The actor shot his cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” movie set in Oct. 2021 and then walked outside while she bled to death on the floor. But he will face no consequences.

The prosecutor was totally outgunned by Baldwin’s high-price legal team. The jury was not even in the Santa Fe courtroom when the trial ended.

New ammo in evidence

Baldwin was charged (twice) with two counts of manslaughter for breaking all gun safety rules in a reckless manner when he shot and killed Hutchins. 

The decision to dismiss the case was due to rounds of ammunition that weren’t given to the defense before trial. One round apparently looked like dummies found on set. 

The judge agreed with the defense that the evidence could be prejudicial against Baldwin and could have been used to prepare for trial. The newly discovered ammunition did not explain the source of the “live round” that was in Baldwin’s revolver.

My story earlier today explains more in-depth the issues at court that led to this shocking outcome. Read it here: 

This shocking ruling is a travesty of justice. It shows, once again, that there are two systems of justice for the rich and powerful and for regular people. 

Baldwin will now go back to his big New York City apartment with his seven children and Spanish wife and film their new reality TV show like nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Halyna’s young son does not have a mother. The armorer Hannah Guttierez Reed, who just loaded the gun, is in prison for 18 months.

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This ruling has nothing to do with politics...

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In a dramatic turn of events, his high-priced lawyers demanded the judge dismiss the case over rounds of ammunition that no one seemed to know about before.

Is he getting a dismissal or a plea deal?

Baldwin hugged and conferred with his wife Hilaria/Hillary several times (watch one below) after the jury was dismissed until Monday. He is on trial for shooting and killing his cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in Oct. 2021 on the “Rust” movie set.

The Ammo

The defense team alleges the state withheld important evidence before trial. Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey said she hadn’t seen the rounds in person before Thursday, but it was a “wide goose chase” because the photo showed it didn’t match the live ammo on set.

Then the judge had the ammo brought into the courtroom. She put on blue gloves and touched the evidence herself.

Sheriff Deputy Alexandria Hancock testified she put the ammo in a different case number. She also said it matched somewhat with dummy rounds on set. Then it was determined that one round matched dummies on the set.

The rounds of ammunition in question were given to the Sheriff’s office in March, the day that armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed was convicted and started serving her 18-month prison sentence. It was given by a “Good Samaritan” named Troy Teske. He is a police officer and also a friend of Reed’s father, the veteran Hollywood armorer Thell Reed.

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Baldwin’s powerful lawyers called for the case to be dismissed because the prosecution was allegedly hiding evidence. The court restarted at 1 pm MT without announcing a deal.

I’m just….

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Bowles said Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey messaged him late Thursday night to say she’s not calling Reed to the stand.

Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, had told me on Thursday that she was going to take the 5th on the witness stand because of her pending appeal. Bowles said she would testify against Baldwin if the state would give her immunity.

Reed was recently moved from prison to a jail in Santa Fe for the trial. Bowles said the prosecutor Kari Morrissey is keeping Reed in the nearby jail. This means she may still be called to testify during the second week of the trial.

Reed’s testimony would be key to proving Baldwin…

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However, Baldwin dramatically changed his defense during Wednesday's manslaughter trial opening arguments about the shooting on the “Rust” movie set.

Pulled the Trigger

Defense counsel Alex Spiro began by showing the jury the video (below) of Baldwin earlier on the day of the shooting with his finger inside the trigger guard. This seemingly damning evidence was addressed as Spiro introduced the new defense.

Spiro then looked up at the Santa Fe jury and said, “No one saw him intentionally pull the trigger.”

“Intentionally.” Spiro repeated it multiple times. 

A stone-faced Baldwin watched his lawyer essentially say the actor has lied for almost three years.

You’ll remember that Baldwin got off the manslaughter charge the first time by claiming the gun had been altered so it could fire without a trigger pull. But I predicted a year ago that he would face a jury trial.

Spiro said that even if the prosecution’s can prove he pulled the trigger -- which they will with expert witnesses on firearms -- it doesn’t matter. 

“If he did [pull the trigger], of course, that would only make his statement incorrect,” claimed Spiro. “That would mean he misspoke, was incorrect.”

The defense attorney claimed pulling the trigger was a non issue either way. 

“Even if he intentionally pulled the trigger...That doesn’t make him guilty of homicide,” said Spiro. “He did not know the gun was loaded with a live bullet.”

Actor’s Privileges

Spiro claimed the actor has special privileges and does not need to adhere to the safety rule to always check to see if a firearm is loaded. There was one real bullet in the revolver. 

“Actors don't check the weapon. Safety is ensured by someone else,” said Spiro.

He said the crew was responsible for checking to see if the gun was loaded for Baldwin. He blamed the “live round” in the gun on armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was convicted of manslaughter, and Assistant Director Dave Halls, who pled guilty to a lesser charge. 

Spiro argued that actors can’t check their own guns because of their creative process. “The gun has to be safe before it’s put in the actor’s hand because he’s thinking about his role as Harlan Rust,” claimed the attorney.

Special Prosecutor Erlinda O. Johnson said earlier in the day:

The evidence will show that someone who made ‘make believe’ with a real gun and violated the cardinal rules of firearns safety is the defendant Alexander Baldwin.

Johnson explained to the jury, “While it was a movie set, it was a real workplace... A prop gun is a real gun.” She said that every time Baldwin was handed the gun, he never did a safety check with the “inexperienced armorer.”

