This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happens.
Key events
Live updates
That's it for The Loop this morning
By Kate Ainsworth
Thanks for joining us. If you're just catching up, here's some of what we covered (hit the link to jump to the post):
- Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust back in 2021
- Joe Biden's former office was searched by the FBI in November last year after his attorneys found classified documents from his time as vice president
- Socceroo star Harry Souttar has signed a $26 million deal with Leicester City in the English Premier League
- DC Studios has unveiled its grand film and TV plan for the next 10 years (in a very Marvel-esque move)
- And a NASA camera has captured what looks like the face of a bear on the surface of Mars (yes, really).
You can keep up-to-date with other news on the ABC's website, by subscribing to our mobile alerts, and by watching News Channel or listening to local radio here.
Two monkeys have been taken from Dallas Zoo
By Kate Ainsworth
(This has turned into an animal blog this morning, but I digress.)
Two monkeys have been reported missing from the Dallas Zoo in the latest of suspicious events being investigated by police.
Police say they believe someone had cut an opening in an enclosure, taking two emperor tamarin monkeys — small primates with long whiskers that look like a wise moustache.
“It was clear the habitat had been intentionally compromised,” the zoo said in a statement.
It's the latest incident at the zoo, which shut for a day after a clouded leopard went missing, before being found near its habitat, with police saying a tool had been used to cut an opening in its fencing.
A similar cut was also found in an enclosure of langur monkeys, but none escaped.
Late last month an endangered vulture was also found dead, with the zoo saying the death didn't appear to be natural.
"It appears that somebody really has an issue with the Dallas Zoo," said CEO of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Ed Hansen.
US Vice President Kamala Harris to attend Tyre Nichols's funeral
By Kate Ainsworth
The White House has confirmed US Vice President Kamala Harris will attend tomorrow's funeral of Tyre Nichols, who died days after being beaten by police officers after a traffic stop earlier this month.
The service will be held in Memphis, run by the Reverend Al Sharpton.
Family members of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020, will also attend the service.
Five officers have been fired and charged with second-degree murder in the case of Nichols, with two other officers suspended from duty.
Medics who attended the scene have also been fired for failing to provide Nichols with adequate care.
Film academy won't revoke surprise best actress Oscar nod for Andrea Riseborough
By Kate Ainsworth
Hollywood's motion picture academy says it won't revoke the surprise best actress nomination for To Leslie star Andrea Riseborough after a review of an aggressive campaign on her behalf.
Riseborough was nominated for best actress for playing an alcoholic single mother in the little-seen film, a shock to awards pundits who had not expected her to be in the mix.
The surprise nomination sparked questions about whether a campaign for Riseborough had violated lobbying rules set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with several A-list stars posting social media comments touting her performance in the lead up to nominations closing.
But the Academy's CEO Bill Kramer said the organisation "has determined the activity in question does not rise to the level that the film's nomination should be rescinded."
"However, we did discover social media and outreach campaigning tactics that caused concern. These tactics are being addressed with the responsible parties directly," Kramer added.
Winners of the Academy Awards will be announced on March 13.
Coming up: Alice Springs alcohol report to be delivered
By Kate Ainsworth
Central Australian Regional Controller Dorrelle Anderson will deliver her report on the alcohol policy in Alice Springs, as the town grapples with an ongoing crime crisis.
Last week Anderson was tasked with reporting to the NT government about a way forward, as they brought in a three-month trial of alcohol restrictions.
She's spent the last week meeting with members of the community, government departments and non-government organisations about what could help shift the dial on the community's crime statistics, and could make wide-ranging recommendations.
She's also been specifically asked to make recommendations about the future of alcohol policy in remote communities.
George Santos steps down from House committees amid ethics issues
By Kate Ainsworth
US Republican Representative George Santos has told his colleagues he'll temporarily step down from two congressional committees as he faces a stack of ethics issues and a day after he met with the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The embattled Santos has faced numerous calls to resign, and is staring down multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances, as well as lies about his resume and family background.
