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A conservative Texas-based bishop got the boot by Catholicism's top dog after constantly criticizing him as too liberal ... and after refusing to resign when asked.

Pope Francis announced Saturday that Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, TX had been relieved of his pastoral governance over his area -- which effectively means he's fired. For now, PF is appointing a bishop from Austin to oversee Tyler's diocese until they find a permanent replacement.

The ousting comes a few months after Pope Francis sent some holy types to investigate Bishop Strickland and see how he was running things out there deep in the heart of Texas ... this after accusations of him teaching "doctrinally unorthodox claims" in his sermons.

Of course, the real impetus of this probably lies in the fact that Strickland has been bashing Frank for a long time now -- very vocally accusing him of twisting up the Catholic faith with his fairly progressive views on a number of social issues ... LGBTQ+ inclusion, abortion, etc.

In fact, just the other day ... Pope Francis said he was cool with transgender people getting baptized into the Catholic faith, and even signed off on them serving as godparents to Catholic kids, assuming it wouldn't lead to any "scandal" as he put it in his remarks.

Chilling video shows alleged murderer Samuel Haskell Jr. enlisting several men to remove heavy bags from his home -- bags the laborers say contained body parts, and which police suspect are the remains of Haskell's missing wife and family.

TMZ obtained this surveillance video recorded Tuesday, Nov. 7 outside Haskell's home in Tarzana, CA. The ominous scene begins at 3:54 PM, as a man in a white shirt -- who witnesses have ID'd as Haskell -- waves down a blue moving truck to stop in front of his home.

Three minutes later, 2 men are seen lugging what appears to be a large, black garbage bag down the driveway and leaving it on the pavement. Then, at 3:58 PM, 2 other men are seen loading a 2nd garbage bag into the bed of a white truck -- then they do the same with the first bag.

Haskell walks away from the group, back up his driveway, and 2 of the men get in the blue truck ... as the white truck with the bags drives away.

Haskell -- the son of former Hollywood super agent, Sam Haskell Sr. -- waits 7 minutes, and drives away in his white Tesla at 4:08 PM, heading in the opposite direction of the truck.

The laborers have told NBC4 in L.A. they only got a block away before they decided something was not right. They say Haskell hired them to move 3 bags he said were filled with rocks, but the men found them to be soft and soggy. So, they pulled over to look inside, and discovered human body parts in one bag ... including a belly button.

That's where the surveillance video picks up ... at 4:15 PM the white truck is back in front of Haskell's house, because the men say they returned the bags and Haskell's money.

You can see Haskell meet them in the driveway ... hands are extended, and it does seem like money is exchanged. The laborers say they left all 3 bags with Haskell, and at 4:17 PM, the truck pulls away again.

Finally, at 4:22 PM ... Haskell drives off again in his Tesla, but what he didn't know is that the laborers went straight to police to report what they'd seen.

As we reported, Haskell was arrested in the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 8 ... after a homeless person discovered a dismembered body earlier that day, stuffed in a bag and left in a dumpster. The dumpster is a little more than 6 miles away from Haskell's home.

Additionally, TMZ has learned police -- after hearing what the laborers reported -- went to the neighborhood Tuesday night to interview some of Haskell's neighbors, and asked if they'd seen any garbage bags left in his driveway.

Haskell's wife, Mei Haskell, and her parents are both missing ... and, although police haven't identified the remains yet, the operating theory is they're the remains of Mei and/or her parents.

Police say they've found blood at the Haskell home, and evidence that leads them to believe there was a murder committed there.

Haskell Jr.'s father was once one of Hollywood's biggest power players -- repping celebs like George Clooney, Dolly Parton, Ray Romano, Kirstie Alley and Tony Danza. He's now president of Magnolia Hill Productions, which has produced several of Dolly's Christmas specials and TV movies.

It's unclear if police have seen the surveillance video yet -- but, obviously, it will be a major piece of evidence.

Taylor Swift teamed up with her NFL beau Travis Kelce for an intimate dinner in Argentina -- and the lovebirds couldn't stop holding hands, proving they have an ironclad relationship.

The pop singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end were filmed together at Elena restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires Friday evening.

