Kalistan

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New Inductions into Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke
Membership of Elite Organization to include Prince Consort
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 7, 5703


Her Imperial Majesty welcomes His Highness the Prince Consort to Ancient Order

The Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke, the secret society associated with the Royal Family, and formal Chivalric Order tied to House Ananto, held its fall conclave at Ananto Estate in Eveari this week. The Order is a highly secretive organization, the only thing about which that is publicly known is its membership. It consists primarily of the Royal Family and spouses, as well as specific high government officials and invited foreign heads of State. Certain privileges associated with membership place members above certain laws in Kalistan, and it is believed that the largest material benefit for membership is direct and personal access to the Empress.

At this season's meeting, which took place behind closed doors, several new members were inducted to the Order. The members entered a closed room, and in a half hour, several individuals were shown in and emerged forty five minutes robed in Order Regalia. His Highness, Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld was the highest ranking new member, joining at the rank of Stranger Knight Companion. He was instructed to never speak of any activities that take place in the secret meeting, but was happy to talk about he thought membership meant.

"Well, I am already excused from the protocol restrictions around the Empress in private," said His Highness. "I don't think we could have a marriage if I had to ask her if Her Imperial Majesty wanted Gaduri food or Indralan food for dinner. But being a member here also puts me in contact with movers and shakers from across this Empire and those who are closest to us. We have a lot of Gaduris, and the President of Valruzia and King of Hutori are both members as well. This puts them both in a very special position with regard to this Empire. It really is a very small club and most people in this world will never be allowed to be a part of it. It's not something I ever imagined I would be in."

Also in attendance was His Majesty, King William XVII of Hutori who has completed his enlistment period in National Service at the beginning of this month, and is preparing to return home to Hutori to take the throne. The 23 year old Monarch has lived in Kalistan for the last 9 years as a ward of the Anantos. Her Imperial Majesty considers the King to be a younger brother, and He holds the rank of Knight Commander of the Order, a special rank which establishes formal familiar ties between the two monarchs. The rank is a hereditary rank held explicitly by the Monarch of Hutori.

A number of theories exist as to the conduct of the Order behind closed doors. But what is known is that there is frequently a dinner that includes press and invited guests after Order business. And as it is held at Ananto Estate, it is always well worth the visit to cover the event. The next Order event is Order Day in late April of early May. The date is a closely held secret until it is publicly announced on the Spring Equinox. Her Imperial Majesty will have delivered her first child by then and is expected to be in attendance, this time with His Highness the Prince Consort as well.

@LaModa

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Empress attends New Year's Gala at National Opera House
Royal couple views Istalian Opera "La Tragedia Degli Dei"
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
January 2, 5704


Royal Couple at the National Opera House in Sulari this New Year's Eve

The Royal Couple spent their New Year's Eve this year in Sulari with Dame Alice Bjorksdattir and her fiancé Sulari Suns halfback Mark Castello. A very pregnant Empress Carolina II Ananto was accompanied by His Highness, the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld as they attended the National Opera's presentation of the Istalian opera "La Trajedia Degli Dei" or "The Tragedy of the Gods". The attendance by Her Imperial Majesty made the even a social event for Sulari Society, and besides Dame Bjorksdattir, many Suldanoran peers and society women were present to greet Her Imperial Majesty.

"We so seldom see Her Imperial Majesty in Sulari," said Mrs. Catherine Winters, of Sulari. "I'm sure she is far more comfortable in Kaliburg, but having her here is a rare treat, and of course, tickets to this performance on New Year's Eve with the Empress in Attendance were a very hot commodity after it was announced that she would come in."

There was, in fact something of a scandal around the New Year's Even showing. As it was midweek, many of the seats on the floor are reserved for day of, box office sales. This is to allow people who do not usually attend the opera to have the opportunity to buy tickets for cut rates, first of all to fill the house, but second of all to ensure commoners access to high art. The Highbrow often pay extra for box seating, and the patrons of the Opera House naturally have box seating reserved for them. Despite the less expensive tickets on the Floor, there is still rarely above 90% attendance, so floor seating is usually fairly comfortable, while reserved boxes often go unfilled.

The announcement that the Empress would be attending however caused a bit of a run on general seating in the main floor area, and members of high Sulari society began complaining that either they couldn't get tickets because they had been sold out, or that those who did get floor tickets would have to sit next to commoners. So some of the well-heeled began attempting to purchase tickets from commoners who had bought them up. A secondary market opened up with normal floor seating being sold for many times what the tickets were actually worth, while others offered to trade their seats for seating blocs near their peers in the upper classes.

It created such a problem during the week before the performance that the National Opera House had to issue an advisory about counterfeit tickets, and finally decided that it would not honor secondary tickets that were held by those who did not originally purchase them. This caused a number of very angry complaints, mostly from those who had purchased them speculatively, and sought to make a profit from their purchase, and ultimately, amounted to many of the tickets not being redeemed by patrons in the floor sections.

"In fact," said Derek Randall of the National Opera House, "The New Year's Eve performance was sold out, but about a quarter of the house was empty, because a lot of people were not sure whether their tickets would even be honored. We ended up issuing refunds to only about 7 purchasers though, so we actually made pretty close to what we thought we would make anyway."

The National Opera House paused the show at 11:59pm, right in the middle of the 4th Act, to bring the House Lights up to countdown the arrival of the New Year in Sulari, and the whole crowd rang in the New Year together, after which point, the Istalian-Language opera finished. After it was over, the Opera House invited everyone to a reception, that included Champagne, light snacks and tea for the Empress. There she had the opportunity to meet Sulari's citizens, including the Lord Mayor Francisco Guillermo Diaz. The Empress also took the time to meet with the Commoners who remained after the event and attended the reception. Her Imperial Majesty fielded many questions about her pregnancy, and what her hopes were for the new year, and what her interests were, and she thrilled and delighted the people of the Free City. She even allowed herself to be photographed more than 45 times.

There was dancing, as the Sulari Chamber Orchestra played several waltzes for the Empress and Prince Consort, and when she wasn't dancing, she and Dame Bjorksdattir were often seen together chatting while the Prince Consort was spotted talking football stats with Mr. Castello. The New Year's Eve performance and New Year's celebration at the National Opera House is the last time until early April that Her Imperial Majesty will leave the Capital, and Bjorksdattir is planning to return with the Royal Couple to stay at Cliff House to help the Empress with her third trimester. Her Imperial Majesty is due in Mid March. "I'm gonna be an awesome Aunt!" she declared when questioned about her excitement around her friend's pregnancy. "I'm so excited for the Empress, I can't even put it into words. I'm gonna be there to help get the nursery ready, and to help pick out baby clothes and the throw the baby shower! All the fun stuff. It's gonna be a blast."

