Ouch Amie Ferris-Rotman links to the news this morning, as reported by the BBC, that Russia has been handed a four-year ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency. As a result, the Russia flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and football’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag. Simon Ostrovsky notes that “This latest bit of news may seem unrelated to the Paris talks but it illustrates that Putin has something to gain in finding a resolution in Ukraine. Sanctions, + the price of the war itself, are costing Russia dearly. This just isolates Russia further.” 
“Surely Russian state media will twist it the right way, but by all accounts, this seems to be well-deserved,” says Ivan Nechepurenko, who links to the coverage by Tariq Panja at The New York Times, Russia Banned From Global Sports for 4 Years Over Doping. Jonathan Kay puts it this way: “Russia is like the amy winehouse of nations. I saw some documentary a few years ago about how they use bogus urine tests to cheat. The whole thing was people passing urine vials through secret holes in walls and such. Russia is like one big urocracy.” So there you have it. They knew it was unwinnable “For nearly two decades of fighting in Afghanistan, U.S. leaders have sounded a constant refrain: We are making progress. They were not, documents show, and they knew it.” The Afghanistan Papers, compiled by Craig Whitlock, Leslie Shapiro and Armand Emamdjomeh of The Washington Post, reveals the secret history of the war, based on a cache of previously unpublished notes, transcripts and audio recordings that The Post has obtained as part of an ongoing, three-year legal battle. Carolyn Lochhead calls it “Required reading,” and David Lynch praises the “Great work in the public interest and the result of tremendous persistence by the reporters involved.” In addition to the documents themselves, Whitlock, Shapiro and Emamdjomeh outline four revelatory themes, and they’ve posted six additional stories based on revelations in the documents. In one of those, At war with the truth (83,000+ shares), Whitlock details how U.S. officials put their spin on 18 years of setbacks. Tweets Adam Serwer, “We’ve sent almost a million American servicemembers to Afghanistan over the past 20 years to fight a war US officials knew was unwinnable almost from jump.” Jim Sciutto calls it “Explosive - a Pentagon Papers moment: ‘senior US officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false..hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.’” Rudy, Rudy, Rudy Or at least a pair of articles on Mr. Giuliani. In their profile of The Indispensable Man, Jim Dwyer, Jo Becker, Kenneth Vogel and Maggie Haberman of The New York Times explain how Giuliani led Trump to the brink of impeachment. Rudy didn’t get the job he expected, they note, “but as unpaid personal counsel to the president and for-profit peddler of access and advice, he got the spotlight.” 
Nick Confessore highlights “Just one exquisite moment in the best profile you will read of Giuliani in the age of Trump, by a cast of bylines who have covered him for decades combined.” But Jonathan Martin thinks, “Of all the Rudy moments it is hard to top him taking Lev Parnas as a +1 to the Bush 41 funeral.” This piece also includes the line, “Mr. Giuliani compressed the digital gases of the president’s suspicions and wishful theories into what is now the molten core of impeachment.” Meanwhile at The Washington Post, a “Deep dive into #Giuliani’s foreign dealings,” as Janet Novack tweets. Josh Dawsey, Rosalind Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Devlin Barrett take us Inside Giuliani’s dual roles: Power-broker-for-hire and shadow foreign policy adviser. “This @jdawsey1 / @thamburger / @PostRoz / @DevlinBarrett piece on @RudyGiuliani’s myriad foreign clients is just...wow,” tweets Andrew Feinberg. Dawsey shares some of the highlights on Twitter: “Rudy Giuliani tried to replace ambassador to Qatar. AG Barr has warned Trump repeatedly he’s a problem. Louis Freeh has been subpoenaed over Romania work w/him. Rudy wanted to set up Trump-Maduro meeting.” Highly unusual Speaking of the Attorney General, “What new Barr mischief is this?” Kim Masters wonders. As Katie Benner of The New York Times reports, Barr Allows for Release of Additional Details About Ex-Spy Behind Steele Dossier. Julia Macfarlane tells us, “ABC can confirm this reporting by the NYT per source with direct knowledge,” and Politico’s Natasha Bertrand “Can confirm NYT report that Barr made a last minute declassification of details about Steele that will be in IG report. Steele was told about this yesterday and was not given a chance to review the new information, which as NYT notes is highly unusual.” Meanwhile, Anthony De Rosa points out, “You have to read 11 grafs past the headline to get to this: ‘The more than 400-page inspector general’s report is expected to debunk the idea that the F.B.I. relied on the Steele dossier to open its Russia investigation.’” Perfectly crafted Yaffa Fredrick calls this “One of the most heartbreakingly beautiful stories I’ve read in a long time.” From Keren Blankfeld of The New York Times, Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later. He Had One Question: Was she the reason he was alive today? “This tale, from the depths of Auschwitz to a NYC apartment 72 years later, is perfectly crafted. Nothing more to say. Read it,” urges Bill Grueskin. “Every single part of this story is incredible and the kicker broke me,” adds Adam Serwer. Meanwhile, Mattie Kahn wants to know, “I'm supposed to just go on having a NORMAL DAY after reading this?? 