The defense claimed Baldwin didn’t want to “offend” Hannah.

Case Against Baldwin

Before the defense essentially admitted Baldwin pulled the trigger, the prosecution described what their witnesses will say about the claim.

“Firearm experts will tell you that gun will not discharge without a pull of that trigger,” said Johnson.

The prosecutor explained that “because the defendant is claiming he didn’t pull the trigger,” the state had forensic testing on it by the FBI and an independent expert. 

(Watch below when Baldwin declared on ABC that he didn’t pull the trigger.)

FBI expert Brye Ziegler will testify that, in tests, “not once did the gun malfunction or discharge on its own.”

Independent and highly respected firearm expert Lucien Haig will testify that the “gun the defendant asked to be assigned worked perfectly fine as it was designed.”

Johnson spelled out how Baldwin didn’t adhere to any of the three gun safety rules -- check if the gun is loaded, put your finger on the trigger only when you’re ready to shoot and keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

Instead, Baldwin intentionally pointed the gun at Hutchins, with director Joel Souza behind her. Baldwin blamed Hutchins for telling him to point it at her.

“He pointed the gun at another human being, cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger in reckless disregard for Ms. Hutchins’s safety,” declared the prosecution. “For justice to be served, the only true verdict is guilty.”

Baldwin’s defense countered: “Justice is the truth. Alec Baldwin committed no crime.”

Was Baldwin Lying About Not Pulling the Trigger?

Spiro left open the possibility that the defense would revert back to Baldwin’s claim that he did not pull the trigger. He said the gun owner's manual said it can “go off” from being dropped. 

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As I’ve written in the past, Baldwin most likely believed in the beginning, he didn’t pull the trigger because of the complicated firearm maneuver. He did a cross draw-- which means taking the gun out of a holster with your opposite hand. He had refused the armorer’s request that he train to do the maneuver.

Plus,

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Baldwin showed up Tuesday morning outside court with his wife Hilaria and the youngest of their seven kids. Hilaria — who lied for years about being from Spain — held the baby girl for a photo op and then put her on the ground in front of the press.

Next, Baldwin came from his separate black SUV and walked over to his wife and baby as the cameras rolled. He tried to get the baby to “come to daddy,” but he didn’t succeed. Watch here.

The Baldwins’ photo op seemed to work with the clicking of cameras. The actor then left his family and walked ahead into the courthouse for the start of jury selection for his manslaughter trial.

But when Hilaria handed the baby to a nanny, the child started screaming and crying in front of the press. You can watch the crying baby video here, courtesy of Angenette Levy from the Law & Crime network.

Baldwin’s wife looked back once at the baby crying but kept walking into court. They left the impression of uncaring parents who used their child as a prop. The stunt was a failure.

Baldwin’s Monday Surprise

As I’m registered media for the trial, I’m on the court’s public affairs media advisory list. They warned that Baldwin was not supposed to be in court on Monday for pretrial hearings. He filed this waiver of personal appearance for all pretrial proceedings in the case.

However, Baldwin surprised everyone by showing up with his legal team and walking into the courthouse to a pool of photographers.

Once seated at the defense table on camera, the actor appeared calm and neutral during the proceedings. He wore black-rimmed glasses, a suit and tie and close-shaven gray hair. His lack of reactions showed he was media-trained and well-prepared by his defense team.

Part of the intrigue of this trial is whether he will lose his cool during the testimony. Remember, Baldwin punched a man over a parking spot. He recently knocked the phone out of the hand of an annoying protestor.

Baldwin’s Big Win

Baldwin's defense scored a significant victory when Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled that the special prosecutors could not introduce evidence about Baldwin's role as a producer for "Rust."

This limits the state's ability to argue that Baldwin was responsible for the set's safety issues, focusing the case solely on his actions as an actor handling the gun. This greatly narrows the state’s ability to give the jury options on why to convict him.

Baldwin’s expensive legal team— Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro— is very talented and seemed to quickly overpower New Mexico State Prosecutor Kari Morrissey. The defense cannot be underestimated to convince a jury that there is reasonable doubt that Baldwin is guilty of recklessness with a gun.

Guilty or Not? 

Almost three years ago, I bucked the big media narrative that Baldwin would get away with it because he’s an actor. I wrote in my first story to you after the shooting: 

The Hollywood version of the Alec Baldwin story is that the actor killed a woman with a prop gun and a blank and is not at fault.

The true story is that Baldwin shot two people with a real gun and did not follow firearm safety rules.

I believe that is still the simple case now. Baldwin does not get special legal privileges for being an actor. He failed to check if the gun was loaded with a real bullet, pointed it directly at Halyna Hutchins and pulled the trigger—a fact that will be confirmed by expert witnesses.

Covering the Trial

After reading some of your encouraging comments in my last email, I finally decided Sunday night to buy a one-way ticket to Santa Fe and book a hotel. I was excited to cover the trial directly from the courthouse, even if I couldn’t get a seat in the courtroom.

For the first time, I was traveling without being paid by a media outlet that would also cover my travel costs. Your financial support would have been crucial for this independent reporting effort.

However, as I watched the televised pretrial hearings on Monday, I saw very little public or media attention for the trial. Pres. Biden’s death watch has completely taken over the news (rightly so.) Even if I managed to get an exclusive scoop from sources on the ground, my work probably would not get much readership.

