J Andres

The Anchor Times August 27, 2181 TREATY OF PITTSBURGH SIGNED; WAR OVER! Emperor Leopold Augustus & President Donovan Grady PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENIA -- Over the past two days, Emperor Leopold Augustus of the Augustine Empire and J Andres president Donovan Grady have been meeting in Pittsburgh and today have announced the signing of the Treaty of Pittsburgh, officially bringing an end to the conflict between the Empire and J Andres. The terms of the treaty are simple. Both sides will cease their hostilities, and the Augustine Empire will oversee continue to oversee the Ottanian territory for a period of about two and a half years, after which, and elected and independent government will take over.

The Anchor Times August 19, 2181 LEOPOLD ELECTED EMPEROR Emperor Leopold Augustus PENSACOLA -- The Augustine Empire has a new Emperor. After six days of voting, Leopold Fisher-Aguilar, the former Duke of Orleans, has been selected to be the new Emperor. As is tradition, he was immediately coronated. He has released Jon Phelps from service as his Viceroy Imperator, and has requested Sophia Glass return to the Empire to serve as his Viceroy. Emperor Leopold has also requested an extension to the current ceasefire between J Andres and the Augustine Empire, stating that he is "eager to find a peaceful resolution to the current conflict." President Grady has already acquiesced and the two are expected to meet later this month.

Pacific Radio Network TRANSCRIPT FROM PACIFIC RADIO NETWORK STATION 101.9 FM NIGHTLY NEWS WITH FINLEY VANCE August 12, 2181 IMPERIAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS PRN Host Finley Vance and Director of Foreign Affairs Maggie Hastings [VANCE] The Empire prepares to elect a new emperor and one questions remains [theme song of an old twentieth-century quiz show plays] [VANCE] This is Pacific Radio Network Nightly News, and I'm your host, Finley Vance. Welcome back to my show. As always. Tonight, there is only one question that is keeping the continent guessing. Who will be the next Emperor, and will it mean the end of the Augustine-Andrean war, or will continue? Tonight, I've got Maggie Hastings, Director of Foreign Affairs here with me. Welcome, Director. [HASTINGS] Thanks Finley. It's wonderful to be back here on your show. [VANCE] (chuckles) It is great to have you back here also, Director. It has been too long. As we spoke of last time, typically your party and my views aren't always in alignment, but last time we were able to have a great conversation, and I'm certainly hoping to have another one tonight. [HASTINGS] Me too, Finley. [VANCE] Let's get down to it. We are just a handful of days away from the next Imperial Election. Who are the electors this time? [HASTINGS] Normally, there are seven electors. This time, there will be eight. That's part of the deal made between Emperor Marshall Augustus and Duke Mathieu. When Mathieu agreed to give the Ottanian territory to the Augustine Emperor, he was made a Duke of the Empire, which gave him the rights and privileges to vote as an elector in these elections. [VANCE] Okay. Is that going to shake things up at all? [HASTINGS] Well, in past elections you would have needed four votes to win. Now you will need five. That means the winning candidate will need a broader coalition. [VANCE] Are there any clear front runners? [HASTINGS] There are a couple. Gordon Fisher is the Duke of Florida, and son of former Emperor Alexander Augustus. He was an early contender last time around and is the oldest son of the oldest son of the original emperor, Marcus Augustus. [VANCE] Does that type of hereditary influence matter in these elections? [HASTINGS] It has so far. There have been three Emperors so far, and they've been Marcus, the father, Alexander, his son, and Marshall, his other son. Valeria, his daughter, would have stood a good chance during the last election, but she died beforehand. [VANCE] Okay, so we have the Duke of Florida. Who else? [HASTINGS] The other key contender from within the family is Leopold Fisher-Aguilar. He is the Duke of Orleans, and the eldest child of Valeria. He ultimately finished in second last time, but many of those who supported him were purged from the government. [VANCE] Purged? [HASTINGS] Yes. While some electors are hereditary, many of them are technically appointments. Historically, Emperors have removed these appointees from power if they don't support them in the election. It's actually the primary reason why Sophia Glass was here with us in our government during Bartlett's time as President. She supported Leopold in the election, but Marshall was elected. Marshall didn't want someone who didn't believe in him as his Viceroy Imperator, and she was replaced by Jon Phelps, who did support him in the election. [VANCE] I see. Is the family expected to vote as a block? [HASTINGS] That's unknown. Generally, there has been a lot of infighting and jealously among the children and grandchildren, each believing that their branch of the family has a unique position to further the gains of the empire. [VANCE] Any other front runners? [HASTINGS] There's one more. The dark horse in my books, is Viceroy Imperator Jonathon Phelps. Phelps previously served as General of the Army under Alexander Augustus, and then was promoted to Viceroy Imperator under Marshall Augustus. He is well respected by many. This election, with the addition of the Duke of Montreal, there will be five non-family members voting, which could give some extra lift to a candidate from outside the family. [VANCE] Any major considerations in the election. [HASTINGS] The war will be the biggest determinant. Many of the electors have already made their position on the war known. Whether they want to continue the war or end it. Even though the land war has been challenging, and the naval battles have been costly even if they have been overall positive, the war will be a primary topic. [VANCE] Care to make a prediction? [HASTINGS] No, I won't do that. [VANCE] Why not? [HASTINGS] The little glimpses we get into the public personality of these folks is just the tips of the iceberg. I have no good way to predict what they will do behind the closed doors of the election. [VANCE] Which can't stay afloat [HASTINGS] --That's fair. Here's the thing though. Let's look at all of the Empire's recent wars. Let's start with Cumberland. How well organized were they? [VANCE] Okay. While Director Hastings won't share her thoughts, you know I want to hear yours! We are going to head into a commercial break, but dial in now if you'd like to chat with us live and on the air! We will have more with Senator Hastings when we return.

