July 19, 2016: Russia to Face Possible Olympic Ban After Reports Confirm Doping Program, Anchors Say Social Sharing Won't Undermine Political Convention Coverage, Parties Overshadowed Runway Shows at Miami Swim Week

1. RUSSIA TO FACE POSSIBLE OLYMPIC BAN AFTER REPORTS CONFIRM DOPING PROGRAM: Anti-doping officials have called for Russia to be banned from the upcoming Summer Olympics after reports confirmed a Russian whistle-blower's claim of a state-run doping scheme for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The New York Times: "The request by antidoping officials was extraordinary, if not unprecedented, in the history of the Olympics. President Vladimir V. Putin responded defiantly as the possibility emerged that the Russian flag would not appear at the opening ceremony on Aug. 5 in Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, Russia’s former antidoping lab director, told The New York Times in May that he covered up the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Russian Olympians at the Sochi Games, and that he did so under orders from the government and with the aid of Russia’s intelligence service. In a report of nearly 100 pages, Richard McLaren, a Canadian lawyer retained by the World Anti-Doping Agency to investigate Dr. Rodchenkov’s claims, presented proof that a state-run doping program was executed during the Sochi Olympics, and well before and afterward. With evidence dating to 2011, the report said athletes were given cocktails of performance-enhancing drugs, and incriminating urine samples were routinely covered up. ... The International Olympic Committee, which has the sole authority to ban an entire national delegation, called the actions outlined in the report a 'shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport,' pledging to pursue 'the toughest possible sanctions available against any individual or organization implicated.' Top Olympic executives were next due to meet in Rio, two days before the Olympics begin on Aug. 5, but the I.O.C. said Monday that it had scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to discuss 'provisional measures and sanctions.' Officials are now under intense pressure from antidoping officials and athletes to bring stiff sanctions against Russia, less than three weeks before the Games begin." http://nyti.ms/2a5wc0z

2. ANCHORS SAY SOCIAL SHARING WON'T UNDERMINE POLITICAL CONVENTION COVERAGE: While this year's Republican and Democratic National Conventions are slated to be the most live streamed conventions in history, news anchors aren't worried about the multitude of social coverage lessening the impact of network coverage. Adweek: "Thanks to better cell phones, better bandwidth and more media platforms, the quadrennial meet-ups may go down as 'the livestream conventions.' So what do the networks' multimillion-dollar, on-air personalities and billion-dollar media companies have that a smartphone user doesn't? 'I think we have to bring context, we have to bring perspective, we have to bring analysis,' said ABC's George Stephanopoulos, co-anchor of Good Morning America, This Week and anchor of ABC's prime-time coverage for the conventions. … 'People are getting good at telling their own stories,' commented NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, who will lead convention coverage for the first time for NBC News. 'It's great for all of us because it enriches the texture of what we cover. At the same time, we're still happily constrained by the rules of journalism and fact-checking and attribution.' 'For a lot of our primetime audience, even though it's been livestreamed all day long, this is going to be the first chance to put it all together,' said Stephanopoulos, who will be burning both ends of the candle—anchoring Good Morning America and the network's 10 p.m. special as well as reporting breaking news in between. Lastly, the RNC has credentialed 15,000 journalists, which is three times as many GOP delegates who will be here (2,472) and alternate delegates (2,304)." http://bit.ly/2anjb1B

3. PARTIES OVERSHADOWED RUNWAY SHOWS AT MIAMI SWIM WEEK: The focus of Miami Swim Week is to showcase new swimwear lines, but the fashion industry event's parties and dinners proved more popular than the actual runway shows. Observer: "At show after show, teams were forced to fill seats of buyers and editors who didn’t show up with third and fourth row guests as well as attendees that were originally only allotted standing tickets. Hot as Hell had spots reserved for WWD, Nylon and WGSN amongst others, all of which were filled. Carmen Carrera and Scott Eastwood were amongst the notables that actually made it to watch the opening 'Fever' rendition by Caroline Vreeland, Diana Vreeland’s granddaughter. Other shows were held for up to an hour, to still see less than half the attendees show up. But dinners and parties were the hot ticket item. 'This year is sort of our big launch for swim and we’ve never showed in Miami so we wanted to do a little event to celebrate that we were really excited about swim and showing at Cabana,' said Jennifer Zuccarini, the founder of Fleur Du Mal who hosted a party in the Tea Room of East Hotel in Brickell in collaboration with The Coveteur. 'The brand is really about embracing nightlife and New York and I wanted it to just be a good time and people to remember the brand for a happening.' … Other bloggers party bussed it to the Marc Bell’s $35 million Star Trek-themed estate for a night on KYBOE!’s dime. The watch brand flew in social media influencers from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco for their show Friday, and the Boca Raton-hosted dinner as well as a few cocktails and visits to the SoHo House. 'It was very different; definitely an experience to see. It was basically like an attraction,' Miami-based lifestyle blogger Ria Michelle said. The all-night event allowed Michelle, who has attended Swim Week for the last four years, and other bloggers like McArthur Joseph roam the rooms of the mansion to view authentic props from movie sets, engage in lightsaber battles, play vintage arcade games and enjoy an expansive dinner spread made by chef Todd English and Marc Bell’s wife Jennifer Bell. 'It was definitely a good use of my time. I really liked having an intimate experience with the head of a brand. It ended up being much better than going to sit at a show just watching models walk on a runway and leaving.'" http://bit.ly/29QyP