Santos was assigned to two fairly low-profile panels: the House Committee on Small Business, and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
In a prepared statement, Santos said he wanted to focus on serving his constituents "without distraction."
"I want to personally thank Speaker McCarthy for meeting with me to discuss the matter and allowing me to take time to properly clear my name before returning to my committees," Santos said.
"To my constituents, I remain committed to serving the district, and delivering results for both New York's Third Congressional District and for the American people."
Pope Francis visits Democratic Republic of Congo
By Kate Ainsworth
Pope Francis has arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo — part of his six-day visit to the African continent which includes a trip to South Sudan.
He's the first pope to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo for almost four decades.
Thousands greeted him at the airport in the capital, Kinshasa.
The country is home to Africa's biggest Catholic community — almost half of the country's 100 million residents belong to the faith.
Have you seen this gorilla?
By Kate Ainsworth
If you're in Maryland in the US and have seen this gorilla statue, police want to hear from you.
CCTV has captured a man stealing a gorilla statue from outside an antique shop in Kensington earlier this month, cutting the cable that secured it, before dragging it into the back of his ute.
The Montgomery County Department of Police is offering a reward of "up to $US10,000" for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect.
More charges possible for police, medics in Tyre Nichols case
By Kate Ainsworth
Memphis prosecutors could bring more criminal charges against police officers and others involved in the events leading up to and following the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
Yesterday the department revealed that a sixth officer, Preston Hemphill, was suspended from the force soon after the death of Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man, who died in a hospital three days after being pulled over in a traffic stop and beaten on January 10.
No charges have been filed against Hemphill, a white officer who was not present at the site of the fatal beating.
Last week five other officers — all of them Black — were charged with second-degree murder and dismissed from the force.
In the statement, Mulroy said other policemen, fire department personal and others who prepared documentation of the incident may also face criminal charges as more information becomes available.
"We are looking at all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Tyre Nichols," the office said, adding that the investigation is incomplete.
WA police rule out criminality over missing radioactive capsule
By Kate Ainsworth
Western Australian Police say they've ruled out the possibility of criminality in the disappearance of a dangerous radioactive capsule.
Australia's nuclear safety agency has joined the search for the caesium-137 capsule, which vanished on a 1400km journey between a Rio Tinto mine site in the Pilbara and Perth.
Meanwhile it's emerged that the fine for failing to follow safety procedures while transporting radioactive materials in WA is just $1,000, which WA Greens MP Brad Pettitt has criticised for being too lenient.
You can read the latest on the needle in a haystack search below:
In Victoria? Say goodbye to single-use plastics
By Kate Ainsworth
From today, Victoria's single-use plastics ban comes into effect with straws, cutlery, plates and expanded polystyrene containers now banned from being purchased or supplied.
People who need single-use plastic drinking straws due to a disability or a medical need will still be allowed to purchase them.
The ban also applies to all cafes, restaurants and organisations in Victoria.
One item that's not included in the ban is disposable coffee cups — despite an estimated 1 billion of them going to landfill in Australia each year.
The state government has said single-use plastics make up a third of all Victoria's litter, and the state's Environment Protection Authority will police the ban to ensure compliance.
Is there life on Mars? I don't know, but there *is* a bear
By Kate Ainsworth
Yes, you read that right. NASA has spotted a formation on the surface of Mars that looks like a bear.
I won't get too scientific on you this morning, but the feature is actually a hill with a V-shaped structure that makes up the nose, two craters for eyes, and a circular fracture pattern rounding things out as the head.
BREAKING: Alec Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter over fatal Rust shooting
By Kate Ainsworth
Actor Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021, after the prosecutor filed the charges in New Mexico.
District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies had announced last month that she would file charges before the end of January, after months of speculation that she would determine whether she had evidence of Baldwin showing a criminal disregard for safety when a revolver he was rehearsing with fired a live round that killed Hutchins.
