"OOOM 100: The World's Most Inspiring People" 2019 Issue - Eight Women In The Top 10

OOOM Magazine’s new issue with the OOOM 100: The World's Most Inspiring People list (PRNewsfoto/OOOM Holding GmbH)

OOOM Magazine published today its fourth annual OOOM 100: The World's Most Inspiring People list, compiled by an international jury. The results are remarkable: No less than eight spots in this year's OOOM 100's top 10 are claimed by women.

Greta Thunberg was voted the most inspiring person of 2019, who "grew into a symbol and role model for an entire generation, a generation that takes to the streets by the millions to protest for better climate policies," says OOOM Editor-In-Chief Georg Kindel, chairman of the jury. "She dominated the year and showed all of us with her persistence that every person on this planet has the power to change the world."

In second place of the OOOM 100 ranking is Jane Fonda: "Fonda stands out as a passionate climate activist who is fearless and radical in her protests, to the point that she accepts weekly arrests. She is a woman that shows us all what courage means," says the OOOM 100 jury.

Third place goes to Michelle Obama, who, in the words of the jury, "is the president of hearts, the antithesis to Trump's White House. A strong woman and role model for all."

Number 4 in the ranking of the world's most inspiring people is Sanna Marin, Finland's new prime minister and the world's youngest head of government at only 34: "She proves that real change is possible." In fifth place is American soccer star Megan Rapinoe, the FIFA Women's Player of the Year, who also fights vocally against the discrimination of homosexuals and minorities.

In sixth place is Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives. According to Jury Chairman Kindel, "She is Donald Trump's worst nightmare, and America's political conscience. Pelosi is a woman with principles, something America now needs more than ever."

In the seventh spot is Pope Francis, the highest ranking man in this year's vote ("A great spiritual leader, a hope for many"), followed by Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand as number 8: "She represents a modern type of power woman."

The ninth spot in this year's ranking is claimed by Tesla and Space-X founder Elon Musk: "Musk is a visionary who lets humanity reach for the stars." 

Number 10 goes to the much-awarded actress and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge (e.g., Fleabag): "She changes the image of women with charm and self-irony."

• Click here to read the entire ranking in OOOM 100: The World's Most Inspiring People online 

SOURCE: OOOM Holding GmbH

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Suspense Drama About Musical Entertainment Industry, Concord Films' Award-Winning Movie, "Dream Killer" Now Released [Trailer Included]

"Dream Killer" - poster

With a current culture focused on rising talents within music and film industries, Concord Film's newly released "Dream Killer" offers a vicarious journey into the highs and lows of seeking stardom. 

The story centers around a teen singer, played by Taylor Castro, accused of murdering her producer, played by Miguel Fasa, and her supportive mother, played by Christy Carson Romano, tries to save her daughter from being convicted of a murder she did not commit.

"Dream Killer" is a suspenseful drama drawing the viewer into a tense journey about the emotional costs of stardom and the powerful force of family with award-winning cast including exceptional performances by Christy Carlson Romano ("Kim Possible"), Taylor Castro ("Girlfriend Killer"), Jacy King ("Glee"), Gail Soltys ("Talia in the Kitchen"), Carson Rowland ("I Am Frankie" and "Sweet Magnolias") & Miguel Fasa ("Boyfriend Killer").

"Dream Killer" is an entertaining, suspenseful story with exceptional talent, offering audiences an enjoyable musical experience while following a suspenseful storyline. Although fiction, there is an authenticity within the film as several actors are successful, performing and recording artists. Taylor Castro gives a memorable, on stage performance including original songs from "Pure", her recently released album including "Don't Know What to Say," "Ballad of When We Danced," and "Heart of Mine" for which she was recognized by Los Angeles Film Awards as Winner of Best Young Actress Award. Miguel Fasa delivered "I Feel So Alive" with atmospheric beats, winner of Best Supporting Actor for his leading role at the Los Angeles Actors Awards. The original songs of Michelle Martinez, "Not Broken" and "Never Again" songs performed in "Dream Killer."

"Dream Killer" received three nominations and twelve prestigious awards including Gail Soltys, "Best Supporting Actress," Carson Rowland, "Best Young Actor", and "Best Ensemble by Actors Awards LA." 

