The Acta Publica

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Ted Bessell and the Vice Presidency of Scott

NEWS UPDATE / ELECTORAL

Atlasia Elects: February 2021
Democratic Alliance and Liberals score successful offensives,
Labor maintains Fremont supremacy, surprise pact with Peace proves significant,
Federalists hold onto New York City after charm offensive, hurt by RCV,
Smaller parties face imminent disappearance

February 2021 - National Results

Executives:

Party		Governors
Labor Party		27 (-1)
Federalist Party		12 (-1)
Democratic Alliance		11 (+1)
Peace Party		3 (=)
Liberal Party		3 (+1)

Party		Mayors
Federalist Party		3 (=)
Labor Party		2 (=)
Democratic Alliance		1 (=)

State Legislators:

Party/Alliance		Seats
Labor Party/Allies		3228 (-214)
Federalist Party		2085 (-49)
Democratic Alliance/Allies		1611 (+40)
Liberal Party		918 (+132)
Peace Party		387 (+146)
Dixieland Patriots Party		20 (-2)
Green Party		12 (-8)
Law and Justice Party		0 (-1)

NYMAN, Atlasia – A surprising amount of Atlasians braved cold temperatures on election day, with turnout across nine states - and one city - to vote on this month's set of local and state elections, coinciding with the aftermath of the dramatic February 2021 Presidential Election and, in many cases, delivering a verdict on incumbent governments elected on July 2020 (their six month term having been extended to seven as an exception).

Although the bitter, contentious nature of the December campaign was not quite repeated, the relatively short February campaign still featured a significant degree of controversy and negative campaigning, with somewhat different effects depending on the race. All in all, political scientists agree a combination of factors - including demographic changes in the involved states, the consolidation of RCV as a system, the effects of the presidential race and incumbent popularity, and even the choices made by the specific parties - all made for an engaging contest with interesting contrast to the previous July cycle.

The Labor Party surprised in the later stages of the campaign with the sudden adoption of a joint electoral pact with the Peace Party, formalizing an already positive relationship which had already featured local alliances. The pact itself was generally seen as a net positive in terms of consolidating the more left-wing - or pro administration - vote in a number of states, although experts disagree on whether the combined ticket is on by itself a guarantee of voter efficiency. Due to the rather specific nature of the July 2020 results - in which the Peace Party performance was more a result of residual support from the Presidential election than actual campaigning -, Peace was generally felt to have gained the most this month, almost doubling its representation at the expense of a few Labor officeholders (an effect magnified by the large size of the New Hampshire house), featuring a curious dynamic that should become more balanced (or to Labor's advantage) as future states vote.

Rather than matching the intensity of previous elections - including the famed conquest of Texas -, the Labor efforts were broadly seen as a successful attempt to defend their July 2020 results under a still favorable map, featuring a particular level of intensity and animosity against the Democratic Alliance across Frémont which drastically expanded Labor power in Arizona and, arguably, prevented the unpopularity of the Colorado state government from dragging down the ticket. Conversely, both the Liberal Party and the Democratic Alliance were perceived to have launched both a national push and offensives into specific states, their relative advantage under RCV providing an extra push for surprising gains in New Hampshire (featuring a Labor Party hurt by unpopularity and demographic change) and Alabama (repeating a dynamic previously seen in Georgia) in spite of a perceived cannibalization of their momentum.

Despite a disappointing loss in Alabama, the Federalist Party held onto what may have been the most symbolic contest of the evening: the New York City mayoralty. Having narrowly won it in July due to the daunting climb the Liberals were facing, a strong push by the party - including efforts which were seen as "softening" the Federalist image - led to a dramatic momentum wave to support incumbent Mayor Lewis Silver, who nonetheless only survived by the most narrow of margins against his eventual Liberal challenger. Whether the Federalist Party will be able to replicate this success to also hold onto Houston and Chicago remains to be seen.

A final and interesting note to the contest was offered by the disappearance of a number of parties which contested the elections back in July or their decision to run with a larger ticket instead of on their own. The loss of the single Law and Justice Party representative coincides with the disappearance of the party at the national level, and the eight surviving Green incumbents from July - whose party also lost national representation - were also dispatched. Barring an unexpected revival, it is expected the Green remnants will be swept away in March, and the DPP may be gone in April.

Next month voters will go to the polls in Alaska, California, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, the District of Columbia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and the city of Miami.

[Lumine]

CLARIFICATION / INTERNATIONAL

ISO 3166-1

Upon a player contribution - many thanks to Koopa -, after having taken into account context, and for clarification, it is ruled that:

• -The Republic of Atlasia's alpha-2 code is AS; its alpha-3 code is ATL; its numeric code is 840
• -The Republic of Paflagonia's alpha-2 code is PO; its alpha-3 code is PFL; its numeric code is 593

[Lumine]

Minor note that all of the old (pre June 2020) bills were consolidated into the Lincoln omnibus, so it might be better to look at that

Sigh. Report will be pulled while I look into that.

[Lumine]

Right, here we go.

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Ted Bessell and the Vice Presidency of Scott

REPORT / POLICY

High Speed Rail in Atlasia
A report on current regional efforts to build HSR (2021),
Directed to the House of Representatives and the Senate

1.- INTRODUCTION:

With only ACELA and the partly built - amidst great difficulties - California High Speed Rail in any meaningful state of operation/planning in 2016, the development of High Speed Rail in the Republic of Atlasia was fairly limited in comparison to a number of developed countries, with high profile efforts such as the Japanese Shinkansen, the massive expansion of Chinese railways, and the controversial HS2 in the United Kingdom - recently given a major push by Prime Minister Owen Smith - relatively dwarfing the scale of Atlasian efforts post Reset. Although to this date both the Federal Government and the South have declined to pursue HSR legislation - with the only federal attempt vetoed in 2018 -, extensive efforts have been planned, ordered and put in motion in both Lincoln and the Commonwealth of Fremont,   with an ambitious scope behind them.

2.- LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES:

Planning for the first HSR systems in Fremont and Lincoln started between June and September 2017 with the creation of FremontRail and LincolnRail, public companies owned by the regional governments with an initial task of - respectively - two and four main lines respectively, with an initial allocation of 4-5 billion dollars. The main legislative milestones are the following:

• FREMONT - Railway Transport Act (June 2017): The start of HSR development in Fremont, this bill signaled the creation of FremontRail, and allocated 4bn for the construction of a Commonwealth-wide HSR with two main routes: San Francisco-Boulder and Las Vegas-Los Angeles. It allowed for a transregional connection between Santa Fe and El Paso if the South developed a HSR, which has not taken place as of 2021.

-

• LINCOLN - LincolnRail Act (September 2017, repealed): The start of HSR development in Lincoln, this bill created LincolnRail - with an initial 5,000 workers -, and allocated 5bn for the construction of a region wide HSR with four main routes: Portland-Philadelphia, NYC-Chicago, Fort Wayne-NYC, Detroit to Indianapolis. It allowed for a transregional connection between Philadelphia and Annapolis-Baltimore if the South developed a HSR, which has not taken place as of 2021. Bill was repealed and replaced in April 2020.

-

• FREMONT - The Pacific Railway Act (October 2017): The first Fremont expansion of HSR, it allocated 10bn for the construction of three interior lines of FremontRail: Northern Pacific (San Francisco-Seattle), Central Line (Sacramento-Omaha), Transdakotan (Salt Lake City-Minneapolis).

-

• LINCOLN - Lincoln Rail Expansion Act (Tabled, March 2018): The first attempt at an expansion of Lincoln Rail, aiming to expand Line Two and create Lines Five and Six. It was estimated by the GM office at the time that the total cost would reach around 3bn, leading to the bill being tabled.

-

• FREMONT - Fremont Railway and Pan-Regional Transport Act (May 2018): The second Fremont expansion of HSR, allocating c. 1bn for two new lines: San Diego-LA and an extension of the LA-Las Vegas line to Reno.

