Top Stories this AM: Unvaxxed pilots cost United Airlines $3 million a month; Facebook's $10 billion metaverse pricetag; 'Rust' asst. director had previous gun problem

Good morning and welcome to your weekday morning roundup of the top stories you need to know.

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What's going on today:

• Fly the expensive skies. United Airlines says its unvaccinated pilots are costing the carrier nearly $3 million a month. United Airlines said vaccinated pilots are hesitant to fly because they "refuse to risk their safety" by flying with unvaccinated pilots.
• Extreme couponing. One of the largest coupon fraud schemes cost retailers $31 million and landed a couple in jail for 20 years combined. Lori Ann Talens created more than 13,000 separate, distinct counterfeit coupons that were "virtually indistinguishable" from authentic coupons.
• "Rust's" dangerous past. The assistant director who handed Alec Baldwin the gun on the set of 'Rust' was fired from a film in 2019 after a gun unexpectedly discharged. A producer told Deadline that David Halls was fired from the set of 'Freedom's Path' after a gun accidentally discharged, injuring a crew member.
• NYC's finest fight vaccine mandate. With the vaccination deadline approaching, NYC's largest police union is suing for unvaccinated officers to continue working. The union has asked a Staten Island court to prevent the implementation of the vaccination mandate while its lawsuit is pending.
• The metaverse will cost ya. Facebook says it expects its investment in the metaverse to reduce its profits by 'approximately $10 billion' this year. The social media giant will be investing billions into Facebook Reality Labs which focuses on the metaverse.
• Relatable. A Colorado hiker lost for 24 hours ignored rescuers' attempts to reach them because they didn't recognize the phone number. The "missing" hiker reached their car 24 hours after setting out for a day hike, and had no idea a search and rescue operation for them was underway.
• That's all for now. See you tomorrow.