Monday, October 25th, 2021
Prop Gun Problems, Severe Weather Risks & Holiday Shopping Forecast
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Indeed.com/newsworthy and BetterHelp.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to review the latest happenings...
Movie Set Shooting Investigation
New details and allegations are coming in about the movie set shooting involving actor Alec Baldwin. Court records now show an assistant director handed Baldwin a loaded weapon and told him it was safe to use. Moments later, the actor pulled the trigger, and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed. Previously, at least one prop maker filed a complaint about the assistant director, saying he disregarded safety protocols for weapons. So far, that assistant director hasn’t commented about the shooting or any past complaints. Criminal charges have yet to be filed.
Read More: LA Times, NY Times, USA Today, CNN
Remembering Cinematographer Killed
Over the weekend, hundreds of people showed up for a vigil in honor of fallen cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. Many more shared tributes on social media. Director Joel Souza wrote that Hutchins was “kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch, and always pushed me to be better.” Alec Baldwin wrote, “There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins.” Baldwin also met with Hutchins’ husband and nine-year-old son over the weekend. The production of the movie has stopped indefinitely.
Read More: Today, Fox News, Deadline, NBC News
Colombian Drug Lord Captured
The leader of Colombia's largest criminal gang was captured over the weekend. Dairo Antonio Úsuga, better known as Otoniel, was taken down by a huge raid that included more than 500 members of Colombia's special forces. Otoniel is accused of exporting hundreds of tons of cocaine every year to the U.S. and other countries. He’s also accused of killing police officers, recruiting kids into his cartel, and sexually abusing children. For years, the U.S. had been offering a $5 million reward for his capture. Now, Colombia says it plans to send him to the U.S. for trial.
Read More: BBC, Reuters, CNN, WaPo
Lev Parnas Convicted
A businessman who was a key figure in former President Trump's first impeachment was found guilty of campaign finance charges. Lev Parnas illegally funneled foreign money into American elections. Prosecutors have said he and another associate contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to a group supporting Trump's re-election in the hopes of buying political influence. They’re accused of using that influence to get the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine removed. Now, Parnas could end up getting up to 45 years in prison.
Read More: NY Times, WSJ, Politico, Axios
Pfizer COVID Vax for Kids
Covid-19 vaccines could roll out as soon as next week for kids as young as five years old. The FDA recently released its review of Pfizer's data. It found the kid-sized doses were 91% effective against Covid-19 in trials. The data also shows they didn’t cause any unexpected safety issues. FDA scientists say, in almost every scenario, the vaccine’s benefits outweigh any side effects. But, a few more steps need to happen before the kid shots will be ready to roll out to the public. If approved, kids five and up could start vaccinations in early November.
Read More: AP, Reuters, CNN, WaPo, NY Times
California Rain and Flooding
It looks like the U.S could be in for a wild weather week from coast to coast. Starting in Northern California, a powerful storm flooded highways, toppled trees, and caused mudslides and rockslides in areas burned by recent fires. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power, and some even had to evacuate. The National Weather Service blamed “potentially historic rain” and strong winds. The same storm also slammed Oregon and Washington state, and people who live in high elevations are getting up to 18 inches of snow. It's moving into Southern California now.
Read More: Weather Channel, USA Today, AP, NBC News
Other Storms Coming
The Midwest has been dealing with severe thunderstorms. Tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds were reported across parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana last night. The severe weather threat is still high in a lot of the plains today, but the system is moving east into the Carolinas, where it should start to die down. Then, by tomorrow and Wednesday, it’ll be the Northeast taking its turn. The New York City Tri-State Area will likely get thunderstorms. Heavy rain and possible flooding are also expected across southern New England around Boston. However, the exact track of this storm isn’t certain yet.
Read More: CNN, Weather Channel, Accuweather
Saudi Arabia’s Greenhouse Gases Target
One of the world’s largest oil producers and biggest polluters, Saudi Arabia, is promising to reach ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. The kingdom also said it will join a global effort to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made the announcement, saying the country will invest more than $186 billion to reach the goal. But, while the kingdom does plan to lower emissions within its borders, the goal doesn’t include emissions from the massive amounts of oil Saudi Arabia exports to other countries.
Read More: Al Jazeera, WSJ, CNN, Reuters
2nd Facebook Whistleblower
Another former Facebook employee is speaking out against the company. The Washington Post reports this new whistleblower, who wants to stay anonymous, filed a complaint with the SEC, saying Facebook failed to warn investors about its problems. The leaked complaint accuses Facebook of putting growth and profits ahead of its efforts to fight hate speech, misinformation, and other threats to the public. In response, a spokeswoman for Facebook said, “It sets a dangerous precedent to hang an entire story on a single source making a wide range of claims.”
Read More: WaPo, Cnet, Fox Business, The Verge
Walmart Room Spray Recall
Walmart is recalling an aromatherapy room spray linked to four illnesses, including two deaths. It’s sold under the brand Better Homes and Gardens and is called Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray With Gemstones. The CDC says it may have a rare but dangerous bacteria, which can cause a deadly infection. About 4,000 bottles were sold across 55 Walmart stores nationwide. A Walmart spokesman told USA Today the company took immediate action to pull the items and is committed to providing safe, high-quality products to its customers.
Read More: Bloomberg, USA Today, NPR, Stat News, CPSC
Amazon Offers Local Stores Pickup
You’ll now be able to buy some products on Amazon, then go pick them up at a local store. This type of curbside pickup option has become popular at stores like Walmart and Target during the pandemic. Now, Amazon is rolling out what it calls Local Selling. It lets local stores offer either in-store pickup to certain zip codes or faster, local delivery. It is up to the local store to sign-up for these options on Amazon, then to arrange either the pickup or delivery once you, the buyer, choose either “store pickup” or “arranged delivery” at checkout.
Read More: TechCrunch, CNBC, Amazon
Movie Box Office
The winner at the box office over the weekend was the science fiction movie “Dune.” It brought in more than $40 million in North America and became the largest opening for Warner Brothers so far this year. It exceeded expectations, especially considering it debuted in theaters and on HBO Max the same day. It was another movie, though, that set a pandemic-era record over the weekend. Even though Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premiered in only 52 locations, it had the highest per-theater average of $25,000 since the pandemic started.
Read More: NBC News, THR, Gizmodo
Money Monday: Holiday Shopping Estimates
How much are you planning to spend this holiday season? The National Retail Federation says most people will probably be spending almost $1,000 for the winter holidays on things like gifts, decorations, and cards. But, it might be more than a lot of people can afford. A survey from Credit Karma found nearly one in three Americans expects to take on debt this holiday shopping season. Experts suggest people start saving, make a gift list ahead of time to avoid impulse buys, and use credit cards wisely. Christmas is now just 61 days away, and Hanukkah is 34 days away.
Read More: Fox Business, WWD, CNBC, NRF, Credit Karma