[AMW] AMW News Thread v2.0

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Welcome to the AMW News Thread. This thread is a collection of news stories aggregated from around the AMW world showcasing the happenings within our nations. Members may post news stories from their own country or in conjunction with other members. This thread is dedicated to the AMW roleplay group and, as such, is only open to members of AMW.

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[Chrinthanium]

News from Russia
Snippets from the Motherland
A presentation of the Russian Broadcasting System

POLLS TIGHTEN AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHES
MOSCOW | 19 February 2020

This Saturday, Russians will head to the polls to decide the direction of the Russian Republic as incumbent President Alexandr Aristov tries to fend off the Governor of Novgorod, Katina Popova. The most recent election poll released today by Moscow University show Aristov and Popova in a statistical dead heat as the final days of this general election cycle push towards what seems to be a dramatic finish. IN the poll, Popova continues to resonnate in the 18-35 demographic, where she maintains a 10-point lead over her conservative rival, but in the 65+ bracket, Aristov controls the poll with a 12-point lead. Heightening the outrage of the youth seems to be the reintroduction of the Romanov family back into the Russian Motherland after Aristov secured the Congress' approval to invite the remaining heir to return to his ancestral homeland. Fears of imperialism returning have continued to cause Aristov to drop in the polls, but can this cunning, venerable politician regain his footing before it's too late? Only the results can answer that! Election Day is Saturday, February 22, 2020.

YOUNG ROMANOV PRETENDER SWEARS OFF POTENTIAL REINSTATEMENT
ST. PETERBURG | 19 February 2020

Ilya Alexandrovich Romanov, pretender to the former Tsarist family of Russia, stated in a Tweet earlier today that he, "has no intention or desire to become a Tsar or other form of royal of the Russian people." In subsequent Tweets he added, "Russia is a glorious Republic, my ancestral homeland. I am grateful to be welcomed back," and "I am thrilled to see, for the first time, the beauty of the land of the fathers." It has long been feared that Aristov's decision, in concert with the Congress, to allow the Romanov pretender to return that Aristov was interested in restoring Imperialism into the glorious Russian Republic. Though the young pretender's Tweets are meant to reassure the public, opinion polls show that the young pretender has a generally disfavored opinion among the people with 61% disapproving of his return to the Motherland.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE MOST IMPORTANT TOPIC
MOSCOW | 19 February 2020

According to the University of St. Petersburg, the Russian people believe the nation's infrastructure to be the single-most important topic of discussion this election cycle. After Aristov promised in the last election to begin a system of public works to unite the entire Russian Republic with high-speed expressways, the people have begun to notice that nothing's happening. Speaking to RBS earlier this month, President Aristov stated that, "The funding for the project has been sidelined due to concerns about the budget. The choice we have to make is to cut the Health Services to pay for it or the military. And no Russian person would forgive us for either." In spite of these statements, the project is popular among the Russian people, especially those in the Far East who claim that a better transportation network would allow them better integration into the vast nation. In many parts of the Far East it is simply not possible to drive across country.

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OOC: VOID

[Chrinthanium]

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KATINA POPOVA ELECTED PRESIDENT
Yuri Petrenko | MOSCOW | 22 February 2020 | News24

100% stations reporting

Braving long lines and, in many parts of the country, the bitter cold, the Russian people went to the polls to decide the direction the Republic should go for the next 4 years. In a victory that was all but certain until almost the very end, Katina Popova, governor of Novgorod, ousted incumbent Alexsandr Aristov in one of the largest turnouts in Russian election history. With a margin of 3.5 points, Katina Popova managed to do something which only a few years ago seemed impossible: becoming Russia's first openly-gay president. President-elect Popova is also only the 2nd woman in Russian history to win the right to call Grand Kremlin Palace home.