The film won "Best Narrative Feature", "Best Drama Feature", "Best Thriller Feature" under talented direction of Barbie Castro, by the Los Angeles Film Awards. Olympus Film Festival awarded Barbie Castro, "Best Producer", "Dream Killer" Best Feature Film, and "Best Original Score".

The Trailer:

SOURCE: Concord Films

MasterClass Announces Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to Teach Scientific Thinking and Communication [Trailer Included]

Neil deGrasse Tyson (image courtesy of MasterClass)

MasterClass, the platform that makes it possible for anyone to learn from the best, today announced that one of America's best-known scientist and astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, will teach scientific thinking and communication. In his MasterClass, Tyson will teach members how to think like a scientist, providing methods and tools that empower them to identify and look past their own biases and find their way to what is objectively true. 

"Neil is an outstanding scientific communicator," said David Rogier, co-founder and CEO of MasterClass. "As Neil mentions in his class, he's never allowed a look under-the-hood to the processes behind his methods of thinking and communicating. He provides so much insight for our members to use in their everyday lives."

Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, host of the hit radio and Emmy-nominated TV show "StarTalk" and the New York Times best-selling author of "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" and "Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military." Tyson's professional research interests are broad, and include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the Milky Way structure. Tyson obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile. Tyson is also the first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium.

"I can guarantee you that the most important moments of your life are decided not by what you know, but by how you think," said Tyson. "The goal here is to train your mind to question the world around you and to question what others say. If you are hungry to learn and care about what is actually true in the world, my MasterClass is for you."

Designed for anyone who wants to think critically and communicate more clearly and convincingly, Tyson's MasterClass will focus on strategies for thinking about and conveying scientific truths. Using a range of captivating examples, the class will give students a look inside Tyson's brilliant mind, offering tools that can be implemented when learning any number of scientific subjects. Tyson will touch on strategies for scientific thinking, including making predictions, identifying truths and biases, and approaching new information with healthy skepticism. In later lessons, he will focus on strategies for communication of objective truths, offering insights on giving presentations and sharing personal truths. From mastering a soundbite to framing their overall message, these strategies for communication will leave students feeling empowered to present their thoughts in day-to-day life.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (image courtesy of MasterClass)

• Tyson's MasterClass joins the 75+ classes taught by world-renowned instructors on culinary arts, photography, writing, performance, and much more. Each MasterClass has digestible video lessons sized to fit into any part of your day and cinematic visuals with close-up, hands-on demonstrations that make you feel one-on-one with the instructor. 

The Trailer:

• Now available exclusively at MasterClass.com, students can subscribe for unlimited access to all new and existing classes of 75+ instructors through the All-Access Pass. MasterClass categories include business, culinary arts, film & television, music & entertainment, photography, sports and more.

MasterClass's current roster of courses includes:

• Business: Howard Schultz (business leadership), Anna Wintour (creativity and leadership), Sara Blakely (self-made entrepreneurship), Bob Iger (strategy and leadership), Chris Voss (art of negotiation)
• Culinary Arts: Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Alice Waters (home cooking), Thomas Keller (cooking techniques), Wolfgang Puck (cooking), Dominique Ansel (French pastry), James Suckling (wine appreciation), Aaron Franklin (Texas BBQ), Massimo Bottura (Italian cooking)
• Film and Television: Werner Herzog (filmmaking), Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Ron Howard (directing), Spike Lee (filmmaking), Mira Nair (independent filmmaking), Jodie Foster (filmmaking), Ken Burns (documentary filmmaking), Helen Mirren (acting), Samuel L. Jackson (acting), Judd Apatow (comedy), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting), Shonda Rhimes (writing for television), Natalie Portman (acting), David Lynch (creativity and filmmaking)
• Lifestyle: Bobbi Brown (makeup and beauty)
• Music and Entertainment: Steve Martin (comedy), Christina Aguilera (singing), Usher (performance), Reba McEntire (country music), Herbie Hancock (jazz), Deadmau5 (music production), Armin van Buuren (dance music), Hans Zimmer (film scoring), Tom Morello (electric guitar), Carlos Santana (art and soul of guitar), Timbaland (producing and beatmaking), Penn & Teller (magic), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Danny Elfman (music for film)
• Writing: James Patterson (writing), David Mamet (dramatic writing), Judy Blume (writing), Malcolm Gladwell (writing), R.L. Stine (writing for young audiences), Margaret Atwood (creative writing), Dan Brown (writing thrillers), Neil Gaiman (storytelling), Billy Collins (poetry), David Baldacci (writing thrillers), Joyce Carol Oates (short story writing), David Sedaris (humor and personal essays)
• Photography: Annie Leibovitz (photography), Jimmy Chin (adventure photography)
• Design and Fashion: Frank Gehry (architecture), Diane von Furstenberg (how to build a fashion brand), Marc Jacobs (fashion design)
• Sports and Games: Serena Williams (tennis), Stephen Curry (shooting, ball-handling, and scoring), Garry Kasparov (chess), Daniel Negreanu (poker), Phil Ivey (poker strategy), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Misty Copeland (ballet)
• Politics and Society: Jane Goodall (conservation), Bob Woodward (investigative journalism), Karl Rove and David Axelrod (political campaign strategy), Paul Krugman (economics and society), Doris Kearns Goodwin (U.S. presidential history and leadership)
• Science and Technology: Chris Hadfield (space exploration), Will Wright (game design), Neil deGrasse Tyson (scientific thinking and communication)

