Jussie Smollett investigation, Oakland teachers strike, MLB spring training game: 5 things to know Thursday
Bond hearing set after Smollett charged with disorderly conduct
"Empire" star Jussie Smollett, who told Chicago police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January, has been charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report about the alleged hate crime. Cook County spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said a bond hearing has been set for Thursday. The disorderly conduct charge Smollett faces is a Class 4 felony that carries a potential sentence of one to three years in prison and substantial fines. The charge comes three weeks after Smollett, 36, said he was assaulted near his Chicago home on Jan. 29 by two masked men who shouted slurs, wrapped a rope around the actor's neck and poured a "chemical" on him, later revealed to be bleach.
Pope gathers bishops for summit on clergy sex abuse
Pope Francis and Catholic church leaders from around the world will begin a summit at the Vatican on Thursday aimed at breaking a "code of silence" that allowed clergy sexual abuse to take place over decades. The summit will focus on making bishops aware of their responsibilities, accountability and transparency, the Vatican said. On Wednesday, a dozen abuse victims representing victim advocacy groups around the world met for two hours with summit organizers, urging church officials to stop pleading ignorance about abuse.
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Stone must explain controversial Instagram in court
Roger Stone, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, is scheduled to appear before the judge in his criminal case Thursday to discuss an Instagram post on his account that featured her picture. The post, which appeared Monday, appeared to show the face of U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson against a backdrop that included the crosshairs of a gun. Stone later removed the post and apologized, saying the photo was taken from the internet and wasn't meant as a threat. Jackson ordered Stone to appear and explain why his pretrial release shouldn't be modified or revoked in light of the photo. Stone has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction and lying to Congress for statements about his contacts with Wikileaks, which released damaging emails about Hillary Clinton before the 2016 election.
Oakland teachers expected to strike
Teachers in Oakland, California, are expected to strike Thursday, as they seek a 12 percent pay raise over a three-year deal, and more support staff. Union president Keith Brown said current salaries — which range between $47,000 and $84,000 depending on experience — are not enough for teachers to pay rent in the pricey Bay Area. The latest offer rejected by the union hiked the pay raise from 5 percent to 7 percent and included a 1.5 percent bonus, but the increase was spread over four years. Oakland teachers would become the third group of public school educators from one of the country’s 50 largest cities to strike this year, joining their Los Angeles and Denver counterparts — Chicago also had a charter school teachers’ strike.
Israel's first moon mission set for liftoff
Israel's first spacecraft designed to land on the moon is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday. If successful, Israel would become the fourth country to send a spacecraft all the way to the moon, joining the US, Russia and China. Named Beresheet, after the Hebrew word for "in the beginning," the spacecraft is privately funded and stems from the defunct Google Lunar XPRIZE competition. The lander, which will be carried on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, will travel through space for two months before it attempts to touch down on the moon. Liftoff is set for 8:45 p.m. ET.
Bonus: MLB's spring training games get underway
Major League Baseball teams have been assembling in Florida and Arizona over the past two weeks ahead of the new season, and the first spring training game will be played Thursday, between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics in Mesa, Arizona. The rest of the league plays their first spring games Saturday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jussie Smollett investigation, Oakland teachers strike, MLB spring training game: 5 things to know Thursday
