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Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty Proposes Bid for TikTok’s U.S. Assets

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Frank McCourt, the billionaire entrepreneur and former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has announced that his venture, Project Liberty, along with its consortium partners known as The People’s Bid, is making a formal proposal to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets from ByteDance. This move comes ahead of the January 19 deadline set by a law signed by President Joe Biden, which mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a potential ban in the U.S.

The consortium has not disclosed the exact value of the offer but assured that it has the financial backing to complete the deal. The group highlighted interest from private equity funds, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals, alongside debt financing from one of the U.S.’s largest banks, which will provide the necessary capital to execute the acquisition.

McCourt, who launched Project Liberty last year with the aim of acquiring TikTok’s U.S. operations, emphasized that the acquisition would ensure the platform’s continuity without reliance on the current TikTok algorithm, thereby avoiding a potential ban. He expressed optimism about working with ByteDance, President-elect Donald Trump, and the incoming administration to finalize the deal, ensuring that millions of Americans can continue to use the platform.

 

Americans Freed in Russia Prisoner Swap Reunite with Families

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Three Americans who were released in a significant prisoner swap with Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, have arrived back in the United States. The swap, described as the largest since the end of the Cold War, involved the exchange of 16 prisoners for eight Russians.

Alongside Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were freed. The exchange took place at an airfield in Turkey and was facilitated by negotiations spanning over 18 months. The deal included the return of Vadim Krasikov, who was serving a life sentence in Germany for a Berlin assassination.

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the freed Americans were greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before reuniting with their families. The three were later sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas for medical evaluations.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin welcomed the returned Russians, including Krasikov, and announced they would receive state awards. The swap also involved other prisoners from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.

The exchange follows prior discussions that included jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but these discussions fell through after his death in February. The swap comes amid high tensions between Moscow and the West, particularly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.