Another year safely in the books, Her Imperial Majesty is very optimistic for the new year. She and the Prince Consort both agreed that this year would be a year of firsts for the Royal Family, and there is so much to look forward to. We wish them, and all the people of Kalistan, a Happy New Year!

@LaModa

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Robert Kaplan calls Amudim's requests for Gem "a terrible idea"
Luthori should keep Gem, said AYIC leader
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 25, 5704


Robert Kaplan, AYIC Director, spoke on Amudim's Gem Requests

"Sending the gems back to Yishelem would be a fatal mistake," said Robert Kaplan, of the Anantonese Yeudi Interest Committee. "I don't have any idea what Yishelem is offering in return for the gem from Fort William, but diaspora Yeudis know that gems returning to Yishelem only empowers the worst elements in Beiteynu." Kaplan was referring to a recent request by Amudim's cultural heritage agency for the return of the Luthorian Gem to Yishelem.

"What did they offer? That Luthori got to see its property once in a while? Why would Luthori ever trust Yishelem to keep its word on anything?" said Kaplan. "When Kalistan sent the Hulanevek Diamond to Hutori, the understanding is that it would never return to Yeudi control. We would advise Luthori to hold on to their own property as well."

Kaplan says that every time Yishelem starts insisting that the gems should return to Amudim, diaspora Yeudis become increasingly upset. "Kalistani Yeudis know that the cabal in Yishelem are always up to some sort of scheme. But as they become increasingly desperate to recover these stones, people begin to understand that they want them for something specific. Not merely to display cultural artifacts, but something, perhaps more nefarious."

Kaplan said the benefits of keeping the gem safely out of the cynical clutches of the Yishelem state outweigh the costs. "There is no downside to that gem staying in Fort William, if we're being honest," said Kaplan. "Its been safely there for thousands of years. But losing it not only means losing this extremely valuable piece of Luthorian national heritage, but it will also mean helping the meddlers in Amudim with whatever clandestine angle they happen to want those gems for."

Kaplan did not say what sort of scheme he thought Yishelem was planning behind the scenes that required the gems. "There are rumors dealing with world domination, and rest assured, that gem is the only leverage Luthori has against domination by the Majatrans. As long as that gem stays in Ft. William, Amudim cannot move forward with whatever it has in mind for the rest of us. And by the rest of us, I also mean Luthori."

Kaplan said Kalistan is prepared to beat Yishelem's offer so Luthori keeps the gem in Fort William. "They've offered Luthori nothing for the gem. They just want the Luthorians to hand the gem over, with the promise that Luthori can come see it, and use it every once in a while. But look here. I have 200 Imperial Rubles in my pocket. I will send this money to the Government of Luthori right now to just keep the gem where it is, not give it up, not hand it away. They'll come out ahead and keep the gem where it belongs. We fully encourage them to consider our offer before returning that stone to Yishelem, because they aren't getting anything from Amudim as far as we can tell from their news article."

@TheRepublic

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Johnson declares his rural roads project to be a success
"More than 1700 miles paved and about 1200 graded and packed" said Johnson
Vrassan Plateau, Duchy of Vrassa
September 7, 5704


Infrastructure Minister Michael Johnson meets reporters on Duchy Road 158 west of Razar to show progress

The six year, ₭400 million Imperial Ruble project to bring paved roads to many rural parts of the nation is declared a success. "We couldn't have done it without the hard work and dedication of the Vrassan, Nevaran and Odufaran Corps' of the National Service Program, who have dedicated a lot of man hours to this major infrastructure project," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister for Infrastructure and Transportation, Michael Johnson (Socialist-Kaliburg). "We now have more than 1700 new miles paved and another 1200 hundred graded and hardpacked to improve the transportation of tens of millions of Kalistani citizens. This will improve not only access to social services, but also economic opportunity for the people in our most rural Duchies."

Johnson came into office with a mandate to do something about the plight of Kalistan's rural populations, who were often cut off from life saving social services during the long winter seasons in northern Kalistan. "At the end of the day, access to a safe, reliable method of accessing basic services, including health and food services, in our towns and cities becomes a civil rights matter when that is denied, through neglect, to tens of millions of our rural residents annually. If we truly want settlement in our rural areas, we need to make it possible for people to get back and forth from our cities and town, and you aren't going to do this on roads which are annually washed out from floods or heavy rainfall that degrades the quality of the roads that remain otherwise open."

Johnson said that so much money in county maintenance will be saved by building permanent bridges over many valleys that frequently have issues with mud and flash flooding. "Snowmelt is a perennial problem," said Johnson. "But a simple bridge over a culvert that directs water under the road instead of just letting it go where it will will save the counties and duchies millions a year in maintenance costs by allowing them to actually maintain the roads instead of having to rebuild them in half a dozen places." He said this effort was long overdue. "I think the tendency in Terra is to just assume that things are done even if we never do them. Government by autopilot. But sometimes, the problems just get so bad that you have to finally just address them."

He said the initial outlay of ₭250 million was expended in 4 years, while he envisioned the project to be a 10-year long effort. "We started prioritizing which roads needed to be paved, based on service needs of the people in a zone. The initial ₭250 Million was spent paving more than 1700 miles of roads across these three Duchies, and went pretty fast. But in fact, we linked so many communities to County seats and major towns in the region with the black top that were actually able to request an additional ₭150 million for more modest improvement of our dirt roads, and most of those roads were not normal affected by mud or highwater. So we got by with hard packing and grading those roads, which by itself will improve safety and reduce wear and tear on vehicles travelling on them." Most of the dirt roads improved were in unimproved areas like the more remote reaches of the Odufaray Range, or the western Nevaran and Vrassan Plateaus near the mountains.

Her Imperial Majesty has ordered Michael Johnson to be Knighted in the Order of the Anantonese Empire at the rank of Knight Commander of the OAE. The honorific, said Johnson, was acceptable, while he had requested to not be made a peer. "How could I face the Socialists as a Baronet?" he asked. "Her Imperial Majesty was disappointed, but she was gracious and told me that Knight Commander in the OAE was a decent compromise to allow both me and her to save face. So, out of respect for the wishes of the Empress, I accepted." The ceremony officially knighting for now Mr. Johnson will be held in October.