-

• ATLASIA - High-Speed Rail Act of 2018 (Vetoed, June 2018): Thus far the main attempt at a nation wide HSR, seeking to establish a High-Speed Rail Commission among other efforts. Citing issues such as profitability, eminent domain and a lack of repairs for existing lines, the bill was vetoed by President Fhtagn.

-

• FREMONT - Pacific Railway Reauthorization Act (March 2019): Acknowledging recent issues cited by a GM story, the Fremont regional government allocated an additional 10bn for the three interior lines ordered in 2018 (Northern Pacific, Central Line, Transdakotan).

-

• LINCOLN - The Rail Investment Act (March 2019, repealed): Seeking a diagnosis, a six member commission was ordered to be formed to assess rail conditions in Lincoln, with the task of submitting a report before July 2020. The bill was later repealed in April 2020.

-

• FREMONT - Public Transportation Expansions/Connections Act (April 2020): Among other various dispositions surrounding public transportation, the bill allocated 500 million for new local stops in smaller cities. It purported to establish express lines as a firm percentage of rail traffic, but the bill as written only established "TBD %". It also ordered the completion of the Front Range Commuter Rail in Colorado. The original bill - later heavily amended - sought a major expansion of FremontRail, estimated by CG Clyde to cost around $5 trillion.

-

• LINCOLN - L. C. 6.21 - Lincoln Roads and Infrastructure Act (April 2020): Part of a major overhaul of Lincoln regional legislation, previous dispositions on LincolnRail were replaced by a new “Lincoln Roads and Infrastructure Act”. This meant the re-establishment of LincolnRail under the Lincoln Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, ordering the construction of four routes: Portland-Philadelphia, New York City to Chicago, Fort Wayne to New York City, Detroit to Indanapolis.

-

• LINCOLN - Amendment to L. C. 6.21 (December 2020): The previous omnibus bill was amended to order an expansion of the new LincolnRail, ordering four new routes with mandated stops at several small cities. It does not provide allocated funds for this project.

-

• FREMONT - Amendment to PTECA (January 2021): Among other things, it gives priority for a high speed commuter rail from Albuquerque to Las Cruces.

3.- BACKGROUND:

Both LincolnRail and FremontRail have experienced their own share of problems as their development and construction has started, particularly in 2018 and 2019. In Lincoln, a general strike was threatened in September 2018 by the United Transportation Union and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, citing a "persistent failure" of LincolnRail to comply with minimum wage legislation amidst a debate surrounding the effects of separate regional legislation. In Fremont, a number of issues were unveiled on March 2019, revealing cost overruns, issues with building the Transdakotan line across the Rocky Mountains, and problems with state and local governments in terms of planned modifications to existing stations in key cities of the Commonwealth.

4.- CHALLENGES:

In spite of the major advantages offered by HSR in terms of public transportation, a number of experts have questioned the ambitious scope of both FremontRail and LincolnRail, particularly from a point of view of its eventual cost. With the comparative experience in other developed nations suggesting substantial costs for projects already smaller and more focused on urban zones than either Atlasian projects, there are reasons to believe earlier estimates and funding allocated in previous legislation has been insufficient in regards to the actual scope of the challenge, with the resulting problems in planning, development, construction, and the eventual use of the extensive lines.

Although most of LincolnRail and FremontRail's successive funding projects have allocated sums no greater than 10bn, such investments - while seemingly reasonable at the time of planning -, a number of critics noted that actual construction costs would be several times higher. With the two most successful examples of relatively low cost High Speed Rail - Japan and China - requiring anywhere between $10 to 20 million dollars per mile - in Japan due to starting decades ago, in China due to low labor costs -, the ultimate goal of several HSR lines stretching for several hundred miles (1.200 in the shortest possible San Francisco to Boulder route) appears to far outweigh allocated funding even at an Asian-like comparatively low cost, and particularly after both California's difficult experience with its own project - by now being integrated into FremontRail - and registered setbacks such as the logistical challenge of building across the Rocky Mountains.

5.- STATUS:

With preparatory works taking place in 2017-2018, early construction of FremontRail has started on their main lines and taken place during the last two years, resulting in a few dozen miles - mostly connecting close cities with high urban density - being successfully constructed. Some challenges have proven more difficult than others for both regional government agencies, including gaining access to suitable land for construction, modification of local stations (in which Fremont has achieved significant success), increasingly high costs compared to allocated funding, and protests by a number of communities regarding environmental concerns, leading - in the latter case - to careful local planning and subsequent delays to prevent further issues. Whereas LincolnRail had also made similarly limited progress, existing efforts were shifted in 2020 with the restructuring of Lincoln legislation and transport issues.

In general, it is believed FremontRail is faring better in the short term than the newer version of LincolnRail due to having received far more substantial funding, although it is believed the drastically larger distances that are to be covered will eventually result in an exceedingly long period of construction barring new - and drastic - sources of funding and vigorous government action. Conversely, although LincolnRail will possess the long term advantage of shorter distances between cities with higher population, as well as the existence of ACELA, the comparative lack of funding with the Commonwealth and its modification of planned lines have substantially delayed the project and led to only a handful of miles built, with its more recent expansion of lines coming under criticism by members of the agency on account of the lack of funding as the region is yet to approve a budget.

6.- GAMEPLAY CONSIDERATIONS:

Due to the separation of duties surrounding the Game Moderator and the Comptroller General, it is not within the purview of power of this office to assign a specific cost to all the previous legislation - and regardless of who is legally entitled to, it would be a monstrously difficult endeavor -, but it is ruled that the general funding allocated to such projects is insufficient in light of similar international and domestic projects, conversations with the Comptroller General, previous rulings by CG Clyde, and reading on High Speed Rail matters. This, alongside a number of issues detected by consulting existing Atlasian legislation and/or following up on claims during legislative debate have led the Pontifex Maximus to the previous conclusions and subsequent rulings.

[/quote]

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Sestak and the Vice Presidency of [VACANT]

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Paflagonian Revolution (Part II)
Von Kummerspeck captured after pro-regime militias are crushed,
Gerta Baer found dead, Paflagonian Unity unable to take over the administration,
General Narriman assumes powers, promises new elections on September 2021

WÜRSTBURG, Paflagonia - The complex and intense series of events which have taken place across the Central European nation of Paflagonia have reached a dramatic climax in the past few days, as the general collapse of the Kummerspeck regime started in the aftermath of the bloody "Retribution" against opposition leaders consolidated itself. After escaping a tank regiment storming the Presidential Palace, Von Kummerspeck fled to the countryside via helicopter, where he attempted a short lived resistance over the past few weeks. Allegedly supplied with weapons from an international source - which intelligence sources identify as either Russia or Hungary -, Kummerspeck and his militias held on as the military purged and reorganized itself behind the leadership of former loyalist General Narriman, and were subsequently crushed in a series of skirmishes and raids. On March 4th, Von Kummerspeck himself was captured by a team of Paflagonian commandos, and taken to a secure location in Würstburg.

As the countryside experienced the violence of civil war and the cities continued to experience the consequences of the bloody protests and state repression, General Narriman has emerged as the country's leading political figure, assuming control over a collective group of Generals and, as of the last few days, the title of "Acting President". With the state apparatus formerly belonging to Kummerspeck broadly closing ranks behind the General, the remnants of the large opposition organization Paflagonian Unity - itself drastically hurt by Kummerspeck's "Retribution" - has found it impossible to make headway in being recognized as the legal government within the Republic of Paflagonia, even after the designation of former minister Heide Gruber (SPP) as the new PU leader. Although Paflagonian Unity had been bolstered with the international recognition granted to "Acting President" Gerta Baer, PU's hopes were dashed with Narriman's announcement that Baer had been found dead in the dungeons of Kummerspeck's state security, apparently tortured and killed before she could be rescued by the military coup.

