Atlasia Chronicle

[Clyde1998]

Welcome to the Atlasia Chronicle, the official news source for the Republic of Atlasia. This will act as the office of the Game Moderator; you'll find up to date news stories, as well as employment and economic figures. You can make requests in relation to budgetary issues, economic figures and anything else you wish to ask here. We will continue to conduct opinion polls, which in turn may contribute to any events which may occur.

National Debt History
22 Sep 16 - $19,524,335,895,543 ($60,162 per capita; 108.8% of GDP)

GDP History
22 Sep 16 - Atlasia: $17,947,124,842,945 ($55,302 per capita)

Unemployment History

04 Aug 16 - Atlasia: 4.9%; North: 4.5%; South: 4.9%; Fremont: 5.4%
13 Aug 16 - Atlasia: 4.5%; North: 4.1%; South: 4.6%; Fremont: 5.2%
27 Aug 16 - Atlasia: 4.8%; North: 4.3%; South: 4.9%; Fremont: 5.8%
22 Sep 16 - Atlasia: 4.7%; North: 4.2%; South: 4.7%; Fremont: 5.4%
29 Sep 16 - Atlasia: 4.7%; North: 4.3%; South: 4.6%; Fremont: 5.2%
06 Oct 16 - Atlasia: 5.6%; North: 6.0%; South: 5.8%; Fremont: 5.0%

Population History
22 Sep 16 - Atlasia: 324,529,751; North: 104,551,983; South: 132,605,763; West: 87,375,005

Crude Oil Price History
22 Sep 16 - $46.83
06 Oct 16 - $55.35

Gold Price History
22 Sep 16 - $1,331.40

[Clyde1998]

Weekly Unemployment Figures
National: 4.7%

North: 4.2%
South: 4.7%
West: 5.4%

There's been a slight reduction in unemployment across the country, as the nation continues to recover from the Constitutional Convention.

[Enduro]

This is beautiful. Please don't ever quit.

[Clyde1998]

Leinad not seeking re-election

The biggest news story of the last few days is that President Leinad will not be contesting the upcoming Presidential election, stating that other matters have to take priority and due to this, he won't be able to be an active President throughout the next term. Nothing in Leinad's statement suggests that he is planning on leaving Atlasian politics, nor that he wouldn't consider running for President again at a later date.

Early betting odds are strongly suggesting that Senator Tmthforu will be the Federalist candidate in October's election, where he may face Senator Blair - who has recently announced that he's running to be Labor's candidate for President. Blair is the favourite here as well, while it remains uncertain whether anyone else will put their hat into the ring to force a Labor Primary.

Los Angeles heading for Olympic Referendum

The City of Los Angeles is set for a referendum on whether the city should follow through with its bid to host the 2024 Olympics on week Friday (30th September), with opinion polls suggesting that the race is too close to call. Supports of the proposal has seen their support fall from roughly 70% in early February to around 47%, while the opponents of the proposal have grown from 21% to 48%.



Opponents of the plan have expressed concerns that without regional and federal funding, there may be cost overruns, which may plunge the City of Los Angeles into unmanageable levels of debt. This was the reason why Boston was removed as the nations' candidate city. Additionally, they believe that the money spent on hosting the Olympics would be better spent on public services, such as schooling and policing.

Supporters claim that the city would make a profit from the games and the lasting appeal of the games would benefit sports in the local area, as well as Fremont and Atlasia, by enabling the construction of state of the art facilities that could be used by professional and college athletes for training or by members of the public for recreational use. On top of this, they say that a successful bid to host the Olympics would generate jobs for the next eight years, which would help reduce the Fremont unemployment rates - which are currently the highest regional rates in Atlasia.

British poll shows voters could support Atlasian Common Market

A new YouGov poll in the United Kingdom shows that 52% of voters support a Common Market with Atlasia, compared to 39% opposed, giving fresh impetus for the two nations to start negotiating a deal that would benefit each other.