The Anchor Times August 9, 2181 VICEROY IMPERATOR PHELPS ACKNOWLEDGES CEASEFIRE Viceroy Imperator Jonathan Phelps PENSACOLA -- Viceroy Imperator Phelps, effectively acting as regent for the Augustine Empire, acknowledged the J Andres ceasefire and stated that the Augustine Empire would adhere to the ceasefire for at least 48 hours following the conclusion of the Imperial Election. Following the death of Emperor Marshall Augustus, the last child of the first Emperor Marcus Augustus, the Empire is officially in a state of mourning for seven days, during which the funeral for the Emperor will be held. Beginning on August 14, the eight electors of the Empire will gather to begin casting their votes for a successor.

The Anchor Times August 8, 2181 PRESIDENT GRADY CALLS FOR A CEASEFIRE President Donovan Grady ALBANY -- President Donovan Grady has called for a ceasefire stating that the death of the Augustine Emperor "vastly changes the political situation" in North America. "While the reasons for entering a state of war were valid, many of them can be easily remedied by a new emperor, depending on their views. We offer a ceasefire to the Augustine Emperor. Beginning at midnight tonight, our troops will not fire upon Augustine troops, including those without our territory, provided they do not fire upon us, and they do not further advance."

The Anchor Times August 7, 2181 REPORTS CLAIM AUGUSTINE EMPEROR IS DEAD Emperor Marshall Augustus PENSACOLA -- Reports from within the Augustine Empire have claimed that Emperor Marshall Augustus, third Emperor of the Augustine Empire, passed away in the early afternoon today. There is no official work yet from the Augustine government, and these reports have not yet been confirmed. There is no word yet on how the passing of the Emperor may impact the ongoing war between the Augustine Empire and J Andres.

The Anchor Times August 4, 2181 VANGUARD SINKS; ADMIRAL VICKSBURG PRESUMED DEAD JAS Vanguard and Admiral Ruth Vicksburg MONTAUK -- JAS Vanguard, the largest ship produced since the conclusion of the Grand Mexican War was sunk this afternoon by Augustine forces. Recovery efforts are ongoing, but Admiral Ruth Vicksburg is presumed dead. The remainder of the fleet is pulling back towards Cape Cod. Admiral Vicksburg was born in 2129 in Buffalo. Of noble birth, she is of a proud military heritage. Her grandmother Vanessa was in the Air Force in the Grand Mexican War and her mother Samantha served in the navy. Admiral Vicksburg joined the navy when she was of age, initially serving on JAS Queen Carmina. She has twice been entrusted with overseeing the design and construction of lead ships, initially the Artemis Class Battleship and most recently the Vanguard Class battleship. She leaves behind two children, Blake and Amy, both of who are officers in the army and navy, respectively.

The Anchor Times August 2, 2181 ARMY ADVANCES M2 Baker Tank in Saratoga SARATOGA -- The battle in Saratoga is turning in our favor! J Andres forces have successfully pushed the Augustine troops out of the city limits, primarily thanks to an influx of M2 Tank reinforcements, but the Augustine troops are still heavily entrenched near the outskirts of the city.