Now Acting President Narriman is not a well known figure in Paflagonia, but has raised to prominence and shown some skill at consolidating power at the moment. Having been greatly bolstered by the recent recognition of his status by the Republic of Atlasia - a symbolic gesture other nations that had recognized Baer seem likely to follow -, Narriman delivered a televised address to the nation on March 6th, hailing Kummerspeck's capture and signing a decree which schedules new Presidential and Legislative elections - to complete Kummerspeck's original 2018-2024 term - for September 7th, 2021. Right after the speech, Narriman presented his new cabinet, mostly comprised of independents, technocrats and military figures such as Colonel Wolfgang Zeller - formerly a member of the PU leadership -, with a number of Paflagonian Unity's secondary figures in junior roles. Protests have given way to celebrations over the Field Marshal's capture, although the question of whether the new government will signify an end to the opposition's general strike is as of yet unknown.

Indeed, all eyes are now on General Narriman, as analysts, the international community, and even the Paflagonian public itself wonder about his intentions. Is Narriman the long awaited bringer of democracy? A second Kummerspeck in the making? Only time will tell.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Sestak and the Vice Presidency of [VACANT]

REPORT / INTERNATIONAL

Status of International Governments
A brief report on a number of relevant international situations,
at the end of the current GM's tenure

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

• The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues to rage, despite attempts by President Putin to force Azerbaijan - currently on the losing side - into a settlement favorable to Armenia.

CHINA

• Having experienced severe COVID outbreaks - with a death toll in the tens of thousands -, the Chinese government has struggled with an economy still recovering from the war in Korea and the harsh measures taken to control the pandemic. On the upside for Beijing, their COVID vaccine is highly sought by third-world countries, and the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong has been all but destroyed through harsh repression.

ERITREA - DJIBOUTI

• Eritrea has been undergoing a violent civil war over the past two months after the assassination of  authoritarian President Isaias Afwerki, judged by Eritrea to be the act of Djibouti operatives. Following the purge of Abraham Afwerki, the duo of politician Yemane Gebreab and general Filipos Woldeyohannes hold the capital in an uneasy alliance against general turned warlord Tekle Kiflay. As hundreds die, the war with Djibouti has turned into a standstill.

ISRAEL

• After several months in a coalition government, PM Benny Gantz has been wounded by the lack of international support to annex parts of the West Bank, turning his relationship with coalition partner Likud (led by Yuli Edelstein) into a nightmare. It is widely predicted the B&W + Likud government could collapse at any moment, paving the way for new elections.

ITALY

• Following the 2018 General Election, a coalition government between M5S and Lega has governed Italy for almost three years despite significant internal tension. Although the life of the coalition was preserved by the replacement of Luigi di Maio as PM in late 2019 - with popular technocrat Giuseppe Conte - and by the rise of the Brothers of Italy (which has deterred Salvini from calling an election), it is expected the government will fall or alter its composition fairly soon.

KOREA (NORTH AND SOUTH)

• With the trial of Kim Jong Nam at the ICC finally allowing North Korean politics to lower the state of political tension, the reunification talks with South Korea have intensified and reached a substantial degree of progress. It is not known when, but a deal - assuming one can be found - may be announced at some point.

PERU

• Having been restored to office by the Constitutional Court after a botched impeachment, the once popular government of President Vizcarra - due to leave office in July - has seen its popular support collapse after it was revealed the President and several of his ministers took the COVID vaccine in secret before they were meant to, resulting in mass protests across Peru.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Sestak and the Vice Presidency of [VACANT]

NEWS UPDATE / NATIONAL

Atlasia battles the Coronavirus (VIII)
Vaccine production and distribution ramps up,
Death toll above 100,000 as second wave is not yet contained,
Open questions about reopening, masks, anti vax movement

NYMAN, Atlasia - The combination of the start of the feared "second wave" in January and the rise of different vaccine alternatives has opened up a new phase in Atlasia's ongoing struggle against the COVID pandemic, which is now entering its second year as an utterly prominent issue both in politics and in everyday life. This has also coincided with relatively energetic action both from the federal and regional government about a number of issues, with varied - if broadly positive - results. Perhaps the largest success story in Atlasia has been the efforts to drastically ramp up production and distribution of vaccines, with Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all approved by the federal government in late January alongside a priority scheme and a decision to make the vaccine mandatory for all Atlasians.

This was later followed by congressional authorization of a 7 billion dollars appropriation for production in early February, and greatly expanded - as of the last two weeks - by a series of ambitious executive orders by former President Ted Bessell, which mobilized several government resources (including the size of an entire army division from the DOD) to support the federal vaccination effort and the production of resources from the public and private sector. All three regional governments pursued their own individual efforts and set their own criteria for vaccination, the Commonwealth of Fremont winning the race with an early effort followed by the South and, most recently, Lincoln. All three have pursued public advertising, funding appropriations for production, and somewhat varied priority schemes, which have drawn a combination of praise from a majority public experts in regards to their criteria, and harsh criticism from social activists - and a minority of experts - over a perceived lack of a criteria for various minorities.

All in all, this has had the effect of allowing the nation to administer c. 2,500,000 to 3,000,000 shots a day, ensuring about 30% of Atlasians have received at least one dose - with about 14% having received both doses -, placing Atlasia in the top five in terms of vaccination rate. However, the high rate of vaccination is coupled with a continue increase in cases and in the death toll - which has now surpassed 100,000 - even as the state contagion dynamics appear to shift. Specifically, the California and Texas "danger zones" appear to have combined into one, despite being contained in their growth towards the North, while the New York one gives no signs of fatigue and expands into an increasingly overwhelmed Pennsylvania. This has sparked a renewed debate about the degree of restrictions necessary to contain the second wave, with one camp arguing against renewed restrictions due to their social effects to favor a near complete reliance on the vaccination efforts, and another camp arguing the vaccine alone will not resolve the wave quick enough to prevent a significant amount of deaths.

Amidst substantial federal efforts to expand different types of aid, the South appears to have taken the lead in a more formalized reopening scheme in terms of businesses and schools, the effects of which - in terms of the pandemic - remain to be seen amidst relative social support, and with a legal deadline of March 31st. Although a number of issues and/or problems requiring solutions remain the same, new ones   take greater importance as we enter year two of the pandemic. On one front, despite an apparent consensus in favor of masks, a number of communities and/or state and local authorities have started to question their continued use, and/or suggest easing out mandates for wearing them. On the other, although the rate of Atlasians willing to vaccinate themselves has risen to an unprecedented 72%, the so-called "anti vax movement" has furiously denounced the federal government's intent to make vaccination mandatory, and vowed to oppose the practice.

With the start of March pointing towards a decisive point in the fight against the pandemic, the international fight over access to vaccines has grown to concerning degrees, including a very public struggle involving the EU - which faces a concerning shortage of vaccines - and the UK, in which PM Smith has presided over a notoriously successful vaccination effort. As the EU, India and much of the third world continue to be hit by vaccine shortages, current leading nations include Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, the UK, Atlasia, Chile and Serbia.

VISUAL REPORT / PANDEMIC

Coronavirus by State - March 2021

1. Overall trends
(Clean, Favorable, Contained and Negative)

[Lumine]

Well, I think that's all of the backlog I can get done at this point. It's been fun!

Now that I leave office after eleven months, and having had a lot of time to reflect about Atlasia, I feel like quoting a - personal and very loose - translation of one of my favorite songs, one that makes persistent (and positive) sense even to this day:

“With sun and rain, you once dreamt,
That everything would be better,
Wanted to be the big hero,
Everything you once wanted to be

I know a secret, you’re scared,
Now thinking of turning back,
No longer thinking of being the hero,
Everything you should have been, with no fear

You no longer talk to me,
You no longer let me talk of anything,
Everything you could be, even now

Ah, there’s sun and rain at last,
But it does not matter, it’s not all bad,
You can still think, and it’s better than nothing,
Everything you managed to be, or nothing..."

