Culture

A Cook County judge ordered Friday that a special prosecutor review the dismissal of all charges against Jussie Smollett. The new investigation could potentially lead to Smollett being re-charged by a special prosecutor, the Chicago Tribune reports. The ruling, made by Judge Michael Toomin, said that even though State’s Attorney …

Oakland, California has become the second city in the United States to decriminalize the use and possession of psychedelic mushrooms, The Associated Press reports. The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night, just weeks after Denver voters narrowly approved a similar measure. Along with mushrooms containing psilocybin, the …

Listen, there’s a lot going on in the world. The Democrats are gearing up for the election next year. Britney might not tour ever again. Aunt Becky’s probably going to jail. We may or may not be in the throws of a constitutional crisis. But in addition to all this, …

A case in Jefferson County, New York has sparked a national outcry following the sentencing of a bus driver accused of raping a 14-year-old student. Shane Piche, 26, pleaded guilty to raping the teenage girl, only to be given 10 years’ probation and a level one sex offender registry designation …

When faced with the prospect of serving hard jail time as a result of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get your kids into the party school of their choice, as well as the demise of a successful career playing an antiques dealer who solves mysteries, most people would …

On Valentine’s Day 2018, a 19-year-old ex-student took an Uber to his old high school; he walked across thecampus and into a three-story building, where he killed17 people and injured 17 more. It was the sixth of 24 shootings in U.S. schools last year, but the incident at Marjory Stoneman …

A jury has found drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán guilty of drug trafficking, weapons charges and money laundering, a verdict that means he will face life in prison at his sentencing. The leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel has been in American custody since early 2017. The decision came Tuesday, …

Last year, the nonprofit organization Safehouse formed in Philadelphia with the intention of creating safe-injection sites for heroin users. Public health experts have touted the idea for such sites — which would provide a place for opioid users to shoot up under medical supervision — as a way to limit …

The most talked about movie at the Sundance Film Festival — which is currently underway in Park City, Utah – was a two-part, four-hour documentary detailing disturbing allegations of child sexual abuse brought against the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Leaving Neverland focuses on the stories of two men, …

At first glance, it looks like a traditional food diary. A one-page questionnaire with simple prompts: “Who did you eat with? What did you order/have? Is there any particular reason you wanted the food you ordered or had?” The first questions, though, reveal a singular context: “Years in prison for …