President Aristov, standing at the podium in the grand ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel, spoke to his supporters after News24 called the election. "My friends, the long journey has come to an end. The Russian people have spoken and they have spoken loudly. Around 20 minutes ago I had the pleasure of speaking with President-elect Popova on the phone wishing her heart-felt congratulations on a well-fought campaign. We both love our Motherland. While we may not see eye-to-eye on how best it should be governed, we must now devote our energy to supporting our new President in her upcoming term," the President said. Some in the crowd seemed genuinely upset while others outright angry.

Meanwhile, at the Governor's Palace in St. Petersburg, Novgorod, the feeling was of sheer jubilation as the new President-elect spoke to her supporters. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you!" she shouted from the main ballroom. "We have made history today! When I first declared my bid for the presidency, I was instantly the underdog. From day one the wrote the epitaph of this campaign and explained at great lengths why I could never win the highest office in our land. And they were wrong!" She continued, "to my esteemed opponent, President Aristov, I thank you for your 4 years of leadership and the kind words you gave me over the phone. He challenged me to ensure I never forget that I am not just president of those who voted for me, but of all the Russian people. I will never forget that." She then led the crowd in a sustained ovation for her opponent. "Now, I think it's time to celebrate!"

The general feeling in Moscow this late evening is one of general joy. Moscow, Federal District was Popova's biggest victory of the night with an astounding 76% of the vote, followed closely by Novgorod with 68% of the vote. In typical fashion, the Democratic Socialist strongholds of Western Russia cast their ballots more heavily in favor of their party's nominee. The Far East, more rural and generally more conservative, was where President-elect Popova had her weakest showings. The President-elect did not win a majority of votes in any state East of Siberia.

As election night unfolded, it seemed destined to be one for the history books not only due to whom was elected, but also how many people were voting. According to the National Election Council, turnout was a near-record 71.24% with Western states showing the highest overall turnouts, some breaking records. The total amount of votes cast for President were 80,226,163 which is up 6.8% over the 2016 election. According to exit polls, the driving force behind the near-record turn out was primarily the cuts Aristov signed into law for the Federal Health System. President-elect Popov promised during the election that she would get the support she needed to overturn the cuts to the health service and that resonated with the voters.

Riding the coattails of President-elect Popova were members of the Federal Congress, giving the Democratic Socialists the majority control of both the House of Councilors and the Senate for the first time in 20 years. In the House, of 451 available seats, the Democratic Socialists took 311. In the Senate, of 99 seats, the Democratic Socialists took 57. With a Federal Congress in the hands of her own party, Popova seems an unstoppable force for the next 4 years as she begins to roll out her plans for the administration of the Russian government including her plan to replace the cuts to the health service and to improve road and rail networks nationwide to help bring the Russian people together more easily. The House and Senate will decide upon their leaders next week at the organizational meeting in Moscow.

Katina Popova also helped sweep in 5 new Democratic Socialist governors including her replacement in Novgorod. In total, 19 of 33 states will be led by a member of the Democratic Socialists. And she even had enough room on her coattails to bring the legislatures of 18 of 33 states into her party's control. Speaking during her victory speech, the President-elect spoke to those who helped her party win in those states, "At the State level, we took the majority of governorships and legislatures. It's not just luck, but a movement that was started in 1947 when we, the Great Russian People, had to decide what country we wanted after two bloody civil wars, the overthrowing of a tyrannical regime, and the uneasy interbellum period. It was a Russia that did not forget the common person. That guaranteed healthcare to all the people. That guaranteed living wages to all the people. That gave everyone the best chance to succeed. And now from the local council to the State House to the Presidential Palace, we're here and ready to continue to perfect the dream enshrined in our Constitution almost 73 years ago. I thank you for this opportunity and now the time is to get to work!"

President-elect Katina Popova will take the Oath of Office at her swearing-in ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace on 29 March 2020. News24 will carry the ceremony live.

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©2020 News24

Latest Comments:

@mariasafronova
Congratulations, Katina! Now, let's fix healthcare on day one!

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@nikolaikirov19
Does this mean fully automated luxury gay space communism? If not, I'll be sad.