[Lumine]

Not formally GM yet, but I thought I'd get started with the formalities.

Bringing this thread back as opposed to creating a new one, I'll be preparing a summary of the past two tenures (Peanut and my first one) as well as to update the list of world leaders.

It's going to take me some time to ascertain the extent of the backlog, so I would encourage citizens with outstanding or new questions/requests to post them here to get a better grasp on what has to be done and establish priorities. If you recieved private clarification or relevant info from the past GM I should be aware of (so as to respect previous determinations), please let me know as well.

[Lumine]

Now that it is official, I'll be dealing with unfulfilled requests from the Secretary of State first, then our first update tomorrow night. Please let me know if there are other questions/requests/backlog matters.

[Lumine]

CLARIFICATION / GAME MECHANICS

Natural Disasters

For the duration of the current Pontifex Maximus' tenure - and thus non-binding to a successor - it is temporarily ruled that, barring a formal clarification, natural disasters are assumed to take place on schedule like in RL, including hurricanes, major forest fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, cold waves and/or storms. Effects and consequences associated with NPC actions (example: pre-emptive measures that would have lowered the death toll) may be clarified by the Pontifex Maximus if necessary or if asked.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of SevenEleven and the Vice Presidency of Blair

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Chinese blockade of Taiwan continues!
ROC facing an increasingly grim outlook,
PRC and ROC ships fight several skirmishes around the Taiwan Strait,
Will Beijing attempt a land invasion? Could the ROC resist it?

TAIPEI - Republic of China - The rapidly evolving crisis in the Far East is believed to be hurtling towards a potentially disastrous war less than three years after the end of the North Korean Civil War and the signing of the Treaty of Panmunjom. Following months of heated and aggressive rhetoric, the People's Republic of China undertook a major gamble back in August, when the combined remnants of its Navy and a large fleet of private, low cost vessels (several of which are specifically designed to ram or disrupt other vessels) started a limited blockade of the island of Taiwan, home to the Republic of China. Although no large scale battles have taken place thus far, there are widespread reports of nightly incidents and skirmishes between the PRC vessels and the ROC navy, which is attempting to maintain supply lines open.

In Taipei, the popular incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen - a staunch, if measured supporter of Taiwanese independence - has mobilized the Taiwanese government and society in an unprecedented campaign which government spokepersons have likened to the British national effort in 1940, stockpiling supplies, mobilizing reservists and seeking to repair the constant damage to the Taiwanese power grid caused by cyber-attacks, which take place on an almost daily basis. Although the ROC did not take part in the North Korean Civil War, President Tsai has made an open appeal to Atlasia and the other Allied Powers who fought together to support Taiwan and assist in ending the blockade by any means necessary, warning a land invasion would otherwise become inevitable.

Meanwhile, across the strait, the Chinese government has mobilized state media to continue denouncing both Taiwan and a recent stream of Atlasian legislation which has been portrayed as "an affront to the people of China", including both sanctions concerning the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and, most decisively, the Atlasian diplomatic recognition of the ROC. Although President Xi has guarded himself of making any official statements that could be construed as a declaration of war against the ROC, he has accused Western nations from breaking the spirit of the Treaty of Panmunjom, and asserted China's right to reunify itself. In the meantime, analysis are divided on the potential outcome of an armed conflict, with one camp arguing that the sinking of the bulk of the People's Liberation Army Navy back in 2018 would make a successful invasion of Taiwan difficult, and others arguing that the substantial Chinese missile and air power could make up for said disadvantage.

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Paflagonian Transition to Democracy
Acting President Narriman prevails in presidential election,
Lack of a parliamentary majority will force administration to seek partners,
Presidential rivals Baer and Schmidt complain about an unfair contest

WÜRSTBURG, Paflagonia - Today, and after seven months as the de facto ruler of the Republic of Paflagonia, the Central European nation still reeling from a brief revolution and civil war, General Kurt Narriman (49) has formally taken the oath of office as the nation's constitutional head of state and government. After fierce competition in the September presidential and legislative elections, Narriman's relentless efforts to put together a governing coalition were rewarded with a narrow victory over Anna Baer, the official Paflagonian Unity candidate and daughter of the late Gerta Baer, and Jakub Schmidt, the would-be heir to the late Field Marshal von Kummerspeck. Although Ms. Baer gave the General quite a scare, observers credit the  incumbent's campaign with an ability to appeal to the electorate by promising an orderly transition to democracy, thus winning over just enough moderate anti-Kummerspeck voters to prevail.

Now set to complete the 2018-2024 term, President Narriman's first political challenge will be to form a presidential majority in the newly elected legislature, the results of which proved inconclusive. Narriman's newly formed party, the Civic Coalition, won the elections by securing 19 seats, 7 short of an overall majority in Paflagonia's 50 seat legislature. Paflagonian Unity, comprised of the SPP, CDP and FDP parties, fought the election separately, and won a collective 23 seats. The remaining eight were secured by the far-right New Dawn, a fringe party which, seized by Mr. Schmidt and the pro-Kummerspeck camp, managed to receive most of the residual (and overestimated by the polls) Kummerspeckite vote. Other minor parties and the large host of independent legislators were swept out of parliament.

Although international observers have asserted the election itself to be fair and the results accurate, both Ms. Baer and Mr. Schmidt have complained against the government on different grounds: Baer has described the campaign as "unfair" due to the administration's extensive use of resources to secure votes, and Mr. Schmidt has claimed to be the victim of "political persecution". Thus, and depending on whether President Narriman intends to retain Prime Minister Zeller - a possibility seen as likely given his efficiency as a political operator -, many wonder in which direction the government will go to form a majority. Will it seek a unity government with Paflagonian Unity? Will it seek a rapprochement with New Dawn? Or will it try to break the PU by appealing to one of its members?

September 2021 Paflagonian General Elections:

PRESIDENT

Kurt Narriman (CC)		39,7%
Anna Baer (SPP-PU)		37,2%
Jakub Schmidt (ND)		23,1%

PARLIAMENT

Civic Coalition (CC)		19 seats (+19)
Social Democratic Party (SPP-PU)		13 seats (+6)
New Dawn (ND)		8 seats (+8)
Christian Democratic Party (CDP-PU)		7 seats (+2)
Free Democratic Party (FDP-PU)		3 seats (+2)

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Former Chancellor Kurz shot in Vienna!
Following his resignation after being targeted by a corruption probe,
Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz narrowly survives assassination attempt,
Culprit said to be mentally deranged, kept screaming "let me in!"

