NewsNet

Sunday, June 10, 2057

– World –

Venice residents can breath easier thanks to the unanticipated and rapid restoration of the Venice canals, purging the toxic water and the polluted air that would rise from it, which have plagued the city for decades. Officials with the Republic of Serenissima are trumpeting the previously-unannounced purification as the result of an experimental new detoxification process. The canal renewal has drawn praise from scores of international and environmental leaders, with the Kontrollrat for the Saar-Lorraine-Luxembourg Special Administrative Zone expressing hope that the process could be adapted to the SOX’s own toxic waters. [Watch Serenissima Governor Elisea Buonopane announce the canal’s restoration]

– UCAS –

Sources within Knight Errant have revealed that the security corporation will be issuing the alertness aid dichlormatic prophyllane, more commonly known by its street name “Long Haul,” to its patrols attempting to clear Chicago, Illinois of insect spirits. The confidential sources indicate that the extended periods of time required to track the spirits back to their source and the limited staffing assigned to the project have necessitated this measure. Knight Errant declined to comment. [Join the conversation about the domestic use of combat drugs]

– Politics –

Anticipation builds for tonight’s presidential debate, the first for the emergency election called after the impeachment of President Thomas Steele. The debate will include environmentalist Arthur Vogel (Democrat), Professor Rozilyn Hernandez (New Century), former Vice-President James Booth (Technocrat), General Franklin Yeats (Republican), businessman Kenneth Brackhaven (Archconservative), and the dragon Dunkelzahn (Independent). The debate is to be focused on the topic of foreign policy, including trade relations among the North American states, growing tensions with Russia over the Soviet Reconstruction, and the ongoing civil war in Afghanistan. [Take our poll of who you think will win the debate]

– Local: Seattle –

In a continuing pattern of defacement, the Crying Wall in the Tacoma district has again been vandalized with anti-metahuman graffiti. The monument to those lost in the Night of Rage was spray-painted overnight with statements of metahuman hatred and Humanis Policlub iconography. Karl Brackhaven, head of the Seattle chapter of the Humanis Policlub, denied involvement of the organization or its members, suggesting that the segregationist club was being falsely implicated by paid metahuman instigators. [View our retrospective on the Night of Rage]

Lone Star reports twelve dead in the Redmond district of the Seattle Special Administrative Region in a suspected turf war between known members of the yakuza syndicate and a local street gang. Violence erupted late last night between the local gang, known as the Crimson Blazers, and the yakuza following a perceived intrusion into the street gang’s claimed territory. Department spokesperson Talia Kingston indicated that while no suspects are currently in custody, an investigation is ongoing. [Read more about the increasing violence from organized crime in Seattle]

Local Stuffer Shack employee Ron Reynolds has to take three busses to get from his home in the Redmond Barrens to the downtown location where he works, but even after being assaulted by a barrens street gang, Ron made it to his workplace on-time, only stopping at a health clinic after his shift was over. Once Stuffer Shack learned about Ron’s actions, they were quick to praise his dedication to the franchise, and even refunded him the money he’d paid the store for bandages and pain relievers. [Tell us your story of being recognized for your commitment to your employer]

Excerpt from the June 10, 2057 Presidential Debate

Moderator: Mr. Dunkelzahn, you’ve advocated for providing a SIN to every occupant of the UCAS. Is this really practical?

Great Dragon Dunkelzahn (Independent): It’s entirely possible. We already have most of the information we need. We have it in existing public and private databases. We just need to bother to bring it together and make this happen. We have the opportunity to lift tens of millions of citizens out of the shadows. It’s important we bring these people into the light and into equal participation in our society.

Moderator: Mr. Brackhaven, you’ve vocally opposed such measures. Would you care to respond?

Professor Rozilyn Hernandez (New Century): I’d also like to respond.

Moderator: And we’ll get to you soon, Ms. Hernandez.

Kenneth Brackhaven (Archconservative): These so-called minor efforts my opponent is talking about include fingerprinting, DNA analysis, and other identity checks. These represent much of the expense of a registration. The only population for which we already have this information is the criminal population. Which, though my opponent will likely deny this, is disproportionately non-human. Either his proposed program will cost more than he claims, or it is a thinly-veiled measure to register criminal supporters of his anti-human agenda.

Dunkelzahn: The UCAS ork and troll populations do have…

Hernandez: I was promised the opportunity to address this question.

Dunkelzahn: Mr. Brackhaven mentioned me and I should be allowed to respond.

Moderator: Please continue.

Dunkelzahn: The best way for us to keep people from turning to crime is for us to involve them in legitimate society. That means SIN registration. We need to break the cycle of poverty, of lack of education, and of criminality. We know this isn’t working anymore, and we can do better.

Brackhaven: Of course the dragon has nothing to fear. When he’s not pretending to be human, as he is now, he’s covered in impenetrable scales and can breath fire. But the American people know that there are dangerous elements out there. If the government is going to be spending money on these people, it should be going to police contractors, not some program to give voting rights to criminals.

General Franklin Yeats (Republican): These two have been going back and forth for some time. I’d like to get in on this.

Hernandez: I'd also…

Moderator: Go ahead, general.

Yeats: I think the American people are sick of this sort of division. I agree, I want these people registered. But I won’t let the government device who should be registered. I’ll do it by putting the American people back to work. I’ll let American businesses decide who can best contribute. And that’s what businesses will do when we hire them to rebuild our American infrastructure. My national infrastructure program will put Americans back to work. It will put our economy back on track. And it’s going to get Mr. Dunkelzahn’s people registered as well. How about that, folks?