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Bill Maher has a question for California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ... why does it take a massive disaster for the state to cut red tape?!?

Bill joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about the heat Newsom and Bass are catching over the response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and what it's going to take for L.A. to rebuild.

The 'Real Time' host says Newsom and Bass absolutely deserve to be held accountable for what Maher feel are a series of blunders that exacerbated the disaster ... and he says now is absolutely the time to have a conversation about their actions, or lack thereof.

Mel Gibson toured the ash heap that was once his California home … but he seemed vastly more concerned with making sure the first responders knew how much he appreciated their efforts.

Mel was photographed returning to his Malibu property for the first time on Wednesday where he was seen shaking hands with firefighters and surveying the damage left behind from the deadly Palisades fire.

While not all residents have been able to return to their property it appears Mel got a lift from the fire department as he was shooting a ride along interview with a NewsNation correspondent.

While Mel has been on the record saying he's just happy to have his family safe ... there was at least one souvenir he wanted take with him before leaving the property ... what appeared to be an end table.

Last week, he told Joe Rogan he was "ill at ease because I knew my neighborhood was on fire. He says the Santa Ana winds were just starting to kick up on Tuesday when he took off for Texas. MG said, "You could put it in an urn" ... referring to what's left of his house.

Mel, who lived in the home for about 15 years, says he lost a lot of "cool stuff," but knows he can replace all of that. He says he plans to clean up the lot and rebuild.

Mel is is apart of a long list of celebrities who've have lost their homes. That list also includes Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, Eugene Levy, Miles Teller, John Goodman, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, Candy Spelling and Jeff Bridges.

Jennie Kim is way more than just "One of the Girls," but that especially rings true this week ... 'cause the BLACKPINK singer and rapper is celebrating another trip around the sun!!

The global superstar had an action-packed year as a 28-year-old -- from launching her new single, "Mantra," to performing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and working on her debut album during her K-pop group's hiatus to focus on individual endeavors.

There's even more lined up for Jennie in her 29th -- she's locked in a spot in the Coachella 2025 lineup ... and she's slated to reunite with Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé for a BLACKPINK comeback.

Sam Darnold didn't torpedo his chances at a big payday after two bad games to finish the season ... at least that's what NFL super-agent Leigh Steinberg thinks -- telling TMZ Sports he believes the Minnesota Vikings will stick with him as the franchise quarterback.

Darnold -- the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 -- had a career resurgence in the 2024-25 campaign ... throwing for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns as he led the Vikes to a 14-3 record.

His hot streak fizzled out down stretch, though ... with the team's Super Bowl dreams coming to an end after a poor outing against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round on Monday.

American R&B singer Jon B. was in his early 20s when he busted out his silky smooth vocals and perfectly manscaped facial hair -- crooning his way to the forefront of the awkward '90s R&B scene.

His 1995 debut album featured hit songs, "Pretty Girl" and "Someone to Love" ft. Babyface -- which hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and even received a Grammy nomination.

Yes he's got some pipes, but he also writes music ... In 1996, he co-wrote the single "Say You'll Be There" for the Spice Girls.

Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony is relying on a private security company ... and Uncle Sam is paying a pretty penny to keep the incoming President safe.

TMZ obtained federal procurement docs that show the Secret Service has hired a company called Arcus Group LLC to help out with Monday's inauguration. The company scored an $8.1 million contract for the job ... and the firm is tasked with securing the perimeter.

Sounds like taxpayer money is being put to good use here ... Arcus Group boasts they are specialists in temporary security perimeters for high profile situations ... and Trump's inauguration fits the bill.

Pets who have been separated from families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires are fighting for their lives ... because there are limited ways for them to get food and water.

The heartbreaking situation is playing out in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, where people's pets have been left behind to fend for themselves in the rubble.

No food or water is being left for the cats, dogs and other pets who survived the fires ... according to Chris Valles from Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control.

The couple Robbie Williams "wed" at a screening of his new movie "Better Man" aren't monkeying around, telling the haters to hang around and reconsider ... even if the movie is a total bomb.

