12:00: The book, 'Battleground Ukraine,' and Ukraine's history and future
1:00: 'Mickey 17:' Local author, national film
On the heels of President Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, we discuss the latest with Russia’s war. Adrian Karatnycky is the author of "Battleground Ukraine." The book explores the history of the country – from its independence to the current war. Karatnycky will be a guest of the University of Rochester Thursday night, but first, he and UR professor Randy Stone join us on "Connections." Our guests:
- Adrian Karatnycky, journalist, nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, and author of "Battleground Ukraine: From Independence to the War with Russia"
- Randy Stone, Ph.D., director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester
Then in our second hour, "Mickey 17" is a new sci-fi comedy film about a disposable employee sent to colonize a new planet. Each time Mickey (played by Robert Pattinson) dies, he is re-printed, with most of his memories intact. The movie is based on the novel, "Mickey 7," written by local author Edward Ashton. Ashton joins us for the hour to discuss his book, how it was made into a major motion picture, and whether he — and we — would want to be reincarnated multiple times after our deaths. In studio:
- Edward Ashton, Ph.D., author of "Mickey 7"
*Note: "Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.