SOURCE: MasterClass

Reuters Partners With Facebook Journalism Project To Help Newsrooms Around The World Spot Deepfakes And Manipulated Media

Reuters Partners With Facebook Journalism Project To Help Newsrooms Around The World Spot Deepfakes And Manipulated Media (image via LoupDargent.info)

Reuters, the world's largest multimedia news provider, announced today the launch of an e-learning course to help newsrooms around the world spot deepfakes and manipulated media, produced in partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project. 

'Identifying and Tackling Manipulated Media' aims to help newsrooms fully equip themselves to identify and reject manipulated video, pictures and audio to help fight the spread of misinformation.

The 'Identifying and Tackling Manipulated Media' course encompasses real world examples, hypothetical cases and insights into the evolving technology used to create and detect manipulated media. The course aims to combat these risks by teaching journalists about the various types of altered media including the growing threat of the 'deepfake' and the ways in which newsrooms can be better equipped to handle this type of misinformation in order to move forward with confidence to verify and publish genuine content from third-party sources. 

The spread of inaccurate and misleading information is a significant and growing global problem. It is a major challenge for journalists and a source of alarm for governments, institutions and individuals all over the world, as it has had an increasing impact on elections. Some of the most powerful and effective forms of misinformation are video and images, as they are highly shared on social media and can be understood by all. Staged events, recycled video, deceptive editing, tampering and the recent rise of AI-driven 'deepfakes' videos all pose a fundamental threat to an informed democracy.

This type of misinformation has become a major challenge for journalists who strive to determine facts surrounding complex and often emotionally-charged topics. Reuters has been at the forefront of addressing this growing threat, with a specialist team of editors dedicated to authentication of user generated content. The team frequently encounters media that has been taken out of context, mislabeled, edited, staged or manipulated with CGI, and has been leading the charge in raising awareness and educating journalists around the world.

Audiences, too, are aware of the growing risk: a recent Reuters Institute study found more than half (55%) of people around the world are concerned about their ability to separate what is real and fake on the internet. News organizations can play an important role in allaying their audiences' concerns by being able to identify manipulated or misleading media themselves.

"Organizations around the world are increasingly alarmed by the spread and impact of misinformation on society. It's become a major challenge for media organizations as they're bombarded with user-generated and other third-party content," said Jess April, Director Strategic Partnerships & Program Management, Reuters. "It's a threat we at Reuters encounter every day, and this new course puts that expertise into practice to educate journalists and newsroom about identifying manipulated media to help stop the spread of misinformation. Providing trusted news and intelligence to the world is at the heart of what we do and sharing our knowledge of this growing threat is critical to that mission."

"We need to work across industries to better identify and address manipulated media. Partnering with Reuters to launch this free e-learning course is an important step to help journalists spot this type of content so we can stop the spread of misinformation online," said Julia Bain, Facebook Integrity Partnerships.

• The 'Identifying and Tackling Manipulated Media' course is now available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic, with more languages to launch in 2020. Click here to access it.

SOURCE: Reuters

Half of Americans Say Donald Trump Deserves Coal in His Stocking

Half of Americans Say Donald Trump Deserves Coal in His Stocking (image via LoupDargent.info)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and as carols are sung and eggnog is sipped, it's time to start thinking about what presents one might find under the tree. But some politicians should be nervous that they may find coal in their stocking instead. 