VIENNA - Austria - It has not been a good couple of weeks for Sebastian Kurz (35), the remarkably young conservative politician who served two non-consecutive terms as Chancellor of Austria. Having returned to office after being ousted before, his government - which has combined profound reforms with a constant stream of scandals - became the target of an anti-corruption probe a few months ago, a matter which soon grew into unexpected dimensions. Earlier this month, both Mr. Kurz's party HQ and the Federal Chancellery were raided by the police, and news surfaced of previous and successful plots to undermine and force out Kurz's predecessor as party leader. Condemned from all political sides, Mr. Kurz resigned after what many believe is a private deal with part of the opposition, being replaced by Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

Still shaken by the experience, the former Chancellor was delivering a lecture before the University of Vienna when a woman stormed past the door, took out a revolver and, while shouting "let me in!" fired five shots before being tackled to the ground. Mr. Kurz was shot twice in the left arm, and is expected to make a full recovery. Initially identified as Mrs. Pamela Joy, the would-be assassin was then found out to be a male in disguise (name unknown), triggered into homicidal rage after being left out of the lecture. For reasons yet unknown to Vienna Police, the culprit was seemingly traumatized by a previous experience of exclusion, which is undetermined at this point. Although most have accepted the official explanation of the attacker being simply deranged, others wonder if the attempt is related to the corruption investigation.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of SevenEleven and the Vice Presidency of Blair

NEWS UPDATE / ELECTORAL

Atlasia Elects: October 2021 (Presidential)
Scott elected, Labor wins 8th consecutive term,
Political experts and officeholders debate meaning of the election,
Congratulations for the President-Elect and/or his challengers arrive from the world

NYMAN - Atlasia - Following a relatively quiet electoral weekend, which only turned towards political infighting once the polls were closed, Atlasians have once again elected a President and Vice President, with the ticket of Senator Scott (Lab - Frémont) and Fremont MP Battista Minola (Ind - Frémont) prevailing against five other competing teams. This marks the eight consecutive victory for the incumbent Labor Party, which has now held the White House for well over two years, the longest streak ever recorded in Atlasian history. As a result, citizens, officeholders and electoral experts alike continue to debate the merits of this streak and the potential meaning of Mr. Scott's election to the Presidency. For example, former Green MP and now political pundit Arianne Wyzgowski stated on Twitter that this would mark a year of single or partial term presidents, no incumbent running for re-election since Pericles in 2020.

"I think it's a well deserved triumph", said Joanne Carpenter (Lab - ND), a highly opinionated backbencher in the North Dakotan House of Commons. According to Ms. Carpenter, the achievements of the past seven terms in office and what she described as a "mediocre" opposition well justify such a victory. On a different side of the aisle, André Bowman (Fed - KY), the Federalist House Speaker of Kentucky, called the result "a display of our depressing one party state", decrying the defeat of Senator Cao (whom Mr. Bowman praised in an effusive manner) and warning that, in his opinion, continued Labor rule threatened to "constrain our individual freedoms". For her part, former Miami Mayor María Díaz (DA - FL) cited Scott's experience and life history as a key factor on his victory, stating "we were blessed with two fundamentally decent main candidates, but Senator Scott deserved to win". Far more critical of the whole outcome was Revolutionary Communist activist Holden Caulfield (RC - NY), who said "they're all a bunch of phonies anyway. The only way out for this country is Revolutionary Communism."

Across the world, Atlasia's allies, partners and such other countries were quick to deliver public or private statements congratulating the President-Elect and/or the associated electoral process, expressing their keen interest to work with the incoming administration. Among those are such leaders as Chancellor Merkel (about to left office to the incoming SPD-led coalition), Prime Minister Smith, President Philippe, President Tsai of Taiwan, Prime Minister Gantz, and several others. Thus far, a number of nations - including China, Russia, Turkey and Iran - have not made official statements, with diplomats explaining this as a formality due to the current lack of a certification. Still, some analysts wonder aloud whether there isn't a calculated snub, particularly from Beijing and Ankara. Other political leaders, while congratulating the President-Elect, also expressed their commiseration for Mr. Cao, the Federalist nominee. Chief among them were Rory Stewart MP, Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party; and Erin O'Toole MP, Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, both of which were complimentary towards his efforts.

[Lumine]

Mr. GM, has the FDA approved COVID vaccines for children ages 5-11 as they recently did OTL?

It has not, as, based on precedent from my earlier tenure, this is a decision that depends on the incumbent Administration (and thanks for bringing it to my attention), via the Attorney General as the direct superior of the FDA.

The last formal decision made on this subject took place on January 25-26, with AG Truman - aside from formally approving the use of the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines - issuing in the following directive:

DoJ and its associated agencies will move forward with tests for children 12 and under with all due haste.

Thus, it is up to the Administration - via the Attorney General - whether the FDA should approve vaccines for children.

[Lumine]

Wanted to let people know that, although RL has delayed the coming update, the administration has been making requests and these have been answered. Still unsure whether I'll have to tackle international or national stuff first as there's a lot out there, hoping to get them out very soon.

If there are requests or questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to ask.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Atlasia First?
President Scott enjoys large crowds for his inauguration speech,
Lays out a personal vision with potential international consequences,
Experts and analysts debate the future of Atlasian foreign policy

NYMAN - Republic of Atlasia - Following his recent victory in the October 2021 Presidential Election and after a long career in politics and public service, Senator Scott was sworn-in as President of Atlasia at the beginning of this month in a highly-planned day, including the delivery of an inauguration speech which has had no shortage of reactions, particularly as international events continue to move. Enjoying a healthy attendance for his speech accounting for COVID restrictions, the new President charted out a course which, while promising engagement in issues such as Taiwan, took on a strong tone regarding what many described a "pro-Atlasian" (or "Atlasia First") tone, criticizing previous trade policies, promising a policy of goodwill towards the international community and rejecting what the President considered to be the imposition of democracy on countries that reject it, all while vowing to "buy Atlasian" and "hire Atlasian".

Domestic reactions aside, the speech was of great interest to several foreign governments, many of which have been directly affected over Atlasian action - or inaction - over the course of the past five years. Supporters of protectionism, non-interventionism and/or the importance of national sovereignty (as opposed to greater international integration) were quick to defend and praise the speech, with an anonymous third-world diplomat saying: "It is an inspiring example of a leader focusing on the right priorities, on his own country." On the opposite side, supporters of the more internationalist and/or multilateral point of view, free trade, or a more hawkish approach were less than pleased with the speech, with an anonymous European diplomat stating: "Atlasia reaffirms, yet again, that it is less than interested to fulfil its international responsibilities."

How the President's new vision for Atlasia will be implemented in the coming weeks and months remain to be seen, but whether friend or foe, it is certain that governments and experts alike wonder about the true implications of the inauguration speech.

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

4th Taiwan Strait Crisis (I)
President Xi doubles down as Chinese navy tightens blockade,
President Tsai remains defiant, but experts warn of imminent shortages,
Atlasian sanctions lead to renewed trade war between Nyman and Beijing

TAIPEI - Republic of China - What had been so far a diplomatic crisis between the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China is increasingly escalating every day, and the beginnings of involvement and/or intervention by other countries have led international policy experts to describe the current set of events as the 4th Taiwan Strait crisis, echoing the comparatively much more benign - yet still tense - crisis that took place during the last years of the United States of America, back in 1996. A major move was recently undertaken by the White House under the new administration, as almost two weeks ago an oil and steel embargo was placed against Beijing, explained by President Scott as an initial set of sanctions designed to bring President Xi to the negotiating table. A known supporter of Taiwan in spite of his dovish views, recently elected Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was quick to praise President Scott, and, after imposing limited sanctions of his own, has vowed to lobby other Asian nations to diplomatically support Taiwan while warning a war "could be an unmitigated disaster for us all".

Far from being deterred, the People's Republic of China has doubled down on its actions, with state media launching blistering daily attacks on Atlasia for "daring to intervene in an internal Chinese matter", and/or warning that China will not be humiliated by Nyman. President Xi himself has seemingly used the developing crisis to cement his once weakened hold on power, having the Chinese Communist Party approve several resolutions extending Xi's tenure, praising his ideology, condemning "Taiwanese separatism" and "Atlasian meddling", and, according to Atlasian political scientist Jonathan Tench, "elevating Xi to a level of power and influence not seen since Mao." In addition to this, opposition activist to the CCP have denounced the disappearance of perceived critics of the regime regardless of whether their criticisms relate to Taiwan, including some of the few surviving Hong Kong opposition leaders, and the famed Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who had recently accused a high ranking CCP politician of sexual abuse.