The biggest concern for supporters of the Common Market is that if voters believe that the deal would negatively effect Britain's ability to trade with Europe, then support within the UK drops. Only 41% would support the principle of a Common Market, compared to 43% opposed; the biggest switch in support comes from Remain voters, many of whom remain hopeful that Britain would negotiate to retain membership of the European Single Market following the UK's exit from the EU.

[Clyde1998]

Presidential Election Special Report

We, at the Atlasia Chronicle, will be running regular special reports up until the Presidential election to update Atlasians on the race and to provide information to enable voters to make an informed choice before casting their ballot. We will continue to run opinion polls and we intend to conduct interviews with each of the candidates. There will be a regular update of national and international news and financial figures on Thursday, with a special report on the Atlasia-UK Common Market coming up shortly.

Atlasia set for Blair-Tmthforu showdown

After the announcement from President Leinad, the race for Atlasian President has quickly moved into a battle between Labour's Blair and the Federalist Tmthforu. Both candidates are widely seen to be two of the most active players within the game, while both maintain some of the highest approval ratings in Atlasia - which will certainly lead to an interesting campaign.

Both candidates have started to realise their platform, with both looking to increase activity within the game, as well as increasing the powers available to the Game Moderator. Tmthforu is pledging to increase the link between the Federal and Regional Governments in order to make the regions active and strong; the flagship policy is to award a federal grant to the best plans for regional infrastructure improvements. Blair is looking to increase powers for each member of the cabinet, in order to create a new dynamic to the game and to make the Cabinet an important aspect of Government, rather than just a side show.

The campaign may, also, hinge on the Vice Presidential candidates. While no names have been mentioned to date, it seems likely that both will consider Atlasians from outside their political party. No candidate has won a Presidential election since July 2014 with a Vice Presidential candidate from their own party.

Enduro Films and Atlasia Chronicle to host Presidential Debate

The Atlasia Chronicle can confirm that we will be co-hosting the Presidential Debate with Enduro Films; with Enduro and Clyde being co-moderators. The Presidential Debate will be the only opportunity for the candidates to go head-to-head and to face audience questions under pressure.

While no format has been confirmed, plans include rounds of moderator questions, audience questions and 'cross-examination', where each candidate will have the opportunity to ask each other questions in an open debate section. It is likely that the debate will take place over ten days, however a starting date for the debate is yet to be confirmed.

The Atlasia Chronicle and Enduro Films will provide updates of any news prior to the debates.

Big Two Parties holding Party Conventions

The two biggest Atlasian parties, Labour and the Federalists are currently holding their party conventions prior to the Presidential election. It will be here where both parties officially nominate their candidate for President.

Labour are hosting their convention in Boston, MA. The Labour convention has just begun, with delegates still signing in.

The Federalist convention has been underway since the start of June, with there being a break since the end of August. They are holding a leadership ballot, with NC Yankee and Leinad set to be confirmed as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively - following withdrawals of Presidential candidate Tmthforu for Chair and Dfwlibertylover and Enduro for Vice-Chair.

It seems unlikely that any of the nomination votes will draw any surprises at this stage; Blair and Tmthforu will almost certainly be the Presidential candidates for each party.

[Clyde1998]

Poll: British voters narrowly opposed to Common Market with Atlasia

The Atlasia Chronicle has commissioned an opinion poll in the United Kingdom on whether there should be a Common Market Agreement between the UK and Atlasia. The poll of 25,001 British adults found that 45.6% would vote in favour of the agreement; 46.0% would vote against when asked "Should the United Kingdom enter into a Common Market Agreement with Atlasia?".

The poll suggest that the proposal would gain the support of 49.1% of Leave voters, compared to 44.0% opposed to the plan. However, 50.6% of Remain voters are opposed (40.9% support) - levelling out public support across the UK.

