The Nuclear Winter Olympics, Day 1: Korea unites, the CAS says Russia may still have a state-sponsored doping program

• Watched the Opening Ceremony live this morning on the world feed, without announcers (NOT the NBC edit you will see tonight if you watch it!).  Very unique ceremony, very high tech (Augmented Reality is a large part of this performance, as the center circle of the unique pentagon-shaped stadium was used as a large screen for numerous special effects, and the stadium seats had lights next to them to simulate the old-school cards, and to allow that effect throughout the entire ceremony).  A comparatively simple cauldron-lighting completed the ceremony, by the party largely expected to light it, Olympic champion figure-skater Yuna Kim.
• One of the most poignant moments of the Ceremony was the final team to enter, a unified Korean team under one flag.  Also, the enigmatic sister of North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un shook hands with the President of South Korea, in a badly-needed show of Olympic goodwill.  The President of the IOC, Thomas Bach, in his remarks at the Ceremony, put the unified Korea moments on par with the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio as inspirational to the Olympic movement.
• In a puzzling move, given the conciliatory nature and the unified Korean front for these Games, however, North Korean television did NOT show the Opening Ceremony.
• Bach also made pointed remarks about competing drug-free, and he might as well have named Russia directly, as obviously as those statements were in his remarks.  This comes as the Council for the Arbitration of Sport, in it's full finding, rejecting the appeals of 45 Russian athletes to compete at the XXIII Winter Olympiad.  The findings are the first statements by the CAS, admitting a state-sponsored drug regime in Russia to rig the Sochi Olympics.  Roughly 20% of the Olympic places allotted to Olympic Athletes from Russia were not filled.  (Inside the Games)
• The whistleblower for the McLaren Report, Grigory Rodchenkov, told CBS' 60 Minutes he still is the target for assassination by Vladimir Putin for so blowing the whistle. (Inside the Games)
• I really want to know how the guy did it!  The "Shirtless Tongan", Pita Taufatofua, who got the NBC female commentators drooling on mic in Rio took up cross-country skiing, and succeeding in making it into the XXIII Winter Olympiad.  He celebrated by carrying his country's flag, shirtless and covered in oil -- just like in Rio.  How I'd like to know how he did it?  The temperature, rumored to be below zero a few days ago, was warmer...  But only into the 20's Fahrenheit!
• The Pride House, for LGBT athletes at the XXIII Winter Olympiad, will be directly affiliated and hosted, for the first time, by a national Olympic Committee, Canada. (Inside the Games)