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On july first, twenty thirty four, Canadian press reported that the offices of the Alberta Independent Newspaper and Podcast News, AIPN, were invaded by four masked and armed individuals. Hidden cameras showed that these individuals carried sledgehammers, baseball bats, and were wearing bulletproof vests. While dummy cameras were immediately splat smashed, hidden cameras throughout the premises captured detailed video of the destruction of AIPN's property, including files, computers, servers, and furnishings. The terrorists removed their masks after apparently assuming the cameras were no longer functioning. The AIPN offices were destroyed while there was significant damage to an adjacent pizza parlor. A fire was started there in an apparent attempt to attribute it to the pizza oven. It was said that the hidden cameras had been installed with 100% agreement of all the staff after they had received numerous and increasingly vile threats. Most staff worked from their homes and used pseudonyms after the threat started. No important documents or digital files were lost as they were stored in an alternate location. The servers in the office were as dumb as the visible cameras, said the owner of AIPN. When asked about the future of AIPN, John Doe, the publisher, said I'll retain the name and when it's safe to restart operations, I'll consider reopening. In the meantime, citizens of the Republic of Alberta will have to get news of what is happening from outlets that are official and unofficial spokespersons of their government. There are some correspondents still in Alberta from Canadian periodicals, and I heard some US-based outlets are considering a presence. It's a shame, really. I've met and am close friends with many people who express very rational and formed ideas about why Albertans would be better off with a different relationship with the rest of Canada. But it seems the most extreme of positions are dominating both the action and rhetoric.