It’s hard to say if the Baldwin trial will gain traction in the way the ones for Johnny Depp and Alex Murdaugh did. The second week of the trial is more unlikely to see a surge in interest since it overlaps with the RNC Convention, where Donald Trump will be the center of attention.

Late last night,

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Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the devices that make a semiautomatic gun’s trigger fire faster are not banned by law.

"We hold that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock is not a ‘machinegun’ because it cannot fire more than one shot 'by a single function of the trigger.' And, even if it could, it would not do so ‘automatically,” wrote Thomas.

He explained why this is not a Second Amendment issue but rather about the federal government’s power to interpret laws and regulations.

"ATF therefore exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a Rule that classifies bump stocks as machine guns.”

Justice Samuel Alito wrote that Congress can pass a law to ban bump stocks, which seems to mean the devices may still be banned under the Bruen ruling.

Pres. Joe Biden responded to the SCOTUS ruling by calling on Congress to pass a law to ban bump stocks. This will surely be a new campaign issue for him.

You’ll remember I interviewed the plaintiff Michael Cargill when his case was first heard by the high court in February.

He explained his five-year journey to fight in the courts and to get back his own bump stocks in the story below.

Cargill, who owns Central Texas Gun Works in Austin, said on Thursday that this ruling will force the government to rescind its ban on arm braces and the requirement that gun parts have serial numbers.

He turned in two bump stocks to the ATF in 2018 when the ruling went into effect. He should be able to get them back now.

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My view on bump stocks is…

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“I own a couple of different guns,” replied Trump. “But I don’t talk about it.” 

I wrote about part of this interview in my book “Emily Gets Her Gun” but left out how exactly I got the answer from Trump. Paid subscribers can read the full story for the first time at the end. 

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The .45 and .38

Despite Trump’s denial, I persisted because he had never disclosed the guns publicly. I wanted an exclusive. 

In the end, I learned about two handguns Trump registered with New York City Police: an H&K (Heckler & Koch) in .45 caliber and a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber. 

(I’m not aware of any other reporter since who has asked Trump what guns he owns, so thank you to The Daily Mail’s Nikki Schwab for crediting me as the source!)

Trump didn’t regret telling me Instead, he tweeted out my story, “Donald Trump’s guns.” 

Where Are His Guns Now? 

After Trump was indicted in the Stormy Daniels case in March 2023, he turned over two of the pistols he was licensed to carry in the city to the New York Police Department (NYPD.)

A senior police official told CNN that a third gun registered on Trump’s carry permit “was lawfully moved to Florida.”

I called the NYPD and asked if the two guns Trump turned in were the Smith & Wesson and H&K. The detective told me to “wait for a response from the email team.” I also asked what happened to the guns given to NYPD. (They could go for a lot on the resale market! ) So far, no response. 

Concealed Carry License

The NYPD source also said that Trump’s concealed carry permit was “quietly suspended” on April 1, 2023. The NYPD is going to revoke the permit any day now, according to police sources. 

Trump lost his right to keep and bear arms when he was convicted of 34 state felonies in the Stormy Daniels trial. Convicted felons can not possess guns under the Gun Control Act of 1968. 

So Trump can’t have a carry permit. That Florida gun will have to be turned over or given away.

When I interviewed Trump on Fox TV in Dec. 2014, I asked a question from a viewer on social media: 

Do you think you’re privileged in having a concealed carry permit in NY? Is it a privilege for you because you’re wealthy and powerful?

“Well, I do,” replied Trump. This was before the landmark Supreme Court Bruen decision that overturned New York’s strict limits on who could carry a gun. 

“I have the right to carry a gun. I don't consider it a privilege. I consider it probably a necessity.”

“As you know, I’m a big— as you are, Emily— Second Amendment person,” Trump continued. “So the bad guys have it. The good guys have to have it. And I’m a very staunch proponent in being able to protect yourself.”

Why Did Trump Give Up His Guns? 

It’s not clear what law mandated Trump to turn over his guns to the police when he was indicted. 

A longtime firearms attorney pointed out to me part of the Gun Control Act says it is illegal for a person under indictment for a crime punishable by more than a year in prison to send or receive guns interstate. 

That further confuses the police statement that Trump was able to legally move one gun from NYC to Florida after being indicted.

It doesn’t explain giving up the Smith and Wesson and H&K. 

Please let me know if you know of a New York state or city criminal law that made Trump turn over his guns a year ago after getting indicted.

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Emily Gets Her (Trump) Guns (Story)

I introduced myself to Trump as he walked with his huge entrouage into the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida. Seconds later, he invited me up to his hotel suite…

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“We're coming to TLC! God help you all,” Baldwin said while smiling, as his seven small kids ran screaming through their gigantic New York City apartment.  

Home or Court TV

Alec, 66, and his wife “Hilaria”, 40, laughed and joked in the Instagram video (below) promoting “The Baldwins,” which will air in 2025. Hilaria said in her trademark fake Spanish accent that the couple is “done having kids” after seven.

"We're inviting you into our home to experience the ups and downs, the good, the bad, the wild and the crazy," said Baldwin. "Home is the place we love to be most." 

Home is not where Alec will be on July 9th. He will be in a Santa Fe courtroom to defend himself against charges of violating all gun safety rules and causing the death of the young mother, Hutchins, on the “Rust” movie set in 2021.

I can think of three possible motives for this reality show.

Motive 1: Jury

The timing of Baldwin’s video promo showcasing a happy family life could be an attempt to influence potential jurors to believe he might be a decent person.