Half of Americans (49%) say President Donald Trump deserves coal in his stocking at Christmas and this includes almost one-quarter (22%) of Republicans, seven in ten (71%) Democrats and over half (54%) of Independents. This is from an online survey conducted by Regina Corso Consulting among 2,049 U.S. adults, 18 and older between December 10 and 12, 2019.

The leaders of Congress fare a little better. Over one-third of Americans (35%) say Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserves coal in her stocking and this includes almost two-thirds of Republicans (63%), over one in ten Democrats (13%) and over one-third of Independents (36%). 

Three in ten U.S. adults (29%) say Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell deserves coal including one-quarter of Republicans (24%) and one-third of Democrats (32%) and Independents (33%).

Looking at four of the top contenders for the Democratic nomination, three in ten Americans say former VP Joe Biden (31%) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (30%) deserve coal, almost three in ten (28%) say Senator Bernie Sanders does and one in five (21%) say Mayor Pete Buttigieg deserves coal. Just around one in ten Democrats say each of these deserves coal and one-third of Independents say VP Biden (33%) and Sen. Warren (33%) do while around one-quarter of Independents say Sen. Sanders (27%) and Mayor Pete (23%) deserve coal. Over one in ten Americans (15%) say none of these seven politicians deserves coal.

This goes hand in hand with the fact that four in five Americans (81%) say that politicians seem to have forgotten what the holiday season is all about. And, politics is causing change – almost one-quarter of Americans have taken people off their holiday giving lists because of their political views (23%) and have stopped sending holiday card to people because of their political views (22%).

SOURCE: Regina Corso Consulting

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What Boris Johnson's Government Needs To Do To Show It Is Serious On Climate Change

How green will Boris Johnson really be? (Vickie Flores/EPA)

Climate change had a higher profile in the UK election campaign than ever before, with parties competing hard over their offer to concerned voters. But this was a debate that the Conservatives – who won a landslide majority – largely stood back from. Their manifesto was light on detail compared to the other parties, and Boris Johnson chose not to take part in the first ever UK televised leaders’ debate on climate.

Conservative candidates were conspicuous by their absence in local climate hustings, too. Neither was climate mentioned in their legislative plan for the first hundred days.

The Conservative government did legislate for a net zero carbon emissions target back in June, following the advice of the Committee on Climate Change. And there was an explicit manifesto pledge to deliver on this target, with no signs of backtracking. In his speech to the party faithful on the morning of his election, Johnson declared his ambition to “make this country the cleanest, greenest on Earth, with the most far-reaching environmental programme”, adding:

And you the people of this country voted to be carbon-neutral in this election - you voted to be carbon-neutral by 2050. And we’ll do it.

But targets don’t reduce carbon. Policies do. And despite its much-admired Climate Change Act, the UK’s policy record lately has not been good. The Committee on Climate Change have repeatedly warned that the UK is off track to meet future commitments, a verdict shared by the independent Climate Action Tracker project, which assesses each country’s performance against the Paris Agreement. It rated the UK as “insufficient”, with policies compatible with a 3°C world – not the 1.5°C level that we desperately need.

If the new government is serious about its commitment, it will have to signal this soon, and with confidence. Steps that it could and should take straight away include:

• instigating a swift review of governance for net-zero, giving responsibility and resources to other government departments, and, crucially, to local areas, to deliver on carbon strategy
• prioritising climate and environmental protection in negotiations for a trading relationship with the European Union
• moving quickly to consult on a phase-out date for petrol and diesel vehicles, as promised in its manifesto
• removing the de facto ban on onshore wind energy, which the Committee on Climate Change advised needs to increase in capacity by 1GW a year
• confirming its opposition to fracking, and making its moratorium permanent
• pledging to formally consider the results of the national citizens’ assembly on climate change, Climate Assembly UK, due to report in 2020.

More fundamentally, the Conservatives need to develop a much clearer climate strategy. Despite a commitment to the emissions target, they do not yet have a confident story to tell about the way they will achieve it, and how that fits with their party’s philosophy and values. Back in July, 41 Conservative MPs proposed just such a story, arguing that “tackling the existential threat of environmental breakdown offers our divided country a new national project … this unifying mission can bring economic regeneration and natural restoration to all parts of the country”. But this debate has not yet managed to break through the hurly burly of Brexit.