* LOCAL NEWS *

BOSTON:  Little Donkey, an international small plates restaurant from chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonette, has opened in Cambridge's Central Square. The restaurant, which was designed by Niemitz Design Group, seats 90 inside and will debut a 45-seat outdoor patio later this summer.

DALLAS/FORT WORTH:  Casa De Montecristo, Tabacalera USA’s cigar shop/smoking lounge franchise, has debuted its first location in Texas with a soft opening on July 18 in Turtle Creek Village. A grand opening for the lounge is expected in September. The 4,300-square-foot venue, which is open daily, has a walk-in humidor, a rate and vintage room, and a public and private cigar lounge space.

HOUSTON:  Medistar Corporation has closed on financing and begun construction on the InterContinental Houston Medical Center hotel and Latitude Med Center luxury apartment tower, located at the intersection of Main Street and Old Main Street. The 21-story hotel, which is expected to open in late 2018, will have 353 guest rooms and suites as well as 11,800 square feet of meeting space consisting of seven meeting/board rooms and a 7,800-square-foot ballroom.

LAS VEGAS:  Jennifer Lopez has announced 21 additional performances for her headlining residency, “Jennifer Lopez: All I Have" at the Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The new performances include dates in December through June.

LOS ANGELES:  Entertainment Weekly's EW PopFest will take place October 29-30 at the Reef. The consumer event, which is produced by Invnt, will feature programming that includes a 20th anniversary Scream celebration, discussions with Jodie Foster and Ryan Murphy, and a Happy Endings reunion. Press release: http://bit.ly/29PxrQJ

For information on upcoming events in Los Angeles, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA:  The gastropub chain Tap 42 is opening its third Florida location, The new venue, which is expected to launch this fall, will be in the midtown Miami space formerly occupied by Apeiro. Eater: http://bit.ly/29Rdn0V

NEW YORK:  The Brooklyn Greenway Initiative's eighth annual Epic Ride, a 25- to 40-mile bike ride from Greenpoint to Riis Park Beach, will take place July 23.

The Thomas Moran Trust will host its Midsummer Cocktail Party July 29 at the Moran Studio in East Hampton Village.

Grand Bazaar NYC will host its Ice Cream Blizzard event on July 31. The event will have ice cream offerings from vendors including Ice & Vice, Melt Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Mochidocki.

For information on upcoming events in New York, visit Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork

ORLANDO/CENTRAL FLORIDA:  The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores has named Joshua Squires as director of food and beverage. Squires will oversee guest dining at the property’s restaurant, Azure, and the poolside Tiki Bar, as well as special event and group catering.

PHILADELPHIA:  The seventh annual Audi Feastival will take place September 29 at FringeArts. The event will feature samples from more than 70 local bars and restaurants including High Street on Market, Hungry Pigeon, and Zahav.

SAN DIEGO:  Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Mission Valley Stadium opened on Friday. The 178-room hotel is located on converted property and is managed by Evolution Hospitality. The hotel has two on-site eateries, as well as communal spaces that include a fireplace lounge with a 55-inch television. The hotel's meeting rooms offer more than 4,900 square feet of flexible space, including a renovated Pacific Ballroom.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:  Maryland Live! Hotel is being constructed as an expansion next to Maryland Live! Casino at Arundel Mills in Hanover. The 350,000-square-foot hotel will have a 17-story tower with 310 luxury guest rooms, an event center, a 1,500-seat concert venue, meeting spaces that include banquet seating for as many as 800, more than 1,000 parking spaces, a 24-hour cafe, and a day spa/salon. The Cordish Companies project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin and Claire Hoffman in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Carla Hay, Beth Kormanik, Michele Laufik, Jill Menze, and Ian Zelaya in New York.

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