TMZ.com Home

It's lookin' like hell on Earth this holiday season for Southwest passengers, and cancelations still aren't easing up -- but it looks like the CEO is hoping to encourage his employees to get the job done during this nightmare.

The Dallas-based air transport company nixed another 2,500 flights Tuesday, according to CNBC ... or roughly 63% of its flights. For those unaware, Southwest also killed 70% the day before.

CEO Bob Jordan reportedly sent a message to his employees after customers were getting stranded at airports ... saying, "We’ve got to get out of this. We’ve got to get to the point where we’re reliable and we get our Customers, our Crews, our aircraft, everything on track."

Southwest is gunning to fly on a third of its schedule throughout the week -- with the goal of simply getting planes and crews where they're needed. Jordan says, however, "Obviously that will have even more impact on our Customers."

The company says it'll "honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals, hotel, and alternate transportation,” according to its website ... as long as passengers can provide a receipt to match.

FYI -- the U.S. Department of Transportation announced an investigation into Southwest Monday ... saying it's going to look into the "unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service."

One of the best careers in NFL history is coming to an end in just two weeks ... Arizona Cardinals star J.J. Watt just revealed he's retiring following the end of this season.

The 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year made the surprising announcement on his social media page Tuesday morning ... saying he's grateful his two-month-old son, Koa, was able to watch his last-ever home game on Christmas.

"Koa's first-ever NFL game," Watt said in his announcement. "My last ever NFL home game."

"My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure."

Stars from all over the sports world congratulated Watt on his legendary career, including Kevin Durant, who wrote, "True game changer and a legend. Much respect 99."

The former Wisconsin Badger was the 11th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and played the majority of his 12-year career with the Houston Texans. Watt suited up for Arizona in his last two seasons.

Watt logged 111.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles during his career ... and earned five All-Pro selections. He also won Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2017.

The 33-year-old, who just had his first baby with Kealia Ohai Watt in October, may not be on the field after this season ... but his family will still be represented well in the NFL nonetheless -- as his brothers, Derek and T.J., currently play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

J.J.'s final two NFL games will be against the Falcons this weekend ... and then the 49ers on Jan. 8.

A man who lived in the house where 4 University of Idaho students were brutally killed is baffled no one heard the sounds of death, because the house itself had to give off signals something terrible was happening.

Cole Alteneder, who graduated from the University, told ABC News, "It's definitely an old, creaky house ... You can't walk up any of the stairs or on any of the floors without everybody in the house knowing it."

As we reported, there were 6 people in the house at the time of the quadruple murders ... 2 people were spared and say they heard nothing. Police have said the 2 survivors are not suspects.

Cole says the house and the area surrounding it were well-known places to party, adding, "... people would hop the fences and just, like, walk away if the cops came."

Lots of people in the area knew the house and had access, and cops say they have been chasing down leads since the brutal murders.

Cherelle Griner can finally breathe ... something most people do without effort or thought, but something that was elusive to her during the 10 months her wife, Brittney Griner, was held captive by the Russian government.

Cherelle, who finished law school during her wife's captivity, tells PEOPLE ... "It was almost as if somebody just punched you in the stomach and you inhaled. You never get to breathe out."

She admits it was hard to hang on to hope ... "I was hopeless a lot of days. You try and stay grounded, but I'm human. Still, I would never completely give up hope on my wife's life."

As for Brittney's release ... Cherelle says her reaction surprised her ... "I had thought about that moment a thousand times, and I thought I would be full of tears, but I was overwhelmingly happy. It was the first time I was able to finally exhale."

Reuniting in San Antonio, where Brittney flew for medical observation and treatment, Cherelle said, "We were both just instantly crying. I was standing there full of tears and someone ran over and handed me a handkerchief. I definitely needed it."

She then described their embrace ... "I couldn't stop touching her facer. I was like, 'Is this really you?' It did not feel real. It was chilling, and warm. I was just holding on tight. I couldn't let her go."

Their first night together was sleepless ... "We just talked all night long and all morning." And then she reflected -- "I had all my freedom. I had my bed. But when you have your family overseas in a situation like that, time zones play a factor. Every night, that's the only time I could talk to her attorneys and I could handle things. And so I just hadn't slept."

It's one thing to get a bad review ... it's another to be cast in the same light as Kanye West and Donald Trump, but that's exactly what one reviewer did.

Politico writer Joanna Weiss posted a story called, "2022 Is the Year We All Finally Got Tired of the Narcissists," and she had plenty of fodder to build out her story ... in addition to the above names, she noted Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes.

As for Meghan Markle, she says the Netflix doc "Harry & Meghan" backfired in a big way. It's one of the most watched docs in a long time, but that doesn't mean it was received the way it was meant.

