BOWE BERGDAHL WON'T BE HEADING TO PRISON AFTER ALL

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who deserted his unit in Afghanistan and was later captured by the Taliban in 2009, won't have to face prison time, a military judge ruled in his case on Friday. Bergdahl, who pleaded guilty last month, is still facing dishonorable discharge from the military, loss of his government benefits, and having to pay a $10,000 restitution. He'll also be demoted, becoming a private. However, he's avoiding by far the most serious punishment. Prosecutors were hoping to put Bergdahl in prison for up to 14 years for desertion and another charge called "misbehavior before the enemy" (basically, putting other US soldiers who had to search for him in harm's way) Throughout the trial, Bergdahl's defense team argued that the soldier suffered from mental illness, which led to his decisions. Bergdahl was in captivity for five years and was eventually brought back to the United States in 2014 as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by then- President Obama. His high-profile case and the prisoner swap to bring him home have been controversial from the start. President Trump has added fuel to the fire, publicly calling Bergdahl a traitor and calling for his execution.  His case was also profiled by the second season of the podcast Serial, featuring extensive audio recordings of Bergdahl explaining why he abandoned his post in Afghanistan, blaming mismanagement and bad conditions and leadership in his unit.