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Actor Alec Baldwin and a weapons specialist have been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies filed the charging documents on Tuesday naming Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who supervised weapons on the set of the Western Rust.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on October 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Prosecutors have said that Baldwin's involvement as a producer and as the person who fired the gun weighed in the decision to file charges.

The filing comes nearly two weeks after prosecutor Carmack-Altwies first announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed would be prosecuted for what authorities have described as a pattern of criminal disregard for safety. In recent weeks, she outlined two sets of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting.

The manslaughter charge against Baldwin includes alternative standards and sanctions. One would apply a charge of manslaughter for reckless disregard of safety "without due caution and circumspection".

A probable cause statement outlining evidence against Baldwin alleges many instances of "extremely reckless acts" or reckless failures to take precautions in the days and minutes leading up to the deadly shooting.

Investigators say that Baldwin drew a revolver from a holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used by industry standards.

It says photos and videos of the rehearsal, including moments before the deadly shooting, showed Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger while "manipulating" the pistol's hammer, and that an FBI analysis shows the pistol could not be fired without pulling the trigger.

Investigators say Baldwin failed to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming, and that he didn't fully complete on-set training while distracted by phone calls to family. They also cite several breaches of required safety-checks and protocols as the gun was loaded and provided to Baldwin.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.

Baldwin's lawyer Luke Nikas declined to comment on Tuesday and referred to his previous statement on the case, in which he called the charges a "terrible miscarriage of justice" that he and his client would fight and win.

"Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set," the statement said.

"He relied on the professionals with whom he worked."

Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer said they would release a statement later.

Baldwin, also a co-producer on Rust, has described the killing as a tragic accident. The 64-year-old said he was told the gun was safe and has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded .45-calibre revolver.

In his lawsuit, Baldwin said that while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

Defence lawyer Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a "flawed investigation" and an "inaccurate understanding of the full facts".

Defendants can participate remotely in many initial court proceedings or seek to have their first appearance waived.

The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster The Hunt For Red October and a starring role in the sitcom 30 Rock, as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese's The Departed and a film adaptation of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.

In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former president Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.

© AP 2023

The role of the central bank, supermarkets and energy companies in the cost-of-living crisis will be scrutinised at a parliamentary hearing.

The Senate committee on the cost of living will hear from the Reserve Bank, Woolworths, energy providers and welfare groups on Wednesday.

The committee was set up last year to investigate cost of living pressures and consider options to ease pressure on households.

Liberal senator Jane Hume chairs the committee, while Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne is its deputy chair.

Senator Hume said cost of living remained the top issue for Australians.

"Prior to the election, Labor said they had the answers. It seems to be getting worse, it's the worst inflation figure we have seen since 1990," she told Seven's Sunrise program.

"At the beginning of the year, with people going back to work and school, Australians are feeling the pinch of the grocery take-out, petrol browsers, paying their bills and mortgages."

Fast-rising inflation has been crushing household budgets, with consumer prices lifting at an annual rate of 7.8 per cent in the December quarter.

But Senator Hume denied that the committee would be used as a witch-hunt against the government.

"Quite the opposite - tactical outcomes are exactly what we are looking for," she said.

"We will consult with industry, individuals, groups, and find practical, implementable solutions to the cost-of-living crisis."

Inflationary pressures were initially isolated to goods due to supply-chain disruptions and high energy costs, but the price of services has also been trending upwards more recently.

The central bank started hiking the cash rate last year to stymie demand and control inflation, subsequently putting pressure on mortgage holders.

© AAP 2023

Australians have one more reason to roll up their sleeves in February, with a free designer bandage given to those who donate blood for cancer patients.

Fashion designer Camilla Franks has teamed up with Lifeblood to create the limited edition bandage ahead of World Cancer Day on Saturday.

The bandage will be handed out to anyone who gives blood this month.

"Even in the moments we feel our most helpless, there is something we can do to help a loved one living with cancer. We can give blood," Ms Franks, a breast cancer survivor, said.

"I hope this design can act as a reminder of that for people - a symbol of hope. Wearing this bandage is a way to show the world that you care."

More than 160,000 Australians were expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2022, with that figure projected to rise to 185,475 people by 2031.

It is still the leading cause of death in Australia, accounting for 30 per cent of all deaths in 2020.

Blood donations played an important role in cancer treatment, Lifeblood Donor Services executive director Cath Stone said.

Thirty-four per cent of all blood collected in Australia is used to treat cancer and blood diseases, with more than 10,000 donations needed each week for cancer patients.

On average, one acute leukaemia patient needs nine units of red blood cells or 36 units of platelets each month.

Four donors are needed to make up each bag of platelets.

"We know that the demand for blood and plasma will be greater than ever over the next decade," Ms Stone said.

"We need people to become donors now. We need 100,000 new donors this year alone."

To book an appointment to donate blood, call 13 14 95 or visit lifeblood.com.au

© AAP 2023