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Jussie Smollett enters rehab after 'extremely difficult past few years': TMZ

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Representatives for Jussie Smollett told TMZ that the actor is in a rehab treatment facility amid his attempt to appeal a hate crime hoax conviction.The entertainment media outlet reports that Smollett, 41, is in an outpatient program for substance abuse."Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years," the actor's rep told TMZ. "He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps."SEE ALSO: Illinois appeals court hears arguments on Jussie Smollett request to toss convictionsIn 2021, Smollett was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct. Prosecutors sought to prove that the former 'Empire' actor paid two brothers to stage a racist and homophobic attack on him so that he could gain notoriety. In 2022, a Cook County judge sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago, and a $25,000 fine. He would ultimately spend six nights ...

University of Chicago students, faculty rally in support of Palestine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

CHICAGO -- Students and some faculty members rallied at the University of Chicago campus on Friday to show their support for Palestine.The "Students For Justice in Palestine" group urged University of Chicago leadership to stop investing and partnering with Israel organizations. Specifically, calling for the university to stop supporting Israel by divesting from the university's investments in Israel. For more coverage of the Israel and Hamas Conflict, click here Hundreds of students and faculty gathered outside the university's administration building at Levi Hall in support of Palestinians who are dying and losing their homes amid the war between Israel and Hamas.Along with students, some faculty members also spoke about the issue with one faculty member challenging the school's decision to stay apolitical amid the crisis.The university responding to Friday's rally in the following statement:"The University has developed a consensus against taking social or political stances on ...

Trade speculation: Will Justin Fields and Jaylon Johnson survive the deadline?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears game against the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday may be the straw that breaks the camel's back, but before the clock moves forward to another Bears gameday, the question begs to be asked — will Justin Fields and Jaylon Johnson survive the trade deadline?At least one media outlet has speculated on a Fields trade, while Johnson has been asked publicly about the possibility of him being shipped off to another NFL roster, if Chicago goes into sell mode during a lost season.According to the Athletic's Jeff Howe, he would like to see the Bears move Fields to the Atlanta Falcons for quarterback Taylor Heinicke, a 2024 second round pick, and a 2025 conditional third round pick. Opinion: The time is now to trade Justin Fields Howe added the caveat that trades in the Tuesday article are ones that he and colleague Mike Jones would like to see, but don't necessarily see actually happening.The reasons for why it made sense to Howe were that Chicago is (once again) tracking...

Women claim singer Trey Songz drugged, sexually assaulted them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Two women have accused singer Trey Songz of sexually assaulting them at his California home in 2015, Nexstar's KLAS has learned.In a complaint filed in Los Angeles County on Wednesday, "Jane Doe A" and "Jane Doe B" claim they woke up to the singer, whose real name is Tremaine Neverson, sexually assaulting them. Both women believe they were drugged the night before and described the singer as violent, aggressive and controlling during their visit to his Bell Ranch home, according to the complaint."Trey Songz, cloaked in his celebrity status, believed he could act with impunity. He is wrong," the complaint said.Both women went to Trey Songz's Bell Canyon, California, home on August 2, 2015, expecting a celebration, according to the complaint."Instead, they were subjected to acts so heinous, so contrary to basic human decency, that they defy comprehension," the complaint stated. "Through this action, we will shed light on their ordeal, ensure such acts are never rep...

Former Twitter employee on working for Musk: 'It absolutely was the hardest experience'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

(The Hill) — Ella Irwin, a former employee for Twitter, now known as X, said working for billionaire Elon Musk after his acquisition of the company was the "hardest experience."Irwin became head of trust and safety for the company, lasting only seven more months before resigning after Musk publicly criticized actions taken at the company surrounding the issue of misgendering."It absolutely was the hardest experience that I’ve gone through in my career," Irwin, 48, said In an interview with NBC News. Supreme Court won’t reinstate Missouri gun law as Thomas dissents She said she resigned rather suddenly from the company because it became clear that “there was no longer alignment” between her “nonnegotiable principles” and the company.“One was this notion of freedom of speech versus freedom of reach,” Irwin said. “It was important to me that there was an understanding that hate speech, for example, violent graphic content, things like that, were not promoted, advertised, amplified.”H...

