Aggressive Negotiations in Every Galaxy

January was full of political conversations, so it felt only right for February to be full of Star Wars conversations, and it shows in the episodes. February started and ended with some Star Wars Unlimited and I was thrilled to interview Sharkey, a player who had welcomed me into the local scene, and Mike, the owner of Mythic Games where I play almost every week. Of course, I couldn’t let the entire month go without taking note of some important political conversations, and I was lucky enough to chat with Scott Santens about Universal Basic Income and how it has made such a huge impact everywhere it has been implement regardless of size, culture, or duration enacted. The conversation reminded me that rebuilding our galaxy is not as impossible as it may seem, and that was a good lesson to carry forward as the current administration continued barreling on. Avatar Slang also came on the podcast to talk about Star Wars: Visions, with the new season coming later this year to reflect on how great the series has been so far, and how powerful it has been to see the Galaxy Far Far Away through a different lens. I’m hoping to strike a better balance between Star Wars and Politics this month, so stay tuned for more conversations in both realms!

With the first month of the current administration behind us, people have been reflecting on the first moves of the administration and figuring out what to do next. Clearly, the people are getting frustrated and it almost feels like we are speed running Trump’s first four years in just 30 days. Republicans are struggling to have “productive” Town Halls, and most of the people attending are making it clear that regardless of who they voted for President, Elon Musk and his little DOGE were not part of that ticket. Aside from the obvious shadow government led by an immigrant (the GOP’s nightmare if you believed them during Obama’s terms), Musk’s pet project has had serious ramifications already with the former head of Social Security warning that the agency could miss payments for the first time since their inception in “30 to 90 days.” USAID has effectively been shuttered, and as a result, multiple programs that do things from providing Polio vaccines to combating Fentanyl from entering the US are in funding limbo. Of course, this does not mean anybody has “won,” as the fight is only just beginning. In Texas, Catholic Charities Fort Worth sued the Federal HHS for failing to meet their grant obligations since Trump took office. If Texas is already willing to sue a Republican President, then it is possible for any state, city, or county to push back against the administration based on how the various funding freezes have impacted local and state governments. Never lose sight of the fact that there are more of us, and remember that these fights are happening in states Trump won and lost in 2024.

In the world of Fandom, there have been plenty of developments. The next set of Star Wars Unlimited, Jump to Lightspeed, comes out this week and its emphasis on ships and the iconic pilots who fly them will make for some great artwork and fun new mechanics! On the Lucasfilm side, there is an unfortunately necessary article about Kathleen Kennedy after multiple websites and grifters did a victory lap around her supposed retirement (which is, in fact, completely false). Very disappointing to start Women’s History Month with a woman having to set a record straight, but I guess I can’t be too surprised in 2025 given the everything around us. I’m also excited about Alexander Freed’s new book Mask of Fear because it will resonate with so many fans this year as we continue this journey in a fledgling Empire. Perhaps the best bit of marketing Star Wars books has done so far comes from this book as free copies were dropped in a variety of Little Free Library locations throughout the US, reminding us that a powerful truth must be shared at all costs.