Axios

Federal officials denied reports Friday that there was any increased optimism of a prisoner swap deal for WNBA star Brittney Griner and Marine Paul Whalen.

Why it matters: The discussion of a deal came days after Griner started serving her nine-year sentence at a penal colony outside of Moscow, per Axios.

The King of Beers will be noticeably absent at Qatar's World Cup, which starts Sunday.

Driving the news: FIFA said Friday that alcohol sales would be banned at the tournament's eight stadiums — a last-minute reversal of a plan that would've allowed fans to purchase Budweiser.