By Marcus Lavergne

INTERNATIONAL

Russian athletics under scrutiny after alleged doping scandal

Russian soccer players and track and field athletes may be banned from the 2016 Olympics after findings from the World Anti-Doping Agency came to light Monday morning.

A 323-page report gave examples of cheating around the country and found that one testing laboratory in Moscow had destroyed almost 1,500 doping control samples under the orders of director Grigory Rodchenkov. The report also found that Russia’s intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, better known from the Russian translation as the FSB, routinely sent agents to labs where they reportedly questioned and intimidated workers.

One witness said that FSB agents even delved into anti-doping work during the Sochi Olympics in 2014. After the WADA commission’s report made claims of “widespread inaction” by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the IAAF has decided to consider sanctions against Russia that could potentially suspend track and field athletes from international competition.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe has given the All-Russian Athletic Federation until the end of the week to respond to the WADA report.

NATIONAL

Mizzou President to resign amid racial tensions

Tim Wolfe, now ex-president of the University of Missouri, Columbia, stepped down today after claims of inaction toward racial issues, which resulted in protest and striking.

Complaints of the non-handling, or non-diffusion, of several situations involving race relations on campus by the president and others in his administration gained greater media attention after graduate student Jonathan Butler went on a hunger strike.

Butler stopped eating on Nov. 2 after several incidences went unresolved, including reported claims of racial discrimination towards black students during Mizzou’s homecoming parade, and an Oct. 24 vandalism act where a swastika was drawn in a MU residence hall with human feces.

Butler began striking with demands for Wolfe’s termination after reports of constant inaction and uninvolvement. Wolfe resigned Monday after Mizzou football players joined protesters saying that they would not practice or play until the resignation came. Players had the full support of football head coach Gary Pinkel, who posted about the strike on Twitter.

LOCAL

Restaurant in south Reno involved in E. coli report

Eight E. coli cases have been reported to the Washoe County Health District’s Phil Ulibarri.

Ulibarri says the WCHD is investigating the Twisted Fork, which has been connected to six cases. Twisted Fork general manager Joe Clements reportedly does not know the source of the bacteria, though the restaurant will remain open as its staff cooperates with the health department.

The other two cases are reportedly related to Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has recently been involved in a widespread E. coli outbreak

Marcus Lavergne can be reached at mlavergne@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @mavergne21.