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Fatal Alec Baldwin film set shooting followed outcry by union crew members over safety protocols
October 24, 2021
The news of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a Hollywood film set intersected with the nationwide surge in labor movement activity Friday, as reports surfaced about unsafe working conditions and protests by union crew members on the set.
As the Los Angeles Times reported late Friday, the accidental shooting death of Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of "Rust" took place six hours after several union crew members left the location and were replaced by non-union workers.
In the days preceding the shooting, crew members raised concerns about numerous safety issues on the set, including the requirement that employees drive 50 miles from Albuquerque to the filming location near Santa Fe each day after working 12- to 13-hour days, as well as several accidental discharges of prop guns.
On October 16, a stunt double for Alec Baldwin—who fired the shot that killed Hutchins Thursday afternoon—accidentally fired a gun that he had been told was not loaded, prompting one crew member to express concerns to the unit production manager in a text message.
"The backstory about the failure to listen to the union workers who had fought for the set to be safe is vital to know."
"We've now had [three] accidental discharges," said the worker. "This is super unsafe."
Another crew member told the Times that following the accidental firing of the prop gun, producers did not conduct an investigation into how or why it had occurred or review safety protocols with the cast and crew.
The Times reported that Hutchins "had been advocating for safer conditions for her team" during the 21-day shoot.
"The backstory about the failure to listen to the union workers who had fought for the set to be safe is vital to know," tweeted Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, called the incident "a tragedy and a heartbreaking example of why production companies MUST take the safety and protection of our filmmakers more seriously."
Early on Thursday morning, several members of the camera crew reportedly arrived on set and submitted their resignations due to the safety concerns. The workers are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which nearly staged a work stoppage including 60,000 film and TV crew workers last week over widespread concerns regarding labor conditions in the industry, before reaching a tentative three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
According to Variety, producers called security officers to remove the union crew members who had submitted their resignations and quickly replaced the workers with non-union workers. Hutchins and a Steadicam operator were the only original members of the camera crew left on the film set when the fatal accident occurred.
On Thursday, Baldwin was reportedly told by crew members that the prop gun he was using in a scene was "cold," or not loaded with any ammunition including blanks, but when he fired the weapon a bullet hit Hutchins as well as the film's director, Joel Souza. Hutchins was rushed to a hospital, where she later died, and Souza was briefly hospitalized.
According to Variety, a 911 caller from the film set was heard telling a crew member they were supposed to check the prop guns to ensure they weren't loaded.
"When union members walk off a set about safety concerns, maybe 'hiring scabs' isn't the solution you think it is," tweeted author and actress Quinn Cummings.
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Biden gets some encouragement — and a shoulder rub — from his 2013 self in SNL's Cold Open
October 24, 2021
A dismayed President Joe Biden got an uplifting visit from "the ghost of Biden past" in SNL's Cold Open on Saturday night.
The sketch began with Biden, played by cast member James Austin Johnson, getting some bad news from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in the Oval Office.
"Your CNN Town Hall was watched by no one, and your approval rating is in the Dumpster," Psaki says.
"I don't understand. People used to like me," Biden says to himself after Psaki leaves. "The press would call me Uncle Joe. I miss the old me. Where the hell did that guy go?"
At that point, Vice President Biden from 2013, played by SNL host Jason Sudeikis, wanders in wearing aviator sunglasses and doing finger guns.
"How can you be me? You seem so happy," the new Biden says.
The 2013 Biden explains that being VP was the "easiest gig in the world," before giving his 2021 counterpart a shoulder massage and smelling his hair.
"I hope this doesn't sound sexist, but you've got to smile more, sweetie," the old Biden says.
When the 2021 Biden complains about Democratic senators blocking his agenda, his former self says, "Screw Joe Manchin. The only mansion I care about is the Playboy mansion. That's classic 2K3 Biden!"
The pair get a brief visit from a third Joe Biden, from March 2021, before the 2013 version prepares to go back in time.
"Don't leave. I can't do this without you," the new Biden says.
"Of course you can, because guess what buddy, you are me," the 2013 Biden responds. "I want you to stand tall, I want you to flash those 100 percent natural choppers we got, and remember, we may be from different eras, but at the end of the day, we're both Joe freakin' Biden."
Watch below.
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Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory have gathered in Las Vegas this weekend at the For God and Country Patriot Double Down.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that a "couple hundred people" showed up for the conference at the Ahern Hotel, owned by prominent Trump supporter Don Ahern.
The conference, organized by Patriot Voice, was originally planned for the Caesars Forum, but parent company Caesars Entertainment canceled the booking amid backlash from extremism experts and others.
Among the speakers on Saturday was Jason Sullivan, a social media expert who worked with Trump ally Roger Stone during the 2016 presidential campaign.
"We know there was election fraud, are you kidding? We're done trying to prove that it happened. We're about to turn it around," Sullivan told the crowd, adding that the burden will now be on others to prove they provided a secure election system.
Sullivan later led attendees in chants of "Sheep no more!" according to the newspaper.
"On the second floor of the event area, Trump hats and shirts were for sale at a merchandise stand with a 'Trump won' flag draped over the front," the Review-Journal reports. "Flags hanging over a railing that were visible from the ground floor said 'Trump is still my president' and 'Stop the steal.' ... Media access to the event was highly restricted. A Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter was escorted by event staff, confined to one area and told to leave shortly before noon."
The Sunday Times reports that another speaker, Alan Fountain, said he planned to talk about "the pedophile, blackmail and bribery system".
"A global cabal had been enslaving humanity, he explained, in an interview from his hotel room with the British YouTuber Nicholas Veniamin," according to the Sunday Times.
"Their whole goal is to feed off the energy of humans," Fountain said. "We are basically their sustenance and this has been covered up and hidden for hundreds of years, so this movement is vital to liberating humanity."
According to the Sunday Times, Fountain predicted a "transition to a 5D earth civilization."
"When this will happen, I don't know," he said.
"The more traditional politicians attending the couple's second conference this weekend included David Clarke, 65, a former Wisconsin sheriff-turned-conservative media personality, who felt it was 'about energizing the base,'" the Sunday Times reported.
"I'm not here to further Q or whatever that thing is," Clarke said.
Also attending the conference was Couy Griffin, the New Mexico county commissioner who founded Cowboys for Trump.
"I don't follow Q myself [but] . . . I hear some of the stuff Q puts out that makes sense. But I follow the Lord Jesus Christ," said Griffin, who's facing charges for his participation in the Capitol insurrection.
The conference continues through Monday.
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