PCBaller World/Greater Illinois/GINN

Greater Illinosian News Network presents: real-time news and stuff (literally the only reason that this is here instead of the other page)! I'm your host, Wolfgang Eberhardt! The Latest: Archive:
 * Illinois Is Hosting a Big Banquet
 * To commemorate the growing stability and advancement of the world, President Bernard Henderson has announced that Greater Illinois will host its own banquet! Expected to serve around 1,000 people in total, this banquet will take place in the Hall of Veritas, which is expected to be closed off for around a month to prepare the building to house the prestigious group that will be attending the banquet. Delegations from every country in the world will be invited (save for Sequoyah, Texas, Missouri, East California, the Neo-Soviet Union, Dacia, the Balkan Union and Canada), and even delegates from places like North Germany and Norway-Sweden will be invited to the festivities. On top of that, prominent businessmen, academics and generals worldwide will also be invited to partake in the festivities. According to the plan, the banquet will span a period of three days, with a different meal plan and festivities for each day. The first day will host a 35-course meal spanning seven hours, modeling a new model of culinary art dubbed "reflection cuisine," which puts many issues the world faces into perspective through the vessel of food and drink. The second day will be a 7-course White Tie banquet, with appropriate uniforms provided upon request. Finally, the last day will be very unofficial, yet still quite impressive, as it is to be a "casual" night where guests may order whatever they wish to eat before the event. There will also be plenty of festivities, from military parades to touring many science facilities to allowing the partygoers to explore Chicago during an all-expenses-payed experience. President Henderson said that this banquet will serve as a reward for those who move our society forward, but also to showcase Illinoisian economic and technological prowess. We look forward to the event, especially for me, since I'll be attending!
 * True Nature of Antigravity Uncovered
 * In partnership with COMECON and Byzantine assets, Illinoisian scientists have finally cracked the code on the antigravity technology the flying saucer was based upon. It used an intricate series of electromagnetic force fields and conductive wiring beyond what even our superconductors are capable of, connected to a reactor that has, in recent weeks, expanded our knowledge on how to sustain and generate large quantities of antimatter one thousandfold to create a field of energy around the saucer that could be manipulated using magnetism to create thrust. With these designs inputted to the North Pole Hypercomputer (the official name of the installation), the machine has already spit out schematics and week/month/year-long plans to develop a global industry suitable enough to start producing such godlike technology on an industrial scale. Analysis of the ship has also improved our knowledge of weapons many times over, with designs coming from our computers that make even the newest particle cannons look like toy water guns.
 * Despite the intimidating capabilities of the Type-2 civilization that inhabits Tabby's Star, Greater Illinois has pinpointed a HUGE weakness that limits the ability of the aliens to develop substantially. The aliens, according to an undisclosed spy satellite, as well as data ripped from light emissions (mainly AM/FM radio) and captured debris from Tabby's Star, appear to indicate that the aliens follow an esoteric religion, well over 100,000 years old, that appears to be highly against computational technology. As such, the aliens have remained largely stagnant in technology for the past few epochs and don't appear to be substantially developing in the ways that matter. It is unknown what implications this will have.
 * Illinois' Celebration Banquet a Massive Success
 * Yesterday concluded the banquet Greater Illinois hosted to promote the world's continued cohesion and mutual acceleration. Among the guests were dignitaries and leaders from the Federated Communes of Siberia, Byzantium, the entire ARI, Baja California, South California, the New American Republic, New Queensland, West Germany, the PSNR, Norway-Sweden, Lettistan, Indonesia, Korea, Lebanon and other nations. Prominent businessmen and scientists from all over the world and Illinoisian military generals also attended, with the event eventually hosting a little less than 1,000 people, making this event one of the biggest events that the Hall of Veritas ever hosted. The venue, built to be a reliable meeting place for important meetings of all types, was decked out far more than usual since the Illinoisian government sought to show off its newest civilian technologies. Entire hotels were booked to accommodate the massive crowd, and entire resorts were requisitioned to hold the foreign dignitaries themselves. When all of the guests arrived, the first dinner was launched, which, despite its highly esoteric nature, was a crowd-pleaser. The second night saw some odd yet benign experiences, as the dignitaries were allowed to explore Chicago using all-expenses paid vouchers and even mingle with the local elites a little. It was reported that, since most Illinoisian alcohol fetches ridiculous prices in Poland due to goofy shipping costs, the Kultokrat of Poland apparently bought out half of an Illinoisian liquor store and spent most of his day hauling all of the valuables back to the private jet that the Polish delegation was assigned before attending the white-tie event. On the third day, the delegation toured many of the military and scientific facilities that Greater Illinois employed in a series of groups (to prevent a 1,000-man crowd from surging in single buildings all at once), as well as witnessing the full power of the Illinoisian military during a parade. The final dinner was very casual, with the partygoers being allowed to order essentially whatever they wanted before leaving for their respective territories or homes the next morning. The delegations still have yet to provide official feedback, although the leader of Montana, President Afunhumaninter, described the event as "totally amazing." All in all, the event cost around $11B dollars to throw.
 * Antigravity Harnessed for the First Time
 * Based on the data and schematics given to us by the North Pole Hypercomputer, Raytheon Technologies has built its own "flying saucer," far smaller than the alien one and completely unmanned (as it is a proof of concept) that employs a miniaturized antigravity engine powered by Quark Fusion. It could stay afloat for 8 hours until it needed to land to receive another fusion charge, after which it floated another 8 hours before landing, undamaged.
 * Largest Quantity of Antimatter Synthesized to Date
 * In a space station near Saturn, a hunk of antimatter of around 4,000 kg was synthesized and safely maintained for 4 days before being expelled from the station towards interstellar space, as it was getting too unstable for the safety procedures. With the new antimatter containment technology gleaned from the UFOs, it is expected that practical fields capable of sustaining small quantities of antimatter will be available in the future sometime.
 * Genetic Breakthroughs from Analyzing Alien Corpses
 * In a massive biological breakthrough the other day, biologists from Byzantium, Greater Illinois and Lebanon have discovered that these aliens adhere to their own form of genetics by successfully isolating a few strands of them, which are 100% similar to ours on the level of the actual helix, but different in the way that the DNA is held. Alien cells appear to be marginally different from ours, with some photosynthesis system that appears to account for an underdeveloped cellular organ that has been compared to human mitochondria. Their "blood" and other systems are vastly different, but we're still looking into those.
 * New Soda Unveiled to the Public
 * Pepsi-Coke, LLC has released a new soda to commemorate the ARI and its achievements. This soda is supposed to taste like a blend of Coconut, Blueberry, and Strawberry, which together make the tricolor of the American flag. It will be exclusively diet.