The Anchor Times July 27, 2181 FLEET IS THINNING JAS Pierre Bourbon MONTAUK -- While the Andrean Navy continues to punch above its weight off the coast of Long Island, the fleet continues to be battered by Augustine naval power. JAS Pierre Bourbon, the last of the Chancellor class sloops was sunk this morning, and JAS Queen Katherine and JAS Winthrop are the only remaining wooden hull ships left in the fight. JAS Apollo was lost yesterday evening, and the remaining ships are struggling to perform effective cover for JAS Vanguard, who has sustained multiple hits, and is surviving only due to the effectiveness of her armor.

The Anchor Times July 24, 2181 ARMIES MEET IN SARATOGA SARATOGA -- The largest contingents of the Augustine and Andrean armies came together in Saratoga this afternoon. The fighting has been fierce and neither sides have made any measureable progress against each other.

The Anchor Times July 10, 2181 VANGUARD PERFORMING WELL BUT LOSING SUPPORT SHIPS JAS Vanguard MONTAUK -- The Vanguard, the flagship of the J Andres fleet has been performing well in the continued naval engagement off the coast of Long Island. The ship is the largest in the engagement and has significant range, however, its continued success relies on the existence of the other ships in the fleet to ensure that the Augustine fleet can't get too close. The other ships have been dwindling and while the Cascadian Air Force support has helped, the total number of Augustine ships is overwhelming. Most of the wooden hull ships have been lost, and even some of the steel hulled ships, including the JAS Hades and JAS Ares have been sunk.

The Anchor Times July 6, 2181 AUGUSTINE EMPIRE MARCHES SOUTH BURLINGTON -- Augustine Forces have been staging in Burlington for weeks, and have now primarily left the city marching south towards Albany. J Andres forces are expecting to meet them near Saratoga.

The Anchor Times June 23, 2181 AUGUSTINE EMPIRE REPELLED FROM BUFFALO Director of Defense Creighton Young BUFFALO -- J Andres land forces have landed their first victory of significance, recapturing the city of Buffalo. Buffalo was roughly controlled by the empire for about 2.5 months. "This is the paper tiger that we've been talking about!" said Director of Defense Creighton Young. "Our forces are organized and that's not something they have been prepared for. Sure, they've got overwhelming numbers, but we will continue to win victories like this until their morale is broken and they return home!"

The Anchor Times June 17, 2181 CASCADIA WILL OFFER SUPPORT FROM SKIES J Andres President Donovan Grady and Cascadian Prime Minister Lena Chen ALBANY -- Although former Prime Minister Elsie Huang may have supported a potential Andrean-Augustine war, during her tenure, Lena Chen has made it clear that she doesn't support bringing Cascadia into a conflict on the other side of the continent. It appears something has changed her mind, as she has now committed to provide aerial support using the Cascadian Air Force which is stationed in Barbuda to provide support for the naval engagement near Long Island. "This agreement, I believe, is a recognition," President Grady said, "That the Augustine Empire is an existential threat to us all. The time is now to make a stand, before they grow larger."

The Anchor Times June 3, 2181 FIRST CONTACT WITH AUGUSTINE FLEET JAS Kittery MONTAUK -- The J Andres and Augustine fleets have made first contact with each other, approximately 150 miles southeast of Long Island. While this first contact was with advanced forces from both fleets, preliminary reports of the full Augustine fleet state that the Augustine fleet is roughly triple the size of the Andrean and Acadian fleets combined. The JAS Kittery, JAS Daniel Young, and JAS Evan McDowell were sunk in the exchange.

The Anchor Times May 12, 2181 ANDREAN NAVY WINS BATTLE OF LAKE ONTARIO JAS Rochester OSWEGO -- J Andres has sunk the final remaining Ottanian warship in Lake Ontario and is claiming victory in the naval skirmishes that have occurred since the start of the war. Both J Andres and Ottania have Buffalo-class patrol ships, built by IMC, in the lake. Those Ottanian ships became Augustine during the annexation. Director of Defense Creighton Young is trying to communicate this success heavily after a string of losses on land over the past few months and knowledge that the Augustine Naval Fleet is currently headed up the Atlantic coast.

The Anchor Times April 9, 2181 BUFFALO CAPTURED Buffalo BUFFALO -- Augustine Forces have captured the J Andres city of Buffalo in Katherine County. Augustine Troops have been entering J Andres via Detchitoria for weeks. Buffalo, the largest city in Katherine County was well equipped to repel the effort initially, but the persistence of the troops and their reinforcements were eventually enough to overwhelm the city.

The Anchor Times March 18, 2181 BURLINGTON FALLS LTJG Rachel Mercton BURLINGTON -- Augustine Forces have captured the J Andres city of Burlington in Norfolk County. Many residents have already fled for safety in the cities to the south. Among the dead, is LTJG Rachel Mercton, a daughter of Mildred, Countess of Norfolk, and a medical officer in the civil professional service. The Augustine Forces are expected to being pushing south towards Albany.