Check out the video ... after their meal, the two -- surrounded by security -- stroll across the room, passing by staff and patrons trying to catch a glimpse of the world's most famous couple. During the 20-second clip, Taylor and Travis are clearly gripping each other's hands as they make their way out the door.

Earlier in the day ... Travis hopped on a plane for a 13-hour flight to watch Taylor perform in Buenos Aires Friday night, but the show got canceled due to torrential rain.

Travis also missed Taylor's Thursday concert in the capital city because he attended a charity event thrown by his teammate, Patrick Mahomes, in Kansas City. At the gala, Travis was pictured standing at a table and clapping his hands, while appearing happy.

The question -- how much time will Travis spend on the road, given that Taylor will be performing the international portion of her Eras Tour for a long, long time.

Travis sure has a lot to smile about these days ... not only is he dating Taylor, but he's a 2023 Super Bowl champion.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas spent his Friday night in jail after he was arrested for allegedly getting into a violent, brick-throwing altercation with a construction worker.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Thomas was taken into custody by Kenner PD in Louisiana and booked for simple battery and criminal mischief -- both misdemeanors. He then cooled his heels in a jail cell for a few hours before he was released around 10 PM.

According to cops ... Thomas got into a shouting match with the hardhat, who was helping to build a home in the same neighborhood where the NFL player lives.

Police say Thomas started making threats because he was pissed the guy parked a truck in front of his house.

Using a cell phone, the worker began recording Thomas, who became irate and scooped up a brick, throwing it at the man's truck and damaging the windshield, cops said.

Thomas then allegedly got up in the man's face and smacked the phone out of his hand. Police say Thomas also pushed the man and demanded that he stop filming the incident.

The victim notified police and filed a report, accusing Thomas of the misdemeanors. Thomas was apprehended without incident and has been cooperating with the investigation.

The commercial airline pilot charged with nearly killing dozens of passengers is speaking out for first time, believing he could have snapped out of his terrifying hallucinogenic state if he destroyed the plane.

Joseph Emerson was interviewed Friday by the New York Times in Portland's Multnomah County Jail, telling a reporter, “I thought it would stop both engines, the plane would start to head towards a crash, and I would wake up."

Emerson was arrested for the bizarre October 22 incident aboard a flight from Washington state to San Francisco. He was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder -- one for each passenger -- and is currently being held without bond.

He told The Times his nightmare began two days earlier when he consumed magic mushrooms with friends while reminiscing about another buddy who had passed away in 2018.

He said the death had a traumatic impact on his life, falling into a deep funk and seeking out therapists to cope with the loss.

Fast forward to Oct. 22. Emerson said he was continuing to self-medicate and ingest the 'shrooms with his friends, who he thought were mocking him and scheming to harm him.

He said feelings of fear and dread washed over him on his way to the airport, boarding the one-hour flight to San Francisco as a passenger -- not a pilot -- since he was off duty at the time.

Before the doors closed on the plane, Emerson said he texted a friend, claiming he was having a panic attack.

After the flight took off, Emerson said he went completely nuts, screaming, "I'm not OK," before activating the plane's two fire-suppression handles.

According to a police report, the pilots flying the plane grabbed Emerson's wrists and ripped him away from the control panel so he couldn't cut the fuel supply or shut down the engines.

The report says Emerson then yelled, “You need to cuff me right now, or it’s going to be bad!" He also allegedly guzzled coffee from a pot, tried to open the emergency door and demanded to know if all this was real.

It certainly was because Emerson was arrested after the plane made an emergency landing. To top everything off, Emerson allegedly took off his clothes, attempted to dive out a window, peed on himself and masturbated.

Bill Maher launched on public schools Friday night, and it's hard to argue with the premise ... public schools are failing -- failing students AND teachers -- and maybe the "old" way of running schools should be revisited.

The 'Real Time' host laid out the problem with some pretty graphic video ... and it's hard to argue that the inmates are not running the asylum. Video after video shows teachers being beaten, kicked and attacked in various other ways. One in 7 teachers has been the victim of some form of physical violence at the hands of their students.

BM blames a lot of that on parents, who used to have teachers' backs ... now their kids can do no wrong.

