Report: J.J. Abrams to Direct New 'Star Wars' Movie

Disney/ Andrew H. Walker/ Getty Images

The Force is with J.J. Abrams. The prolific producer/director has agreed to direct the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, confirms Walt Disney Studios.

Pics: Must-See Movies of 2013

"I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller," said George Lucas of Abrams in an official statement. "He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."

In October, it was announced that Disney had acquired Star Wars creator George Lucas' company Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, in turn announcing that new Star Wars movies will be released. The first new Star Wars movie -- Star Wars: Episode 7 -- will be released in 2015 with Lucas serving as creative consultant. Kathleen Kennedy, who is the current co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become Lucasfilm's president and serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films.

Of course, Abrams successfully rebooted the Star Trek franchise in 2009, with his highly anticipated follow-up sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, hitting theaters May 17.

Related: New 'Star Wars' Films in the Works

Said Abrams, "To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor. I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

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24 people killed as militant groups clash in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — 'Two Islamic militant groups clashed Saturday over control of a prized valley in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 24 people and wounding dozens more, officials said.

Arshad Khan of the Khyber tribal region said the fighting between the two Islamic militant groups began Friday in Tirah valley, near the Afghan border, when the militant group, Tehrik-e-Taliban, captured the base of another militant group, Ansarul Islam. Ansarul Islam tried to retake the base and fighting continued into Saturday.

The Pakistani military has been battling a stubborn insurgency in northwest Pakistan in rugged tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

The remote valley, tucked in mountainous terrain, is highly valued by militant groups as a base of operations. It's difficult for the Pakistani military to enter the area, which allows militants easy access to Afghanistan and other tribal areas of Pakistan.

Most of the dead were militants, but some local tribesmen also were killed, according to a Pakistani military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to disclose the information to the media.

In Baluchistan province in the south, government troops have been waging a longtime struggle against Baloch nationalists, who demand a greater share of income generated from mineral and gas resources there.

On Saturday, a large group of armed men attacked a post manned by pro-government tribal militia members in a remote area in southwestern Baluchistan, killing two tribesmen and abducting seven more. The post is 300 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Baluch nationalists often target government forces and their supporters.

Local administrator Noor Illahi Bugti said dozens of armed men attacked the post, shot and killed two of the tribesmen and then forced the others to surrender. He said seven of the militia volunteers were then taken away by the armed group.

Bugti said security forces rushed to the area and were searching for the militia volunteers.

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Fed aims for a 6.5% jobless rate

Six and a half percent unemployment in America would mean almost 2.1 million more people working than today. At the rate the country has been creating new jobs each month, it would take more than a year to find work for that many people.

Keep 6.5 percent in mind this week when the Federal Reserve meets Tuesday and Wednesday to talk about its efforts to push interest rates down. The hope is that the cheap cash will spur on investment leading to job creation. After all, the central bank has promised to keep its target interest rate near zero as long as more than 6.5 percent of Americans in the workforce are without work. The Fed has put other conditions on maintaining its historically low interest rate such as low inflation, but official measures remain tame. So its job growth the Fed is looking for.

It won’t have to wait long for the latest update. On Friday the first jobs report of 2013 will be released. Hiring has been a slow grind but it has been positive.

Finding work in January, though, can be tricky. Winter weather, a hangover from the holidays and seasonal work ending can slow down hiring.

It will be months, maybe even a couple of years before the U.S. unemployment rate hits 6.5 percent. There is nothing magical about that number, but as long as the Federal Reserve has it in its sights, so should we.

Tom Hudson is anchor and managing editor of Nightly Business Report, produced by NBR Worldwide and distributed nationally by American Public Television. In South Florida, the show is broadcast at 7 p.m. weekdays on Channel 2. Follow him on Twitter, @HudsonNBR.

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Broward contractor accused of accepting bribe for Florida Keys roadwork

A Pompano Beach contractor has been charged by federal authorities with bribery for accepting money to steer a state Department of Transportation contract to a subcontractor working on traffic signals in the Florida Keys, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Ron Capobianco Jr., 40, is charged with committing bribery in connection with programs receiving federal funds. If convicted, he could get 10 years in prison. He had his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Seltzer Wednesday morning.

He is accused of accepting $4,000 for steering a $25,000 contract to a subcontractor. Prosecutors did not say who that subcontractor is or whether the subcontractor approached authorities or they approached the subcontractor.

Prosecutors say Capobianco worked as an engineering and inspection consultant at Miami's Metric Engineering Inc. DOT contracted with Metric to provide services including designing, inspecting and troubleshooting construction of roads, signs and traffic signals.

DOT considered Capobianco an expert on signalization and lighting construction, including the use of video cameras for traffic signalization and control. Prosecutors say that around 2009, DOT began its work in Marathon to improve traffic flow.

They say that around May 2009, an agent of the subcontractor offered to pay Capobianco $5,000 if the subcontractor could receive at least $25,000 to install video detection equipment. Capobianco reportedly agreed to the deal, enabling the subcontractor to make a significant profit.

