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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Friday, October 22, 2021:
BALDWIN 'PROP GUN' SHOOTING
Alec Baldwin discharged a “prop gun” on a movie set in New Mexico, killing the cinematographer and wounding the director, according to the Santa Fe sheriff. Photos show Baldwin appearing distraught and on the phone outside the sheriff’s office, where he voluntarily answered questions. He has not been charged. He was filming a movie called Rust at a ranch outside Santa Fe when the shooting happened. The film’s DP, Halyna Hutchins, died at the hospital. The film’s director, Joel Souza, is receiving emergency care at another hospital. His condition is unknown. SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN
WINTER IS COMING
NOAA’s annual winter outlook is predicting a relatively mild and dry winter for most of the U.S., with the exception being the Northern states between Washington and the Great Lakes. That’s because La Niña is back for a second year. The Pacific climate pattern typically pushes the jet stream up, making for warmer and drier conditions to the south. The presence of La Niña this winter is bad news for the drought in the Southwest but good news for drought conditions in northern California and the Pacific Northwest. WASH POST
BANNON IN CONTEMPT
The Biden administration will need to decide whether to prosecute Steve Bannon after he was held in contempt of Congress for stonewalling the Jan. 6 investigation. All House Democrats and nine Republicans voted to hold Bannon, a close Trump ally, in contempt. Investigators on the Jan. 6 panel say Bannon had crucial communications with Trump in the days leading up to the Capitol riot. YAHOO NEWS
KIDNAPPED MISSIONARIES
The leader of the Haitian gang holding 17 American and Canadian missionaries hostage is threatening to kill them if a ransom isn’t paid. A video spreading on social media shows Wilson Joseph, believed to be the head of the 400 Mawozo gang, saying: “I swear that if I don’t get what I want, I prefer to kill the Americans. I’ll put a bullet in each of their heads.” CNN
TRUMP SPAC
Shares of a company linked to former President Trump’s new media venture skyrocketed more than 460% after Trump announced a plan to create a new social app called TRUTH Social. That app, set to launch next year, is part of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), which is attempting to go public via a SPAC merger with a shell company called Digital World Acquisition. THE VERGE
WEWORK GOES PUBLIC
Two years after its IPO imploded in one of the biggest flameouts in Wall St. history, WeWork is a public company at last. The office-sharing company went public through a SPAC merger with BowX Acquisition. WeWork has spent the pandemic slashing costs, cutting jobs, renegotiating leases and closing locations to position itself for the post-Covid work landscape. And investors are intrigued: shares soared 13% in their debut on the NYSE. INC
QUEEN HOSPITALIZED
Buckingham Palace has disclosed that Queen Elizabeth spent a night in the hospital this week after she cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland on the advice of her doctors. The 95-year-old monarch was back at her desk in Windsor Castle as of Thursday and in “good spirits,” according to the palace. British media is reporting that the queen was exhausted from a hectic schedule that she had been keeping ever since the death of her husband, Prince Philip, in April. BBC
BACK TO THE BING?
WarnerMedia has confirmed it’s in talks with Sopranos creator David Chase on a new Sopranos-related prequel series for HBO Max. Warner says it was “thrilled” with the results for The Many Saints of Newark, even though the film was panned by audiences and bombed at the box office. But the original Sopranos series has been getting something of a second life on streaming, and the HBO parent company is looking to capitalize after signing Chase to a five-year deal. DEADLINE
SPOTTED...
…Venus and Serena Williams, helping Will Smith introduce the trailer for King Richard, the Smith-starring biopic of the Williams sisters (also featuring a new Beyonce song): WATCH
…$7.59 for a gallon of regular in Gorda, Calif.: SEE IT
BRIAN LAUNDRIE DEAD
The FBI has confirmed that the human remains found this week in a Florida nature reserve are those of Brian Laundrie, the sole person of interest in the killing of Gabby Petito. His body was identified using dental records. The discovery happened almost immediately after Laundrie’s parents joined the search party, leading to suspicions that they may have planted his remains or evidence. Their lawyer called that “hogwash.” The huge national manhunt for Laundrie led to the discovery of at least three other bodies of people who had gone missing. PEOPLE
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