@TheRepublic

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Empress Announces program to provide 700 Rural Physicians
Financial Incentives will be provided to those who take jobs in rural clinics
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 7, 5705


Her Imperial Majesty announces legislative priorities for the year in National Assembly

Her Imperial Majesty made her annual announcement to the National Assembly earlier this week. In her 25 minute speech to the Chamber of Deputies, she announced that the centerpiece of her efforts this year will be to found a new program in Kalistan aimed at providing financial and other material incentives for general practitioners to move to and practice in Kalistan's Rural zones.

"We wish to build upon the success of our Infrastructure project by encouraging our doctors, especially our GPs to move out into the Countyside to serve the people who live in these relatively lightly populated regions," announced Her Imperial Majesty. "We had a very ambitious initiative to get roads out to people to allow them access to our services, but this will double that effort by moving doctors to the countryside to serve the people closer to their home." She described her new program as The Rural Medical Corps, and said all four Kalistani Duchies and the Grand Duchy of Ananto will benefit.

Her Imperial Majesty described the public/private system of medicine in Kalistan as one that provides incentives to doctors to avoid employment in the public system while opening their own practices in the private sector. "Many physicians are able to do this because they call themselves elective specialists, which falls under the private system. They then turn around and see patients for general medical issues, and rarely actually perform the elective specialist services they claim to offer. This robs to people of their rights to medicine, and places individual need for quality medical care at the mercy of an individual's egoistic financial interests." To combat this long standing practice, Her Imperial Majesty said that over the next year, Kalistan will institute a new system of licensure. "Those who claim to be specialists will only be allowed to perform their specialty, and will be inspected annually. They may continue to charge their fees for offering their elective services, but will be disallowed to charge for general medicine, preventative medicine, and palliative care."

Her Imperial Majesty said she met with stakeholders in the private sector medical system, who advocated to leave the system as it is. "We listened very patiently to their concerns, but at the end of the day, we were forced, by our ethics to side with our people whose needs are not being met by the lack of general practitioners in the public sector, and who may not be able to afford service in the elective private sector. Hardest hit of all are rural populations who may go more than a year without ever seeing a doctor when they need to see one because going into the cities and larger towns is too difficult. Rural Emergency services are most seriously impacted by this profiteering in the private sector, and so while we did admit that their prosperity as a sector would certainly be affected, our duty is to see that the people as a whole have access to their birthrights as citizens of this nation, even if it comes at the expense of doctors who want to be able to charge whatever they like for services they should be offering pro bono."

Her Imperial Majesty expects that this licensing policy will drive thousands of doctors out of private practice and back into the public sector, "where they will not expect to get rich, but will at least have a salary commensurate with all other public employees that is more than adequate for our public employees in other fields." With this expected influx of doctors back into the public system, the Empress believes the new Rural Medical Corps will be able to draw volunteers. "We intend to offer increased monetary incentives for those who volunteer to serve in the Rural Medical Corps, and other material incentives such as a home for the Doctor and their family, as well as their own clinic and NSP corpsmen and women as staff for the Rural clinics. We would ideally like to see four new rural clinics in each county which will be centered near rural populations as much as possible. The living will be more rustic, but hopefully these incentives can attract enough doctors and nurses at the Rural Clinics to provide not only routine medical and dental services, but also preventative medicine, nutrition services, emergency room services and laboratory facilities."

Her Imperial Majesty also said she would like to see some doctors retrain in epidemiology. "We are sure that all doctors will tell you horror stories about pandemics of old. We have been fortunate to avoid major pandemics, outside of the common cold and seasonal influenza. But having staff in place that understands how contagious diseases spread and can investigate pandemics when they are brand new will help us avoid the sort of crippling national pandemics that we have heard these stories about." The epidemiologist staff will also advise local and county governments on vaccinations, both as widespread preventative measures, but also as new diseases appear, measures to protect the nation against their spread.

"Overall, it is our intention to fully and fundamentally transform the public/private medical sector that has gotten away from its core principles of providing high quality, universal service to the citizens of Kalistan. Profit has creeped into our institution and has predictably corrupted what it has touched, and so it is incumbent upon government to bend the society back to the correct orientation."

Several people in Kaliburg were polled after the speech to find out their opinion. Overwhelmingly, the population of the Capital expressed concern more than support or rejection of the Empress' rural clinic models. Most were concerned that their doctor would be taken from them by these new policies. "I have a long established relationship with my physician, and it seems like this program, if my doctor was forbidden to practice general medicine, would result in me losing this physician I have grown to trust and who knows me and my history like her own," said Janet Huron of Kaliburg.

When asked if her doctor was a specialist, Huron said "Yes, she is an endocrinologist, but she is also primarily a physician. She charges money, and what we could really use more than taking our doctor away is an insurance program to help us offset the cost a bit, but I don't want my doctor taken away and sent out to some hamlet out in Green County somewhere." Asked if she has ever seen her doctor for endocrinology, Huron admitted, "Well, no, but I want to know if I did ever need an endocrinologist, I would be able to go to her for that too."

Most other respondents in Kaliburg echoed Huron's concerns. Some asked why, if they wanted to pay private doctors, what business is it of the state, while others said they understood the need for more doctors in the counties, but also didn't think it was fair that they personally should have to lose their doctors when the government could just as easily hire new doctors to send out to the country.

The New Rural Medical Corps will run a two year pilot study in communities across the nation, and then eventually wants to see the Rural Medical Corps expanded to include as many as 700 new rural physicians and more than 1300 new rural nurses and PAs. The funding and oversight for the program will go through Her Imperial Majesty's Ministry for Health and Social Services.

@TheRepublic

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Empress Appears to move to the Left
"Some of her Policies could be seen as socialistic," claims one scholar
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 8, 5705


Her Imperial Majesty meets with Infrastructure Minister at February Government Retreat in Playa de Paz, Athosia

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has endorsed more socialist policies than any monarch prior to her, claimed one report published in the Anantonese Journal of Political Ideology last month. This conclusion was arrived at by more than 150 scholars across the Empire when looking at a longitudinal study of the Empress' policies since before she took the throne nearly 10 years ago. "Some of her policies could be seen as socialistic--From her endorsement of allowing socialists to caucus within the Institutional Party and the naming of left of (Kalistani) Center, Michael Johnson to an important cabinet post," said the study's first author, Dr. Shelly Edwards of University of Suldanor, "Her Imperial Majesty has conscientiously and quietly embraced the cause of reform in Kalistan. While reform tends to be anathema to the notoriously reactionary Anantos, it is not only supported by this monarch, but behind the scenes has been ardently encouraged."