Support for the proposal comes, mainly, from the right: the majority of 2015 voters for the Conservatives (+2% net), UKIP (+10), the DUP (+1), the UUP (+6), for Other parties (+3) and non-voters (+7) are all in favour. However, Labour (-11), Lib Dem (-16), Green (-23), Nationalist (-21), Sinn Fein (-45), SDLP (-5) and Alliance (-2) voters were, generally, opposed.



English voters are split 46-46 on whether to have a Common Market with Atlasia, however Welsh (45-46), Northern Irish (44-47) and Scottish (42-50) voters are opposed.

British politicians would have the convince voters to support a plan before it could be implemented. However, how voters will vote when a plan becomes tabled is hard to judge and could see huge swings compared to polling before a plan is completed.

The data tables for this poll can be found here: http://docdro.id/e3BxUpo

[Clyde1998]

Hundred injured, one dead in major train crash

At least 100 people have been injured, and one killed, following a commuter train crash into a train station in Hoboken, New Jersey today. The crash appears to be caused by the train entering the station too fast and colliding with the buffers designed to stop the train; the train ploughed into the station terminal.

LA set for Olympic Referendum

The City of Los Angeles will vote tomorrow on whether the city should bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. The race is currently deemed too close to call, with either side still in with a chance to win the referendum. The turnout is expected to be high, with some estimates suggesting that over 70% of LA's citizens are likely to vote.

Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti, has said that "hosting the Olympics will generate memories that will last for generations. No other event can bring the world together like the Olympics. We want to be at the center of this."

March to take place against Atlasian Official Language Act

Protesters are to march in Nyman and Nashville, Tennessee against the introduction of Spanish as an official language of Atlasia. Mainly made up of far-right groups, the protesters are claiming that Atlasian culture is "destroyed" by the Spanish speaking population and "other immigrants". The march takes place on Saturday, 1st October. Other opponents, who argue the lack of need for an Official Language Act, to the act have described the protest plans "unhelpful" and "moronic", suggesting that it may be harder to oppose the introduction of the bill following the event.

Truman to meet Johnson

Secretary of State Harry Truman is to hold a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in Nyman tomorrow regarding a Common Market deal between the two nations. Public support in Atlasia has been extremely high, while support in the UK is roughly 50-50. The meeting is expected to shine a light on what sort of deal is likely to be proposed to the public.

Drone targets hospital in Syria

An drone is reported to have targeted a hospital in Aleppo. Not much is known about how this incident occurred, however there have been fifteen reported deaths as a result. Western Governments have been pointing the figure towards Russia, following previous incidents; the Russian Government denies this.

Unemployment Figures

National: 4.7% (N/C)

North: 4.3% (+0.1)
South: 4.6% (-0.1)
West: 5.2% (-0.2)

[Blair]

Brilliant job as usual clyde

[Clyde1998]

Brilliant job as usual clyde

Thank you.

[Clyde1998]

Los Angeles votes Yes

The people of Los Angeles have voted in a referendum on whether the city should bid for the Olympic Games. In a dramatic referendum night that saw the race come down to under 100,000 votes, the people voted in favour of the proposal.  It appears that the late intervention from Governor Pikachu, committing Fremont Executive to pay for any budgetary shortfall, reassured undecided voters that hosting the games wouldn't lead to financial issues for the city.

It appears that there has been support for the bid across all political parties, while younger voters were more in favour of hosting the games than older voters. Los Angeles will now continue their bid for the games against Budapest in Hungary and Paris in France.

[Clyde1998]

Truman: Blair only candidate who fits bill

In an exclusive interview with the Atlasia Chronicle, Secretary of State Harry S Truman talks about Blair's chances of winning the Presidential election, how the negotiations with the UK Government for a Common Market Agreement is going and Labor's ability to improve on August's House Election results.

Reporter: "Thank you for agreeing to do this Truman.

Firstly, we're heading towards October's Presidential election - after an interesting spell of candidacy changes from the right, it looks like it's going to be a battle between Blair, NC Yankee and Rpryor for the White House. How do you see the race going?"