In Taiwan itself, these recent developments have been a harsh tightening of the naval and aerial blockade, with various acts of ongoing cyber-sabotage further disrupting domestic life in the island and helping prevent its ability to remain well supplied. President Tsai has also refused to back down to any of Beijing's private or public demands, and as a result her approval ratings continue to climb into a sky-high rate. Still, Taiwanese officials and diplomats have raised the alarm regarding China's increasingly successful efforts at strangling Taiwanese trade and supply, warning shortages could be imminent. Privately, while the ability of Taiwan to survive a blockade has never been fully tested, some believe the island could only hold out for a few weeks or months at best should the blockade become a long term effort by the PRC. With the crisis growing day by day, many wonder whether the Chinese efforts should be likened to a house of cards - and thus liable to fall apart -, or whether they are more sustainable than they appear to be.

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

Middle Eastern Woes
Iraq on the brink of civil war amidst post-election clashes,
The Taliban and the Afghan government remain locked in costly stalemate with no end in sight,
Despite a collapsing economy, Bashar al-Assad may be on the brink of victory

BAGHDAD - Iraq - Held under a new electoral system, the results of the October 2021 Iraqi parliamentary election have pushed the exhausted nation into yet another period of strife, which, due to the increased role of private militias, could very well expand into a renewed civil war. With the electoral contest having almost collapsed due to the fiercely nationalist (anti-Iran, anti-US) cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's decision to boycott the election (then reversed at the last moment), preliminary results showed a very strong result and an unexpected victory for his Sadrist Movement, with the pro-Iran Fatah Alliance experiencing a major setback. Unwilling to accept the result, the pro-Iran parties and militias have gone to the streets to protest the election - which is not yet certified as recounts extend across several weeks - while claiming massive fraud. While al-Sadr - who cannot serve as PM - continues to demand the withdrawal of the few remaining Atlasian troops and the establishment of a Sadrist-led national government (under the threat of forming a strong "national opposition"), incumbent PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi was wounded in a drone strike recently, an attack which many believe was ordered by the pro-Iran parties.

KABUL - Afghanistan - The 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against the old US has also marked the twentieth anniversary of the ongoing war in Afghanistan, a conflict that many contend has not really stopped ever since the Soviet-led invasion in 1979. With the international presence and Atlasian involvement having been drastically scaled back in recent years (but not fully removed), it has fallen to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its western-trained Afghan National Army to contain the Taliban, who have not shown any signs of being willing to stand down despite ongoing casualties and thousands of prisoners being held by the Kabul government. Following recent local successes, the Taliban have cemented their control over large rural areas just as the government continues to dominate in urban centers, leaving a number of regions to be contested in bitter, deadly skirmishes, guerrilla warfare and terror attacks. Thus, even after twenty years both sides remain locked in this ongoing stalemate with no end in sight, with experts ruling out a Taliban defeat barring an unprecedented return of international forces, and also dismissing a defeat of the Islamic Republic due to its material advantages.

DAMASCUS - Syria - Finally, in Damascus, beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has held onto his regime at all costs in what amounts to one of the deadliest wars of the 21st Century (ten years and on), has enjoyed something of a break recently as a number of Arab nations have decided to either recognize his government or reduce its hostility to Assad, who has emerged as a survivor against his once strong internal rivals. Although the Syrian economy is in steady decline - some would say collapse - and Syrian society is reeling both from draconian policies and a conflict that has killed over 600,000 people and displaced millions, Assad has consolidated control over most of the country, leaving only the North (separately held by the independent opposition, the Turkish occupation and its allies, and the Kurds) to be dealt with. Whether the newly gained recognition is a result of lobbying by Russia and Iran (who appear to sense victory for a client regime of sorts) or a show of realpolitik is unclear, but it signals yet another step for a "victory" of sorts for the recently reelected President.

NEWS UPDATE / NATIONAL

The Cult of R
Far-right prophet "R" continues to grow his following,
"R" aligned groups claim responsibility for August protests,
Other far-right and far-left movements gain traction on the internet

NYMAN - Republic of Atlasia - It was only a few months ago that the Labor Party National Convention was almost disrupted by a number of right-wing Facebook groups, all of which appeared to subscribe to a complex set of conspiracy theories surrounding the hotly contested February 2021 Presidential election and the supposed illegitimacy of a now-former President. At the time, there were warnings that such groups may have been motivated from a disinformation campaign via social media orchestrated by the so-called "R", who appeared to be blaming high-ranking Labor politicians of attempting to destroy Atlasian democracy and, so they claim, the "Atlasian way of life and the purity of its essence".

Initially dismissed as cranks, their existence has reportedly concerned local authorities in states like California, Georgia and New York after a manifesto was disseminated across the internet, in which "R" aligned groups - including the Jack D. Ripper Brigade - claimed responsibility for the mysterious August protests at the Governor's Mansions of New York and Georgia. Aside from hailing "R" as a prophet for democracy who will herald the reappearance of a so-called "messiah", said groups also claimed the unbroken set of Labor victories "a threat to democracy", and attacked all parties (right and left-wing alike) for being willing collaborators to this political streak.

It is not, however, just the followers of "R" who have gained traction and increased visibility in different social media platforms, but radical groups in general. Ongoing vaccine and mask mandates, and the recent approval of vaccines for children older than five have fueled COVID-denial or anti-vax groups, just as the heated political situation in Lincoln has inspired countless small groups (pro or anti-independence, pro or anti Wulfric, and so on) to speak out on their increasingly radical beliefs. There is even talk among hard-left activists regarding their own version of "R", an as of yet unnamed prophet come to deliver true liberation for the masses. With at least the "R" followers having already staged their first protests, and these groups expanding rapidly across Facebook and TikTok, many wonder - particularly in law enforcement - what comes next.

NEWS UPDATE / REGIONAL

A House Divided
Lincoln split over recent political events,
Citizens complain about ongoing scandals and past debates,
Governor promises a "New Deal for Lincoln", signaling a political shift

NEW YORK CITY - Lincoln - Although no region has escaped controversy or political conflict in recent weeks, with examples such as the South being recently taken to the Supreme Court over The Southern Heartbeat Act, many cite Lincoln as "ground zero" for political strife, quoting a number of past and present events that, at least according to some, have resulted in an increasingly polarized citizenship, many of which are fiercely critical of some or even most of the region's leading politicians. With the aftermath of the secession referendum already leaving the region divided into different camps, the formation of a new pro-regionalist movement of sorts appeared to suggest the makings of a consensus of sort, which failed to materialize.

Instead, the region has experienced tense weeks as Lincoln Speaker Wulfric has been on the center of controversy, both due to his relentless efforts surrounding the Ban McDonald's Act (a personal cause of his) and a recent scandal regarding comments that were condemned by several leading politicians. Far from being a contained issue, this has even resulted in prominent Frémont politicians taking the floor at the Lincoln General Court to deliver speeches, attempt to vote, or generally disrupt proceedings, bringing further attention into the state of politics in the region. With the Ban McDonald's Act now gone and Speaker Wulfric seen as politically weakened, Governor KaiserDave has signaled an interest to shift Lincoln politics into a different direction, promising a "New Deal for Lincoln" based around a new political partnership with the DA.

As this takes place, Speaker Wulfric continues to be a target of his political rivals, which now include a Senate resolution against "Wulfricism" and the bombastic House Committee on Un-Frémontian Activities. For their part, voters and citizens have intense feelings about recent events, and several viral videos have been recorded of citizens giving their very strong opinions. Thus, and among other instances, people have been recorded burning a Wulfric effigy outside of a local McDonald's restaurant, defending the Speaker as a "champion" and calling on Frémont politicians to "go back to California", people shouting various offensive slogans against prominent politicians of all parties, and so on. For local state or city journalists, perhaps the most alarming sign is the perceived anger in many voters or citizens, many of which remain bitter over the referendum, the recent strife, and past issues such as the previous shutdown.

Whether a sense of political calm can return to the region remains very much to be seen.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

4th Taiwan Strait Crisis (II)
As blockade continues, Taiwanese navy fights back,
China reeling from international sanctions, Taiwan asks for international supply,
President Tsai and President Xi keep up the harsh rhetoric, but are there hopes for negotiation?

