- Victims identified after 6 die in Amazon warehouse blasted by tornado in Illinois USA TODAY
- Bezos responds, hours after blasted for silence on Amazon warehouse tragedy in Illinois Fox Business
- ‘Nauseating and Heartbreaking’: Amazon Worker Killed Trying to Warn Others of Tornado, Family Says The Daily Beast
- Edwardsville, IL tornado victims ID’d, crews search rubble from damage to Amazon warehouse WLS-TV
- Bezos under fire for posting about Blue Origin space mission after tornadoes kill staff at Amazon depot The Independent
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: today
The PS5 and Xbox Series X will be available for Walmart Plus members today
Ready. Steady. Go. If you’re still looking for a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, Walmart Plus members will be able to queue up for the console beginning at 12PM EST on Wednesday, December 8th. Walmart will open the digital queue for the standard PlayStation 5 ($500), the disc-less, digital-only version ($400), and the Xbox Series X ($500). This paywall doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have success in snagging a console, but it’s currently the only way to be in the running at this particular retailer.
You have to be logged into your Walmart Plus account to even attempt to add a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X to your cart, so if you haven’t done so already, make sure you log in ahead of time and have your credentials saved to keep things moving along.
If you aren’t already a Walmart Plus member, you’ll need to sign up for this $13 / month subscription service in order to be eligible for this restock. Unfortunately, you can’t simply exploit the 15-day free trial it offers, but subscribing to the service will make you eligible for benefits like free shipping and early access to sales and restock events.
Some essential accessories for your consoles
If you’re lucky enough to bag yourself a PS5 or Series X, make sure you don’t skip out on accessories.
Stock Market Today: Dow Rose as Moderna Slumped Again
The
Dow Jones Industrial Average
had one of its best days this year on Monday, as value and defensive stocks led a rebound from last week’s market declines.
The news Monday was relatively positive, with signs that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 might be less severe than earlier strains and reports that China is considering easing monetary policy. On the Federal Reserve policy front, the latest reporting suggested that the central bank could announce plans at its next meeting to more quickly pull back from its bond-buying program.
The Dow surged 647 points, or 1.9%, for its best one-day point gain since November 2020 and the largest percentage increase since last March. The
S&P 500
closed up 1.2% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.9%, while the small-cap
Russell 2000
gained 2.1%, for its fourth-straight daily move of 2% or more.
Post-pandemic reopening stocks were among the biggest gainers on Monday. The
U.S. Global Jets
exchange-traded fund (ticker: JETS) added 5.3%, as
American Airlines Group
(AAL) added 7.9% and
United Airlines Holdings
(UAL) jumped 8.3%. Cruise lines
Carnival
(CCL) and
Royal Caribbean Cruises
(RCL) surged 8.0% and 8.3%, respectively.
Marriott International
(MAR) added 4.5%,
Live Nation Entertainment
(LYV) rose 6.1%, and
Cinemark Holdings
(CNK) gained 7.7%.
S&P 500 value stocks as a group gained 1.4% on Monday, versus a 0.9% rise for growth stocks in the index.
Investor attention remains focused on the newly discovered Omicron variant of coronavirus, news of which recently brought about the Dow’s worst day of the year and saw volatility rock markets last week. The latest headline driving sentiment comes from South Africa, where data—though from a small sample size—suggest that symptoms caused by Omicron were milder than with other variants.
Investors aren’t out of the woods yet, however. The broad market will remain sensitive to daily headlines about Omicron—both good and bad.
“It still feels like we’re in the guesswork stage of working out what the impact of Omicron will be,” said Russ Mould, an analyst at broker AJ Bell. “It would be naive to rule out further volatility as markets attempt to work out exactly what’s going on.”
On Monday, the news was positive and investors bought the market. All 11 S&P 500 sectors closed in the green.
Fed policy has been pushing investor sentiment the other way. Chair Jerome Powell indicated last week that the central bank would consider speeding up its slowing, or tapering, of monthly asset purchases, which add liquidity to markets, amid higher inflation.