This new family-friendly video contrasts sharply with his post-shooting interview on ABC News. He expressed no “guilt” for Hutchins' death and claimed he would not face criminal charges.

Baldwin blamed everything on Hutchins for telling him to point the gun at her and movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for loading the gun with real ammunition.

Flashback:

He also wrongly declared that he would not get criminally charged and did not pull the trigger.

Compared to Balwin’s bad public image, Reed was virtually unknown to the jury.

The actor’s high-powered lawyers were in court during Reed’s trial. It must have rattled them that she was tried on the same charge, and it ended with a swift guilty verdict. The young woman was also slammed with a maximum 18 months in prison.

Motive 2: Money

Baldwin considers himself a big movie actor, so it’s curious he would do a cheesy reality TV show. It could mean he needs the money since he has the criminal and civil legal bills and the seven little kids.

(He has an eighth child, a daughter Ireland, from his first marriage to Kim Basinger. Some jurors may remember Baldwin called Ireland a “thoughtless little pig” on a voicemail when she was a child.)

Another sign he’s strapped for cash is that Baldwin took $10 million off his Long Island beach compound listing earlier this year. He filmed his own ad for his $19 million, watch it above.

Motive 3: Fake Spanish Wife, ‘Ven Aqui’

There’s no doubt that…

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Hunter Biden’s federal trial for gun-related charges begins on Monday. Pres. Joe Biden’s son will have to sit in court every day and face a jury of his (more similar) peers in Delaware.

Before we delve in, let’s take a poll: 

(My votes, prediction and reasoning are below for paid subscribers.)

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HUNTER BIDEN

While Hunter has been accused of much bigger crimes— overseas business deals to benefit his father, tax evasion— the smoking gun got him into this trial. 

As jury selection begins, it has to scare young Biden that he could face up to 25 years in prison. Unlike Trump’s trial, Hunter’s is supposed to last only two weeks. 

Hunter has made multiple court attempts to postpone the trial and get the charges dropped. You’ll remember I wrote about his appeal that the federal law against drug addicts possessing firearms was a violation of his Second Amendment rights. 

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika denied the filing but said he could use it on appeal. The Donald Trump nominated judge is presiding over the trial. 

Hunter says he’s sober now but was a cocaine addict. Drug users cannot possess guns under federal law.

Young Biden is charged with lying on the federal background check form, possessing an illegal gun and lying to a federally licensed gun dealer.

Love Affair Gone Bad

In 2018, Hunter admitted to police and the FBI that his then-girlfriend, Hallie (his deceased brother’s widow), threw his gun in a grocery store trash can. After speaking with Hunter, Hallie returned to retrieve the gun but couldn’t find it and called the police. 

Hunter cooperated and said he bought the Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver two weeks earlier. The local investigation finally recovered the gun but no charges were filed. 

A few years later, Hunter wrote in his memoir that at the time he bought the gun, he was smoking crack cocaine “every 15 minutes, seven days a week.” 

In 2021, Politico’s Tara Palmeri got a hold of the police report and the federal background check that Hunter signed. On the 4473 form, Biden checked “no” on the box that asked:

Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?

Lying on the background form is a federal crime that is not prosecuted as much as it should be by ATF and the Justice Department. But it’s these black-and-white facts that make Hunter’s case tough to defend.

How We Got Here

Political analysts and the media largely ignored Hunter’s gun case because it paled in comparison to the allegations of corrupt overseas dealings involving his father. However, we followed the gun charges closely.

In June 2023, the DoJ announced it made a sweetheart deal with Hunter (my story on it here.) The deal said the feds would wrap up its entire five-year investigation and let him plea to just misdemeanor tax charges. 

It also said he was charged with just one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person prohibited and but that his record would be wiped clean after a couple of years of probation.

All the attention at the time was on the “10% for the big guy” accusations that were buried. But the powerful gun lobby NSSF Chief Counsel Larry Keane told me of Hunter’s deal:

I think a poor African American or white defendant charged with the same thing would not get this kind of a deal.

Smoking Gun Stands

Just one month later, Judge Noreika shocked everyone by saying the plea deal could not go through. (My story here.) She said mixing immunity on a gun charge with a guilty plea on tax charges was not constitutional.

The judge also asked how Hunter’s immunity on the gun charge would apply to possible future charges in the ongoing investigation

Over the next few weeks, the prosecution and defense fought over whether the sweetheart deal was still on the table (story here.) Hunter’s team said the deal was valid and that Special Counsel David Weiss was trying to “renege” on a binding agreement. 

The DoJ stuck to its gun (pun intended, story here) and indicted Hunter on the three gun charges. Biden’s team tried to postpone the trial, saying he wasn’t ready, didn’t have the money and the aforementioned Second Amendment defense. 

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The Verdict:

I think the jury will…

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However, Baldwin has a history of violent behavior and assaulting random people. Also, his trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge for the death of his cinematographer on the “Rust” movie set is coming up in June. The trial prosecutors have filed documents saying Baldwin has “absolutely no control of his own emotions.”

Pro Palestine v Baldwin

Watch the video on the encounter with the liberal activist known as Crackhead Barney below:

“Crackhead” is extremely annoying and would make anyone want to scream back.

Baldwin was right to refuse to say “Free Palestine”  and “F--k Israel.” He was smart to not respond when she referred to the “Rust” shooting by saying, “You killed that lady and got no jail time.”

