Portland -- Prince Lugh Surehand today announced in a televised meeting of the Council of Princes that the official state of Emergency enacted nearly four years ago as a result of President Dunkelzahn's assasination is now at an end. He praised state military services and security forces for their stalwart protection of the Elven state, as well as their efforts to route the Rebels of the Spire extremist group. The Prince announces that the Rebels appear to have been either entirely jailed, deported, or killed within the past two years. As a result of changing political climates and increased trade the Council is declaring Portland a special zone within the Tir. The "Portland Free Trade Zone" will operate on international trade laws and non-restrictive hiring practices. All shipping into and out of the Tir will now take place via Portland, and the Council wishes to invite members of all the metahuman races to experience the tourism and economic opportunities that Portland has to offer. The Free Trade Zone structures will be in place by the end of the month, with an opening ceremony scheduled for October 15th.
FedDub, UCAS -- Lone Star Security Services announced yesterday that it has obtained evidence linking a rash of mass murders across the globe to the Seekers of the Void cult. They have linked the Seekers to a series of killing in dozens of major metroplitan areas, including deaths in in Tenochtitlan, Ankara, New Orleans, Portland, Tunis, and Samarkand. So far LS has not made clear whether they believe those killed in six separate cases were members of the cult or simply victims. LS branches across the globe have been given a mandate to search out cult members, as every cult "learning center" around the globe closed up shop on Wednesday. The cult should be considered armed, magically skilled, and extremely dangerous.
Frankfurt, German States -- In a televised address on Tuesday, Saeder-Krupp CEO and President Lofwyr announced a hiring initiative for SURGE-affected inviduals in the UCAS, The German States, and in Japan. Individuals with extreme SURGE expressions are encouraged to apply for any and all open SK positions in those countries, and are to be assured that all due consideration will be taken into account as regards their unique biology. In an interview on Thursday, Northern California resident Hestaby commented "He must know what he's doing, despite the way it looks. He always has in the past."
Trans-Polar Aleut Nation -- The PCNS Wainright, a Pisces Mining Company cargo sub, went missing yesterday after reporting strange readings on her sonar. She stopped checking in at roughly 1500 hours local time in an area of the icepack known as Ketimias Lake. The lake, a 3500 foot wide fissure in the ice, has been in existence since the last ice age. Divers and a second sub are moving into the area to begin a search but are being hampered by bad weather and the seasonal migration of a local paracreature known as the blood seal.
Downtown -- The streets and businesses of Downtown Seattle are returned to normal this past week as the end of the police cordon over the weekend signaled an end to heightened racial violence. While tempers are still hot (Police reported an apparently hate related attack on Wednesday in Tacoma), overall the city has done it's best to return to normalcy. Mayor Lindstrom is reported to be considering a city-wide "Day of Consideration" to reflect on last week's violence and the echoes of the Night of Rage.