Stuff YOU Should Know
New Star Wars Cast Announced
The first of a new set of Star Wars movies is on its way. Are you interested in watching?
It’s been thirty-seven years since the original Star Wars movie exploded into multiplexes everywhere. The franchise has managed to thrill its first fans and pick up several million more with its five subsequent sequels and prequels. Last month, Disney and Lucasfilm (the producers of the series) made public news about the latest installment, Episode VII. The biggest buzz so far is that it includes members of the original cast – Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo). R2-D2 and C-3PO will also return, making them the only characters to have been in all seven films of the series.
The new film will also join a large cast of newcomers (like Daisy Ridley) and actors hitting their stride in Hollywood (such as Adam Driver from Girls and Oscar Isaac from Inside Llewyn Davis). The new film will also have a new director, J.J. Abrams, replacing George Lucas, the director of all six previous films. Abrams has become a sought-after talent since he created the television series LOST and directed the two latest Star Trek films. Episode VII will take place thirty years after the Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and is set to open in theaters December 2015.
What Do You Think? Are you excited about a new Star Wars movie? Why or why not? How many of the films in the series have you seen? What kinds of differences do you think having a new director on board will make?
More Violence Erupts in the Ukraine
The recent agreement between Russia and the Ukraine has all but fallen apart as both sides continue to blame one another for the crisis. Under the agreement, all parties were to refrain from violence, and those illegally occupying buildings were to evacuate. On May 2, the Ukrainian military ramped up efforts to retake the city of Slovyansk, which had occupied by Russian troops since the beginning of March. Helicopters and tanks were employed and fifteen people were killed, including an innocent bystander. The only thing seemingly gained by the violence has been a deepening resentment on both sides
On the same day, clashes between several thousand pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian protestors broke out in the port city of Odessa. Pro-Russian militants stormed a police station and freed 67 jailed activists. Both sides were reportedly armed with metal bars, baseball bats, and homemade bombs. More than forty people were killed and another twelve were wounded when a fire broke out in a building. Most of them were pro-Russian supporters.
There are around 40,000 Russian troops currently stationed at the Ukrainian border.
Dig Deeper Germany’s foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is pushing for a second round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland to revisit a way to end the dispute. How likely is this to happen? Why?
L.A. Clippers Owner Receives Lifetime Ban from NBA
Adam Silver, the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), issued a lifetime ban on Donald Sterling, owner of the professional basketball team the Los Angeles Clippers. This announcement followed an investigation into a secret recording of racist remarks said in a conversation at his home. Details of the ban prohibit Sterling from attending games, practices and board meetings. In addition, he must pay a $2.5 million fine, the maximum ever imposed by the NBA. Pending a vote of other owners, Sterling may be forced to sell his team. The announcement has many debating the issue. Critics of the decision believe Sterling has the right under the First Amendment to say whatever he wants in the privacy of his own home. Others say that the recording, obtained by and published by the gossip site TMZ, was made with Sterling’s knowledge and reflects a long history of racist behavior.
Lifetime bans are nothing new in professional sports. Some of the most notable cases involve gambling (Cincinnati Reds player-turned-coach Pete Rose and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Art Schlichter), fixing games (“Shoeless” Joe Jackson of the Chicago White Sox), and drugs (most recently Lance Armstrong for doping with performance-enhancement substances). In the 1990s, Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was reprimanded (but not banned for life) for racist remarks involving African Americans and support of Adolf Hitler. She eventually sold the team.
Dig Deeper Make a list of notable persons who have spoken out regarding the ban on Donald Sterling. Divide them into those in support and those against. What points are made on both sides? Do they affect your opinion? Why or why not?