But does he deserve all the credit he got from influential people and social media for punching at her cell phone?

Pro Baldwin Voices:

Megyn Kelly, the enormously popular podcaster (who I know and like a ton) posted on X:

Team Baldwin. You deserved it “Crackhead.”

Arsen Ostrovsky, an international human rights lawyer wrote:

Alec Baldwin is my new hero! Guy just wanted to get coffee, then a Hamas fangirl @CHBAF accosted him, repeatedly demanding: "Just say 'Free Palestine' and I'll leave you alone, just one time."

Christian author and speaker Eric Metaxas wrote:

If you hate Alec Baldwin -- who is NOT a murderer -- and cannot stand w/him when he is in the right, you're channeling the demonic spirit of cancel culture, and God cannot use you. Stand with the truth no matter what.

Outkick’s Clay Travis wrote:

I actually think Alec Baldwin was fairly chill here. Shoving phones in people’s faces and walking around filming them while demanding they repeat your favored political slogans isn’t normal or commendable behavior. The recorder is the bad guy here.

Walk away?

None of these people seem to consider that well-known hothead Baldwin could have just walked out, not hit the phone and avoided most of the viral video. But that’s not his pattern.

Instead, the actor told the coffee shop employee to kick the woman out of the store and call the police for “harassment.”

Outside, The Daily Mail got photos (above) of Baldwin and “Crackhead Barney” continuing the physical conflict outside.

Prosecutors: Baldwin had no control over his emotions

In July, Baldwin will face a New Mexico journey for the involuntary manslaughter charges against him for shooting and killing Halyna Hutchins.

Earlier this month, the special prosecutors filed a 400-plus-page response to Baldwin’s request to dismiss the indictment. In the document, they wrote about the actor’s actions:

In addition to rushing the cast and crew, Mr. Baldwin was frequently screaming and cursing at himself, at crew members or at no one and not for any particular reason.

To watch Mr. Baldwin's conduct on the set of is to witness a man who has absolutely no control of his own emotions and absolutely no concern for how his conduct effects those around him.

Witnesses have testified that it was this exact conduct that contributed to safety compromises on set.

Baldwin’s aggressiveness was part of the chain of events that led him to point a loaded gun at Hutchins and pull the trigger.

Baldwin’s Violent History

While Baldwin is getting virtual high-fives for hitting a phone and not using anti-Israel rhetoric, people seem to have forgotten his long history of physical assaults. Here are my top five:

1. Baldwin was arrested and charged in 2018 for punching Wojciech Cieszkowski on the head over a parking space in front of his building.

   My good friend Tara Palmeri of Puck News tweeted at the time that the incident was not out of character:

Alec Baldwin also told me "I hope you choke to death" when I was on assignment, staking out his house

Baldwin pled guilty to harassing Cieszkowski and was ordered to pay a fine and take anger management classes. A few months after the “Rust” shooting in early 2022, Baldwin settled civil cases with Cieszkowski— probably hoping to get that case out of the spotlight.

2. Baldwin got into a fight with a paparazzo photographer in 2013 and was photographed pushing the man against a car. (Photo above from ET.)

3. In 2012, “New York Daily News” photographer Marcus Santos claimed Baldwin punched him outside the Manhattan marriage license bureau. Santos told police that Baldwin punched him on the chin.

   Baldwin said Santos hit him with his cameras. The Manhattan DA declined to charge the actor.

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4. This event…

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Singer Darius Rucker posted “Finally my word paid off!!!!!” with his score.

If you are one of the tens of millions who also play Wordle, you know how exciting it is to get it one guess. (The word is at the bottom not to spoil.) 

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a daily, free game in which you get six tries to figure out a five-letter word. If you’ve never played, try it here.

Each time you guess, a box will change colors with the letter. It turns yellow if it’s the correct letter but in the wrong place. It turns green if it’s the correct letter in the right place.

You have to create an account to play the game. Your stats are tracked, which makes it fun to compete with others over your “win %,” “streak” and “guess distribution.”

My win average is 99% but that’s not because I’m that good. I sometimes don’t guess in a game that I think I’ll lose so that it doesn’t count against me.

I also occasionally text a smarter friend (who is a paid subscriber here- thank you!) for a clue about the final answer. I know that is cheating, but it’s more fun to share the game with friends. 

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My current stats:

Wordle History

The game was publically released by its creator — Josh Wardle — on a website in October 2021.

It became hugely popular during the pandemic once it allowed users to share their scores on Twitter. They show up as green and yellow emojis instead of giving away the answer. Players could compete publicly about how many guesses it took to win. The word “Wordle” frequently trended on the platform.

In early 2022, “The New York Times” bought the game for millions. Players feared the media giant would ruin the game. Later in the year, the NYT moved the game off the original website and onto its own platform. 

NYT Ruins Worlde

When I was forced to switch to the NY Times website to play the game, I saw that all my stats were gone. I called it a “serious WORDLE CRISIS.”

I took a long break from the game because I was so frustrated to lose about nine months of daily playing.

As time went on, people like me who left during the switch came back. I started playing at Wordle game number 211 over two years ago and now we are at 1,035. It’s highly addictive.

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Here’s my strategy to play and today’s winning word:

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However, a jury and now a judge have decided that Reed is fully responsible and should get the maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. 

Does this mean Baldwin will get off in his upcoming jury trial— and does that show there are two systems of justice in America?

Or will Baldwin face the same punishment if he’s found guilty? Do you think he’s scared?

