3 Things To Know Today

1 Alec Baldwin Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter Over "Rust" Shooting

Alec Baldwin could be facing five years in prison for the deadly 2021 shooting on the set of the movie "Rust" in New Mexico. Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb have announced that the actor and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the on-set death of Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, calls the decision a “terrible miscarriage of justice.” Nikas said, "Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun — or anywhere on the movie set. He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds. We will fight these charges, and we will win.” Hutchins, who was 42 at the time, was the cinematographer on the film when she was accidentally shot and killed while Baldwin was practicing using a Colt-style .45 revolver on set. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting. Assistant director David Halls has signed a plea agreement for the charge of the negligent use of a deadly weapon and will have a suspended sentence as well as six months of probation. Souza has no charges filed against him.

2 Supreme Court Says It Hasn't Found Its Leaker

A report released yesterday by the Supreme Court says it still doesn't know who leaked the bombshell abortion draft ruling last year. In May, Politico published a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion on a case that eventually led to Roe v. Wade being overturned. The leak, which turned out to be accurate, led to a political firestorm and accusations of “insider sabotage”. Investigators said they conducted 126 formal interviews with 97 employees who all denied being the “leaker”. They even did fingerprint analysis, “looking closely into any connections between employees and reporters,” and “especially scrutinized any contacts with anyone associated with Politico.” The investigation report does say that it's "unlikely" that the court's IT systems were hacked to get the information. This is the first release of information by the court about the leak, which is considered the worst breach of confidentiality in the history of the Supreme Court.

3 Pilot Program Allows Citizens To Sponsor Refugees

Americans will now be able to sponsor refugees coming to the U.S., according to the State Department announcement released yesterday. The State Department generally relies on nonprofits to help refugees get settled when they arrive. But a new program, called the “Welcome Corps,” is changing the way this works. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that groups of five or more US citizens can volunteer to assist refugees with everything from finding a place to live, to helping with everyday finances. The State Department is calling the program “the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades.” Sponsors will need to raise $2,275 per refugee to help support them during their first three months in this country. This money will go toward things like security deposits on apartments and money to purchase winter clothes. After the first three months, the refugees will become eligible for other federal programs.


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