I haven’t really spent much time following the bizarre twists and turns in the Jussie Smollett case. (I feel pretty good about that.) I also haven’t gone on the record with my definitive takes on the deeper meaning of the case. (I feel really good about that.) But the case has become a big deal, and it just took a big turn. “In a stunning reversal, Cook County prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly staging a phony attack and claiming he was the victim of a hate crime.” The Chicago police department is not happy with the prosecutors’ decision, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel called it “a whitewash of justice.”

+ Prosecutor Who Dropped Charges Against Jussie Smollett Explains Decision: “We Didn’t Exonerate Him.” (Something about this feels familiar…)