Most recently, Her Imperial Majesty announced a major crackdown on private sector medical personnel. While in public, she announced a number of motivations, such as the General Welfare which is served by the single payer medical system, what was more important was her argument against profit taking by private actors in the medical industry. "These are the kinds of things you would hear socialists talk about in liberal nations, but Kalistan is so far to the right that hearing the monarch use language like this in a televised speech in front of the National Assembly is practically subversive." Other clues has been her supposed praise for socialism as an idea, with regard to expanding the role of government services and not trusting the private sector, and her willingness to even consider Kalistan's institutions in terms of "social institutions" rather than personalist institutions.

Most astounding is her often surprising expressed views on socialism. Her Imperial Majesty, while not endorsing the socialists in the 5707 elections in a couple years said she would not be too upset if the socialists picked up more seats. "In our view," she said to La Moda magazine in a candid and wide ranging interview, "more intellectuals in our nation tend to adopt socialism because they spend their time considering the effects of government policy on the lives of the people, both collectively and individually. In this, we have something in common." Considering that the Empress is a devout Brethrenist and considers herself an intellectual, this sort of comment which is becoming more and more common in her utterances to the press, seems to be tipping her hand. Coupled with her policy embrace of important parts of the Socialist Caucus' program, and one could easily draw lines which seem to make sense.

Make no mistake: Her Imperial Majesty is no Metzist, and no socialist would ever claim her. "She is far too anti-democratic," said Edwards. "And most socialists would honestly like to limit her power if they are unable to abolish her office, so there is a lot of daylight between the Empress and the Socialists. But most of the folks our study asked to weigh in on the question believe that policy wise, if she's not already a socialist, she is damn close to being one, and it would sure look like she had made the switch to outsiders who didn't know any better. Even those same socialists who want to limit her power will limit their criticism because she is doing more to move their agenda than they have been able to accomplish in a century of pressure outside the National Assembly."

Some speculate that the Empress learned about socialism during her time in Valruzia. "That nation is well known for its acceptance of communism in its government, and there can be no doubt that as Her Imperial Majesty was studying language there, she was also being exposed to all parts of Valruzian Culture, including its pluralistic political culture." She also tends to cooperate with communists in Xsampa and if nothing else could be said, it can be argued that she is more tolerant of communist foreigners and local socialists than any other previous Ananto has been. Others attribute it to the influence of her aunt, who as Regent never wanted to govern directly, nor actually ever attempted to do so very often. "Her Highness, the Princess of the Empire was more of a free spirit and an openminded free thinker than her brother, the Empress' father, was," said Edwards. "She may not have said much about it, but there can be no doubt that as The Empress was being trained, she was exposed to a lot of different viewpoints under the Regent's care which she might not have been introduced to had Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto lived to conduct her training. Then again, Her Imperial Majesty would not be Empress then either."

"And they of her," said Edwards. "It is well known that Her Imperial Majesty and her Infrastructure Minister, Sir Michael Johnson tend to work together along with the Moderates in Government, while she is more or less cordial and cool with Nationalists. She values the input of those moderates who advise her to approach the rest of the world with a more graceful and cooperative approach." This sharply contrasts with the Nationalist and more conservative point of view which requires her to consider only the interests of the Empire, and which has led to more alienation of Kalistan over the decades. "Her Imperial Majesty definitely sees the world as something she wants Kalistanis to be welcomed in, instead of the rest of the world treating our nation like pariahs," said Edwards, "and so in all of her foreign policy, Kalistan's actions have been measured and aimed at cooperation where possible. It is yielding some benefits regionally, allowing Kalistan to fit its interests into a regional framework rather than demanding that Kalistan's interests be placed in front of everyone else's, but global affects remain to be seen."

It would seem that Her Imperial Majesty has been able to thread a needle which has so confounded other monarchs of her Dynasty. "Her Imperial Majesty remains dynamic and willing to consider new points of view," said Edwards. "She is also not automatically opposed to working with people who have long been on the outside of the Kalistani political system, including Kalistan's socialists. Her policies suggest that she is a pragmatist who wants to get things done and believes that something should be tried until it fails, but then if it does fail, it should be discarded without sentiment and something else should be tried. This includes sidelining the Nationalists for cooperation with, and some may even say, adoption of the policy aspects of the Socialist programme."

Edwards suggests that this may be buying off the opposition who, if so emboldened, could launch a real push to limit the power of the Empress, but if she is trying to buy them off, it appears to be working. "Those we asked the main question of the study were also almost unanimous in noting that socialist voters in Kalistan tend to view the Empress and the monarchy far more favorably in the most recent 5 years than they did in her first 5 years. The Empress also has strong support among the Moderates, where she is believed to align if one were to get her to take a position. And Nationalists themselves tend to have a mixed opinion on the Empress, but this has remained the case since before she ascended to the throne, and the 54% approval has remained static for the entire reign."

If the Empress is moving to the socialist camp, we should be able to see for sure as we move toward the next election. "An increased socialist activity in the coming election might be visible, because the Socialists may believe that the Empress sides with them and they may become empowered. Ultimate the composition of the National Assembly tends to not have much effect on whether something gets passed: If Her Imperial Majesty wants it, regardless of what it is, she gets it. But the National Assembly gets to ensure what condition it arrives to her in. They also condition the advice she receives on the body's policy preferences. You could certainly see a move to the left if the Empress were to ever openly state a preference for socialism."

But alas for socialists, she has already signaled that she has no interest of relinquishing a jot or a tittle of her imperial authority. "She calls her right to unimpeachable, unchallengeable rule to be absolute and her birthright," said Edwards. "It can be assumed that she will protect those prerogatives, viciously if need be. Socialists will just have to forget that part of their program, because while the enabling acts are acts of the National Assembly, Her Imperial Majesty now has the power to fiat veto any action of the Assembly even retroactively, to dissolve the Assembly, and to place people in those seats if she likes. It is actually illegal to move for the end of the Monarchy or the limitation of Imperial Fiat. Wise politicians, even the intellectuals in the Socialist Caucus, will not waste their political capital like that, when they have a rural medical corps to stand up."