Haldun Uluç Ülgen tells TMZ ... he and his fiancée Amy Willoughby couldn’t care less the British singer's biopic tanked at the box office -- they loved it! And he assures us it’s got nothing to do with being "married" by Robbie, who's been an ordained minister since 2002.

Haldun's surprised the movie didn’t leap over the box office competition, but he believes that's because people aren't branching out for something fresh and original -- though he admits RW doesn't have the star power here like he does in the UK.

Forget the issue of Drake's street cred (just for a moment), because it's his lawyers who clearly know very little about Kendrick Lamar ... the guy who wrote the song they're suing UMG over.

A big part of Drake's 81-page defamation lawsuit over "Not Like Us" refers to the danger the diss track created for the Toronto rapper -- as the song "repeatedly suggests that violence should be used against Drake because he is a pedophile," and "the Recording repeats 'wop, wop, wop, wop' and then says Lamar will 'f**k 'em up.'"

But this is where Drake's legal team gets out over its skis, writing ... "Later, the Recording threatens that if Drake comes to Oakland, where Lamar grew up, he will not make it out alive: 'I think that Oakland show gon' be your last stop.'"

Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were the picture of Parisian romance, lighting up the City of Love on their latest date night outing.

The couple had the lovey-dovey vibes rolling, hand in hand as they left Cyril Lignac's posh restaurant after a cozy dinner Tuesday -- enjoying some one-on-one time following his "A Complete Unknown" premiere.

Timothée took the lead, guiding his lady through the swarm of paps and onlookers ... all eyes were on them as they walked out together in full-on power couple mode.

3:53 PM PT -- We caught up with Dave Grohl today in L.A. after his fire relief effort.

Dave Grohl spent his birthday putting others first, whipping up hearty meals for people affected by the L.A. wildfires and the brave firefighters battling the blazes.

Check out the clip -- Dave was stirring up a giant vat of chili Tuesday while volunteering with Feed The Streets Los Angeles, the group that's stepping up big-time to feed displaced families, inmate firefighters and other frontline workers in the wake of the recent devastation.

Feed The Streets shared an IG Story of Grohl in action, with another clip showing him pushing containers down the pavement to get those meals out to those in need.

Leonardo DiCaprio is keeping up his philanthropic work, pledging $1M to support wildfire relief efforts amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

The movie star made the announcement on social media on Wednesday, revealing the donation would be in conjunction with his organization Re:wild to aid both immediate needs and long-term recovery after the fires.

The org's Rapid Response Program is specially designed to address environmental disasters and emergencies. The initial aid will support the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, and SoCal Fire Fund.

The Philadelphia Eagles fan who was captured on video over the weekend calling a Packers supporter a "dumb c***" has finally broken his silence ... claiming Wednesday his outburst was provoked.

Ryan Caldwell said in a statement to the New York Post the video that showed him going off on a female Packer backer at Sunday's playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field did not tell the full story.

Caldwell insists what took place just before his vulgar rant was "banter" between all parties. He then strongly implied that Alexander Basara and his fiancée, Ally Keller, egged him on.

Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson and her husband, former NFL player Andrew East, may be in retirement, but they're proving they've still got it ... one acrobatic challenge at a time.

The former athletes put their fit frames on display for a number of videos uploaded to social media, where they've tapped into their competitive spirit to pull off a series of acrobatic stunts.

Check it out ... a shirtless Andrew effortlessly lifts Shawn into the air ... just as she contorts her body and turns a full 360 degrees. It's flipping adorable, if we do say so ourselves!!!

The suspicious hiker who gave some bizarre answers to a concerned Topanga resident was questioned and arrested by police ... at least according to the guy who confronted him.

We tracked down the Topanga man who recorded his interaction with the hiker and he joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... telling us the guy stuck out like a sore thumb and raised a ton of red flags.

The resident says his community is pretty tight-knit, so they know everyone ... and this guy was clearly not a local.