The new government will need to be quick, and decisive. The upsurge in public concern on climate, and calls for radical action, show no signs of abating. The Green Party nearly doubled its share of the vote, though they still only have one MP to show for it.

After refusing to attend the country’s first ever televised climate debate, an ice sculpture was put in Boris Johnson’s place. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)

Having spent the past couple of years making a general call to climate action, protesters are now likely to take aim at specific policies and projects, such as airport expansion and the new coal mines proposed in Cumbria and Northumberland, as well as the money that the UK continues to invest in fossil fuels, at home and abroad. They will be buoyed by their success in rendering toxic the sponsorship of the arts by fossil interests, and will focus relentlessly on removing the fossil fuel majors’ social license to operate.

And it’s not just protesters who could be thorns in the side of the new government. A sizeable green business lobby, including coalitions such as The Aldersgate Group and We Mean Business, will be calling for ambitious policy which supports the many businesses who want to be part of the transition to net zero. Though the Conservative manifesto promised funds for green technologies, the amounts are tiny compared to support for high-carbon infrastructure including roads, airports and oil and gas extraction, and these contradictions will provide constant tension.

Next year will show whether the Conservatives’ enthusiasm for carbon targets translates into an enthusiasm for climate policies. In late 2020, all eyes will be on the UK, as it hosts COP26, the most important international climate summit since Paris in 2015, in Glasgow. The government will want to tell world leaders a good story on domestic action. It still has time to write one.

About Today's Contributor:

Rebecca Willis, Research Fellow, Exeter University; Professor in Practice, Lancaster University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

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Wizards of the Coast Announces Brand-New Dungeons & Dragons Video Game "Dark Alliance" [Trailer Included]

Wizards of the Coast Announces Dark Alliance

Wizards of the Coast and Tuque Games have officially announced that Dark Alliance, a third-person action RPG, will launch worldwide on PC and consoles in Fall 2020.

Dark Alliance is an exciting, action-driven, hack-and-slash adventure filled with iconic monsters, legendary characters, and epic loot. In an all-new trailer that debuted during last night's Game Awards, Jeff Hattem, Founder of Tuque Games introduced millions of players to the game's unique take on Drizzt Do'Urden and his legendary companions.

"From the moment I founded Tuque, our team has known that we wanted to bring our passion for D&D and creativity to the Dark Alliance series," said Jeff Hattem, Head of Studio, Tuque Games. "We're taking players on an epic journey through the harsh and violent, Icewind Dale, where they're going to need to use their wits, their weapons and their party members to help them survive the iconic monsters we're going to send their way."

A spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance series featuring popular characters created by best-selling fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, the new Dark Alliance combines the pulse-pounding action of a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler with the progression and loot systems of a role-playing game.

"Drizzt and his companions are some of Dungeons & Dragons' most recognizable heroes," said Nathan Stewart, Head of Franchise for Dungeons & Dragons. "This all-new Dark Alliance will give players a visceral experience that drops them into the action of a Drizzt storyline like never before."

Featuring couch or online co-op for up to four people, fans can play as scimitar-wielding hero Drizzt Do'Urden or one of his unique companions Catti-Brie, Bruenor, or Wulfgar as they set out on an action-packed adventure in the icy tundra of Icewind Dale.

The Trailer:

• To learn more about Dark Alliance, visit the official website at DarkAlliance.com

SOURCE: Wizards of the Coast

Artist/Activist Domenic Esposito Selected To Display One Of His Signature 800 lb Opioid Spoon Sculptures At ArtPalmBeach 2020

Domenic Esposito's "FDA" spoon

Domenic Esposito, Boston based artist/activist, is known nationally for his protest installations of the signature 800 lb metal spoon sculptures depicting a burnt opioid spoon. For this year's ArtPalmBeach 2020 fair (January 30th – February 3, 2020), Esposito has been selected as a part of a social activism commitment to display his "FDA" spoon as a pathway to a discussion on the opioid epidemic.

ArtPalmBeach has become one of the most prestigious art fairs internationally for its modern and contemporary artworks of the best and most promising international artists encompassing master artists and rising stars. Founded in 1997, ArtPalmBeach, held in West Palm Beach, attracts prominent art collectors, connoisseurs, critics and art-centric media from all over the country, and globally. It's one of the most anticipated events annually.