Weiss writes, "My natural sympathy for the couple started turning to irritation, and it occurred to me that ego has its limits. And it struck me that the overreach that led to the Sussexes' critically panned mega-series is the same impulse that turned Elon Musk into a terror on Twitter, that prompted Ye to up the ante of outrageous behavior until he crossed the line into blatant antisemitism, that sent Bankman-Fried from the top of the world to a Bahamian jail."

She concedes Harry and Meghan's conduct is more benign than the others, but says it's still problematic.

The documentary is filled with grievances against the Royal Family, including Harry saying it was "terrifying" when his brother Prince William screamed at him after Harry dropped the bombshell that he and Meghan were leaving.

A dog that was separated from her owner during a hike during the winter blast got a precious Xmas present -- life -- thanks to a determined owner and a rescue team.

Nala was hiking with her owner Christmas Eve in Ogden, Utah ... near Waterfall Canyon. Somehow the pooch and owner got separated. The owner searched high and low, but no Nala in sight. At nightfall, the frustrated and worried owner went back home.

On Christmas Day, the owner returned to the trail -- 2.4 miles from start to finish -- and spotted his dog. Thing is ... the owner's family didn't have a clue because cell service sucked, so they became worried he might be in trouble and called the cops.

A rescue team spotted the owner, who told them he spotted Nala at the top of a frozen waterfall, but couldn't reach her because of ice and steep terrain.

With the help of a drone, the rescue team spotted the dog and they then began a difficult hike to save the animal. Nala was a little freaked out at first, but eventually realized the team was there to help and she cooperated as they brought her down the mountain.

Nala had a few injuries, but nothing life-threatening. She's back with her fam.

Stephen Greif, who played Speaker of the House Sir Bernard Weatherill on Season 4 of "The Crown," has died.

Greif's reps announced his death Monday, but did not disclose the cause.

The British actor's role in the Netflix hit was his most recognized, but he was a working actor for many decades with numerous credits.

Greif appeared in Touchstone Pictures' flick, "Casanova" back in 2005. He was on numerous TV shows, including "Tales of the Unexpected," and he appeared in the '70s science fiction series, "Blake's 7."

He was also a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company back in the '60s.

His fellow actors took to social media in droves honoring him, one calling Greif "a consummate professional and an absolute gent."

He's survived by 2 sons.

Stephen Greif was 78.

Long Island Rep.-elect George Santos is admitting he wasn't the most honest guy while on the campaign trail when it came to his resume ... but he oddly doesn't see what the big fuss is about all the lies.

Santos came "clean" Monday, confirming with WABC Radio he in fact never graduated from a college -- or worked directly for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs ... despite once claiming it all to be true.

Santos doesn't see this as a way to deter him from serving his 2-year term, however ... downplaying the situation by telling New York Post, “My sins here are embellishing my resume. I’m sorry.”

He's apparently keepin' a pretty cool head -- he adds, "I am not a criminal. This [controversy] will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good.”

For those unaware, Santos was in the hot seat last week after New York Times poked massive holes in his previous history ... finding no references in past campaigns to a master's degree from NYU, among many, many other things.

Both Citigroup and Goldman Sachs also told CNN they had no record of Santos' employment.

Todd Chrisley is gearing up for his lengthy prison sentence ... and here's a detailed look at how things are run at the prison where he'll be serving his 12-year sentence.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Todd's set to report to minimum security FPC Pensacola in FL on January 17 ... and the facility has a specific uniform for inmates -- green pants, green shirts, white socks and black steel-toed boots.

As for the daily routine, lights come on at 4:45 AM daily -- and breakfast is served from 5-6. From there, beds must be made military style by 6:30, and his room should be completely clean ... likely not an issue for the self-professed germaphobe.

The work day begins as late as 7:30 AM and ends between 3 PM and 5 PM. There are a bunch of gigs Todd could pick up while behind bars ... jobs like cook, plumber, librarian, landscape worker, dishwasher or laundry worker.

Lunch is served at 11 AM, and he'll get an evening meal from 4:30 - 5:30 ... followed by mail call until 8:30. The compound then closes down shortly after, and lights out at 10:30.

A bunch of sports are offered at Todd's facility -- things like softball, flag football, basketball, soccer and volleyball. They also have the ability to do weight training, music, hobby crafts like art or woodworking and horseshoes.

As far as visiting hours ... he'll be limited to no more than 5 people at a time under the prison's policy.

We should say -- Todd has filed a motion asking for bail pending his appeal -- so if the judge grants that and EVERYTHING goes in his favor on the appeal, there's technically a chance he won't see any prison time.

D.L. Hughley says Donald Trump should be criminally charged over the Jan. 6 riots ... and he wants the former president charged with the death of a Capitol Police officer.

We got the comedian at LAX and he told our photog ... Trump would be staring at a slew of charges if he were Black ... including manslaughter.

The way D.L. sees it ... Trump should be held responsible for the death of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died the day after being viciously attacked by the mob during the insurrection.

Trump has yet to be charged by the Justice Department. The Jan. 6 Committee voted to refer Trump for possible criminal charges ... so potential charges are on the table.