😔 An unrivaled collaboration between powerful females 
Head over to Elle for a sneak peak at the January 2020 cover and a candid “Ask Me Anything” with Beyoncé, who talks about motherhood, self-care and her quest for purpose. The photographs are by “Queen & Slim” director Melina Matsoukas, with styling by Karen Langley. Tweets Nina Garcia, “What better way to introduce the new year than with an unrivaled collaboration between powerful females. Women supporting women IS the future and I’m so proud that ELLE stands for this.” Also, “Beyonce seemingly just texting the answers to this interview, complete with emojis, and making the ‘no-eyed-deer’ joke is sublime tbh,” says Emma Kelly. Farewells 
We were sad to learn that Caroll Spinney, the legendary puppeteer behind beloved Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, died yesterday at 85. Robert McFadden has the New York Times obit for Big Bird’s alter ego, writing, “for nearly a half century on ‘Sesame Street’ he was Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, opening magic doors for children on the secrets of growing up and the gentle arts of friendship.” Tweets Kim Hudson, “Such a sweet story on this man’s life. Thank you for everything Mr. Spinney.” Adds Neil Genzlinger, “Sad news beautifully written.” Also, via The Hollywood Reporter, ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Benson’ actor René Auberjonois has died at 79 (441,000+ shares). Auberjonois also portrayed Father Mulcahy in the ‘M*A*S*H’ movie, the start of a long association with Robert Altman. “René Auberjonois is legendary in my life. His performance as Odo in DS9 is a joy. I’ll be watching him again and again for the rest of my life. RIP,” tweets Andy Khouri. And Paul A. Volcker, the Fed Chairman who waged war on inflation, died on Sunday at 92. Binyamin Appelbaum has& the New York Times obituary for Volcker. “Sad news about a giant in economics and finance,” says Andrew Ross Sorkin. Nicholas Kristof shares, “Paul Volcker, former Fed chair and legendary economic official, is dead at 92. He was famously modest and level headed. When he was Fed chair he lived in an apartment building for students and did his laundry at his daughter’s home.” Monday round-up - Women rule (Finland in particular). As Johanna Lemola and Megan Specia report at The New York Times, Sanna Marin, 34, is set to become the world’s youngest sitting prime minister when she is sworn in this week in Finland (52,000+ shares). Not only that, she will head a coalition made up of five parties, all of which are led by women. And four of them are under 35.
- From Christopher Mathias of HuffPost, Kamala Harris Leads Senators In Demanding ‘Immediate Removal’ Of Stephen Miller From White House. He tweets an “Update on those who have called for Miller to resign/be fired: -Nearly 40 Dems in Senate -107 Dems in House -Over 50 civil rights orgs like @NAACP -Coalition of Jewish groups -130k folks who signed @AOC’s petition -not a single Republican.”
- Jeffrey Gettleman and Suhasini Raj of The New York Times report that India is preparing to block naturalization for Muslims.
- In Southern California, a church nativity displays Jesus, Mary and Joseph in cages, separated at the border (67,000+ shares). Kimberly Winston has the story at The Washington Post, and as Martin Fowler says, “Art, at its best, is about adding a new perspective to familiar themes.”
- LGBT activists say Facebook ads are pushing misinformation about HIV prevention drugs and ‘harming public health,’ reports Tony Romm of The Washington Post. “[G]roups led by GLAAD, which regularly advises Facebook on LGBT issues, say the ads are ‘false’ and have urged Facebook for months to take them down — to no avail,” he writes.
- Michael Barbaro links to what’s “On today’s Daily: the latest in our series with @paulmozur on a Uighur family’s harrowing journey through China's repressive system of detention, re-education and surveillance. We hear, at last, from the woman herself at the center of the story.” Listen to The Daily from The New York Times for A Woman’s Journey Through China’s Detention Camps.
- LaTesha Harris of Variety has your complete list of the 2020 Golden Globe Nominations.
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