“We’re really at a fascinating crossroads in markets at the moment,” said Jim Reid, a strategist at Deutsche Bank. “The market sentiment on the virus and the policy makers at the Fed are moving in opposite directions.”
Those trends mean different things for different kinds of stocks and indexes.
If Omicron is less severe than feared, then the economy might hold up better than expected. That would be good for economically-sensitive cyclical stocks, like many of those in the Dow. Higher bond yields and interest rates, however, can put downward pressure on stock valuations, particularly those with nosebleed price-to-earnings ratios, many of which are found in the Nasdaq.
“Like Friday, how the Nasdaq trades will likely determine the day, as markets want to see the tech sector stabilize after intense weakness late last week,” wrote the Sevens Report’s Tom Essaye. “If the Nasdaq can stabilize, the broad market can bounce.”
The tech-heavy index bounced from a loss of about 1% shortly after Monday’s opening bell.
In the commodity space, oil prices rose Monday after Saudi Arabia raised its January prices for Asian and U.S. customers over the weekend by $0.60, in a sign of firmer demand expectations.
Futures contracts for the international oil benchmark Brent rose 4.6%, to above $73 a barrel, with U.S. futures for West Texas Intermediate crude up 4.9% to about $69.50 a barrel.
“Given that OPEC+ is proceeding with its planned 400,000 barrels per day increase this month, it appears that Saudi Arabia is taking a punt that Omicron is a virus in a teacup,” said Jeffrey Halley, an analyst at broker Oanda. “Saudi Arabia’s confidence, along with the South African Omicron article over the weekend, is a boost to markets looking for good news in any corner they can find it.”
Cryptocurrency markets remained depressed after digital assets took a tumble over the weekend.
Bitcoin
and
Ether,
the two leading cryptos, remained off their lows following the stark fall Saturday, but were slipping after steadying Sunday. Bitcoin was trading hands around $49,000—down from more than $57,000 as recently as Friday—with Ether holding above $4,000.
Here are several stocks on the move Monday:
Nvidia
(ticker: NVDA) was among the most actively traded stocks in the U.S. Monday, closing down about 2.1%. Shares of fellow semiconductor firm Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) lost 3.4%.
Lucid Group
(LCID) stock dropped 5.1% after the electric-vehicle startup revealed that it had received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission, without offering many details.
Kohl’s
(KSS) gained 5.4% after an activist investor said it should explore selling itself.
Moderna
(MRNA) fell 13.5% after its president said that the risk that vaccines don’t work as well against Omicron is high. Pfizer (PFE) stock slid more than 5%.
Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) stock closed up 10.4% after a management shakeup at the e-commerce giant.
Deutsche Bank
(DB) rose 3.6% after JPMorgan upgraded the bank to Overweight from Neutral, adding that the group shows positive revenue developments in key divisions.
Pharma giant
Roche
(ROG.Switzerland) rose 1.5% in Zurich after announcing that it would release rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 and flu viruses next month.
Food delivery group
Just Eat Takeaway.com
(JET.U.K.) fell 4.9% in London following a price target cut and downgrade to Market Perform from Outperform by Bernstein, which sees few positive catalysts in the pipeline for the company.
Write to Jack Denton at jack.denton@dowjones.com
‘The Matrix Awakens’ is an Unreal Engine 5 demo you can preload today
On December 9th, Epic Games will release The Matrix Awakens, an interactive tie-in to The Matrix Resurrections. You can preload the demo to your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S console ahead of its debut at The Game Awards. Epic built the experience using Unreal Engine 5, and you can see what the next-generation engine is capable of in a teaser the company shared today. “How do we know what is real?” asks a life-like Keanu Reeves partway through the clip.