TAIPEI - Republic of China - As the 4th Taiwan Strait Crisis is on its fifth month since the sudden start of a PRC-led blockade, the conflict continues on an uneasy balance, not yet shifting either towards a compromise solution or towards full escalation and a resulting war. Following a particularly effective cyber-attack against Taiwanese government installations back on New Years Eve, President Tsai was alleged to have given an unofficial order for the Taiwanese navy to start firing back, if not against the official PRC vessels, at least against the private blockading vessels. Although this rumor has been steadfastly denied by Taipei, there are countless reports and civil recordings of night sea battles involving live ammunition. There are no reports as of lately regarding a direct battle between PRC and ROC vessels, and intelligence operatives suggest the Taiwanese navy has succeeded in sinking or damaging several private blockade vessels, somewhat easing up the strain of the blockade.

Still, it is clear that the pressure from the blockade - which forces the Taiwanese to supply their island at night - is not something that can be resisted forever. Although President Tsai and her government continue to put on a brave face whilst encouraging citizens to avoid waste and, if possible, plant their own crops for private consumption, shortages are now a reality, it is said the Republic of China is only weeks away from serious disruption in terms of food availability. On the other side of the coin, and despite similar bluster displayed by President Xi - recently enshrined by the CCP into a historic leadership role -, experts believe the People's Republic of China has been substantially hurt by the partial Atlasian embargo. Furthermore, yet another wave of COVID-19, this time spearheaded by the Omicron variant, has recently hit Beijing and other key cities as locally transmitted cases start to appear, causing fears of yet another military-enforced curfew to stop the virus.

Although most academics don't have hopes of a quick resolution to the conflict, a minority of experts - such as Atlasian political scientist Jonathan Tench - are quoted as believing that the crisis is bound to be resolved sooner rather than later, either via a military conflict in case of escalation, or either Beijing or Taipei giving up the fight should they find it impossible to enforce or resist the blockade. Signs of it can be found, first, on a most recent speech by President Tsai, quoting the example of the Berlin airlift during the Cold War and urging Asian allies and Western nations to either assist to lift the blockade or to keep Taiwan supplied to avoid disaster; and by a slight change in rhetoric from Chinese state media, which has seemingly moved from demonizing Atlasian President Scott to chastising Nyman from not allowing a diplomatic solution to the Chinese "reunification" process.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATES / INTERNATIONAL

Paflagonian Transition to Democracy (II)
President Narriman recieves aid package and battles Kummerspeckite militias,
PM Zeller forms majority government by breaking Paflagonian Unity,
CDP and CC take part in coalition cabinet, Weltschmerz made Deputy PM

WÜRSTBURG - Paflagonia - In recent days, and after a parliamentary deadlock caused by the October 2021 elections in Paflagonia (the first since the overthrow and death of Field Marshal von Kummerspeck), the Zeller acting cabinet has been finally replaced by a new majority cabinet as a new government was sworn-in by President Kurt Narriman. Having gained a strong plurality in the elections, Narriman's party Civil Coalition could seemingly either seek a unity government with the Paflagonian Unity coalition, or seek a compromise with the far-right New Dawn. Prime Minister Wolfgang Zeller chose neither, and after weeks of talks the former Colonel succeeded in splitting the coalition apart by enlisting the conservative Christian Democratic Party (CDP). It's unofficial leader, businessman Norbert Weltschmerz, is to become Deputy PM of a government holding 26 out of 50 legislative seats.

In the meantime, President Narriman has made a point of thanking President Scott and the Republic of Atlasia for a recent aid package of $100 million dollars (Paflagonia Support Act), which is intended to help the nation overcome the effects of the pandemic, civil war and economic strife which have set back the small Central European nation for years. However, not all is well. Although Narriman's government had seemingly succeeded in breaking the back of the pro-Kummerspeck militias and/or remaining units, new militia groups have formed on the countryside to oppose the government, and have already staged their first (albeit unsuccessful) attacks. Thus far New Dawn has carefully avoided any public association with the militias, but many suspect them to be linked. Others have gone as far as to blame Moscow or Budapest of funding the revels, but no evidence of it has been uncovered at the moment.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATES / INTERNATIONAL

Sabre-rattling in Ukraine?
As Ukraine moves closer to NATO membership,
President Zelensky accuses Russia of mobilizing troops on its border,
Asks Europe and NATO to protect Ukraine against foreign intervention

KYIV - Ukraine - It has been a few difficult years for Ukraine, both due to the unprecedented domestic political instability that has most recently resulted in the unlikely Presidency of actor-turned politician Volodymyr Zelensky; and due to the external conflict with Russia which resulted in the separation of Crimea and an ongoing separatist rebellion in the eastern part of the country. Although fears of a large scale war in Eastern Europe back in 2016 proved to be wrong once Atlasia and Russia negotiated a treaty to address the North Korean crisis - involving Atlasian recognition of Crimea, to Kyiv's dismay -, the international situation is seemingly escalating once again. While the separatist war goes on, and despite a feeling of disappointment towards Nyman, President Zelensky has undertaken active moves to establish closer ties to Europe and NATO both, seeing the later as the one possible road to preserving Ukrainian territorial sovereignty.

Though pleased by the 2016 arrangement, Moscow has been particularly displeased by Zelensky's renewed attempts to get Ukraine to form part of NATO, describing it as an "unacceptable act of aggression" and, most cryptically, a "red time" in terms of its relationship with Ukraine and the West. This has led to an escalation of rhetoric between Moscow and Kyiv, with the former accusing the Ukrainian government of preparing another war in the Donbass against the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics; and the latter denouncing Russia for allegedly mobilizing thousands of troops in the Russo-Ukranian border, which they feel is the prelude to an eventual invasion or a partial occupation of the Donbass region. Although European leaders - including new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz - have spoken in favor of Ukrainian membership of NATO and denounced Russian mobilization, the situation is seen as very much fluid.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATE / INTERNATIONAL

NAFTA to be renegotiated?
Following President Scott and SOS Transit's comments,
President López Obrador and Prime Minister Trudeau signal public interest,
Observers wonder in what direction the treaty might go next

MEXICO CITY - Mexico - Perhaps few commercial agreements in recent decades have been as controversial as the North American Free Trade Agreement, better known as NAFTA. Before and after its signature in 1994, it has been equally lauded for promoting economic growth and free trade in the North American continent and for the consequences of competition for workers in several key industries. Even before its ratification it fueled up political uprisings, ranging from Ross Perot's quixotic presidential campaign in the late United States of America, to the weakening of the PRI's government machine in Mexico, to Jean Chrétien's unsuccessful last minute bid to alter the treaty. And just as the political and economic struggle between free trade and protectionist has heated up in the last decade, so has the debate regarding NAFTA's status, its benefits and downsides, and what its future should be.

President Scott gave an indication of this in recent weeks, as he announced his intention to pursue a renegotiation process for NAFTA alongside Secretary of State Wxtransit, wanting to start talks with Canada and Mexico at the earliest possible time and citing, in what many interpreted as a desire to perhaps tone down some aspects of the treaty, the need to make it "muturally beneficial to all workers". Last week, on the occasion of a visit from Prime Minister Trudeau to Mexico City, he and President López Obrador were asked by journalists on a press conference on whether the treaty should be renegotiated. To the surprise of some present, both Trudeau and López Obrador expressed their willingness to hold talks, and in later public statements they announced that an Atlasian proposal was now being waited upon with great interest. It is, however, speculated that López Obrador may be far more enthusiastic than Trudeau to substantially alter the treaty, which might result in some interesting dynamics.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATE / NATIONAL

Gun rights drama in Nyman
Congressional debates over the AWB become highly controversial,
Pro and anti-repeal protesters gather daily outside the Capitol,
Fallout from "filibuster" tactics to influence Presidential race?