Truman: "Oh, I'm quite confident in Blair's ability to pull this off. When I ran for president four months ago, there was a lot of talk about wanting a "fresh face" in Nyman. We've since seen what a Federalist government looks like. When you consider the contrast between the 1st Congress - which had a Federalist majority in both houses and was plagued by widespread inactivity, incompetent administrators, and intellectually dishonest legislation;  and compare that to the 2nd Congress - which has experienced a Renaissance of activity under Labor leadership - it should be abundantly clear who is best suited to lead our country over the next four months. The Atlasian people are looking for a fresh start; they want a president who will be an active participant in the game, not a passive bystander, and they want someone who will bring new ideas and energy to Nyman. Quite frankly, Blair is the only candidate who fits that bill."

Reporter: "Do you believe that Blair, therefore, has a better chance of winning going up against NC Yankee than he would've done against Tmthforu, who was one of the most active politicians in Congress?"

Truman: "It will certainly be more difficult for Yankee to distance himself from the disastrous leadership of Congressional Federalists, given his capacity as the chair of that party. Whether he's a weaker candidate than Tmthforu is hard to say - I personally believe that Tmthforu's chances were massively overstated by the media."

Reporter: "Did you consider running again before Blair announced his candidacy or was it always going to be Blair as the Labor candidate?"

Truman: "My preference was always for Blair to be the nominee in October 2016. Conceivably, he might have chosen to forgo a bid for the presidency, and then I would have had to reconsider my position. There was never any question in my mind, however, that I would support Blair were he to enter the race. He's a phenomenal leader and public servant and, quite frankly, will make a better president than I could ever be."

Reporter: "Presumably, you'd continue as Secretary of State should Blair win. Are you planning on staying on regardless of who wins?"

Truman: "I have honestly enjoyed being Secretary of State, and would gladly accept an offer to continue in office as part of the next administration - provided that I may remain effective. We haven't heard much from Yankee or Rpryor on the foreign policy front, so I can't say if I would be willing to serve under them. I'd wager that will become more clear as the campaign unfolds."

Reporter: "While we're on the subject of foreign policy: how are the negotiations going with the UK Government regarding a Common Market Agreement?"

Truman: "I have to be careful what I say here, because obviously nothing is finalized yet, but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the direction things are going. Secretary Johnson and myself have agreed to the basic outline of a Common Market Agreement between Atlasia and the UK and are currently hammering out the final wording. My hope is to have it in the queue of the Senate before the October elections."

Reporter: "Finally, for now, with the Class I Senate race and the House elections taking place on the same day - do you believe Labor can retain their majority in the House and improve on the number of Senators?"

Truman: "I do. Labor has an outstanding record to run on in this election: after the disaster that was the Federalist 1st Congress, Speaker NeverAgain has turned the House of Representatives around; in the Senate, Blair and Scott are constant reminders of what strong leadership and responsible governance look like. Then there are the Federalist candidates themselves, a mixture of failed leaders and right wing extremists who should never be allowed to come within ten miles of a Congressional majority. Labor is in the process of recruiting candidates for the House, and I think it's going to be a fantastic ticket - though I won't say anything more for the present.

Taking the Senate will be trickier, but I think we have a real opportunity in Fremont and I hope the Laborites and progressives of that region will unite to elect a common-sense senator this month."

Reporter: "That's all from us. Thank you Mr Secretary for your answers and your time. I wish you well in the future."

Truman: "Thank-you very much."

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Truman: "I have honestly enjoyed being Secretary of State, and would gladly accept an offer to continue in office as part of the next administration - provided that I may remain effective. We haven't heard much from Yankee or Rpryor on the foreign policy front, so I can't say if I would be willing to serve under them. I'd wager that will become more clear as the campaign unfolds."