On a hilarious note, Bill notes 20 years ago kids looked like Britney Spears in that famous music video. Today, they look more like Brit dancing with knives.

And speaking of celebs, Maher is incredulous people like LeBron, George Clooney, Kanye and others have opened their own schools ... as in why does that make the school attractive to parents?

Selena Gomez has been branded a "coward" by a Jewish organization ... after embroiling herself in controversy over the Israel-Hamas war.

Speaking to TMZ, Mitchell Bard for the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) lambasted Selena for falling victim to the intense pressure put on celebs to boycott and demonize Israel.

He tells us instead of speaking on the massacre of 1,400 Israelis and the taking of 240 hostages, including the elderly, disabled, women and children as young as 9 months ... Selena's priority lies with her business, which was threatened after the Rare Beauty's CEO followed pro-Israel accounts.

The org also details its disappointment over her choosing to "pacify bullies" hoping to boycott Rare Beauty by "taking the popular position that Palestinians who have been sacrificed by Hamas are the victims" ... with a pro-Palestine-leaning statement shared to RB's IG.

In stark contrast ... the very same IG post delights Alia Malak, a founding member of the Palestinian organization, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), who tells TMZ, "Selena Gomez is one of many thousands of artists and cultural figures worldwide calling for ceasefire, justice and accountability, joining Hollywood figures, leading Black scholars and artists, Jewish writers and artists, prominent authors, visual artists, and many others."

They add, "When UN experts and others are warning of an Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, these artists are on the right side of history. Palestinians call on artists and arts organizations to speak out loudly for a ceasefire, and for an end to oppression, as many had done against apartheid South Africa, to contribute to freedom, justice, and equality."

This comes after Rare Beauty's statement on IG acknowledged the slaughter of 1,400 Israelis ... saying that attacks on civilians are wrong ... but alluding their main concern was "protecting Palestine civilians."

Travis Kelce is smitten enough to fly thousands of miles to see his girl, and Harry Styles is no longer harry. So we gotta ask ...

The Iceman won't be showing his icicle on OnlyFans anytime soon ... 'cause even though fellow former UFC fighter Paige VanZant is making a killing by ditching her clothes, Chuck Liddell tells TMZ Sports he's simply not about that life.

PVZ has been making a fortune on the subscription platform ... recently revealing she raked in more dough in one day than she did throughout her whole MMA career.

We spoke with the former champ out at LAX this week about Paige's thriving new venture ... and he's thrilled for the fighter-turned-model.

"That's awesome, that's good for her. I'm excited for her," Chuck told us. "I'm glad she's doing it. She's a cool girl."

While Liddell has nothing but love for Paige, he says he won't be following in her feet pics footprints.

"No, but thank you, though," Chuck said with a laugh.

All silliness aside, we talked about UFC 295 and the big matchup between Jiří Procházka and Alex Pereira ... and he spills on who he's got in the interim light heavyweight bout.

A screaming match broke out between "The Real Housewives of Miami" stars Alexia Nepola and Adriana de Moura after landing in Miami Monday following their appearance at BravoCon.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the pair exchanged hefty words when Alexia confronted Adriana near baggage claim in an explosive situation that resembled something you'd see on the show ... telling Adriana the claims she made on the new season of the Bravo show that she and her husband Todd were financially struggling was f***ed.

We're told Adriana told Alexia, "You act like you're the star of the show," -- with her barking back, "Yes, I am the star of the show!"

Adriana, dressed in a COVID mask and white gloves, was overheard telling her costar Julia Lemigova Alexia had it out for her because she's the weakest ... adding she was mean to her and telling Julia, "This is your friend ... do you see what she does to me? Do you want to be friends with this person?"

Our sources say the war of words was so volatile ... fellow cast member Kiki Barth was overheard urging the ladies to reign it in before someone in the airport started recording them.

The blowout yelling match ended with the two reality stars going their separate ways to their cars.

The dramatic Miami meltdown was a result of Adriana commenting on Alexia and Todd's alleged financial struggles during the premiere episode of the new season.

Singer LeAnn Rimes has braved lots of storms over the years, but "how will you ever, ever survive" the minor changes made to these two rainy pics? You better hit the ground running, and quickly before the differences are washed away!