It’s a rare movie experience that’s any good, but that might not matter with The Matrix Awakens. For most people, this will be their first chance to see UE5 in action. Epic previewed the latest iteration of its popular game engine part way through last year with a stunning PS5 demo that showed off what it could do. In May, the company released an early access version of UE5 to PC, but the system requirements meant most people couldn’t experience the Valley of the Ancient demo with the hardware they had.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
32 things we learned from Week 13 of 2021 NFL season: Star players shine with clutch performances – USA TODAY
- 32 things we learned from Week 13 of 2021 NFL season: Star players shine with clutch performances USA TODAY
- NFL Week 13 takeaways – What we learned, big questions for every game and future team outlooks ESPN
- Fantasy Football Week 13 Recap: Immediate takeaways & analysis for every game | Fantasy Football News, Rankings and Projections Pro Football Focus
- NFL DFS, Week 13: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy football picks, stacks, lineup advice CBSSports.com
- Fantasy football highs and lows from NFL Week 13 – Kyler Murray returns in top form ESPN India
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Moderna booster shots and omicron: New guidance, programs, stats to know today
The Moderna booster is here. The CDC recommends you get one.
Algi Febri Sugita/Getty Images
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.
More than 100 million people in the US are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot from Moderna of Pfizer, as the omicron variant continues to spread across the US (it’s now been detected in at least 12 states, from Hawaii to New York). As a result, the US is doubling down on COVID vaccine efforts, including getting booster shots in arms. (President Joe Biden’s campaign also includes “free” at-home COVID-19 test kits and stricter travel rules for international travelers.)
“The recent emergence of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in updated guidance online. “Early data from South Africa suggest increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant and the potential for immune evasion.”
The CDC urges booster shots for anyone over 18 six months after their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer, and two months after getting a single Johnson & Johnson dose.
While much is still unknown about the vaccine response to the new omicron variant, health professionals believe that booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer could help slow COVID’s spread, reducing hospitalization and deaths, as the effects of the vaccine weaken over time.
The COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be highly effective in preventing hospitalization. People who are unvaccinated are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized if infected. With the federal vaccine mandates halted by a court order, Biden is turning to other measures to get booster shots administered. The government has also ordered 13 million courses of antiviral drugs in anticipation of higher case loads.
Here’s what you need to know about the Moderna booster, including doses, side effects and how to get a free ride. For more details, here’s the latest on COVID-19 vaccines for kids, how you can get a free COVID-19 test kit soon, how to get a free ride to your booster appointment and what to know about breakthrough infections.
Watch this:
COVID-19 boosters and the delta variant: What you need…
7:23
Should people who are pregnant get a booster shot?
The COVID booster recommendations apply to all people 18 years and older, including people who are pregnant. In fact, the CDC urges pregnant people to get a COVID vaccine — and a booster is half a full vaccine dose.
“People who are pregnant or recently pregnant are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with people who are not pregnant,” the CDC says on its website.
A recent study also linked COVID-19 infection in pregnant people to higher risk of stillbirth.
Is the Moderna booster shot a third dose?
Booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines are currently half doses of the same vaccine used in the first two full shots. The goal is to top up the vaccine formula that reinforces the body’s immune response against the virus and its variants. The Moderna booster authorized by the CDC is a 50-microgram dose, while the first two shots were each 100 micrograms.
Moderna is also working on a combination shot that contains this year’s flu vaccine and its COVID-19 booster vaccine, but that’s not available right now.
Moderna’s booster shot is currently half the size of a full dose.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Is Moderna making an omicron booster shot?
Scientists worry the omicron variant could spread more quickly than the now-dominant delta variant because of the number of mutations the new strain has compared with delta. Moderna is currently working on an omicron-specific booster vaccine, along with testing a COVID-19 vaccine that could protect against several mutated strains of the coronavirus.
Like every other vaccine-maker around the world, Moderna is testing the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against omicron, but it may be weeks before lab tests show concrete evidence of how well Moderna protects people from the new variant.
As part of its booster testing, Moderna is also investigating whether a 100-microgram dose of its booster provides better protection against the omicron variant — in other words, a third dose rather than a half dose as the booster is currently formulated now.
If Moderna needs to make a new vaccine modified for the variant, it could be available early in 2022.
