I guess crime does pay?
As Putin Addresses Nation In Stage-Managed Show, Some Viewers Say It's Time To Go
MOSCOW – As Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in the 17th iteration of his annual TV call-in show, one viewer had just a single question for the Russian president: "When will you leave?"
It was part of a steady stream of text messages that were sent from across the country and flashed up onscreen at irregular intervals, while Putin sought to assuage ordinary Russians and appear in tune with their concerns in the marathon Direct Line program on June 20.
Some of the texts gave thanks to the president: for paving the way for residents of parts of eastern Ukraine held by Moscow-backed separatists to receive Russian passports, or for displaying defiance toward the West. But many offered bleak assessments of his 20 years in power, clashing with the laudatory narrative advanced daily on state TV.
"What will we do when the gas and oil run out?" one viewer asked in an SMS, citing fears that Russia's economy is excessively dependent upon its natural resources.
"What's the point of your direct addresses, if nothing dismal ever changes for the better?" read another message, whose sender signed off as Pavel Kryuchkov.
"You've been in power longer than Brezhnev," said another text, referring to the Soviet leader who ruled for 18 years until his death in November 1982. "And we live in poverty just like we used to."
https://www.rferl.org/a/as-putin-addresses-nation-in-stage-managed-show-some-viewers-say-it-s-time-to-go/30010722.html
House Democrats unveil bill to lift refugee cap
House Democrats on Thursday introduced legislation to increase the number of refugees allowed into the United States, taking a direct shot at the Trump administration's move to cut the figure drastically.
The legislation has little chance of passing through the Republican-controlled Senate, where GOP leaders have consistently backed President Trump's hardline positions on immigration, the central issue of his 2016 campaign and a major plank of his presidency.
But it signals that Democrats view the hot-button issue as a political winner heading into 2020, particularly among independent voters with more moderate views than the president when it comes to immigration enforcement.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/449569-house-democrats-unveil-bill-to-lift-refugee-cap