[Newer York, 248AS] And now, the news...

The headlines back on Earth at a time roughly equivalent to 248 After Starfall in the Newer York timeline...

10 June 2763CE

BBC World Service: The news, read by Evelyn Stanford.

First, the big news this hour, the skipship Lewis and Clark has returned to contact with Earth following its trip to TRAPPIST-1, with word that there's already a human settlement there! Captain Baldursdottir reports finding a "thriving community" of some hundred-thousand souls descended from the Outbound Chabad project, which left Earth over 500 years ago and were presumed lost. Details of this discovery are still coming in, and we'll have more for you later today!

Back here on Earth, Arctic Union spokesperson Harald Alfson reiterated his government's intention to rebuild the port at Arkangelsk after a monumental storm wrecked most of the piers. "This port, this city, is a crucial part of the AU economy. We have no intention of allowing it to die on the vine." The comment came after rumors that the government saw the Arkangelsk facility as dated and not worth rebuilding.

The Cascadia Congress has approved a bill devoting funds to the Amazon Reforestation Campaign, becoming the third major government to pledge money to the cause. The controversial project still faces considerable opposition from some of the nations whose territory includes parts of the Amazon Desert. Arguments range from sovereignty issues, to an insistance that the current state of the Amazon, being several hundred old, is as natural as the previous state, to a purely scientific doubt that it can even be done. ARC chair Benita Almeda hailed the decision as a major step forward.

A five year moratorium on building new permanent structures along the Atlantic coastline of Southeast Federal Republic has been extended after efforts by developers failed to win over the SFR Parliament's coastal environment committee. "The continued loss of coastal landmass to erosion and rising sea levels makes building any human habitation there absurd," said Benni Karensky, chair of the committee. Tom Okombe, spokesperson for the developers alliance, reported his clients deeply disappointed with what they called a "backward-looking" attitude of the committee. The organization disputes scientists' reports that the coastline has not yet stabilized.

The Agricultural Cooperative of Mainland Europe says it's optimistic that the causes of the last three years of crop failure have been addressed, and this years harvests should be closer to expected levels. With several other agricultural enterprises having bad crops in recent years, food security has become a significant concern. New Chinese Republic officials have become especially strident on the point, noting that available food stocks relative to the population have not been this low since just before the Collapse of 2230, an event humanity barely survived. The United North America Agriculture Secretary meanwhile casts doubt on ACME's forecast. "We've seen no evidence of improvement in conditions in ACME's main agridomes or open-air efforts. Our own farmers report some improvement in their own growing conditions, but still believe it's too soon for optimism." World-wide food shortages have been blamed in part on volatile weather conditions, which have worsened in recent years, and a new range of fungicide-resistant blights that have hit the major calorie crops hard.

And finally, in sport, the New Zealand have advanced to the World Cup semifinals, where they'll face the Greenland-New England SR next week. The winner will face the winner of India's match against Arctic Union for the cup later this month.