Let’s discuss in the comments... Keep reading for what happened in court on Monday. 

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Judge Throws the Book:

Reed said to the judge in her allocution: “I beg you, please don’t give me more time.”

She was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter (story here) for the death of Halyna Hutchins. She has been in jail since then. 

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer was unsympathetic to Reed, saying:

You were the armorer, the one that stood between a safe weapon and a weapon that could kill someone. You alone turned a safe weapon into a lethal weapon.

But for you, Ms. Hutchins would be alive, a husband would have his partner and a little boy would have his mother.”

Sommer then ordered Reed to be taken to prison.

Before her ruling, the judge said there were three options. Reed could get probation and be released.  Sommer said that was not on the table because Reed lacked remorse. 

The judge also considered letting her stay in jail for a total of 12 months and “not experience prison.” Sommer said to Reed, “This would give you a pass you do not deserve.”

Lack of Remorse?

Reed cried during her allocution when saying the media has portrayed her as a monster. She said that is the “total opposite of what’s been in my heart.”

Reed asked the judge for probation. She was 24 at the time of the 2021 shooting and told the judge that she was “young and naive” but took her job as seriously as she knew how. She said she performed well despite not having the “proper time, resources and staffing.”

“She has truly felt remorse,” her lawyer Jason Bowles added after Reed finished speaking. Bowles also reminded the judge that Baldwin will be on trial on the same charge in July for his role in the tragedy. 

The judge pointed out that Reed did not say in her allocution that she was sorry for her actions. “Your lawyer had to say you were remorseful,” said Sommer. 

Jailhouse Phone Calls

The judge made her ruling partly on Reed’s jailhouse phone calls that prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey released in summaries. The prosecution said that Reed never expressed remorse on more than 200 calls.

The calls are not transcribed, but these are some key ones that were used against her. (Each line is a different call, I just moved them around for similar issues.)

Hannah said that she didn’t need to be shaking the dummies all the time.

Hannah is dismissive of the judge talking about someone dying as a reult of her actions.

Hannah says that she can’t believe the judge put her in jail

Hannah says that the judge is terrible and on a power trip.

“When they say a jury of your peers, they mean f—king retards,” said Hannah.

She also said the jury didn’t look at the evidnce and are “a—-holes.”

In another call, she said the jury “was so f—-ing stupid” and couldn’t tell what was happening.

The judge read this one directly:

Hannah says that people have accidents and people die, it’s an unfortunate part of life, but it doesn’t mean she should be in jail.

Other calls are interesting for going forward:

Hannah want them to put Alec Baldin in jail too.

Hannah said if she is subpoenaed to Baldwin’s trial, she will not show up

You can read all the jailhouse call summaries in the document that I put at the bottom for paid subscribers.

Emotional Sentencing

The prosecution said Reed deserves the maximum sentence because she brought the real ammunition (“live rounds”) to the set and didn’t properly check the gun before giving it to Baldwin.

The prosecution presented testimony and videos from Hutchins’s friends, coworkers, and family. They said they wanted justice, missed Hutchins and loved her. Hutchins’s husband and son were not shown on video and did not seem to be in court.

Gloria Allred spoke in court as the lawyer for Halyna’s parents and sister. They are suing Baldwin for her death.

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By video, Halyna's mother in Ukraine and sister said how much they missed her and that no legal proceeding would take away their daily grief and pain.

Is Baldwin going to get off?

As I have written for two and a half years, I think Baldwin…

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this weekend secretly deleted all its social media posts and a website that said ivermectin was only for cows and horses. For the first time, the FDA wrote on its .gov website that ivermectin can be safely taken by humans for COVID.

The agency did this as part of a settlement wi…

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However, this gift wasn't uniformly welcomed on the Left, as the blue check has become a symbol of supporting conservatives and Musk.

The Famous and “Influential”

I poured through a database of 5,000 names (link below for paid subscribers) to uncover who received a blue check this week— many against their will. Normally a subscription costs between $8 and $11 a month.

Among those newly verified are San Francisco Mayor London Breed, President Biden's granddaughter Naomi Biden, and the Biden-Harris campaign account @BidenHQ.

Celebrities forced into blue chek status include Morgan Freeman, Drew Barrymore, Scottie Pippen, Willie Nelson, Sacha Baron Cohen, Billy Crystal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jessica Biel, Carrie Fischer, Kevin Bacon and Howie Mandel.

Several left-wing media outlets and reporters were suddenly verified, including The Boston Globe, Bob Woodward, The New York Daily News, Maureen Dowd of The New York Times, Chris Matthews, The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin, CNN’s Dana Bash, Kate Bolduan and Erin Burnett.

Former politicians like gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords and MSNBC contributor Michael Steele were also verified. Democratic strategist James Carville also found a blue check next to his name.

Vaccine promoter Prof Peter Hotez MD expressed surprise when he noticed his account changed.

Liberal Protest

Claire McCaskill, the former Democrat Senator and current MSNBC analyst, wanted it removed from her account because it “means you pay Elon.”

Rapper Lil Nas X posted: “on my soul i didn’t pay for twitter blue, u will feel my wrath tesla man!”

“The Wire” creator David Simon posted a series of profanity-laced tweets about being verified. Musk replied to one of them, saying “Such ingrates” with a laughing emoji. 

Simon and “Star Trek” actress Jeri Ryan found there is a setting to hide the blue check while retaining the premium benefits.