As we reported, the Jan. 6 panel feels four charges are warranted for Trump ... obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to make a false statement, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and insurrection.

Drew Rosenhaus, Leigh Steinberg, Jimmy Sexton and ... T.J. Ward?!

In just a short matter of time, the ex-Denver Broncos star could very well be in the same conversation as the trio of famed NFL superagents ... 'cause the former Super Bowl champ just started his own agency -- and he tells TMZ Sports he's looking to change the player rep game with it.

Ward launched the Player Above Sports Group recently ... and he said with all of his experience as a high-level NFL player, he believes he and his new team can impact athletes' lives off the field in a way other agencies can't.

"There's not a lot of player representation for players," the former defensive back said. "There's not a lot of guidance, in that aspect, for players by players and that's what I want to do."

"We want to give them something in a viewpoint from someone who's been there," Ward added. "I've done a few things in this league and have a lot of experience and I know I can help these players with their careers right now."

Ward played in the NFL from 2010 to 2017 -- logging time with the Browns, Broncos and Buccaneers. He said during his career, he suffered "ups and downs" with his representation, and he's now making it his goal to help ensure future athletes don't have similar issues.

Ward's already got a few clients under his belt -- including former Oregon star Nick Pickett -- but he's looking to grow quickly.

It's that time of year, when your favorite celebs kick back, relax, or even get the hell outta town to enjoy the holidays ... and we got a sneak peek of where some of 'em are headed.

Alessandra Ambrosio was down in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro ... while Taylor Lautner got some Vitamin D and loads of views in Punta Mita, Mexico.

Ashanti made sure to flick it up beachside in UAE ... as did Max Ehrich, who spent some time near the water in Costa Rica.

Olivia Culpo popped out in Paris, and played tourist while posing in front of the Effiel Tower.

Ross Butler jet-setted to Egypt ... taking in some pretty cool sights and stopping for a photo op in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Nev Schulman grew up Jewish, but his wife has him all-in on Christmas ... but Hanukkah also has a special place in his heart.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and he told our photog he celebrates both December holidays with his wife and kids ... the Schulman household seems pretty fun.

Nev says he loves Christmas morning and all the stories and songs surrounding the holiday ... not to mention the presents.

Hanukkah's a little bit different ... Nev explains why folks would be wise not to assume the Jewish holiday is just their version of Xmas.

For Nev, he says he likes the historical and religious significance of Hanukkah ... it's clear it means a lot to him.

Before this Christmas Cutie pie was running her own empire and singing up a storm, she was just like every other kid on Christmas ... hanging on Santa's lap asking for some prezzies and growing up in Barbados.

You may want to stay under your umbrella, because while this A-lister is no savage, her clothing and makeup lines have made it rain many dollar signs! While she may not be the most public celebrity ... if this queen were ever to walk in the same room as you ... go on and take a bow!

Country singer Zach Bryan clearly ain't holdin' back on Ticketmaster ... because he dropped a brand new album that's putting the company on blast for spikes in ticket sales.

Zach released his latest album Sunday, called "All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks)" ... and along with it, a statement to his fans -- firing shots at the ticket honchos for its insane price jumps in sales.

He says he's talked to fans that have paid "upwards of four-hundred bucks" to watch him perform, and he's sick of it ... saying he's chosen to only play a select amount of concerts as a result.

Zach continued, "I am so tired of people saying things can't be done about this massive issue while huge monopolies sit there stealing money from working-class people." He never calls out Ticketmaster directly in his statement -- but the album name alone should be enough proof of who he's pointin' at.

Ticketmaster has been in the line of fire for weeks now ... TMZ broke the story, Taylor Swift fans are alleging the company essentially got into bed with scalpers by allowing bots to block real fans from getting tickets to her latest tour -- and the reason comes down to money. They claim Ticketmaster benefits financially when scalpers resell tickets.

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried must be worried about serious prison time for his multiple fraud charges ... but have no fear -- because "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli's advice is to listen to some rap before hitting the slammer.

Shkreli, the once-pharmaceutical exec and hedge fund manager, offered his questionable tips and tricks to Bankman-Fried while on Laura Shin's "Unchained" podcast ... saying he should be educating himself about gang culture and "the streets" -- claiming a good dose of rap music should do the trick.

He also thinks shaving his head is a must to ft in ... adding Bankman-Fried comes off as pretty effeminate. Shkreli says deepening his voice while locked up could do him some good, too.

As we reported, Shkreli was released early from prison this year ... after being convicted on securities fraud charges back in 2017 -- and raising the price of the life-saving drug Daraprim, an antiparasitic medication commonly used by AIDS patients and others with suppressed immune systems, from $13.50 per pill to $750.

And as for Bankman-Fried, he was arrested in the Bahamas and charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and more ... and he reportedly could be facing 115 years behind bars if found guilty on all counts.