The Anchor Times March 2, 2181 NAVAL FLEET VICTORIOUS IN GULF; MORE INCURSIONS FROM NORTH Admiral Ruth Vicksburg CAVENDISH, ACADIA -- The J Andres and Acadian navies have defeated the Augustine Fleet in the Saint Lawrence Gulf, sinking the final Augustine Houston class battleship in the area. Praise has been heaped upon Admiral Vicksburg for her leadership, but she has tried to downplay the success. "The rest of the Augustine fleet gathers near Miami and far outnumbers the one we defeated. Our work is not done," she said in a brief statement. Meanwhile, on land, the story has not been as great, with further Augustine incursions in the city of Buffalo and Burlington. Both cities have been under siege for the past month, and both are beginning to show signs of buckling.

The Anchor Times February 8, 2181 WAR! Director of Defense Creighton Young BURLINGTON -- War has broken out between J Andres and the Augustine Empire. President Grady announced the declaration of war this afternoon, and the naval fleet began their attack simultaneously. Within minutes, the Augustine Empire launched a large number of cruise missiles at J Andres from Montreal. Most were destined for the nearby city of Burlington, which sustained a number of direct hits. Two cruise missiles struck Albany and one struck Boston. A number of other reported impacts have been identified in rural areas, presumably intended for higher-value targets. Civilian casualties number about 400 so far, but the wreckage is still being sorted through. In the St. Lawrence Gulf, the naval skirmish has only just begun. The newest flagship JAS Vanguard has reportedly sunk two older Augustine battleships of the Houston-class. Two Chancellor-class sloops were lost in the engagement, the JAS Patrick Aurora and the JAS Anton Rasmussen.

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF J ANDRES February 8, 2181 The continent once again finds itself facing an existential threat. What was once a small city run by a supermarket magnate has grown into a sprawling empire from coast to coast. The Augustine Empire has conquered countless nations. We remember Cumberland. We remember North Mexico. We remember Elegada. And we remember Ottania, for just because Ottania was conquered bloodlessly due to the cowardice of the Duke of Montreal, does not mean it was not conquered. In accordance with Article I, Section 4, Clause 7, the Commune has just passed a resolution to declare a state of war exists between the Maritime Republic and the Augustine Empire. As Commander-in-chief, I have directed our naval forces in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to destroy the northern Augustine fleet.

The Anchor Times February 5, 2181 NAVY DEPLOYS FOR JOINT EXERCISES WITH ACADIA Director of Defense Creighton Young CAVENDISH, ACADIA -- Many ships of the J Andres Navy, including the new JAS Vanguard deployed to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The joint exercises were announced yesterday, following the meeting of Director Hastings and Prime Minister St-Onge. Director of Defense Creighton Young stated, "These exercises with our neighbor are a critical element of our defense strategy and readiness. Much of our fleet should be in position by tomorrow, and the exercises will last approximately five days."

The Anchor Times February 3, 2181 HASTINGS MEETS WITH ST-ONGE Director of Foreign Affairs Maggie Hastings & Acadian Prime Minister Caroline St-Onge HALIFAX -- Director Hastings met with Prime Minister St-Onge in Halifax this afternoon. The agenda for the meeting was not released and Director Hastings's staff did not release any notes or comments following the meeting. Prime Minister St-Onge made brief remarks that the close, saying "It was a pleasure to meet with the new administration of our southern neighbors. J Andres has always been a willing partner in peace and security for our region, and I'm pleased that relationship will continue with the new administration."

The Anchor Times January 31, 2181 GRADY TAKES OATH OF OFFICE President Don Grady ALBANY -- Don Grady was sworn into office today in a public ceremony in Bicentennial Park. Following the ceremony, he spoke at length about his priorities for the upcoming year, and in a surprise, war with the Augustine Empire was not discussed. Grady made war his rallying cry during the election, but his speech was overwhelmingly positive, focused on the economy. The military was only discussed in the context of building up the military. Naval forces specifically were identified which his desire to place two more Vanguard-class ships on order.

The Anchor Times January 2, 2181 COMMUNE TAKES OFFICE Premier Ray Hahn ALBANY -- The new senators of the Commune were sworn in today and Ray Hahn officially elected by the body to be the Premier. Hahn, a moderate compared many he now represents, said that the Commune will now get to work confirming President-elect Grady's nominees. He brushed off calls for war and stated that there was much for the new Commune to do.