‘Power’ heads toward its finale
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson says he never doubted that “Power” would become a ratings juggernaut.
The executive producer and actor in the Starz series says he predicted the show’s success to cast members before it premiered five years ago. He believes it will continue to thrive moving forward when the hit series kicks off its final season Sunday night.
“Power” will air its sixth season in two parts. The first 10 episodes will begin airing Sunday and the final five episodes will start airing in January.
The series will come to an end, but Starz already has plans for a couple spinoffs including “Power Book II: Ghost,” featuring Mary J. Blige. The other will focus on Jackson’s character Kanan in the prequel “Raising Kanan.”
Rolling Stones get a little piece of Mars
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — There is now a “Rolling Stones Rock” on Mars, and it’s giving Mick and the boys some serious satisfaction.
NASA named the little stone for the legendary rockers after its InSight robotic lander captured it rolling across the surface of Mars. Robert Downey Jr. took the stage just before the Stones at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Thursday night to make the new moniker public.
The stadium is just a stones’ throw from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages InSight.
Mick Jagger took a moment between songs to tell the crowd that “NASA has given us something we have always dreamed of, our very own rock on Mars. I can’t believe it.”
Jagger added, “I want to bring it back and put it on our mantelpiece.”
Judge set to name Smollett prosecutor
CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois judge seems close to appointing a special prosecutor to look into why state prosecutors abruptly dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett accusing him of staging a racist, anti-gay attack against himself.
A hearing today will be one of the first opportunities for Cook County Judge Michael Toomin to name someone since his surprise ruling in June that a special prosecutor was warranted.
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office charged Smollett in February with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for purportedly orchestrating the incident. A month later, prosecutors dropped all charges with little explanation.
Among the options available to a special prosecutor would be to restore charges against Smollett, who continues to maintain the January incident wasn’t staged.