"Esposito's opioid spoon sculpture was selected to be part of this year's event, as he seamlessly demonstrates his focus on social injustices through the creation of his 800 lb opioid spoon sculpture. His work functions at the intersection of art and social change. Esposito is truly leading the way, and making a difference via his unique art, and we are honored to have him participate in the fair's Art Community pavilion whose mission is to embrace the most pressing social and global issues of our time," stated Lee Ann Lester, co-Founder of ArtPalmBeach.

Domenic has gained national attention as an advocate for the opioid stricken communities via his signature massive 800 lb opioid spoon sculptures he places at the doorsteps of those he deems to be significant contributors to the opioid crisis. To date, Esposito has displayed spoons at Purdue Pharma in Stamford, Rhodes Pharma in Providence, HHS (to protest the FDA) in the nation's capital, and the NJ Headquarters of Johnson & Johnson. The FDA spoon that will be on exhibit during ArtPalmBeach, like his other spoon sculptures, is solid aluminum and includes the FDA moniker engraved on its handle. In addition to his peaceful protest installations, Esposito conducted a ten-state tour along the East Coast during the summer in 2019. He toured the East Coast with a specially created 800 lb spoon sculpture that was left blank, so loved ones of those lost to the opioid crisis could sign the spoon with messages to honor the fallen. The tour garnered thousands of signatures.

"Like most artists, I have always admired ArtPalmBeach, and am so honored to have been selected to display my FDA opioid spoon," Esposito stated. "Furthermore, it is a testament to ArtPalmBeach founders, David and Lee Ann, for their acknowledgment of the vital role art/activism plays in our society to serve as the voice for many. While we garner attention visually through art, it is a medium we can use to begin to understand more of the world around us."

Esposito is also the Founder of The Opioid Spoon Project, a 501(C)(3) non-profit that focuses on garnering awareness surrounding those that have helped create, profit from, and continue to fuel the opioid crisis. Most importantly, it seeks culpability, victim restitution, and proactive solutions to end one of the nation's biggest epidemics to date.

• For information about ArtPalmBeach, please click here

SOURCE: Domenic Esposito

Related Video:

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Original Motion Picture Soundtrack From Oscar-Winning Composer John Williams Available Soon

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker cover art

Walt Disney Records is set to release the original motion picture soundtrack for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The album features a new score conducted and composed by five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams. 

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker digital soundtrack is set for release on December 18 and the physical album will be available on December 20 as the film opens in U.S. theaters nationwide.

From the physical album's liner notes, director J.J. Abrams said, "Once again, John has come up with an utterly stunning soundtrack, creating brand new, gorgeous, frightening, mysterious, epic and intimate themes while also revisiting some of his greatest, classic melodies. My gratitude toward John Williams cannot be overstated — not just for elevating every scene in this film, but for providing us all with soundtracks that elevate our lives."

John Williams stated in the album's liner notes, "More than 40 years ago, George Lucas introduced to the world his singular imagination, his ingenuity and his creative genius. He also gave me an opportunity never before enjoyed by an operatic or film composer…the chance to work continually for four decades on a single project, and with each film, to add to a collection of musical themes which I hope will be seen as parts of a singular, organic whole.

This experience has been one of the highlights of my professional life, bringing me so much joy in working with some of the world's greatest orchestras and musicians. I stand before the now completed nine Star Wars films with pride and gratitude for the gift of this extraordinary journey."

John Williams (image via ClassicalMPR)

About John Williams

Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all nine of the Star Wars saga films to date, beginning with 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score. His scores for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi were each nominated for Best Original Score.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Emmys and 24 Grammy Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy's most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney.

In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams' score to 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to A New Hope also was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." 

Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Poster

About "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"

Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.

The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, with Ian McDiarmid and Billy Dee Williams.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams and Michelle Rejwan. Callum Greene, Tommy Gormley and Jason McGatlin serve as executive producers. 

The screenplay was written by Chris Terrio & J.J. Abrams and the story is by Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow and J.J. Abrams & Chris Terrio, based on characters created by George Lucas. 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Trailer

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters on December 20.

• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Original Motion Picture soundtrack will be available to stream and download on December 18. The physical album will be available on December 20 and is now available for pre-order.

