First Thing: Rust assistant director ‘was subject of safety complaint’

Good morning.

A TV crew member has disclosed that she raised safety concerns in the past about the assistant director who authorities say unwittingly handed Alec Baldwin the prop gun that killed the cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a film set in New Mexico last week.

Maggie Goll, a prop maker and licensed pyrotechnician, said she filed an internal complaint with the executive producers of Hulu’s Into the Dark TV series over concerns about the assistant director Dave Halls’ conduct on set.

Goll alleged in an interview that Halls had previously not followed safety protocols for weapons and pyrotechnics when she worked alongside him on the TV series in 2019.

• How did the shooting happen? The exact circumstances are not yet clear but a court filing describes how Halls grabbed a gun off a cart and handed it to Baldwin, indicating that the weapon was safe by yelling “cold gun”. But it was, unknown to Halls, loaded with live rounds, according to the records.

• Were there problems on set beforehand? Just six hours before that, half a dozen crew members had walked off the Rust set to protest against poor conditions and safety concerns, including gun safety amid reports of incidents of a prop gun being accidentally misfired earlier in filming.

• Are prop guns safe? Propmasters say when rules are followed correctly, prop guns are “truly very safe”. For scenes with more than one firearm, sets normally use an armourer who is responsible for the safety and security of any guns. The last time anyone was fatally shot on set in the US was in 1993.

Worst of US pandemic likely behind us but we can’t drop our guard, experts say

It looks like the US may have turned a corner as the number of new Covid cases and deaths has been in a steady decline since early September, prompting many experts to conclude that the worst effects of the pandemic in America are probably in the past.

But in the same breath those experts also caution that it’s not yet safe to abandon safeguards. That’s because parts of the US population and much of the world remain unvaccinated, which could allow for outbreaks and dangerous new variants of the virus to emerge.

• Does that mean Covid measures have been working? While there’s been some controversy around mask mandates, it seems vaccines have been working and the drugs used to treat Covid have got considerably better, improving survival rates.

• What does the future hold? William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said the US could “move from pandemic to endemic”, meaning the virus would stay in the community but is not a big strain on public health.

Powerful storm hits California amid warnings of ‘potentially historic rain’

A powerful storm has roared ashore in California, flooding cities, toppling trees and causing mud flows in areas burned bare by recent fires. After months of drought, the darkened clouds collecting over the state this weekend were a welcome sight to some. But rather than the much-needed drizzle that residents and officials had hoped could end a disastrous fire season and dampen dried landscapes, the state got a deluge.

Drenching rain and strong winds accompanied the arrival of an “atmospheric river” – a long and wide plume of moisture pulled in from the Pacific Ocean that was predicted to move south over the next few days. The weather service’s Sacramento office warned of “potentially historic rain” and by Sunday afternoon the storm had already delivered. Several areas including San Francisco, Santa Rosa and Sonoma reported dangerous flooding.

• How bad will it get? Some areas are forecast to see more than 10ins (25cm) of rain and thousands across the state have lost power.

• How long will it last? Forecasters predict the record-breaking rainfall and strong winds will continue into Tuesday, wreaking havoc across the northern part of the state, especially in areas close to where fires burned over the last two years.

• Should people be evacuating? Evacuation orders have already been issued in several areas and the California Office of Emergency Services reminded California residents to have a “go bag” ready and to heed any warnings from officials.

In other news …

• James Michael Tyler, most famous for playing Gunther, the manager of Central Perk in Friends, has died aged 59 of prostate cancer. His Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox paid tribute to the lovable barista late Sunday, saying the show “would not have been the same” without him.

• Facebook’s whistleblower Frances Haugen will give evidence to the UK parliament today about the tens of thousands of internal documents she leaked, detailing the company’s failure to keep its users safe from harmful content.

• Amnesty International will close its Hong Kong offices by the end of the year, citing concerns for staff safety trying to operate under the national security law, which it says has made it in effect impossible for human rights organizations in Hong Kong to work freely and without fear of serious reprisals from the government.

• Ed Sheeran has announced on his Instagram page that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating. The 30-year-old singer-songwriter said he would be doing as many of his planned appearances as possible from home.

Stat of the day: people with the star sign Leo are most likely to get vaccinated, at 70%

Exciting news for people who believe in science enough to want mass vaccination, but not enough to think horoscopes are made up: Utah’s Salt Lake county health department says there’s a big difference in vaccination rates depending on your Zodiac sign.

The results of analysis of 1.2 million residents showed that Leos – apparently the most compassionate – were the most vaccinated, at 70%, closely followed by people with the Aquarius sign (67%). Scorpios came last – only 46% were vaccinated, with Virgos (50%) coming in a close second-to-last.

Researchers were candid about the limits of their research. “Obviously, it’s not super scientific because we are talking astrology,” said Nicholas Rupp, a Salt Lake health department spokesperson, to the dismay of horoscope fans everywhere.

Don’t miss this: death, addiction, grace: a year as chaplain in New York’s toughest hospital

Bryan Mealer trained to be a chaplain in Bellevue hospital in New York during the pandemic. What he learned changed the way he saw other people, his faith and himself.

Since 1736 the New York hospital has cared for the city’s poorest residents – people living on the streets; those in the grips of a mental health crisis, addiction and withdrawal; families who lack insurance and choices; immigrants without papers and resources for preventive care. An entire floor treats detainees from Rikers Island jail.

In a city of exorbitant wealth, the hospital has long stood as an open door to the outcast and marginalized. In his year as a trainee chaplain, Mealer learned that sometimes there is no way to “save” someone but people can always use “radical kinship”.

Climate check: China to cut fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060

China is targeting a clean energy goal of reducing fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060, according to an official plan published by state media.

The cabinet document, released on Sunday, follows a pledge by President Xi Jinping to wean the world’s biggest polluter off coal, with a target of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality 30 years later.

But critics are taking the claims with a grain of salt as the country has pushed ahead with opening dozens of new coal-fired power plants. Authorities have also been wanting to ramp up production, with coal prices surging and supplies running low, both factors behind recent power outages.

Want more environmental stories delivered to your inbox? Sign up to our new newsletter Down to Earth (formerly Green Light) to get original and essential reporting on the climate crisis every week

Last Thing: Michael Jordan’s Nike Air Ship trainers sell for nearly $1.5m to smash auction record

A pair of trainers worn by the NBA superstar Michael Jordan early in his career have sold for nearly $1.5m, setting a record price at auction for game-worn footwear.

Jordan wore the white leather shoes with the red Nike swoosh and soles in the fifth game of his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, when Nike’s Jordan-affiliated brand was only just taking off as a sensation on and off the court.

The astronomical price easily beat the record held by a pair of Nike Air Jordans that sold for $615,000 in August 2020 at a Christie’s auction.

Sign up

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.

Get in Touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com

Sign up to Inside Saturday to get an exclusive behind the scenes look at the top features from our new magazine delivered to your inbox every weekend