Media Protest

Some reporters exposed their bias through outrage about the blue check.

The Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson posted: “...this platform has given me a blue checkmark that I DID NOT ASK OR PAY FOR. Wha'?”

“The Atlantic” writer Tom Nichol, who has “legacy blue check” in his bio, critized the move, stating it was done “to obscure the difference between sensible folks and people who will pay eight dollars to Elon Musk.”

Reporter Aaron Rupar got his blue check back this week and posted to his almost 900,000 followers: “My wife just offered me condolences on my new blue check.”

Twitter’s Power

Although only about 20% of Americans are on X/Twitter, it weilds considerable influence. I’d say it’s the most effective way to follow and reach elected officials and the media directly.

Musk's changes aimed to foster more free speech and amplify conservative voices compared to the other major social media platforms.

In response, former Twitter CEO and Facebook started alternatives to X such as Blue Sky and Threads. Many reporters went to those sites, but I’ve noticed they come back to Twitter when they have breaking news.

The only major politicians who doesn’t use X is former President Donald Trump who uses Truth Social, his social media company that he just sold for billions.

Legacy Blue Checks Are Back

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The astounding video of the Princess of Wales— looking directly into the camera and appearing somewhat gaunt— came after her medical records were reportedly accessed by rogue hospital staff and weeks of conspiracy theories.

As I wrote recently about crisis communication, getting out all the facts immediately is the most effective way to fix a mess. She has done that now and deserves sympathy and privacy.

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All the Facts

Catherine, 42, said her “major abdominal” surgery in January was “successful, however tests after the operation found cancer had been present.” She said she has started "a course of preventive chemotherapy” treatments. Watch the video below:

She did not announce the type of cancer.

“This of course came as a huge shock and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” said the Princess of Wales, wearing her engagement ring and wedding band.

She explained her public absence was due to both recovering from surgery to start treatments and to explain everything to her children— George, Charlotte and Louis. Catherine said she told them in a way that was “appropriate” and reassured them “that I am going to be okay.”

Her father-in-law, King Charles, also has cancer. Poor Prince William has a young wife and father both going through tough treatments.

Kensington Palace originally said Kate would be out of public life until after Easter. She didn’t address the timeline in this video, but it will likely be longer.

“We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” said the British princess.

Royal Rumors

Princess Catherine has been the subject of global gossip and conspiracy theories for her absence from public life. People guessed it was everything from being in a coma to plastic surgery to her husband cheating on her.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance” she said, putting to bed the media stories of another woman.

The controversy over Kate’s absence hit a high when she admitted to photoshopping a family photo that the wire services killed for being manipulated.

Then she— or the PR team from Kensington Palace— sent her out in a car with William but only showed the side of her face. This increased the conspiracy theories.

Last weekend, William and Catherine were seen in a grainy video at a local market. It seemed like a PR stunt, even though the person who took the video declared he didn’t know the rumors and just happened to see them (see the newspaper covers in the photo above.)

The New Kate

I wrote that many found it odd that Catherine has been a spokeswoman for various important issues but kept her medical diagnosis a secret. She has turned that around by declaring that she is thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer.

“For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone,” said the princess.

I understand that some of you say we all should have left her alone. But I think…

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Dr. Mary Talley Bowden of , the plaintiff in the case, told me: “The damage the FDA inflicted will linger, but future patients are now protected from one meaningful government intrusion into their medical care.”

The court filing is below for paid subscribers. You first read about this case exclusively in my story in June 2022. The doctors filed the suit for interfering with both their authority to prescribe an approved medication and the doctor-patient relationship.

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The FDA agreed to delete the Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook posts from August 21, 2021 that read, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.” (A screencap of the X/twitter one is above and still online here.)

It will also remove the Twitter post (below) from April 26, 2022 that reads, “Hold your horses, y’all. Ivermectin may be trending, but it still isn’t authorized or approved to treat COVID-19.

Further, the FDA will delete all other social media posts on FDA accounts that link to its website (below) called “Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19.”

It will “retire” this website (called a consumer update) originally posted on March 5, 2021 and revised on September 7, 2021. The FDA retains the right to post a revised update.

Bowden said she and her co-plaintiffs Dr. Paul E. Marik and Dr. Robert L. Apter decided to drop the lawsuit they got what they wanted.

“After nearly two years and a resounding rebuke by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the FDA has agreed to remove its misleading social media posts and consumer directives regarding ivermectin and Covid-19,” said Bowden.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to district court and wrote in the decision:

FDA is not a physician. It has authority to inform, announce, and apprise—but not to endorse, denounce, or advise. The Doctors have plausibly alleged that FDA’s Posts fell on the wrong side of the line between telling about and telling to

This is the seventh part of my series about the doctors’ ivermectin lawsuit against the FDA. Catch up and get the original sources here:

1. COVID Doctors sue FDA over Ivermectin: Lawsuit filed (June 2022)

2. Doctors fight FDA in court to use ivermectin for COVID patients: Federal district court hearing (Nov. 2022)

3. FDA Ivermectin Lawsuit Dismissed, COVID Doctors Appeal: Lawsuit dismissed and appealed (Dec. 2022)

4. FDA Says Doctors Can Prescribe Ivermectin for COVID in Federal Court Lawsuit: 5th Circuit Appeal hearing (Aug. 2023)

5. FDA Denies Ivermectin Approved for COVID (Aug. 2023)

6. 'FDA is not a Physician' Federal Appeals Court Sides with Doctors on Ivermectin for COVID-19 (Sept. 2023)

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Now, Princess Catherine has become the most hotly debated and gossiped about woman on earth. What went so wrong for the future queen of England?

