan  — wrongly imprisoned in Russia were released and on their way home today, part of a major multinational prisoner exchange the likes of which has not been seen since the Cold War. 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist  Alsu Kurmasheva , a Russian American, and  Vladimir Kara-Murza  Jr., a dual Russian British national and U.S. permanent resident who was sentenced on treason charges to 25 years in April 2023, were also released.

Turkish government says the exchange is expected to take place in Ankara

The Turkish government said today that the prisoner exchange is expected to take place in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

Who are the high-profile U.S. prisoners in Russia?

As a prisoner swap is underway between the United States and Russia, here is a reminder of some of the high-profile names that could potentially be included. NBC News is not yet able to confirm who exactly is involved in the prisoner swap. 

The highest-profile U.S. prisoners in Russia right now are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. 

Gershkovich, 32, detained in March 2023, was convicted of espionage by a Russian court this year and sentenced to 16 years in prison in July. He has been in prison for some 70 weeks now, Allie Raffa, an NBC News White House correspondent, said Thursday morning on MSNBC.  

Whelan, 54, who has been detained since visiting Russia for a friend’s wedding in 2018, was also convicted of espionage and has been serving a 16-year sentence in a penal colony. 

He was notably not a part of the high-profile December 2022 prisoner exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer Victor Bout. 

Prisoner swap underway between the U.S., Russia and other countries, senior official says

A prisoner swap was underway between the United States,  Russia , and other countries on Thursday, according to a  senior Biden administration  official.

The trade is a rare example of cooperation amid heightened political tensions between the U.S. and Russia, including from sanctions imposed on Russia and Russian officials over the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Relations between the two countries had been strained before the invasion, following Russian interference in the 2016 election and its annexation of Crimea.