@TheRepublic

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Princess of the Empire Updates on Altea Conference
"Appears to be broad commitment in principle to cooperation" says Princess
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 1, 5705


Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins briefs Reporters about progress in Egelion

Her Highness, Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins provided an update on the ongoing Eastern Terra Cooperation Conference being held at the Concordia Hall in Altea Egelion. Following an initial attempt to derail the conference by a dilatory foreign power, the conference opened to general statements of a desire to cooperate from all participants from across northern Seleya and Keris, including Kalistan, Lodamun, Gaduridos, Valruzia, Egelion, the Tripartite Kingdom and Trigunia/Nadiya. Xsampa was also there as an observer, welcomed due to close ties to many of the participants. The Princess of the Empire, who leads Kalistan's delegation and has taken temporary residence in Altea during the conference, was joined by Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto.

"The agenda for the conference is limited," said Her Highness. "The distinct sense I got was that our goal is to not form some sort of overarching multi-national bloc similar to something like what they are attempting to achieve in Majatra and Artania. Instead, what we appear to be seeking is a series of multilateral agreements on things like intelligence sharing, joint exercises and patrols and a move toward more integration in security and culture of the region. And on this work we are making significant headway." The Princess was optimistic that work will be done in a timely manner.

She responded to questions about whether Kalistan's cooperation with Egelion symbolizes an alliance with Egelion and a joining of a bloc under Egelian leadership. "I wouldn't go that far," said the Princess of the Empire. "We have a lot of mutual interests, but I think I made it clear, and others at the conference, including the delegation from Lodamun who most eloquently made this point, that we are all at the conference to promote our own interests, and are working on ways to cooperate where those interests overlap. This doesn't constitute an alliance or a power bloc, but we should also note that regionally speaking we do have incentive to work together on a number of very important points, because of rising threats from other portions of the world who are rapidly militarizing and seem to be targeting nations in our part of the world. A war in Egelion is a concern to peace and security in Kalistan, just as a war started by Egelion in some other part of the world would be, and therefore we have both moral and material incentives to cooperate to prevent that."

So far the conference has focused its energies on the intelligence sharing, and appears to be leaning toward adoption of a model similar to the Lodamese CISA. "We aren't sure if that agreement will be the one we utilize or if we create something new, but sharing and early warning is definitely the priority of our discussions so far. This may be the most involved topic on the agenda--The others may be easier to accomplish. Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress has stated that the most important point from Kalistan's perspective is regular security communication and cooperation, but I suppose this will be far easier to work out than the method of regular and credible intelligence sharing."

The Princess of the Empire said she looks forward to returning to Egelion by the end of the week, but returned to Kaliburg to visit with the Empress, her husband and the infant Minor Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld. She introduced the Empress for additional comments, which are listed below:

"We welcome the news from Egelion. The Princess, our Aunt, has been in constant communication with ourselves and our foreign policy team, along with the Chancellor of the Empire the entire conference and she is representing our nation admirably and competently. We encourage her to continue to fulfill our mandate for her and to come away with the best agreement she can for our nation, so that we may cooperate with our neighbors for the security of our region. While Kalistan continues to uphold its Fortress Kalistan defensive doctrine, we feel that cooperation with our neighbors enhances these security measures, and that cooperation also lays the foundation for cooperation on other matters not covered by this conference. We are currently considering options regarding expansion of diplomatic relations to some of Egelion's partners, and will rely on our Aunt's judgement following the conference to help guide our decision."

The Empress did not explicitly name Nadiya, but it is widely assumed that this is who she meant, as Nadiya is the only nation at the conference that Kalistan does not formally recognize or have and diplomatic representation at.

The pair took several more questions and just before the end of the conference, Her Imperial Majesty also confirmed rumors that she was expecting her second child. "People talk in Kaliburg, it would appear," she said. "We have not made the announcement official, however, we can say it is true. It is early days right now, so we are taking it easy, but it would appear that Baby 2 is expected in early January of next year. We will work with our doctor to determine when we should begin restricting our activity, but we also believe that last time the light duty was a bit too long, in our opinion, so perhaps we will be permitted to continue actively working until closer to the due date." The Empress said she would not opine on the number of children she will have. "We had a very happy experience the first time," she said. "And so we were eager to have another kid. Our mother and father had three children. Ideally we would want that many too."

@TheRepublic

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At Home with the Empress
La Moda's Exclusive Interview with "The Red Empress"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 1, 5705


We sit down with the Empress at Cliff House, with Wilson Bridge visible in the distance

September 21 marks the 10 Year anniversary of Her Imperial Majesty's Coronation, where she formally took up the responsibilities of the Kalistani State. Many will recall that she was never intended to become Empress, but the loss of her parents and brothers, including the Minor Crown Prince William Ananto-Connor in a tragic plane crash over the Mad Dog Ocean twenty years ago sealed the young princess' fate. A very shy and introverted girl, the tragedy hit her at an impressionable age, and she responded by burying herself in her studies as her Aunt became Regent to attempt to begin training her for rule. Her Imperial Majesty will herself agree that the training didn't completely take in a number of ways, and along with a number of key external influences, she has emerged as a reformer, to a degree--By Ananto standards, she is downright revolutionary.

She granted La Moda an interview, and expressed a desire to talk about things other than politics, but we couldn't avoid veering in that direction occasionally. This interview was conducted by Maria Cook (myself) of La Moda at Cliff House in Kaliburg.

(La Moda's) M(aria) C(ook): Before I begin, I need to note for the readers that, for the purpose of this interview Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has suspended the rules of protocol regarding addressing her directly.

(Her Imperial Majesty, Empress) C(arolina II) A(nanto): We concur, and for the sake of our Chancellor's and our Aunt's respective hearts, we have also served tea and cake for this informal audience.

MC: Indeed, it was quite delicious carrot cake. Was it Her Imperial Majesty's recipe?

CA: Yes, and our own baking as well.

MC: Where did Her Imperial Majesty learn to bake?

CA: Well, when we were young, we tended to be kind of left up to our own devices. We did not like the food our parents' cook staff prepared, because it was far too fancy for a little kid, so we learned at a young age how to make simple things like macaroni and cheese, which, of course, we acquired a taste for and ate it far more regularly than was healthy for us. When we went to live with our aunt, she also could not cook very well, so we had to learn how to prepare food to our taste, and this led to a wonderful hobby of turning our kitchen into a culinary laboratory and learning by doing. We probably eat better than any previous monarch.