Geez, it is almost like I started less than 72 hours ago or something. I actually plan to "campaign", and as such there will be a multitude of events and several of these will focus on foreign policy, our veterans and our military.


I would certainly consider reappointing Truman to the position, not in spite of, but because he is such an impatient panda. I think that skill would ensure he continues to be among the most responsive of the dozen or so Secretaries of state and before that External Affairs that I have had the pleasure and sometimes displeasure (when they weren't active) of working with  over the past seven years. 

[Clyde1998]

Polling suggests Yankee edges Blair in final round

Our exclusive opinion poll suggests that NC Yankee is ahead of Blair in the race for the White House, despite being behind on first preference votes.

Blair leads the first round of voting, with a vote share of 48.6%, with Yankee only 2.4% behind on 46.2%. Rpryor is lagging behind the two main candidates on 5.2%. On a 100% turnout, this equates to 70 votes for Blair, 67 for Yankee and eight for Rpryor.

In the final round, Yankee wins all of the transfers from Rpryor, giving him a 2.9% lead over Blair.

The Laborite maintains leads in the North and West of the nation; Yankee is ahead in the South.

First Round
North
Blair - 56.4%
Yankee - 33.6%
Rpryor - 10.0%

South
Yankee - 64.0%
Blair - 36.0%
Rpryor - 0.0%

West
Blair - 51.1%
Yankee - 44.4%
Rpryor - 4.4%

Labor
Blair - 95.6%
Yankee - 4.4%
Rpryor - 0.0%

Federalist
Yankee - 100.0%
Blair - 0.0%
Rpryor - 0.0%

United Alternative
Blair - 77.8%
Rpryor - 22.2%
Yankee - 0.0%

Independents/Others
Blair - 46.5%
Yankee - 39.5%
Rpryor - 14.0%

Final Round
North
Blair - 56.4%
Yankee - 43.6%

South
Yankee - 64.0%
Blair - 36.0%

West
Blair - 51.1%
Yankee - 48.8%

Labor
Blair - 95.6%
Yankee - 4.4%

Federalist
Yankee - 100.0%
Blair - 0.0%

United Alternative
Blair - 77.8%
Yankee - 22.2%

Independents/Others
Yankee - 53.5%
Blair - 46.5%

The poll is weighted by party membership in each region of the country and had 53 respondents.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Look, you're doing a good job, but I suggest you focus more on developing/continuing stories than polls/interviews/commenting on players' actions.

[Clyde1998]

Russians to "react" to passage of Ukrainian Freedom Act

The Russian Government will "react" to the passage of the Ukrainian Freedom Act, which is awaiting Presidential approval. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, issued a statement saying that "the Atlasian Act against Russia's sovereignty in Crimea is a step towards a declaration of war against the Russian Federation. We will react to any provocation against our nation". He continued by suggesting that "Atlasia and the European Union caused the civil war in Ukraine by their refusal to accept the democratic choice of Ukrainian voters of having a pro-Russian President. Their coup has caused the destruction of Ukraine."

The Act will see Atlasia supply weaponry and funding to Ukraine, as well as Atlasian troops to assist the training of Ukrainian soldiers. However, Russian have increased their presence on the Ukrainian border - potentially preparing for an invasion of their neighbouring state.

Unemployment sky-rockets in North and South over inactivity

Unemployment has risen across Atlasia, over Governmental inactivity in the Northern and Southern regions of the nation. The North has been hit the worst, as companies are starting to withdraw their operations from the region. The region has failed to debate a single bill since the passage of the SOAP. The South has been affected too, for similar reasons. Unemployment is down in Fremont, following increased investment into the region following the successful Olympic referendum and due to increased investment into the region from companies moving from the North and South.

Atlasia: 5.6% (+1.0%)
North: 6.0% (+1.7%)
South: 5.8% (+1.2%)
West: 5.0% (-0.2%)

Price of oil increases following OPEC deal

The price of oil has risen after a deal between OPEC countries to reduce production. This has seen the oil price rise from $46.83 in late September to $55.35 today. Projections suggest that the oil price will continue to rise in the coming weeks.