The subcontractor's estimate was approved and subsequently paid by the state after the equipment was installed. Then around May 2009, Capobianco reportedly met with an agent of the subcontractor in Plantation in Broward County and was paid $4,000 in cash for his help getting the subcontractor the work.

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James Franco, Rachel Weisz Oz The Great and Powerful Posters

Oh My!

The release of Oz the Great and Powerful is just over a month
away, and in anticipation for the return of this famous story to the big
screen (there is a twist of course), Disney released some rather
telling character posters. One of which shows Rachel Weisz (Evanora) in
her best witch wear, and in the other, we see James Franco (Oz) giving a
greeting with his top hat. Also starring Michelle Williams and Mila
Kunis, the new Oz film, out March 8th, is about a Kansas
con-artist who is swept into a magical land where he must fight an evil
sorceress. Click the pics for a closer looks at the fun film posters.

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Bloomberg on micro living: I did it for 10 years

He invented the industry-shattering "Bloomberg Box," but young Mike Bloomberg was a flop when it came to putting up a single bookshelf.

The billionaire mayor, one of the wealthiest men in the US, got to reminiscing about his about his early days in New York in the '60s when the discussion on his weekly WOR radio show turned to the 55 "micro" apartments of 250 to 370 square feet that are planned near Bellevue Hospital.

"It's bigger than the apartment I lived in for 10 years, or roughly the same size," Bloomberg recalled, referring to a 325-square-foot fitted-out model at the Museum of the City of New York, where the micros were debuted.

Getty Images

Mayor Bloomberg

"I used to sleep on a couch sometimes, where you'd open the couch up and it was a pain to take the pillows off and everything and then open it up and make the bed."

The mayor said all his furniture came from the Door Store or Alexander's -- the East Side department store that closed in 1992 -- and when he tried his hand at self-made furnishings the results were laughable.

"I made my own shelves and then I stained them and then the shelves warped," Bloomberg said. "For 10 years, my books rocked back and forth. I was so annoyed with myself. I should have thought of that."

Records show Bloomberg, who made a king's fortune from Bloomberg terminals that provide financial data, now holds title to 11 homes around the world.

On another housing issue, the mayor said he sympathizes with homeowners in Sandy-damaged districts who have no heat and won't re-locate.

"If it were me, I might very well stay at home," he said. "Cold showers are not fun and living with lots of clothing is not fun. But, you know, it's your home. I don't know what I would do. I certainly would not rule out staying at home."

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Lennar design accommodates multigenerational families

In some cases, it may be Grandma moving in with the family. Other times, it may be a recent college graduate returning to the nest.

For all sorts of reasons — financial, medical, personal — a rising number of Americans are moving into extended family households.

Spotting a niche in the growing trend, Lennar Corp. has launched a new concept tailor-made for multigenerational family living.

It’s basically a house within a house: a smaller living unit next to the main home designed to provide independence but also access to the rest of the family household.

“People are really loving the whole concept,” said Carlos Gonzalez, president of the southeast Florida division of Lennar, a Miami-based home-building giant. “We adapted to the market from a design standpoint.”

In Miami-Dade County, Lennar is selling various versions of multigenerational homes in three new developments in Doral, Kendall and Homestead.

Louis Moreno of Kendall and his wife, Danilza Velez, signed a contract for a large NextGen home in The Vineyards development in Homestead last October — even before the models had been built.

“We loved it,” said Moreno, a 45-year-old engineer.

Moreno said his mother-in-law will be able to use the new suite when she visits, as will his family members who frequently come to town from Puerto Rico. “This will provide them with more comfortable space and more privacy,” he said. He also plans to use it as a game room and entertainment area.

The two-story Zinfandel home Moreno picked has three bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms in the main home with a family room and two-car garage. In addition, it has an ample 789-square-foot suite with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchenette. The suite has its own garage, a separate front entrance and an internal door connecting to the main home.

The Zinfandel, which has 2,249 square feet of air-conditioned space in the main house, starts at $283,990 in the Homestead community at 128 SE 28th Ter., but a similar home in Kendall would run about $100,000 more, primarily because of higher land costs, Fernandez said. (In Doral, there is a NextGen home priced at $677,990.)

Some multigenerational models have suites as small as 489 square feet, but all have a separate entrance, a bedroom, a bathroom and some sort of kitchen space.

The idea takes various shapes. One option at the Kendall Square development at 16950 SW 90th St. is a Granny unit above a detached garage.

“Independence is the key word,” said Frank Fernandez, director of sales and marketing for the southeast Florida division.

Depending on local zoning rules, some homes can have full kitchens, others are restricted to kitchenettes with a microwave but no stove. Similarly, some municipalities permit the space to be used as a rental, others prohibit it.

The choice is proving popular. Fernandez said in The Vineyards development in Homestead, 10 of the 14 homes sold to date are NextGen. At Kendall Square, 35 of 107 sales are multigenerational, and at the Isles at Grand Bay development at 11301 NW 74th Street in Doral, five of 48 houses are.