NYMAN, Atlasia - Less than two years after it being signed into law by former President Pericles, the Federal Assault Weapon and Automatic Weapon Ban Act of 2020 continues to make dramatic headlines following the most recent legislative attempt to repeal it. Despite debate on the measure having lasted less than a week, debate has proved to be unusually spirited and antagonistic, with pro and anti repeal positions clashing on issues like fundamental rights, implementation of the bill, and perhaps most unexpectedly, legislative tactics and their legitimacy in the current Senate. Although an apparent majority for the repeal exists, the attitude of current senators is by no means strictly tied to partisanship, reflecting the odd dynamic of gun rights within the nation and how one can find left, center or right-wing officeholders in support or against the repeal.

Former President Pericles has been at the forefront of the debate on account of his firm opposition to the repeal, resulting in a series of amendments, tabling votes and other measures which opponents have branded as similar to the legislative filibuster, an infamous parliamentary tactic in the late United States senate. So heated has the discussion become that President Scott's recent announcement that he would not seek reelection has been linked to the nature of the legislative debate and its tactics, to the point in which there are already proposals on the floor to alter the Senate rules. Even citizens have jumped into the debate with harsh arguments of their own, ranging from whether the ban has been effective or not to whether gun ownership constitutes a right, a concept derived from Atlasia's heritage associated with the former United States, or whether it is more of a privilege or a limited right.

And as prominent Atlasians debate the matter, Capitol Police have gotten used to rising numbers of protestors gathering near the Capitol every day to voice their opinions, often coming to blows while either lionizing or ridiculing the most prominent voices in the debate. Across the nation, pro-gun organizations have started to gather in large public protest to demand the repeal, having been previously thwarted in attempts to do so due to the 2020 and 2021 lockdown measures. And although local governments have been careful not to issue orders which directly contradict the law - as then Southern Governor MB unsuccessfully tried to do in 2020, becoming a folk hero of opponents to the ban -, it is clear some states and/or cities have not been enthusiastic to comply with the law, much like others have implemented it to the extreme. A dramatic move is already in progress within the South Chamber of Delegates, which is debating, among other similar bills quoting a legal controversy in Frémont, a piece of legislation declaring the current ban null and void in the South.

Whether the repeal succeeds or not, it is clear the public reaction will be intense.

[Lumine]

On the seventeenth year since the founding of the REPUBLIC,
under the Presidency of Scott and the Vice Presidency of BattistaMinola

NEWS UPDATE / NATIONAL

Atlasia battles the Coronavirus (X*)
Omicron wave hits Atlasia, vaccination rate contains it partly,
Death toll climbs to 200,000 as unvaccinated are hit the hardest,
Anti-vax minority clings on despite impact of Immunization Act

NYMAN, Atlasia - Having already raged for more than two years, the Covid 19 pandemic continues to hit the world as its latest iteration, the highly infectious - but apparently less deadly - Omicron variant grows and expands at an exponential date only a couple of months since its detection. Nations already beleaguered due to the social, economic and political impact of the pandemic and associated measures have been forced to undertake renewed measures to contain the spread, resulting in a return of restrictions and/or lockdowns in nations that can still afford it, and a tightening of current restrictions against the unvaccinated in much of Oceania and Western Europe. Atlasia is no stranger to this, having gone from a relatively calmer pace in mid 2021 - seemingly beating the second wave via mass vaccination efforts - to a steady rise in cases following Omicron's arrival, signaling another tough phase in the fight against the seemingly never ending pandemic.

Atlasia has been no stranger to this, with the Omicron variant arriving in early December and leading to a marked spike in cases (not so much in deaths) across the nation. In a global context in which almost 5,000,000 people have perished, the Atlasian death toll currently stands at 200,000 (having experienced a sudden jump in the last couple of months), a number which public experts warn might be exponentially higher were it not for the vaccination campaign. Indeed, the Republic of Atlasia took a particularly strong stance on the matter, authorizing several different vaccines for use, recently allowing children to be vaccinated, and in what is perhaps the most politically controversial measure, enacting several measures to ensure the vaccine remains mandatory via the  Immunization Act of 2021. Around 75% of the population is fully vaccinated and another 10% has received at least a single dosage, but reducing the remaining 15% of unvaccinated Atlasians has proven most difficult, even with the measures of the Immunization Act. Indeed, there are many reports in social media of anti-vax citizens refusing to comply with act, choosing to take the weekly tests instead, or, in some cases, falsifying or paying for said tests.

As a result, a number of academics have made the case that the rise in the death toll is disproportionally affecting said unvaccinated Atlasians, which, according to recent studies, may be several times more likely to die from COVID (findings which have nonetheless been contested by anti-vax organizations). Ultimately, public health experts seem to agree - if for very different reasons - that Atlasia and other nations stand at the crossroads in terms of how to deal with the pandemic, depending on whether Omicron's highly contagious nature leads to eventual herd immunity or whether it signals yet another destructive step. Thus, public officials may face key decisions on whether to re-institute or dismiss lockdown measures, tighten or loosen restrictions on the unvaccinated, returning or not to the use of masks, and so on. For now, a measure of dissent against current restrictions can even be seen in examples like the Southern Chamber of Delegates, after the introduction of a bill - alongside one regarding the now repealed Mask Mandate Act - calling the Immunization Act of 2021 nullified in the region.

*Peanut's "First Pandemic Update" (March 17th, 2021) is retroactively considered to be part IX of the pandemic updates.

[Lumine]

According to CDC data, while 20% of all those 5 and over in the rl United States are unvaccinated, this is just 15% of those 12 and over and just 13% of adults. This is presuming that unvaccinated means having received no vaccine dose. Therefore, I was surprised at the number 20% being used here, what is that referring to? Does that mean that Atlasia has a worse vaccination rate than the rl United States? Secondly, I'm not sure why we wouldn't be doing significantly better-we don't have the same level of social mistrust and polarisation over vaccines, and vaccine mandates have had an effect in other countries in boosting the vaccination rate.

Although I didn't actually account for the differences in age groups, current numbers (which consider the population total, not just adults) are still an improvement compared to the OTL US. If only 63-64% are fully vaccinated there, over 70% are in Atlasia. And if c. 75% have recieved at least a dosage there, 80% has recieved one here. And though vaccination is naturally less political and controversial than it is in the US, there has been some political criticism of related measures - particularly the mandates - which, combined with backlash from certain groups to previous policy, would probably play a role.

Having said all that, I do find the number of vaccinated adults in the US surprising, in the sense that it is higher than I envisioned. I may adjust the update numbers accordingly, but there's still a significant minority group which remains unwilling to take the vaccine.

(Thanks for bringing it to my attention!)

[Lumine]

I'm still unsure on how to process the current shenanigans in the South (because sh*tposting or not, actions have consecuences, and though no legal expert, I suspect some of the stuff that has been posted could be considered illegal or an actual crime) but in the meantime, I might as well formally address something that I think has been in extremely poor taste:

CLARIFICATION / GAME MECHANICS

Assassination / Players

The Office of the Pontifex Maximus does not, under any circunstances, acknowledge the validity of players proclaiming fellow living Atlasians to be dead. Neither does it acknowledge any player-posted news addressing or giving validity to such attempts.

It wasn't funny to proclaim a player - Spark in this case - dead before, and, considering what he has recently posted, it sure as hell isn't funny now, so please cut it out. I'll think of how to rule and/or act regarding the Southern events while I consider the next follow-ups to current storylines.

[Lumine]

On what day in 2020 was the first Covid case recorded in Atlasia?

January 21st, 2020, according to GM Ninja:

The first victim was an anonymous man in his 30s residing in Everett, Washington. He was previously in Wuhan before leaving earlier in the months, arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on a Delta Airlines flight from Beijing. He reported to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett on January 21st, after feeling symptoms.