• Enjoy Star Wars with the official Star Wars radio on Apple Music Radio now. All Star Wars music on repeat, 24 hours day

SOURCE: Walt Disney Records

Educating Girls Is The Right Thing To Do - For Them And For The Planet

Educating Girls Is The Right Thing To Do - For Them And For The Planet (image via Plan International Canada)

With dire warnings from UN Secretary General Guterres that time is running out to turn around the catastrophic impacts of climate change, a powerful strategy to both mitigate climate change risks and help communities adapt is being ignored – engaging adolescent girls in climate change planning and investing in girls' education. 

Plan International Canada, a leading charity on children's and girls' rights, is advocating for governments around the world to include gender equality, human rights and the empowerment of women and girls in their climate change policies and ensure girls' education becomes a key component of climate change strategies.

A recent report published by Plan International called Girls Rights in Climate Change Strategies shows that engaging women and girls in climate change planning and investing in girls' education are powerful yet often ignored strategies to combat climate change. An analysis of 162 Nationally Determined Contributions, which are national plans for meeting agreed global targets on emissions and adaptation, showed limited attention to women and girls overall, as well as the lack of girls' education as a strategic component. This includes a quality, gender transformative education that fosters the inherent agency of girls to take a leadership role in climate action.

Girls' rights and education are powerful solutions to climate change

• Girls education is impactful for both climate change action and gender equality outcomes, with each complementing the other, in multiple ways including:
• Empowering and quality education increases girls' overall opportunities for leadership, which is increases their ability to influence change in power structures that have traditionally bred inequality and unsustainable natural resource management.
• Quality education grows knowledge of climate change, further helping girls take the lead in helping their families and communities adapt to its impact.
• Quality education and training enhances a girl's "green skills", preparing her to participate equally in and lead in traditionally male-dominated green sector jobs that support sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes.
• Educated girls are less likely to marry or become pregnant before they are 18 and they earn more over their lifetime than uneducated girls.

Climate change is exacerbating the risks that adolescent girls in marginalized settings around the world already experience. Girls and young women forced to leave their homes by the effects of climate change face grave challenges with lasting impact on their futures including a loss of access to education, a much higher risk of violence and abuse, risk of being forced into early marriage and loss of community support and livelihoods. Yet as they face these increased risks, they are also leading climate change activism and solution-finding in their communities and around the world.

Additional findings from national climate change plans outlined in Girls' Rights in Climate Change Strategies include:

• While 43% of countries referenced women or gender, it was largely in the context of women as a vulnerable group rather than contributors to climate change mitigation or adaptation.
• Only three countries' Nationally Determined Contributions make explicit reference to girls; both in the context of their needs rather than competencies and there is only one clear reference to girls' education.
• 68% of Nationally Determined Contributions include education but normally in vague terms, including awareness raising, not targeted at young people or part of a national curriculum to combat the climate crisis.
• No Nationally Determined Contribution formally recognizes the contributions that investment in girls' education could make toward their climate strategy.
• Climate strategies overall concentrate on technological fixes, ignoring social concerns and the contributions that people, particularly girls and young women empowered by education and information, might make.

Quotes

"We're in a full-blown climate crisis and every tool at our disposal must be used to mitigate the risks we are all facing," says Tanjina Mirza, Chief Programs Officer, Plan International Canada. "Girls education is one of the most powerful opportunities for growing a girl's future potential and her ability to lead in climate justice impact, yet it's absent from almost all national climate commitments and strategies. This needs to change."

"Girls are on the frontlines of climate disasters, facing the devastating risks of early and forced marriage, being pulled out of school to help earn an income or because their family has been forced to migrate, and eating least and last when food shortages arise due to extreme weather events," says Stu Solomon, Plan International Canada's Senior Advisor on Economic Empowerment and Resilience. "But girls are also at the forefront of solutions. Through their inherent individual and collective agency, they can lead climate change action for themselves, their families and their communities and must be fully engaged in every step of climate change strategy and policy-making."

"We, the next generation, are part of the solution. We want to be a partner to policy makers in finding sustainable solutions. The future depends on us. Let's get to work - for us, for Dhaka, for the planet," says 19-year-old girl Sohagi, who lives in a slum in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka. The entire area where she lives is flooded with dirty water as the monsoon season sets in. Sohagi has long been involved in several development projects organized by Plan International. She is part of a youth group that works to call on the authorities asking that they give priority to improving conditions in the slum.

