Special prosecutor will still be appointed
CHICAGO (AP) — A judge told Jussie Smollett’s attorneys he’s not changing his mind about appointing a special prosecutor in the case against the actor and that he won’t let another judge replace him.
The losses that Cook County Judge Michael Toomin handed the attorneys Wednesday mean Smollett may not be clear of criminal charges alleging he staged an attack in January in Chicago that he described as racist and homophobic. Prosecutors dropped the charges against him in March, but a special prosecutor could charge him again.
Smollett’s attorneys have argued that Toomin should remove himself because he presumed Smollett guilty. Toomin said Wednesday that the special prosecutor’s opinion will be the only one that matters.
Toomin decided in June to appoint a special prosecutor to examine the dismissal of the charges but hasn’t said who it will be.
Organizers cancel Woodstock 50
NEW YORK (AP) — Woodstock 50 is officially canceled.
Organizers announced Wednesday that the troubled festival that hit a series of setbacks in the last four months won’t take place next month.
The three-day festival was originally scheduled for Aug. 16 through 18, but holdups included permit denials and the loss of a financial partner and a production company.
Last week Jay-Z, Dead & Company and John Fogerty announced they wouldn’t perform at the event after organizers said it was moving to Maryland from New York.
The original Woodstock, a festival pushing the message of peace, love and music, was a seminal, groundbreaking event in 1969 that featured performances by Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, the Who and other iconic acts.
YouTuber dies in paraglider accident
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The creator of the YouTube channel “King of Random,” whose experiments and hands-on science tips drew 11 million subscribers, has died in a Utah paragliding crash.
Jonathan Grant Thompson, 38, was found dead on Monday, Washington County Sheriff’s Lt. David Crouse said. The cause is under investigation.
Thompson’s videos have been watched more than a billion times.
They range from filling a balloon with liquid nitrogen to making a laser-assisted blowgun. Some were practical, like how to get better cell phone reception, while others were whimsical, like building a raft from rice cakes.
His most popular video was about how to make gummy candies in the shape of Legos.
Thompson made headlines last year after complaints about explosions in his suburban Salt Lake City backyard brought criminal charges. He agreed to make safety-themed videos as part of a plea deal.
His many followers are expressing their condolences, calling him a creative force on the platform whose unconventional approach sparked their interest in science.
YouTube said in a tweet that he was a “gifted, passionate and endlessly curious creator.”
Thompson had been making videos since 2010.
