Putin Ally Resigns

In the latest sign that Vladimir Putin is feeling the heat, the chairman of his party, United Russia, resigned from his post. The chairman, Boris Gryzlov, was famous for putting down dissent in the Russian Parliament, once saying that the political body was “no place for political battles.” Gryzlov didn’t give a reason for his resignation, but it is widely seen as an attempt to appease protesters accusing the government of rigging recent parliamentary elections.