Girls must be included in climate action - Video

About the research

The research this report is based on was undertaken by Plan International in partnership with the Brookings Institution and UNICEF. The research team included Christina Kwauk from Brookings Institution, Jessica Cooke, Elisa Hara, Sharon Goulds and Marisa Muna from Plan International, and Joni Pegram and Cristina Colon from UNICEF. The report includes an analysis of 162 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in English, Spanish, and French to garner how much attention countries are giving to girls and education. 

SOURCE: Plan International Canada

Related Video:

Michael Douglas Stars in "Unbreaking America: Divided We Fall" New Film From RepresentUs Launches on International Anti-Corruption Day [Video Included]

Michael Douglas Stars in "Unbreaking America: Divided We Fall" New Film From RepresentUs Launches on International Anti-Corruption Day

Academy Award winning actor Michael Douglas and leading right-left anti-corruption organization RepresentUs announces the launch today of Unbreaking America: Divided We Fall, the latest short film in their Unbreaking America series.

Following the success of Unbreaking America: Solving the Corruption Crisis starring Academy Award winning actor Jennifer Lawrence—to date viewed over 22 million times—this eye-opening sequel reveals information about how bad America's political corruption crisis is, what's underlying it, and what we can do to fix it.

"At a time when a majority of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job and want a change in how the government works, the work that RepresentUs does is pivotal to restoring confidence in our political process," said actor and producer Michael Douglas. "I invite every American to be part of the solution and join us as we unrig America's broken political system and make the government work for everyday Americans again."

In Unbreaking America: Divided We Fall, Douglas declares that, "America's political system has been hijacked to ensure that those with power keep it." He effectively breaks down the gridlock and corruption in America's government and presents the nationwide grassroots reform efforts led by RepresentUs as the movement that can fix it.

Douglas explains that every issue that Americans care about—from healthcare to national debt—is caught in the grip of corruption. Only 2% of Americans trust that our elections work how they're supposed to. This year, America's two major political parties publicly threatened to blacklist candidates who veered from party lines, propagating a polarized political system so gridlocked that it blocks meaningful progress on the most pressing issues that our nation faces. 61% of Americans want another alternative. But special interests, lobbyists, and the political establishment control the money, debates, primaries and draw voting districts—leaving the average American with a near-zero impact on the leaders that should serve them.

But it's not all doom and gloom. In the video, Douglas presents a solution: a state by state strategy to achieve federal reform. A fiercely non-partisan organization, RepresentUs works around Congress to engage Americans from across the political spectrum to turn the tide against corruption. They lead the grassroots movement to pass commonsense reforms in cities and states across the country that fix our broken elections, stop gerrymandering, and end political corruption.

"Putting the power back in the hands of the people starts with reminding Americans of all political stripes that we own our government and that it's up to us to change it," said Joshua Graham Lynn, Co-Founder and Managing Director of RepresentUs. "Even in today's sharply polarized environment, RepresentUs unites every American under the belief that we will not only restore the government but also hope for the future of our country. I am proud to work with Michael Douglas and millions of supporters across America who are driving this incredible reform movement."

Just as was previously achieved with civil rights and gender equality, RepresentUs pushes essential issues to a tipping point by winning victories state-by-state. To date, the movement has passed 113 anti-corruption acts and resolutions in cities and states across the country to build a wave of real and lasting federal change.

Unbreaking America: Solving the Corruption Crisis -The Video

Unbreaking America: Divided We Fall - The Video

About RepresentUs

RepresentUs is the leading anti-corruption organization that is unrigging America's broken political system to create clean government. Co-Founded in 2012 by Josh Silver and Joshua Graham Lynn, they are leading a non-partisan movement of Americans dedicated to putting power back in the hands of the voters. Corruption and a rigged system have halted progress on the issues that Americans care most about, from healthcare to education to government spending. Through the continued passage of state and local laws that fix our broken elections, fight against gerrymandering, stop political bribery, and end secret money, RepresentUs advocates for the federal passage of the bi-partisan American Anti-Corruption Act to restore a government that is once again by and for the people. To date, the movement has passed 113 transformative anti-corruption acts and resolutions in cities and states across the country—and in 2018 passed more anti-corruption reform than in any other year in America's history.

SOURCE: RepresentUs