Thousands marched in Russia, even after an opposition leader was detained
Across Russia, crowds gathered to protest the country’s upcoming election. Meanwhile, one of the key opposition leaders, Alexei Navalny, was detained by police on his way to the protest in Moscow.
Navalny is one of Vladimir Putin’s toughest critics and is barred from standing in the upcoming election in March because of a previous criminal conviction — a conviction he says was politically motivated. This weekend, after he was bundled into a police vehicle, he urged people to still attend the rallies, “You don't go for me, but for yourself and your future.”
Canadian politics is having its #MeToo moment
It all happened rather quickly: Within the span of 36 hours, three Canadian politicians resigned their high-profile posts because of accusations of sexual misconduct. The most high-profile resignation was Patrick Brown's — he was poised to lead the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario into an election in June, with many predicting they would have won. Two women accused Brown of preying on them when they were teenagers. He denied the accusations and resigned the following day.
At the Grammys, it was a Bruno Mars night
Bruno cleaned up at the Grammys, taking home six awards, including the big three: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. Kendrick Lamar won for Best Rap Album, and Ed Sheeran’s Divide won Best Pop Vocal Album. The Best New Artist award went to Alessia Cara.
In non-award news, Janelle Monáe gave a powerful speech about sexual harassment. Turns out, that was just the intro to the biggest moment of the night: Kesha brought the crowd to its feet with a stirring performance of “Praying,” dedicated to the #MeToo movement. Kesha was joined by Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Julia Michaels, and Andra Day.
Also, in a twist no one saw coming, Hillary Clinton read from Fire and Fury.
Find all the winners at the Grammys right here.
Quick catch-up
Ill-advised: Alec Baldwin suggested Dylan Farrow is lying about being sexually abused by her father, director Woody Allen. Baldwin compared Farrow to Mayella Ewell, a character in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird who lied about being raped by a black man.
Afghanistan: A suicide bomber driving an ambulance packed with explosives killed at least 103 people and injured at least 235 in Kabul. The government declared Sunday a day of mourning as relatives searched through hospitals for survivors.
Steve Wynn: The Las Vegas casino magnate resigned from his role as finance chair of the Republican National Committee, one day after the Wall Street Journal reported on his alleged “decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct.”
Trump responds to Jay-Z: Jay was asked whether black unemployment dropping under Trump means he’s a good leader, and Hova said “No.” Trump then tweeted, “Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!” Black unemployment has been in steady and consistent decline since 2010.
Celebrity Big Brother: Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a former aide to Donald Trump, will appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Manigault-Newman left her government position under reportedly dramatic circumstances, with several outlets saying she was fired and escorted out of the White House at night. She later denied those reports.
Hey, is anyone in charge around here?
A common feeling flows through the biggest stories of our time — the first year of Trump’s presidency, the #MeToo movement, and the loss of faith in Facebook and Twitter — and that’s the sense that something should’ve happened, but didn’t or won’t.
Remember when a political party could change the rules on a candidate, or the media could more tightly control what viewers saw and heard? Remember when we weren’t overwhelmed and anxious? Katherine Miller explores this unease in her piece on the breakdown of institutional power.
These men are hoping to be the first Afghan skiers at the Olympics
What is it like trying to be your country’s first-ever participants at the Winter Olympics? “How could we possibly compete against athletes who have been skiing their entire lives? I have been on skis for a total of nine months,” one says. The whole story is worth a read.