How do I know which pharmacies have Moderna appointments?
Boosters are available at roughly 80,000 places across the country, including over 40,000 local pharmacies. Some 90% of Americans have a vaccine site within 5 miles of where they live.
A terrific free service in conjunction with the CDC sends you information when you text your ZIP code to this number: 438829. The response will show you COVID-19 vaccine locations in your area, along with the brand they carry for certain age groups, for instance, Moderna 18+. This can save you the trial and error of calling around, or showing up to your appointment to find that your booster of choice isn’t available. The text can also give you a shortcut to make your appointment right from your phone screen.
You can also check Vaccines.gov to see which vaccines are available where, and call 800-232-0233 for vaccine information.
Watch this:
What to do if you lose your vaccination card, and how…
3:00
How can I get a free ride to get my booster shot?
Lyft and Uber are offering free rides for some people who need them. An easy way to access those links for more information is through the text feature above You can also go to Lyft.com/vax or call Uber at: 855-921-0033.
When is it time to get a booster shot?
If you got Pfizer or Moderna, six months after the date of your second shot listed on your vaccination card is when you’re eligible to receive your booster dose. The CDC and other health authorities are now urging you to get your booster as soon as you’re eligible, to keep your immune response against omicron, delta and other coronavirus variants as strong as possible. Two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the time for a booster (more below).
On Dec. 2, Biden also outlined a plan for Medicare to contact the 64 million people it serves and for AARP to reach out to its 38 million senior members. Pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid and others will also contact people who got a vaccine at their retail stores when it’s time to schedule another dose.
Who can get a Moderna booster shot right now?
As of Nov. 19, all US adults — those age 18 and older — are eligible to get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. They qualify if it’s been at least six months since they’ve received a second dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster dose after two months. Adults are encouraged to get whatever booster dose is available to them, even if that means mixing and matching vaccine boosters (more below), in other words, getting a different booster shot than their original vaccination.
What are the side effects of Moderna’s booster?
According to the CDC, those who got the Moderna booster dose reported fewer reactions than they did after the second dose of the vaccine. In its study, the CDC found 95% of those who got Moderna for the first round of vaccine shots chose Moderna for the booster dose.
Moderna’s booster shot is free of charge for all adults.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Is it safe to mix and match vaccine and booster brands? Yes
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized mixing COVID-19 boosters, which in the US means Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Anyone eligible for a booster can get any of the available brands of coronavirus vaccines. If you initially received Johnson & Johnson and it’s been two months or longer since you received the initial dose, you’ll be able to get the Moderna or Pfizer booster. If you received Moderna or Pfizer for your first two shots, you could pick any authorized vaccine available to you — including J&J — if you qualify and it’s been six months or longer since your second shot.
Is the Moderna COVID-19 booster shot still free?
All booster shots will be free, regardless of immigration or health insurance status. However, depending on where you get your booster shot — for example, at a local pharmacy — you may be asked to log your insurance status. You may be asked to provide your insurance card information, including your name, date of birth and membership number. You will not be charged for your COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot.
Will I need another COVID booster shot?
The CDC updated its guidance to say that in 2022, some immunocompromised people will be able to get a fourth COVID-19 booster shot. It’s unclear if other groups will need to get a fourth dose at this time, but guidance could change in light of the omicron variant.
For more on coronavirus treatments and vaccines, here’s what we know about monoclonal antibody treatments, the new federal vaccine mandates and why some people may not want the shot.
What does the Moderna booster shot do?
A COVID-19 booster shot — whether from Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson — tops off your immune response and guards against a breakthrough COVID-19 infection as the vaccine’s effectiveness decreases over time.
Recent studies of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines show that their effectiveness can begin to wane after six months. Moderna said early data suggests that those who received the Moderna vaccine in 2020 are showing a higher rate of breakthrough COVID-19 infections than those vaccinated this year, suggesting the need for a booster to maintain high levels of protection.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Stock Market Today: Dow Bounces Back as Covid Variant Fears Ease
Text size
The Omicron variant has prompted new travel restrictions around the world.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Stocks were rebounding Monday following Friday’s rout as vaccine makers said that they can adjust their Covid-19 vaccines to adequately immunize against the Omicron variant.