MC: Does Her Imperial Majesty cook any of her own meals?

CA: When we are in residence here or in Athosia, we cook them all. In Eveari we retain the kitchen staff, so they prepare food for us, but usually during those stays we are entertaining, and fancier fare for more people is required. Having a cook staff in those times is essential, as we can cook for a couple friends and our family, but we cannot cook for like 40 people.

MC: Does the Prince Consort help with the Cooking?

CA: Naturally. We are a very equal household.

MC: How is he as a cook?

CA: Ah, well, he tries. In his defense, those who do know how to cook tend to prefer their own cooking to everyone else's. Same with driving, we suppose. We make sure he knows that his effort is appreciated at any rate.

MC: So few people know about the inner workings here at Cliff House. I guess we all just assumed you had a full house staff.

CA: Well, we do have a cleaning and grounds staff, but we are sure we know how to dress ourselves in the morning, and do other things that many monarchs have people for which we do not need ourselves. The Prince Consort and I value our privacy, and don't think it would serve that goal to have permanent staff here constantly fussing over either of us.

MC: Speaking of getting dressed, Her Imperial Majesty is something of a fashion icon in Kalistan. Her outfits are always seen as very conservative and simple, but in their simplicity, they are very elegant. Could Her Imperial Majesty share some of her ideas on fashion?

CA: Well, we shall pass your compliments on to our tailor and seamstress. But it also helps to have one of the most famous supermodels as your best friend--Dame Bjorksdattir constantly offers us fashion advice to help us always look our best.

MC: Does Dame Bjorksdattir share Her Imperial Majesty's philosophy about fashion?

CA; Well, in as much as you can call aesthetic imperative a "philosophy", we would have to say No. She only models couture once a year. Usually, you will see her, when she is not on a runway somewhere, in jeans and a t-shirt and in glasses so people think she's just another person walking around. She can still be a little anonymous, probably because people only expect to see her dressed up. She likes comfort, while we cannot simply go to make a speech in, well, what we are wearing right now. Around the house, especially in the summer, we wear almost exclusively linen. Alice likes cotton and denim.

MC: To what degree does Her Imperial Majesty's faith play in her daily fashion sense, including her outwardly appearance?

CA: This is a very good question and if you allow us a second, we will try to answer it. We suppose we could point to the Brethrenist testimonies of Simplicity and Stewardship. We try to wear natural fibers, wool in the winter and linen in the summer. Linens are some of the most environmentally friendly fibers, and wool helps support Kalistani agricultural purchasers. Our clothes are not ostentatious or flashy. We like clothes that fit us well, ones that look very conservative. Very feminine but not sexy. Our goal with clothes is, if we have to wear them, they had better work and make us look good. That's all. We believe that this simplicity, functionality being first can be drawn directly from those testimonies.

MC: I can see what Her Imperial Majesty is saying, but there is no case where she looks ordinary or simplistic in any instance. Even now, the clothing Her Imperial Majesty is wearing look luxurious and of very high quality.

CA: (laughing) Well, we didn't mean to suggest that they were cheap! Our clothing budget it probably the highest personal expense we have since we don't spend a lot on jewelry or real estate or like yachts. Dame Bjorksdattir would be appalled if we ever bought anything retail for example--We'd never hear the end of it! (she laughed again.) She would say "Look, I'm the commoner here. You have more money than several mid-sized countries combined!" She's very funny. She gets to dress like a rock and roll chick, but we must wear an ₭8,000 Imperial couture dress if we want to go out to the movie.

MC: Does Her Imperial Majesty's faith influence her social attitudes toward the people of the nation?

CA: Sure. We have studied enough political theory to know that the biggest danger to the lifespan of any political regime is gross economic inequality. Inequality is the nursemaid of revolution, pure and simple. Kalistan was fortunate enough to have a national mindset and ideological orientation that we inherited from socialists over several thousand years that treats economic inequality as a moral evil. We have that as the center of our considerations on all domestic policy as well. If we reduce inequality in the population, we solve dozens of social ills that plague more liberal states who tolerate high inequality to allow their capitalists to enrich themselves upon the labor and life blood of their workers.

MC: I guess I know why some people are calling Her Imperial Majesty "The Red Empress."

CA: Who is calling us that?

MC: Well, there is a belief in the society that Her Imperial Majesty is a socialist.

CA: (laughs) Oh, We do not think so!

MC: But Her Imperial Majesty must admit that with her domestic policies in the last ten years, it could certainly seem so to anyone looking at her policies with an objective eye. Even her statement just now uses language that socialists regularly use.

CA: Socialists hate us. They do not like the fact that we will not hear their calls for more democracy. We think they have enough democracy in their work places and in the free cities. We don't need all that in the National Assembly.

MC: Her Imperial Majesty surely is aware that democracy in the workplace is a key component of the socialist program in many nations.

CA: Of course, but they call for that because they don't have it. There is no non-socialist nation in Terra that we are aware of that has declared for Capitalism but also allows their workers to have a meaningful presence in not only management, but the decision making process about what is produced and what it is sold for. That is our norm here in Kalistan, but you can hardly call it socialism.

MC: But it is socialism. The most important industries in this nation, the ones that serve the nation are socially controlled for the benefit of the entire society. Our social safety net, whether it be the guaranteed basic income, or the Food Bank, or the NSP, or free health, free energy, free education, those are all socialism in any nation.

CA: Well, whatever you wish to call it, we would say that it is nationalism. The goal of empowering workers is so they have a stake in our industries. They are far more qualified to run the operations they work in than some business school student schooled in profit maximization. But these industries produce for the benefit of this nation. National Service provides the Nation with a labor pool that other nations would have to contract out for. It is less expensive for us to do these things in the public sector than ask the private sector to do them, so we are saving money and getting better results than the private sector could ever provide, in any of those institutions you named. It serves our national interests if our people are well fed, healthy, skilled and trained, educated, housed and do not ever lack basic material resources to acquire the things they want. Socialist or not, these institutions serve the national interest, and if they did not they would not exist.

MC: Her Imperial Majesty will have to excuse us, but just listening here, we feel the title "The Red Empress" may be far more appropriate than she will acknowledge.

