If you had to pay the power bill, that would not work at all. The house is basically just a heat sink. I wonder how that works in summer, though. From what I've heard they even have those in the UK these days.
One part of it is simply profit. Everything is about attention these days and whatever gets attention is being amplified. The other part is deliberate, though. All major media are run by the oligarchy and their main mission is to preserve the status quo. Constant distraction is one of their weapons.
He absolutely would if he thought he belonged to one of the out-groups to be persecuted. This fucker has shown no empathy towards others and has played a big part in the rise of fascism we're seeing today. He deserves no pity.
I'm sure they'll figure out how to make it even more dystopian soon.