In afternoon trading, the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
was up 320 points, or 0.9%, after the blue-chip benchmark plunged 905 points Friday. The
S&P 500
was up 1.6%, and the
Nasdaq Composite
advanced 2.1%. All three indexes notched their worst Black Friday on record at the end of last week, with the Dow suffering its worst day of the year. The last time the Nasdaq moved at least 2% on back-to-back days was March 8 and March 9 of this year.
“Keep in mind, while COVID continues to be a serious threat, we’re in a very different place than we were at the start of the pandemic in terms of medical advances and the strength of our economy,” wrote Chris Larkin, managing director of trading at ETrade.
Pfizer
(ticker: PFE) said over the weekend it can adapt its vaccine to address the new variant within 6 weeks.
Moderna
(MRNA) said it could potentially roll out a reformulated vaccine by early 2022. Moderna stock was up 11% Monday, while Pfizer was down 1.2%.
It wasn’t just stocks that were signaling investor optimism. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 1.53% from 1.48% at Friday’s close, a sign that that investors are moving out of safer assets and into risky ones. The price of WTI crude oil rose more than 4% to above $70 a barrel after having dropped more than 10% Friday.
These are all good signs, but markets are still monitoring the Covid-19 situation. Just this month, new lockdowns in Europe were announced and the Omicron variant seems to be spreading globally.
“Expect markets to remain choppy near term as we wait for further details on the new variant,” wrote Keith Lerner, co-chief investment officer at Truist.
Overseas, London’s
FTSE 100
climbed 0.9%, rebounding from its largest one-day drop of 2021. In Asia, where markets closed before Friday’s selloff steepened, Hong Kong’s
Hang Seng Index
was 1% lower.
Here are five stocks on the move Monday:
Sectors that were slammed Friday—like travel—were generally higher, but most remained below levels seen before news of Omicron broke. Cruise operator
Carnival
(CCL) rose 1.5% initially, before that gain moderated to 0.4%. “I also would be buying travel/leisure stocks as if there is a mega trend that keeps bouncing back in the face of Covid,” wrote Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group.
Hyatt Hotels
(H) gained 4.2% after getting upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.
TJX Cos.
(TJX) stock advanced 1.8% after getting upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup.
Bumble
(BMBL) stock rose 3.5% after getting upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Raymond James.
United Parcel Service
(UPS) stock dropped 0.4% after getting downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
Write to Jacob Sonenshine at jacob.sonenshine@barrons.com and Jack Denton at jack.denton@dowjones.com
Cyber Monday soundbar deals: the 13 best soundbar discounts still live today
Want to improve your TV’s sonic performance with a soundbar but you’ve missed the Black Friday sales? Never fear, Cyber Monday is underway and there’s plenty of great deals to be had on excellent speakers to boost the quality of your home cinema sound.
We all know that in-built TV speakers aren’t much to write home about and while flat-panel pictures are becoming crisper and brighter, frustratingly we still struggle to hear dialogue and sound effects with any clarity.
But there is a cost-effective way to hear vocals more clearly and up the ante with film soundtracks. Just grab yourself a great-value soundbar from some of the excellent models on offer this Cyber Monday.
A soundbar is the easiest way to bolster your TV’s audio capabilities without cluttering your living room. And the good news just keeps on coming, as there are currently some extra-tasty deals to be snapped up on wallet-friendly TV soundbars, as well as some excellent savings on more premium options if you’re partnering with a bigger, flagship TV.
Here’s our pick of the best soundbar deals this Cyber Monday. We’ll keep updating this page regularly, but due to the nature of flash deals, some of these offers will disappear once their allotted time has elapsed – or as and when stocks run out.
