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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, October 25, 2021:
BALDWIN ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING
The investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of Rust is focusing on the prop gun's chain of custody before it was fired by Alec Baldwin -- specifically, the two people who handled the weapon before it was given to the actor. The film’s armorer was a 24-year-old woman named Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. She had the job of setting up the prop guns on set. According to a police affidavit, the assistant director, Dave Halls, grabbed the gun off a cart and gave it to Baldwin saying it was safe to use, before Baldwin fired what turned out to be a live round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. There had also reportedly been at least two other accidental gun discharges on the set in the days before the fatal incident, and crew members had walked off the job to protest conditions on set on the day of the shooting. LA TIMES
VAX FOR KIDS
Days after the FDA reported that the benefits of the Pfizer vaccine outweighed the risks of Covid in 5-11 year olds, Dr. Fauci said he thinks the Pfizer shot will become available to children that age by mid-November. Pfizer released data showing its vaccine was 91% effective in preventing symptomatic infection for kids in the 5-11 age group. Once the FDA gives the go-ahead, the question will become how many parents rush to get their young kids vaccinated. A recent Kaiser survey found about one in three parents planned to do it “right away.” REUTERS
RAIN PUMMELS NORCAL
Northern California has been getting hit with some much-needed rain -- so much rain that it’s causing new problems in the drought-stricken region. The Bay Area saw 13 inches of rain on Mt. Tamalpais in 24 hours, with locations in Marin, Sonoma and Napa measuring 6 inches to a foot. A parade of storms coming off the Pacific is being capped off with a “bomb cyclone” colliding with an “atmospheric river” that will extend the severe weather into the week. Mudslides are the big concern today, but the good news is that the torrential rains are going to effectively end the wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest. ACCUWEATHER
TULUM GANG SHOOTOUT
A California travel blogger was one of two foreign tourists killed in a gang shootout in Tulum. Anjali Ryot, a 25-year-old Indian woman who was living in San Jose, was at an outdoor restaurant just off the main strip of the popular coastal resort town when she was caught in the crossfire of two warring drug gangs. A German woman was also killed, and three other tourists were injured. The shooting threatens Tulum’s reputation as a safer and more relaxed travel alternative to nearby Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The Mexican government has been pinning its hopes on Tulum’s popularity with foreigners, recently announcing plans to build a major international airport and rail link. CBS NEWS
INFLATION WATCH
Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen, who has said she views the current level of inflation as “transitory,” is predicting that high prices will linger before starting to ease by the middle of next year. Yellen acknowledged that “Americans have not seen inflation like we have experienced recently in a long time” and called the economic pains a “temporary” result of the pandemic. POLITICO
THE FACEBOOK PAPERS
Get ready to see a lot of new reporting on Facebook this week. More than a dozen news outlets have started publishing a series of investigations under the banner The Facebook Papers, based on documents from the whistleblower Frances Haugen. Among the revelations from the first batch of stories: new details showing how easily hate speech thrives in India, records of employees repeatedly raising red flags about the spread of misinformation ahead of and during the election, and the role Facebook played in the organization of the Jan. 6 riot. The company reports earnings today as well as a possible corporate rebrand. AXIOS
WORLD SERIES SET
Six months after the MLB moved the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to the Georgia election law, the ATL will be hosting the World Series for the first time since 1999. The Astros and Braves both won their pennants over the weekend, setting up a World Series showdown to start with Game 1 in Houston tomorrow night. USA TODAY
BOX OFFICE REBOUND
Another surprisingly good weekend at the pandemic box office: Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch overperformed expectations, bringing in $1.3 million from just 52 theaters. That’s the top opening theater average of the Covid era, and a sign that people are willing to go back to the cinema not just for big superhero movies. Meanwhile, Dune, one of the biggest movies of the year, opened to $40 million -- a solid take, given that it was also available to stream. THR
SPOTTED...
...Former President Obama, stumping for Terry McAuliffe in Virginia, where the governor’s race is thisclose heading into the homestretch: WATCH
…Vin Diesel, walking Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow, down the aisle on her wedding day: SEE PIC
LEFTOVERS: DOGS IN COSTUME
NYC’s annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returned this weekend after a year’s absence. What else is there to say? SEE THE PICS
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