Jussie Smollett's trial is coming to a close. This is how we got here
CNN
Closing arguments are set to begin today in the trial of former "Empire" star Jussie Smollett, who is accused of making false reports to authorities that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.
Smollett, 39, was indicted on six counts last year by a Cook County, Illinois, grand jury, but the actor has insisted on his innocence, repeatedly denying he orchestrated the attack. His attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf. The six-count indictment -- the most recent twist in a case that gripped the nation from the start -- came after 16 felony disorderly conduct counts Smollett was previously facing were unexpectedly dropped.
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.
Patricia Quishpe had a work permit when she was arrested by immigration agents and held away from her family. But a judge ruled her detention unlawful, ordering her to be released, like hundreds of others.
In homes across America, the gifts have been opened, wrapping paper and bows strewn about living rooms.
Congressional Republicans have yet to break the record for most retirements in a single year, but some say it’s only a matter of time before widespread frustration with the current state of Washington leads to a tipping point as many in the party head for the exits.
A traffic stop outside of Baltimore Wednesday ended with an undocumented man shot and another injured after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents allege the driver of a van drove directly at officers, prompting them to open fire.
The host of the Kennedy Center’s annual Christmas Eve jazz performance canceled Wednesday’s concert, citing the board of trustees’ move to rename the facility for both the 35th president and President Donald Trump.
The phone rings. Would your 10-year-old like to speak with the president? He’s tracking Santa Claus from his living room in Palm Beach.
Nasry “Tito” Asfura, a conservative politician backed by US President Donald Trump, has been declared the winner of the Honduran presidential election, narrowly edging out right-leaning centrist Salvador Nasralla in a contest marked by allegations of foreign intervention and voting irregularities.
The Justice Department on Wednesday said it has uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case and may need “a few more weeks” to process and release them to the public.
Eighteen Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new Trump administration policy seeking to bar transgender care for minors at federally-funded hospitals.
Wassail — from a greeting meaning “be in good health” — evokes some kind of ancient holiday tradition. But its particulars, like the spiced beverage, can be cloudy.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reallocate federal Homeland Security funding away from states that refuse to cooperate with certain federal immigration enforcement.
When the Justice Department released a first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday that included photographs of former President Bill Clinton, White House officials raced to amplify the importance of the new documents.
One year ago this week, Joe Biden was president. I was in Doha, Qatar, negotiating with Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The incoming Trump team worked closely with us, a rare display of nonpartisanship to free hostages and end a war. It feels like a decade ago. A lot can happen in a year, as 2025 has shown.