The best Cyber Monday sales
The best Cyber Monday deals
MORE:
Here are the best cheap soundbars you can currently buy
And check out the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
Jussie Smollett’s trial starts today. This is how we got here
Judge James Linn said during an October hearing no cameras will be allowed in court. On the same day attorneys for the actor made a final push to have the case dismissed. The judge denied the motion.
With the trial kicking off more than two years after Smollett said he was attacked, here’s a look at how we got here.
Smollett told authorities he was attacked in the early morning hours of January 29, 2019 by two men who were yelling racial and homophobic slurs. He said the two men put a noose around his neck and poured an unknown substance on him, according to Chicago police.
Celebrities, politicians and advocacy groups rallied behind the actor, with former President Donald Trump calling the alleged attack “horrible.” In his first public statement since the reported attack, Smollett thanked his fans for the support and attempted to dispel doubts questioning the integrity of his story, saying he had “been 100% factual and consistent on every level.”
Police began an investigation, taking Smollett’s sweater and rope and eventually obtaining video showing the actor entering a Lowes store after the alleged attack with what appeared to be a noose around his neck.
A day after the alleged attack, police said they found surveillance footage showing “potential persons of interest wanted for questioning.”
Two brothers confess to plot
About a month later, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett allegedly paid two brothers $3,500 to stage the attack to take “advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” saying the brothers confessed to the plot.
“As far as we can tell, the scratching and bruising that you saw on his face were most likely self-inflicted,” Johnson said in late February 2019.
Smollett was arrested on suspicion of filing a false report and released on bond. Prosecutors alleged Smollett texted a friend, one of the brothers, on January 25 and asked to talk. He laid out the plan and rehearsed it, prosecutors said, and gave the friend, Abimbola Osundairo, and his brother, Olabinjo, a $100 bill to buy clothing and rope for a noose and instructed the duo not to bring their phones to the attack. Phone records indicated Smollett talked to the brothers about an hour before the alleged attack and an hour after, authorities said, citing text messages and hours of surveillance video.
The Osundairo brothers told police Smollett first “attempted to gain attention by sending a false letter that relied on racial, homophobic and political language,” Johnson said in February 2019. A week before the alleged attack, a letter containing white powder and a drawing of a “stick figure hanging from a tree” was sent to the Chicago set of “Empire,” police said. Prosecutors said Smollett told Abimbola Osundairo he was disappointed in the “Empire” team’s reaction to the letter. The powder turned out to be aspirin.
After cooperating with police, the two brothers were released without being charged.
After his arrest, Smollett apologized to the show’s cast and crew for any embarrassment the allegations may have caused but maintained he was innocent.
Smollett is indicted on 16 felony counts
In March 2019, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct by a Cook County, Illinois, grand jury. The indictment said that after the alleged attack, Smollett gave statements to both a Chicago police officer and to a detective but that details in those statements were different.
An attorney for Smollett at the time called the indictment a “prosecutorial overkill” and a “desperate attempt to make headlines,” adding the actor maintained his innocence.
On March 14, 2019, Smollett appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
About a week before the charges were announced, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx removed herself from the case to address potential concerns of impartiality “based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in this case,” a spokeswoman from her office said.
All charges are dropped
In a dramatic reversal in the case, Chicago prosecutors dropped all charges against Smollett on March 26, 2019. Revealing little about the reason why, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said the decision came after reviewing the case and after the actor agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond. Parts of the case were sealed, one of Smollett’s attorneys said.
“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.
First Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Magats, the lead prosecutor, said Smollett had no prior felonies and was not a danger to the community. He added that thousands of other cases had similar results but that this one stood out in the media because of Smollett’s celebrity.
After a brief appearance in a courtroom, Smollett told reporters he was thankful to everyone who stood by him and that he had been “truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.”
His attorney, Patricia Brown, said the two brothers were Smollett’s trainers and that he only paid them for “nutrition and training.”
“This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion,” two of the actor’s attorneys said in a statement. “Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result.”