Sudden Surgery

Kate’s first public show of weakness came when Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that she had “planned” abdominal surgery the day before that would require two weeks in a hospital, followed by recovery through Easter.

(There is a possibility from this video tweet that Kate was actually rushed to the hospital on Dec. 28.)

This was shocking because it was so extremely out of character. Kate had always been athletic and was beloved for joining in sports (field hockey, sailing, running) at her public events. Her physical strength was on show after each of her three children were born. She did a photo op that same day, wearing heels and smiling.

She looked stunning at Christmas with her family (above) and just days later was too sick for public events for months.

The Mystery Illness

What were the possible medical reasons for such a lengthy hospital stay for a seemingly healthy, 42-year-old?

Kate said in a statement that it was her wish that “her personal medical information remains private.”

That didn’t stop the guessing but pushed it into anonymous Twitter/X accounts and friend group chats because no one wanted to call out a medical condition that could be embarrassing.

(The most common theory on social media was she had a resection of some sort and then a temporary colostomy bag. Nurses chimed in on Reddit to say those procedures matched the timing of the missing princess.)

Princess Catherine had become a spokeswoman for various important issues. So many asked why she wouldn’t use this opportunity to raise public awareness of whatever ailed her. 

It was glaring compared to King Charles, who announced the same day that he had to be hospitalized for an enlarged prostate. A spokesman said the king decided to tell the public about the surgery in advance in an effort to encourage other men to have their prostates checked.

Charles reportedly visited Kate as they were in the same hospital, but no photo was released. Prince William was seen just one time (above) driving to the hospital to visit her. Her children have not been seen publicly since Christmas.

The Lengthy Recovery

Kensington Palace finally said on Jan. 29 that Kate had left the hospital to return home to Windsor and was “making good progress.” But as February dragged on with no sightings of Kate — who was supposedly working from home— the gossip turned to bigger conspiracy theories.

A Spanish reporter said Kate was in a coma. The palace actually denied that.  Social media users wondered if Kate was dead.

Was she dropping out of the royal duties (like her mother-in-law Princess Diana did before) and leaving William? This theory is based on a longtime rumor that William had an affair with Kate’s friend Rose Hanbury.

Kate’s absence during all of February was in contrast to King Charles who was diagnosed with an unnamed type of cancer but has continued to attend some public events and share photos of meetings at home.

Many wondered why the princess was no longer up to the task of tax-payer-funded royal life anymore. Is she really that sick or is she hiding something?

Kate spent her entire adult life avoiding drama and controversy. Now she was in the center of a whirlwind of negative attention.

The Weird Car Photo

Over a month after she left the hospital, paparazzi got a photo of Kate being driven by her mother. The British press did not buy the photo because it wasn’t authorized by the palace— back when that lent credibility and favor. TMZ in the U.S. ran it on March 4.

Kate (above) had a puffy face and wasn’t that recognizable. Social media users said it was Pippa or a body double. The princess and her staff could have publicly ignored these wild theories, but instead, they gambled on a PR stunt that changed forever Kate’s perfect reputation. 

The Mother’s Day Photo

Kensington Palace released the photo of Kate and her children to news media on March 10, which was Mother’s Day in the U.K. At first, everyone was happy and relieved to see her again and looking healthy.

Catherine signed a note with the photo on social media. It said William, the Prince of Wales, took the photo. The palace told the media that the photo was taken within the past week. It seemed old Kate was back and the perfect family restored. 

But the excitement over seeing a seemingly healthy princess was short-lived as social media users pointed out the glaringly obvious photoshopping. The tweet at the top of my story shows all the photoshopping mistakes in the photo.

This was not about the type of editing we all do— blurring facial lines or fixing stray hairs. The majority of the edits are in the center of the photo which some think means Kate changed her own face for vanity reasons. That would make her complicit in a big lie. 

Also, Kate was not wearing her wedding or engagement rings, which she has never done in public in the past. That added to the theory that her marriage is on the rocks.

News Media Backlash

Just hours after the social media alarm bells, all the major wire services— AP, AFP, Reuters, AFP et al— issued a rare “photo kill” because Kate’s photo had been “manipulated.” This meant news outlets around the world had to pull the photo from their publications.

A photo kill is a rare journalism move that is only done when a photo has been altered in a way to be disinformation.

The head of the AFP told the BBC on Wednesday that, “The previous kills we’ve had have been from the North Korean news agency or the Iranian news agency.” He also said Kensington Palace is no longer a trusted news source.

“The big issue here is one of trust and the lack of trust—or the falling trust—of the general public in institutions generally and in the media,” said the AFP’s Phil Chetwynd.

“And so it’s extremely important that a photo does represent, broadly, the reality that [it was taken in], and therefore it is not, in a sense, telling some kind of lie or some kind of false truth around an event that happens.”

The AP said the “image revealed inconsistencies” that included “the alignment of Princess Charlotte’s left hand with the sleeve of her sweater.” (Read the full AP statement on its policies here.)

Kate’s Apology Mistakes

I’ve written in the past about my experiences in crisis communication. This is defined specifically as a way to deal with the media when your reputation and integrity are on the line. 

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The first thing to do is get out all the facts and information available. Catherine did not do this…

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