CA: Very well, if it is meant kindly, we welcome it. We do not wish to suggest we do not have a private sympathy for socialism, and we certainly value the contributions that socialists past and present have made to our nation--to run down the socialists is to run down our own nation's history. But we think before we are labeled as a socialist in the press, you may wish to ask the Socialists themselves what they think of the proposition that we may be socialistic. We suspect they will take issue with that thesis. (Just then, the toddler, Minor Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld, who is with his father, escapes and runs over to his mother.) Ahh hello Willy. Can you say hello to Mama's new friend Ms. Cook? (The Minor Prince gives his mother a big hug and looks at me and then buries his face in his mother's long hair to hide from the scary stranger in his living room.)

MC: Hello Your Highness. Would you like to say anything to the People? (He looks at me again and then hides again.)

CA: Oh, he is very shy. If you see him again in ten minutes he will be showing you how he can climb up the couch and count to three.

(His Highness the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld comes over at this point): Where is that boy? Where is little Willy? (The Minor Prince continues hiding.)

CA: (Still holding the toddler) I have not seen him. I don't know where he is! (The boy extricates himself from the Empress' Hair and looks at her square in the face.) I'm right here mama! (The Empress smiles) Ahhh, I thought you disappeared! Where did you come from? (The boy smiled as his father swooped him up while the boy tried to cling to his mom, clearly not over his little game.)

(His Highness, the Prince Consort) E(lliot) R(osenfeld): Forgive us, Ms. Cook. We were just on our way downstairs. I apologize for interrupting you, and so does Willy. (to which the Minor Prince shook his head and with a big smile said "No no no. Want Mama.")

CA: I will be down shortly, alright, Honey? (at this the Prince Consort stepped out carrying the future Emperor over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes as the boy squirmed to try to escape, oblivious to his own peril.) Oh L, please don't carry him like that. That's dangerous! (At this, the boy began laughing, as Elliot left the room as the Empress turned back to me and sighed.) Those two are so rough... We apologize for the interruption.

MC: It is alright. I was just about to ask Her Imperial Majesty how she is feeling with the new baby on the way.

CA: Well, not nearly as scared as we were with that one...

MC: Because you are more experienced with having children?

CA: Well, that of course and because we had a little scare at the beginning of the pregnancy with William that turned out to be nothing. There were some abnormal tests at the beginning, and the doctors said he was not hitting his growth targets on time based on where they thought we were in the pregnancy. But it turns out, they were off by about three weeks with their initial dates, and both Elliot of I kept trying to tell the doctors no it happened on this date, and so when Willy hit a specific milestone, the doctors were like 'Oh I guess you're right," and we were both like Of course, we know these kinds of things. So after we got that sorted, we made the announcement. With this one there have been no problems like that so far, knock on wood.

MC: Does Her Imperial Majesty hope she will have a girl?

CA: It really doesn't matter to be completely honest. Babies are babies until they become teenagers. So boy or girl makes no difference for about 13 years. Our goal is just to see that the baby grows up safe and healthy and the rest if gravy.

MC: Indeed.

CA: Do you have children Madame?

MC: Me? Yes I have two of them. They are nothing like one another. Once is artisticly inclined, while the other one just watches M7 all day.

CA: We believe that is the thing that is most amazing: two kids can grow up together and be radically different. Children are quite amazing.

MC: Is it true that Her Imperial Majesty's due date is on January 1?

CA: That would be neat if it was. But no, we think they said January 4 was the date they are expecting it. Willy was a day late, so who knows. For all the babies born under modern medicine, its really still just a lot of guess work.

MC: Well, I think we have gone over time. And I'm on a deadline. So I have to end the interview.

CA: Well, Ms. Cook. Thank you for coming to visit us here at Cliff House.

MC: It was a singular honor and pleasure. I thank Her Imperial Majesty for inviting me and welcoming me into her home.

CA: The feeling is mutual. We must insist you take some of this carrot cake with you or we will just eat it all ourselves and it is far too early to start eating for two just yet. Willy will not eat it because he thinks carrots are vegetables.

MC: They aren't?

CA: No they are roots. We would say they are the opposite of vegetables. As they are not vegetative, but instead, quite active in the function of the plant. The carrot greens are the vegetable parts of the plant.

MC: I suppose this nuance is lost on a one year old.

CA: Yes, regrettably, and on a 33 year old man who ought to know better. But alas. We will give you a container to carry it home with you.

MC: Her Imperial Majesty is too kind.

CA: It is nothing. You will be doing us a favor.

MC: As Her Imperial Majesty pleases.

The Empress eventually gave the reporter half of the cake. While it tasted delicious, it was far better split with friends later that evening.

@LaModa

[Doc]

NEWSFLASH: Major Earthquake hits Bluegrass Valley
6 dead and heavy damage in Eveari as crews scramble to restore power
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 13, 5705


Eveari suffers significant damage as many buildings rendered unsafe for habitation

Newsflash: Eveari
In the Ancient Anantan Capital and home of the Royal Family, a major earthquake has struck, leaving six residents known to be dead, more than 1700 injured and another 387 missing. The earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale was centered 14 miles south of Eveari. Also heavily damaged was the NSP corps base in the Bluegrass and dozens of country homes outside of the city. Also severely damaged was the A1 and the High Speed line between Kaliburg and Eveari.

Elements of the Northern Army stationed at Bozo River and the Militia was activated in Everari to supplement city and county resources in the effort to search for those missing and to assist with security in the largely dark city. Meanwhile, NSP resources have been redirected to restoring power supply to the city, much of which is produced nearby at the KNP Generation facility, or in the Green Mountains. A major winter storm is predicted to hit within a week, the first of a fairly late season, and there are more and 15000 families are currently unable to return to their homes while another 850,000 who do not generate their own power are without heat in their homes.

"Our heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones in this devastating Earthquake," said Her Imperial Majesty in a short radio address that was broadcast over KRTVN, Radio Kaliburg, and shortwave. "We have directed our County Manager to use all resources available to him to first save as many lives as he may. We have begun coordinating with the hospitals in Eveari to triage serious and critical cases either to Kaliburg or to military facilities in Bozo River, and are flying helicopters in and out of Eveari on a regular rotation. We are also directing the NSP to prioritize electricity and sanitation infrastructure, and while we understand it may take some time, we would like the people of Eveari to know that this commands our full and undivided attention. Everari will come back and those who are able to do so should contact city and county government to ask how they may help. It is a national imperative that will be joined by all of Ananto and then Kalistan."