Texans to vote for 'a new golden era' for state parks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texans will soon vote on a proposition to revamp state parks in Texas.Texas Proposition 14, originating from S.J.R 74, would establish the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund to help the acquisition, development, and maintenance of state parks. The fund would be administered by the Parks and Wildlife Department.Luke Metzger, executive director for environmental advocacy group Environment Texas, emphasized how state parks are "bursting at the seams" currently."Too many people have the experience in Texas where you have to plan many months ahead of time to book a campsite," Metzker said. "We need to make it as easy as possible for people to get outside and experience the great outdoors."Lawmakers passed the proposal with overwhelming support. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D- Austin) emphasized how this proposition would benefit taxpayers."It does not raise your taxes," Eckhardt said. "It may even save you tax dollars in the long run."Support for the proposition not only...

F1 traffic causing trouble for roads around COTA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — As Formula 1 drivers start their engines, fans headed to the U.S. Grand Prix waited in long lines to get to the Circuit of the Americas track Friday.The event has grown in attendance year after year. Last year, Visit Austin said 440,000 people attended the three-day event, making a big contribution to the city’s economy. F1 weekend generates millions of dollars for Austin With traffic reduced to one lane in or out of COTA, heavy traffic is expected throughout the weekend.Toga Pendrick lives less than a mile from the track and said it can be frustrating to plan around the traffic. He’s attending a charity event Saturday and says he’ll have to leave much earlier than originally thought.“I was already expecting to leave an hour and a half before the event started. And we're going to probably add another hour just to make sure we get there with time to spare,” Pendrick said.A spokesperson for the city of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department said access t...

Austin rental prices continue to fall from record highs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – After years of sky-high rent prices, costs in Austin are trending downward according to a new report. Data analysts from Rent.com, an apartment search engine, found that Austin had the largest decline of any U.S. city, with prices dropping more than 14% in the last year, per the report.“Prices [in Austin] have really been steadily on the decline since May of 2022,” said John Luckie, a researcher at Rent. “I think [prices] in Austin rose a lot faster and a lot more than other places. And so, it's falling a bit faster than what we're seeing elsewhere,” he continued. Though they have fallen 14%, Luckie said they are still considerably higher than in Feb. 2021, when rent prices started spiking. He said Austinites should continue to see these numbers balance out over the next few months. Compared to Austin, National rent prices have fallen only .4% in the last 12 months, per the report. Luckie said Austin rental prices cooling is in part due to vacancy rates inc...

Texans to vote on plan to help pay for projects to meet water demand

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texans will be voting to invest in projects to improve the water supply in the upcoming election.Proposition 6, stemming from S.J.R 75, would create a "Texas water fund" dedicated to assisting in financing water projects in Texas.Texas Rep. Ernest Bailes (R-Shepherd) emphasized the need for proper water infrastructure after pipes broke in cities in his district, leading to a boil water notice."Two cities that were actually combined—they shared one collective water system—they only had one well total, and that well went out," Bailes said.According to the Texas Water Development Board, the current existing water supply is not enough to meet future demand in drought situations. To meet water demand in 2070, it projected that Texas would need at least 6.9 million acre-feet of additional water supplies, which includes the form of water savings through conservation.For perspective, the total storage capacity of Lake Travis is 1.92 million acre-feet.If Proposition 6 is p...

In St. Paul, Jewish groups rally for Palestinians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:59 GMT

Carrying the Palestinian flag and handwritten signs for peace, more than 100 Jewish protesters gathered outside state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party headquarters in St. Paul on Friday to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to what they described as the genocidal bombings of innocent Palestinian civilians by the Israeli government.“I am a descendant of Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust,” said Iris Brilliant, 35, of Minneapolis, as the crowd around her broke into a peace song. “Genocide of Palestinians does not make me feel more safe.”The protesters — organized by the Jewish advocacy coalition If Not Now and the progressive anti-Zionist organization Jewish Voice for Peace — called upon state DFL Chair Ken Martin to condemn the bombings that have killed some 4,000 Palestinians, more than 1,000 of them children, and work to curb U.S. military aid to the Israeli government.On Oct. 13, Israel alerted the more than 1 million residents of northern Gaza t...