Happy Friday! I’d like to announce I’ve canceled my weekend plans, but don’t look too much into it. It doesn’t mean Harris has made any decisions yet. *overly expressive wink* (Who else has seen this social media trend?): 

Here’s what’s happening:

• Biden and Harris greeted Evan Gershkovich upon his U.S. return.

• Harris heads into the weekend with a major decision ahead of her.

• U.S. job growth slowed in July. It may be a sign for a coming rate cut.

• Plus: A gooey chocolate muffin is the talk of the Olympic village.

I’m Cate Martel. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up.

©  AP Photo, Alex Brandon

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan are back on U.S. soil after being held captive in Russian prisons.

President Biden and Vice President Harris greeted them at Joint Base Andrews late last night.

???? This photo of Evan and his mother is making me emotional.

 ???? Watch Evan walk off the plane

Like it was no big deal (?!): “Evan! How does it feel to finally be home?” he was asked when getting off the plane. “Not bad,” he responded. ???? Watch the clip

Evan gave Harris a big hug: Biden stayed back and let Harris be the first to greet Gershkovich. ???? Watch Biden and Harris greet Gershkovich

More sights and sounds:

???? Biden removed his American flag pin and gave it to Whelan

???? The editor-in-chief of WSJ and others waiting to greet Evan

???? Check out this photo of today’s WSJ print edition

???? Watch the full C-SPAN video of the arrival

In total, 24 prisoners were exchanged. List of swapped prisoners

???? It’s the biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War. Two dozen people and seven countries were involved.

???? Negotiations took place over several months, but Biden personally was pushing to finalize the deal hours before he dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

???? The deal the Biden administration had been working on involved Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be freed, but he died in February.

???? Germany played an important role in negotiating the deal.

More about the details of the prisoner swap, via The Hill’s Brett Samuels

Former President Trump called this week’s prisoner swap a “win” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump told Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business Network: “Well as usual, it was a win for Putin or any other country that deals with us. But we got somebody back, so I’m never going to be challenging that … I think it’s wonderful that Evan’s coming back. I think it’s great. But these deals are so bad. These deals are going to lead to tremendous kidnappings.”

U.S. job growth slowed down in July with just 114,000 jobs added last month.

For context: Economists had expected a gain of roughly 175,000 jobs.

What about the unemployment rate?: It jumped to 4.3 percent when economists had expected it to remain steady at 4.1 percent.

???? What this could mean for the economy and interest rates: The Federal Reserve has been waiting for signs of inflation slowing and the U.S. job market cooling off before cutting interest rates. An interest rate cut could boost the economy. There had been widespread fears of a recession but the U.S. economy has held strong throughout the Biden administration.

A source told The Hill's Amie Parnes that Harris is meeting her top vice presidential picks in the next couple days.

Where the decision stands: The New York Times reports that vetting of VP prospects is complete. Her top contenders have cleared their schedules, so keep an eye out for any hints or potential announcement. ????

Reminder: Harris and her new running mate are expected to hold their first rally together on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels look at the relationships between Harris and her top VP contenders.

Why this matters: “[Given] the condensed timeline of the search, Harris’s ties to the candidates may play a role in whom she chooses.”

“She needs to find someone she vibes with. Who can help govern and make tough decisions,” said one Harris ally.

House Democrats are increasingly advocating for Vice President Harris to choose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate.

What to know about Walz: Before becoming governor, he served in the House for 12 years and became the top Democrat on the powerful Veterans Affairs Committee. “Walz was not only popular on Capitol Hill, but he also had the distinction of being the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in the history of Congress — a status that endeared him to Pentagon supporters in both parties.”

Why House Dems like Walz: “That unique resume — combined with his Midwestern roots, liberal policy record and fierce defense of the Biden administration on the campaign trail this year — have made him a top prospect…”

Read the full reporting from The Hill’s Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis: ‘House Democrats home in on Tim Walz for Harris ticket’

Harris raised a whopping $310 million in July.

Keep in mind: That haul includes money that Biden raised earlier in the month but also includes the $200 million that Harris raised in the week after she announced.

Tidbit: “The campaign said that two-thirds of the fundraising in July came from first-time donors, which was more than 2 million donors. Additionally, 94 percent of donations were under $200 and July included more than ten times the number of Gen Z donors, according to the campaign.” (The Hill)

Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles posted on X that she “loves” her “Black job.” This is a jab at former President Trump, who referenced “Black jobs” during the June presidential debate.

Think you followed the news closely this week? Let’s see about that.

For example: “Saturday Night Live” star Colin Jost is in Tahiti covering Olympic surfing and has been hilariously documenting his journey. I’m curious how many of you know which infection he does *not* have. ???? (He’s been a good sport about it and has done several interviews chronicling his various infections.)

Ready. Set. Go!

???????? Celebrate: Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! Sunday is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

???? The talk of the Olympic village: A Norwegian swimmer fell in love with the dark chocolate, gooey, fudgy muffins in the Olympic village. He started posting videos about the muffins and the videos went viral. Now, lots of athletes are trying the muffins and posting their own reviews. Read his New York Times interview

???? From the Norwegian swimmer

???? This one made me lol

???? A muffin review

???? Just look at this up-close shot of the muffin and this one

???? Not Boar’s Head!!: Boar’s Head has recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat due to a listeria outbreak. The recalled products include ham, bologna, bacon, frankfurters and sausage. Here’s Boar’s Head’s list of recalled deli meats

Plus: Product label photos (h/t Consumer Reports)

The House and Senate are out. Biden is in Delaware. Harris is in Washington, with no public events on her calendar.

• This morning: Biden left for Delaware.

• 5 p.m. ET Saturday: Former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) campaign in Atlanta. ???? Livestream

*August crickets — or should I say cicadas*

Because you made it this far, watch this puppy successfully recreate Simone Biles’s tumbling pass.

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