City officials condemned the dropped charges, with the former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calling the case a “whitewash of justice” that sent a “clear message that if you’re in a position of influence and power, you’ll get treated one way. Other people will be treated another way.”
Johnson, the former police superintendent, said he stood by the investigators’ conclusions that Smollett staged the attack, saying the way Smollett could have cleared his name was “in a court of law so that everybody could see the evidence.”
In that same month, the city of Chicago said it wanted Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his alleged attack — more than $130,000 — and gave him a week to do so, kicking off a legal battle after the actor refused to pay.
Police release investigative reports
Following news of the dropped charges, Chicago police released a portion of their investigative reports in the case, which shed light on investigators’ interactions with the Osundairo brothers — including one instance in which one brother told detectives it “felt good” to tell the truth.
After the reports were made public, the police department was “then advised of a court order prohibiting such release,” then police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, the Chicago police union called for a federal investigation into Foxx, the state’s attorney for Cook County, to evaluate her involvement in the case following news reports about text messages between her and an attorney about “diverting the case from Chicago police department to a federal investigation,” Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham said in March 2019.
The following month, Foxx asked the Cook County inspector general to investigate her office’s handling of Smollett’s criminal case, saying that “ensuring that I and my office have the community’s trust and confidence is paramount to me.”
Judge approves a special prosecutor
In June 2019, a Cook County circuit judge approved the appointment of a special prosecutor to independently investigate the handling of Smollett’s case. The special prosecutor would have the authority to pursue charges for any crime committed during the investigation — including further prosecution of Smollett.
Also in June, Chicago police released body camera footage showing Smollett with a white rope tied in a noose around his neck on the night of the alleged attack. The footage was part of more than 70 hours of video and more than 400 pages of search warrants and some text messages that police released to the media.
A judge later ordered Google to turn over a year’s worth of Smollett’s personal electronic data — including his search history, photographs, files and geolocation data — to the special prosecutor.
Smollett’s publicist declined to comment on the search warrant at the time. Google did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment at the time.
Grand jury returns six-count indictment
A grand jury indicted Smollett in February 2020 for making false reports after special prosecutor Dan K. Webb, assigned to investigate the handling of the actor’s case, said his office “completed all of its investigative steps regarding Jussie Smollett, and has made the decision to further prosecute Mr. Smollett.”
The indictment charged Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago police officers, according to a statement from Webb’s office released at that time.
Several factors went into that determination, “including the extensive nature of Mr. Smollett’s false police reports, and the resources expended by the Chicago Police Department to investigate these false reports,” Webb said.
The special prosecutor’s office also said it had sufficient evidence to “determine that it disagrees” with how Foxx’s office handled the case. Webb said in a statement Foxx was unable to provide “documentary evidence” showing “other dispositions of similar cases prior to the Smollett case that would justify this disposition.” Foxx, who had admitted fault in her office’s handling of the case and said it could have been more transparent, dismissed Webb’s decision to indict Smollett weeks before the 2020 primary election as political. In November 2020, she won reelection for a second term.
Smollett’s attorney, Tina Glandian, said in a statement following the six-count indictment that the earlier charges were appropriately dismissed “because they were not supported by the evidence” and said the new attempt to prosecute the actor “is clearly all about politics not justice.”
Nearly two weeks later, Glandian entered a not guilty plea on her client’s behalf.
Researchers announce discovery of ancient mammoth tusk found 10,000 feet deep in the ocean – USA TODAY
- Researchers announce discovery of ancient mammoth tusk found 10,000 feet deep in the ocean USA TODAY
- An ancient mammoth tusk buried deep in Pacific Ocean & ‘newcomer’ dwarf galaxies in Milky Way ThePrint
- A 100,000-Year-Old Mammoth Tusk Has Been Discovered Off The Coast of California ScienceAlert
- Mammoth tusk found at bottom of Pacific Ocean off California coast; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute studying rare find KABC-TV
- ‘Remarkable’ 100,000-year-old mammoth tusk found by accident during deep-sea mission Daily Express
- View Full Coverage on Google News