Adapting homes for special needs, such as wheelchairs and safety railings, is done at cost, Fernandez said: “That is company policy.”

As one of the nation’s largest home builders, Lennar has been rebounding strongly from the housing crash. Last week, the builder, whose shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange, posted better than expected earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Nov. 30, 2012.

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Miami-Dade County Commission helps Miami Dolphins more than voters

If deceptive inconsistency were currency, the Miami-Dade County Commission could make a mint.

And the Miami Dolphins would be happy for it. That way, the county commission could simply give the money away to help cover the football club’s $400 million stadium renovation plan.

Unable to do that, the commission Wednesday urged the Legislature to give the county the authority to raise hotel taxes and give the Dolphins an additional $3 million annual state subsidy.

The plan has the slimmest of chances in the Florida Legislature. It’s controlled by Republicans, many of whom can’t afford to run in a GOP primary where they can be accused of voting to raise taxes or of doling out corporate welfare or both.

But the county commission asked anyway. Despite the long odds.

Is this the same county commission that decided not to ask the Florida Legislature to reinstate 14 early voting days because of the long odds in Tallahassee?

Why yes, yes it is.

“I’m not sure that you’re going to get 14 days out of the state Legislature,” Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Dec. 14 when a county election advisory group reviewed Election Supervisor Penelope Townsley’s proposal for two full weeks of early voting.

So the commission essentially negotiated with itself and asked for nine days of early voting. That’s just one more than the current eight days, which (coupled with county bumbling over precincts and early voting sites) helped lead to exceedingly long and embarrassing voting lines. The lines stretched for more than eight hours in some places, and made Florida and Miami a national elections embarrassment.

Again.

Even Gov. Rick Scott, who signed the early voting cutback and refused to extend early voting days, realized what a politically bad idea eight days of early voting is. Scott recently proposed a return to 14. That’s not a guarantee it’ll return to 14 days, but it’s a good indication of strong support.

So the commission didn’t ask. Despite the short odds.

The argument was bogus at the time. The commission often urges the Legislature to do things it might not do.

At best, it’s inconsistent. At worst, it’s deceptive. In reality, it’s both. Whether the commissioners are self-deceived or not will take some figuring.

But it’s a good idea of where their priorities are.

More early voting? Well, let’s not ask too much.

Money for a football stadium? Hell, let’s ask for $200 million from taxpayers.

But not every commissioner is to blame.

County Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo, who incidentally supported nine days of early voting, was at least consistent and was one of four commissioners to oppose the Dolphins deal as well. Bovo was a state legislator and said his former colleagues won’t go along with the idea. Also, he said, the last stadium deal from the county was a stinker.

Said Bovo: “The stench of the Marlins deal is in the pores of everything this is about.”

That ain’t the only thing that stinks.

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Allison Williams Impersonates Dad Brian Williams

Allison Williams admits that when your dad is NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, the man who knows "a lot about a lot," it's hard to tell him anything he doesn't already know. But as his daughter, the Girls star shares with Jimmy Kimmel some inside embarrassing information about the news man and does an impression of her father reading her obituary. It's not as eerie as it sounds!

"I have never once in my entire life broken something down for my dad," Allison said on Wednesday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live! "He's been eight months ahead of me music-wise forever."

In fact, it was her 53-year-old father that first introduced her to Hanson when the brother band was coming up. "Let's just put that out there. He was a fan of Hanson," she revealed.

RELATED: Allison Williams: My Grandparents Saw My Solo Sex Scene

When asked about her dad's reporting, the actress did admit that she wonders how he'd read her obit if ever she were to die. Of how he would announce the death on Nightly News, she joked, "And then he would pause and just sort of look down and say, 'She will be missed. We'll be right back with more news on how you can save on your hard medication.'"

RELATED: Lena Dunham: Brian Williams Is Always On Set

The laughs didn't stop there! Check out Allison and Jimmy's impersonation of royal couple Kate Middleton and Prince William:

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WATCH: Te'o and Couric on his phone calls with 'Lennay Kekua'

Manti Te'o remains doubtful that accused hoaxer Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was the voice he spent hours talking and listening to over the phone, according to a new preview of his interview with Katie Couric, which is set to air in full today.

Te'o reportedly had 1,000 calls with someone he thought was "Lennay Kekua," including one in which he claims to have heard her come out of her coma.

WATCH: TE'O 'HOAXER' IN AWKWARD HUG WITH GRIDDER AFTER USC GAME

Te'o told Couric that he heard breathing followed by her whispering his name.

Couric said Te'o told her, when asked whether he thought it could have been Tuiasosopo, or a man, on the phone, "It didn't sound like a man; it sounded like a woman. If he somehow made that voice, that's incredible. It's an incredible talent to do that, especially every day."

Couric, who's heard the voicemails, said the voice sounded like a woman to her, too.

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