Roads to and from Eveari are severely damaged across the entire Bluegrass Valley, making it difficult to get in and out of the city

The worst loss of life and damage was in the southern end of the town, but no part of the city was completely spared. The quake even significantly damaged the ancient Ananto Estate's residence, and the entire property has been closed to the public while the structure is evaluated for its soundness and whether it may be repaired. Local meeting houses and public buildings have been opened to the public who need shelter, and food distribution points have been set up across the city for those unable to make it to a local food bank, many of which are closed in anticipation of loss of stock due to loss of electricity.

"We have ordered an 8pm curfew, effective immediately," said Baron Michael Kingston, who is Baron of Eveari Proper and the local County Manager. "This curfew is for the safety of our residents, for the security of their property, and to allow our search and rescue teams the opportunity to work without hindrance to try to find those who are missing and to clear out rubble and restore services. The curfew will last until it is no longer needed, and we expect all people to observe the curfew." He also added, "Please, whatever you do, remain safe: Do not try to travel out of the city by road: There have been a number of strong aftershocks since this morning, and we do not trust the roads to Kaliburg or Eveari. The Road to Dulnerstaad is still open, but we do not know for how long, and do not advise travel at this time. Just hunker down in place, or report to one of the local warming centers and when it is safe to return to your homes, we will pass those messages along."

Kaliburg is already flying seriously injured residents out of the city, and will begin sending relief supplies, medicine and portable generators to the city from Kaliburg and Dahriel by the end of the week. The Kalistani Dukes have also made it know that they will begin shipping relief supplies in to Kaliburg, where a collection point will be set up to trans-ship the materials by Helicopter to Eveari.

"To those who are not directly affected by this earthquake, please do not attempt to go to Eveari," said Her Imperial Majesty. "Cell phone service is down, but we are working to restore limited service and internet service to Eveari, and will maintain of the list of those who have lost their life on the Ministry of Health and Human Services website that you may check. If you do not see the name you are looking for there, assume they are fine for now, and we will do all we can to reunite you with your loved ones.

"Also, do not send things like clothing or stuffed animals for the kids," the Empress added. "We are looking to the Brethren to organize clothes drives for families who lost their homes, but those drives cannot start yet until we do a number of other very important things first. We have asked the Annual Meeting here in Kaliburg to send out a minute when the Eveari Brethren begin working to help families replace their lost possessions and they will identify the needs of families in Eveari. At this time, all of that stuff, which may be given out of the goodness of your hearts, will just clutter up our supply point and will not be able to be sent to Eveari anyway. If you feel called to do something, we just ask that you hold our Eveari families in the Light, and coordinate all efforts with your local Free City or Ducal offices."

Experts estimate it will be a couple weeks before power can be restored, and more than a month before significant rubble can be cleared. Rebuilding will not start before April, because this winter is expected to be very rainy. As Eveari hunkers down, Kaliburg will be busy setting up temporary shelters for displaced families, for when the roads are reopened, and the Empress has committed to assistance to get displaced families off the Island to the Mainland so they may make their way to other shelter, either in other cities or with their families or friends. That also remains in the future.

More to come

@TheRepublic

[Doc]

Chancellor gives updates on Eveari
Power is restored and clean up is underway
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 10, 5706


Lord Reg Hanson updates nation on progress in Eveari

Chancellor of the Empire Lord Reginald Hanson went onto KRTVN 1's Kaliburg Tonight news program to update the Nation on the progress in Eveari.

"Due to the effort of all Kalistanis we are nearing the end of our clean up of the city. Roads are opened and we have completed repairs to A1 both to Kaliburg and to Bozo River so traffic is moving once more," said the Chancellor. "The good news is, we are at least two months ahead of where we thought we would be, but the bad news is, planners are now saying that we will ultimately lose about 1/3rd of the old town that will need to be reconstructed."

The news of the extent of the damage to Eveari, a city of 1.2 million, was not unexpected. Over the last three months, County officials have been moving from house to house, block to block to check for structural damage, and have been making regular updates to the city. "The County Manager is expecting that more than 350,000 people will be displaced on a semi-permanent basis, and that reconstruction is now slated to top ₭2 billion Imperial. But a Joint partnership between the National Government, who has dedicated NSP resources in Ananto and House Ananto, who has guaranteed more than ₭200 million in grants to homeowners to rebuild their homes. It's going to take a while, but we will rebuild Eveari and we will welcome those have been displaced to return to their homes."

Much of the ruble has been taken away and work in Eveari will now pause until the rainy season lets up in April. "We are asking those who can remain safely in Eveari to stay there and continue living their lives," said the Chancellor. "Keep working, keep patronizing the shops of your neighbors, keep each others' spirits up. This earthquake has hurt Eveari, but it hasn't beaten it. And the more those of you who can stay remain living your ife, despite the inconveniences that are now part of life, the more we will keep alive as we rebuild. The more we keep going, the less we have to restart again or rebuild from scratch."

The Chancellor also provided an update on Ananto Estate: "Unfortunately, the main home suffered significant structural damage. A full half of the historic manor home will need to be demolished. Her Imperial Majesty will make a determination about what to do with the ancient home in April when she can travel safely to Eveari to survey the condition of her family's home." The Chancellor was quick to note that the Ananto family Mausoleum was undamaged.

The Chancellor spent much of the program giving details on the long term program for Eveari's reconstruction, noting that the city itself has resisted modernization as the rest of the Nation has gone forward, and this was the opportunity for the city to adopt a more modern feel. He thanked the Eveari Brethren, along with first responders from across the nation who were able to limit the death toll to only 363 people, rescuing more than 8400 people from wreckage in a massive two week long effort following the quake. "We especially want to thank our friends from Valruzia who sent more than 1500 doctors, nurses, and humanitarian aid personnel, along with more than 40 tons of nonperishable food to Kalistan to help us treat the wounded and save lives. Valruzia is a true friend to Kalistan and we will forever be in their debt."

The Chancellor finished the spot by announcing that Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto gave birth to a healthy baby girl, who she named Jennifer-Ericka Rebecca Ananto-Rosenfeld. "The Minor Princess was born at 6:58pm on January 4th of this year in Kaliburg. According to House Ananto, she is a very strong crier and has a good grip. Mom and baby will leave the Hospital in two days and will spend the next few months at Cliff Home. His Highness, the Prince Consort has reportedly redecorated the nursery for the new baby, and the Minor Prince will be moving out of the nursery into his own room next door."

@TheRepublic