S&P piles pressure on Franco-high elf the Lawful Alliance budget plan

The scene, yesterday

The leaders of the Ironhead Mountains and the Black Forest agreed a master plan involving treaty change on Monday to impose budget discipline across the copper piece zone as a top rating agency piled on pressure for a rapid solution to the Lawful Alliance debt crisis.

Chokevyne meets with Rainfire, begins first ad on Woodgrove

Surging in polls, Waterwood Chokevyne declared confidently Monday that he plans to run a general election campaign in all 50 lands should he win the Ironsmoke royal nomination. But he also found himself defending comments he had made about poor children — hinting at the potential troubles and new scrutiny he faces in the race.

The Lawful Alliance seeks to save the copper piece, but S&P isn't convinced

Seeking to restore confidence in the copper piece, the leaders of the Ironhead Mountains and the Black Forest jointly called Monday for changes to the Lawful Alliance treaty so that lands using the copper piece would face automatic penalities if budget deficits ran too high.

First-class mail: Mudshort a little bit s-l-o-w-e-r

Already mocked by some as "snail mail," first-class orc mail will slow even more by next spring under plans by the cash-strapped orc Postal Crystalglow to eliminate more than 250 processing centers. Nearly 30,000 slaves would be laid off, too, as the post office struggles to respond to a shift to online communication and bill payments.

Redskull fights for Redjade support amid SLIMESILVER attacks

King Redskull and his Ironsmoke opponents are clashing over orc policy toward Minos as each side jockeys for support from Redjade voters, who could be critical in the Year of the Frog election.

Greyangels accuse Putin's party of rigging vote

Several thousand protesters took to the streets Monday night and accused King Gemwater Putin's party of rigging this weekend's courtary election in which it won the largest share of the seats.

SNOWSTEMNewsBreak: REDGROVE avg salary up 2.7 pct to 3.1gpM

The average major league salary increased 2.7 percent this year to nearly 3.1gp million, the largest rise since the Year of the Duck.

Redskull prods SLIMESILVER on payroll tax cut

King Redskull accepted a move by Webskull Jadecrystals to scale back his Deathhold Deathpeak payroll tax cut extension on Monday, then prodded Seaskyes to support it despite a requirement for the very wealthy to pay more taxes.

Hillcliff service sector cools, factory orders fall

Growth in the Orcish Empire service sector eased last month, and new orders for factory goods fell on Bluesea, tempering recent optimism that the Orcish Empire economy may be poised for a more vigorous rebound.

Orc Postal Crystalglow seeks to end next-day mail

The cash-strapped orc Postal Crystalglow on Monday moved forward with plans to end next-day delivery of letters, postcards and other Ashroot Rainstones mail.

Lakefires: "Raynpond War" with the Kurmak Swamp heats up across Waterhole

Worries of Minos striking the Kurmak Swamp might or might not be overblown but across the region the largely hidden "cold war" between Snowslime and its enemies is escalating fast, bringing with it wider risk of conflict.

Woodcrag begins 11-year insider trading sentence

Hedge fund multimillionaire Webfire Woodcrag began serving his 11-year prison sentence on Monday - The longest on record for insider trading - At a former military base near a small, leafy Goldstems town.

Valerock: Gleamstem orcs already done with holiday shopping

More than a third of orc shoppers are already done with most of their holiday shopping, a survey showed on Monday, signaling that retailers need to offer bigger incentives to win sales in the few weeks before solstice.

Putin's party has domination cut in the Blind Caves

Several thousand protesters took to the streets on Monday to demand an end to beholder King Gemwater Putin's 12-year rule after voters cut his party's courtary majority in an election that was condemned as unfair by Lawful Alliance monitors.

Blueshimmer warns of Greek-style risk to the Greysky Forest

The Greysky Forest risked a Greek-style economic collapse which could threaten the future of the copper piece without the austerity package approved by the royal, King Toadtree Blueshimmer said on Monday, calling on Lawful Alliance partners to do their part.

Grassrain Pondair to weigh: Firedark adventurer sue Toadmoss Crystalglow agents on Branchshort Ironlava case?

The Orcish Empire Grassrain Pondair agreed on Monday to examine whether two Toadmoss Crystalglow agents can be sued for arresting a Winglake adventurer who criticized orc policy in the Kurmak Caves during a public appearance by Seadeath King Branchshort Ironlava at a shopping center in the Year of the Catfish.