The Rundown -- December 19

# Luke Johnson on the Bill Press Show (1:39)

# Brian Whitmore on Monocle (6:30)

# Yahoo uses RFE/RL Radio Mashaal video from memorial at site of Peshawar school attack

# "Putin Isn't Worried. You Should Be."- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

# Why Putin's quote about bears is important for understanding today's Russia

# Lavrov gets four Pinocchios from "Washington Post"

# Well known Russian troll apparently banned from Twitter

# Some separatist supporters fear Moscow is abandoning them

# Ukrainian journalists concerned over new "ministry of truth"

# Lukashenka demands trade with Russia be in dollars and Euros

# Long read: The race to save Peter Kassig

# U.S. says three top IS leaders killed in air strikes

# Unreleased report outlines "radically revised" strategy for peace in Syria

# "A United Iraq Is Pushing ISIS Back" - Haider Al-Abadi, "Wall Street Journal"

# UN approves measure targeting Iran, Syria and North Korea

# Iran unveils memorial honoring Jewish "martyrs"

# "Castro, Cuba, Obama—and Iran" - Elliott Abrams, "Weekly Standard"

# Afghanistan's new millionaires

# Will Peshawar attack spur cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

# Taliban had prepared list of boys to kill in Peshawar school; told to kill soldiers after massacring pupils

# "An Anthem for the Times: ‘Our Smile is Stronger Than Your Gun’" - Manzoor Ali, "Express Tribune"

# Mumbai attacks mastermind allowed bail in Pakistan; prosecutor appeals

# Uzbekistan preparing for "rubberstamp" vote

# Kyrgyzstan's new anti-gay law is even "worse than Russia's"

Caucasus
# Retiring congressman already negotiating lobbying deal with Azerbaijan

Of Interest