In the coming week, Russia holds its presidential elections.

U.S. lawmakers face a new set of budget showdowns,

and the Library of Congress awards Elton John and Bernie Taupin for musical achievement.

It's March 14, 2004, Pi Day, and time for the world next week. I'm Bob McMahon.

And I'm Carla and Robbins.

So, Bob, let's start with Russia.

Tomorrow, Friday, Russians will vote in their multi-day across 11 time zones. I always like

pointing that out. Presidential election. There is absolutely no suspense about who's going to win

with Vladimir Putin controlling all the media, muslin, exiling, killing all of his opponents.

And I gather there's also an incredibly strong get-out-of-the-vote pressure campaign

on government employees, members of the military, employees of state on enterprises. That said,

not all is quiet or happy in Russia. We've seen some anti-war protests, and there were defiant

demonstrations, really courageous people after the murder of Alexei Navalny last month.

Is this going to be the coronation that Putin had hoped for?

I think that's one of the big items of suspense that we could look for in this case.

As you said, Carla, no doubt at all. It's really about the level of support.

And a level of support at a time when, also, as you point out, all is not well in Russia,

despite many of the cards Putin holds and seemingly a strengthening hand, certainly on the

Ukraine front and against his domestic opponents.

But, you know, there's the specter now of Alexei Navalny coming up and still haunting him

in terms of there's reports that

Navalny has been organizing before his death, sort of a flash mob performance against Putin on

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