Slenderman film grosses $63m at box office

The Enduro Films production Slenderman has proven to be relatively successful, after grossing $63m at box office. With the film being produced for only $25m, it's a good platform for the fledgling company to build on. The film was realised to mostly positive reviews.

[Clyde1998]

Look, you're doing a good job, but I suggest you focus more on developing/continuing stories than polls/interviews/commenting on players' actions.

They will give things for people to react to or make information more accessible. Especially the polling, which may have a bearing on the way the campaign is fought. I'm working on trying to get the balance right, however, between these things.

[LLR]

Nothing about Roger Dreckman? I guess he's just a random hippie but still

[Clyde1998]

Nothing about Roger Dreckman? I guess he's just a random hippie but still

Give it time...

[Clyde1998]

Unemployment continues to rise

Atlasian unemployment has crept over the 6% barrier, with most of the rise being attributed to the South of the country - which has continued to see large amounts of Governmental inactivity. The situation hasn't been helped by Hurricane Matthew. Economists have projected that the South may be heading towards a recession that could spread to the rest of the nation, should the unemployment rate continue to rise. Unemployment growth in the North slowed, while Fremont saw a slight rise.

Atlasia: 6.4% (+0.8%)
North: 6.4% (+0.4%)
South: 7.3% (+1.5%)
West: 5.1% (+0.1%)

Hurricane Matthew hits Southeastern Atlasia

Southeastern Atlasia was among the places to have been rocked by Hurricane Matthew; leaving millions without power and killing dozens. The Hurricane has caused major flooding across the area. Local authorities are dealing with the situation and power is being restored to many in the southeast of the nation.

The Hurricane was more serious in Haiti, where an estimated thousand people have been killed and around 350,000 people are in need of aid. Similarly, 180,000 people in Cuba are in need of food following the devastating events.

Catalonia, Scotland prepare for independence referenda

Two of the largest separatist areas of Europe are preparing to hold referenda on independence. The Catalan vote will be held on 17 September 2017, nearly three years to the day to Scotland's first independence vote. The Government of Catalonia have said that they'd hold the poll with or without Spanish consent.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has announced that a draft bill will be published next week regarding a second independence vote. They state that this is in retaliation to the British Government's 'Brexit' approach of taking the entire nation out of the European Single Market, despite having no mandate to do so. It remains unclear whether the passage of the Atlasian-British Common Market Agreement could affect any independence drive in the nation.

Failed assassination of Roger Dreckman in Detroit

There has been a failed attempt to assassinate journalist Roger Dreckman in the city of Detroit today. Police have arrested a twenty-seven year old man in relation to this; he was arrested while in possession of a shotgun. It remains unclear what the motives behind the attempt were at this time.

Washington state set for tech boom

A private company is set to build a technology industrial park to rival Silicon Valley in Washington state. It's believed to be planned in the state to attract Canadian talent to come and work in Atlasia. The project is also experiencing interest from Asia - particularly China and South Korea - as a suitable location to house their North American headquarters.

[LLR]

Failed assassination of Roger Dreckman in Detroit

There has been a failed attempt to assassinate journalist Roger Dreckman in the city of Detroit today. Police have arrested a twenty-seven year old man in relation to this; he was arrested while in possession of a shotgun. It remains unclear what the motives behind the attempt were at this time.

Fycking can't even do my job any more without a bullet flying by my head. I was not informed this was part of the job!

[Enduro]

How was Slenderman's numbers this week?

[Clyde1998]

How was Slenderman's numbers this week?

It's up to $94m now - a $31m increase on last week.

[Enduro]

How was Slenderman's numbers this week?

It's up to $94m now - a $31m increase on last week.

Awesome!

[Classic Conservative]

This is great!

[AGA]

Very interesting. Thanks for the read!