Baldwin has denied responsibility for the shooting, saying he cocked the revolver but never pulled the trigger and it was the job of Gutierrez-Reed and other weapons professionals to ensure it was unloaded.
A sheriff's office investigation has yet to reveal how live ammunition got onto the set outside Santa Fe.
Coming up: George Pell to lie in state in Sydney
By Kate Ainsworth
The body of the late Cardinal George Pell, who died in Rome last month at age 81, will lie in state at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney from 9:30am today.
There will be two masses, followed by a vigil.
A Pontifical Requiem Mass will also be held at the Cathedral tomorrow, after which Pell will be buried in a private ceremony in the cathedral's crypt.
NSW Police have applied to the state's Supreme Court to block LGBTQI protests from taking place on Thursday, citing concerns for community safety.
Protest group Community Action for Rainbow Rights, which applied to demonstrate outside the funeral, said it would go ahead with a peaceful march despite the police order.
You can read more about that here:
FBI searched Biden's former office for classified documents in November
By Kate Ainsworth
The FBI searched US President Joe Biden's former office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington last November, just weeks after his personal lawyers found classified documents there from his time as vice president.
The discovery of the documents then led to Biden's homes being searched, including in Delaware, where lawyers and federal agents found more classified documents in December and January.
It's not clear whether the FBI's search of his former office found additional classified documents beyond those found on November 2 by his attorneys.
A special counsel has been appointed to lead an investigation into how the documents ended up at Biden's home and former office, and whether any laws were potentially broken.
It's also eerily similar to an investigation by a separate investigation into Donald Trump, who is facing a far more perilous investigation after classified and official records were discovered at his estate in Florida.
News while you snoozed: Possible new sanctions against Trump, France's pension protests
By Kate Ainsworth
- New York's attorney-general has asked a judge to sanction former US president Donald Trump, his adult children, the Trump Organization and their lawyers over their responses to her $US250 million civil fraud lawsuit against them. Back in September last year, Attorney General Letitia James accused the Trumps of being involved in a decade-long scheme to manipulate asset values and Trump's net worth so banks and insurers would provide better terms. Last month the Trumps denied or claimed to lack sufficient knowledge about dozens of the accusations.
- More than 500,000 people have taken to the streets in Paris to protest French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform. Mr Macron has planned to raise the country's retirement age from 62 to 64.
News Australia is searching for: Harry Souttar
By Kate Ainsworth
Socceroos defender Harry Souttar is set to join Leicester City in the English Premier League.
The Foxes have reportedly agreed to sign the 24-year-old from second-tier Stoke City in a deal worth $26 million.
Souttar caught the attention of bigger clubs with his crucial performances for Australia at last year's World Cup in Qatar.
The transfer period wraps up later on this morning.
One last thing: DC Studios announces a very Marvel-esque 10-year plan
By Kate Ainsworth
DC Studios has announced an ambitious 10-year film and TV plan to help reinvigorate them under their new owner, Warner Bros Discovery.
DC Studios co-chairman Peter Safran, alongside director James Gunn, unveiled a very Marvel-esque plan to tell a single story that unfolds over eight to 10 years, through 10 upcoming film and TV projects.
The first phase is known as Gods and Monsters, and will use some of the DC Universe's best-known superheroes to introduce audiences to a new generation of characters.
So what films can we expect from DC? Currently they're offering up Superman: Legacy, where the Man of Steel reconciles with his Kryptonian heritage and human upbringing due for release in 2025.
Also in 2025 we'll get Batman - Part II, where Robert Pattinson will reprise his darker, more adult role — although that narrative is outside of Gunn's 10-year plan.
Speaking of Batman — we'll also get an installment introducing his assassin son as his crime-fighting sidekick, Robin.
We can also expect a TV series outlining the origin story of Themyscira, the island where Wonder Woman was born.
The main takeaway? We're not going to have a shortage of superhero content to watch anytime soon.