The music star got caught up in some rain leaving Capital Breakfast Radio in London, England ... you don't say! Wearing a classic and cozy fall look, she appeared to be stunned and startled by the weather but luckily had an umbrella to keep her hairdo somewhat intact.

An enormous collection of Irene Cara's personal items from her Largo, FL, estate has gone up for auction ... nearly a year after the "Flashdance" singer passed away at 63.

Jewelry, artwork, tapes, personal memorabilia, and costumes Irene wore are among 280 pieces up for grabs online ... after being personally removed by Richard Stedman Estate Services from her residence, where she semi-retired and continued developing music privately.

Items from the late icon's stash also include vinyl, shoes, handbags, autographs, and her electric piano ... while additional belongings come from her touring trunk.

Each item holds a Certificate of Authenticity authorized by her Estate Personal Representatives.

As we reported, the singer passed away in November 2022 inside her Florida home.

Earlier this year, medical docs obtained by TMZ ruled Irene's official cause of death as Arteriosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease. It was also noted Irene had diabetes.

Irene enjoyed a storied career, scooping an Oscar gong for "Best Original Song" for her iconic "Flashdance" song "What a Feeling" in the '80s, and receiving a "Best Actress" Golden Globe nom for the movie "Fame".

The magic and beauty of Fall festivities have fallin' onto the famous folks of Hollywood, and you oughta autumn check out nature's finest and see for yourself! Celebs have taken a leaf of absence from their day jobs, and the proof lies in these colorful piles of leaves.

Stars like Becca Tilley, Jessie James Decker and Billie Eilish are leaf-ing on the edge in their festive photos, and the trees were turning for the Giudice girls who took a leaf of faith for a picturesque shot in chilly Michigan.

7:55 PM PT -- Michigan and Jim Harbaugh aren't going down without a fight ... U of M has asked a court in Washtenaw County to grant a temporary restraining order that would block the Big Ten's suspension of the head coach.

The TRO would put Harbaugh's three-game regular season ban on hold until the matter could go before a judge.

While the restraining order hasn't yet been granted, the man who will ultimately decide what happens with Harbaugh -- whether he coaches in Saturday's pivotal football game against Penn State -- is a judge who happened to graduate from the University of Michigan in the 90s.

1:36 PM PT -- Univ. of Michigan officials just ripped the conference's ruling in a scathing statement ... writing, in part, "We are dismayed at the Commissioner's rush to judgment when there is an ongoing NCAA investigation -- one of in which we are fully cooperating."

"By taking this action at this hour," they added, "the Commissioner is personally inserting himself onto the sidelines and altering the level playing field that he is claiming to preserve. And, doing so on Veteran's Day -- a court holiday -- to try to thwart the University from seeking immediate judicial relief is hardly a profile in impartiality. To ensure fairness in the process, we intend to seek a court order, together with Coach Harbaugh, preventing this disciplinary action from taking effect."

The Big Ten has just suspended Jim Harbaugh for the rest of the regular season ... after it says the Michigan football team was involved in an intricate sign-stealing scheme that violated rules.

The conference announced Harbaugh will still be allowed to coach his team during weekdays while serving his suspension ... but on the Wolverines' three remaining gamedays this year, he must not be present.

Of course, it's a big deal for UM, considering two of those three contests are against No. 10 Penn State and No. 1 Ohio State.

Michigan, however, is reportedly expected to seek legal action now that could allow Harbaugh to still be able to coach his team during Saturday's game against the Nittany Lions.

The scandal surrounding Harbaugh and the Wolverines all began after team staffer Connor Stalions was accused of purchasing tickets to Big Ten games over the past three years with the intent of trying to decipher Michigan opponents' sideline signals.

In announcing its punishment for Harbaugh on Friday ... the Big Ten said it found at least some level of validity to the claims -- writing that Michigan gained "an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition" over it all.

This is not the first time Harbaugh has been in hot water this season ... he was also banned from the team's first three games over alleged transgressions during the COVID dead period.

Michigan is currently 9-0 despite all of the drama ... and ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Blueface was roasted online for proudly showing off his new fiancée Jaidyn Alexis' home cooking ... which had culinary critics mocking the millionaire for eating like he was "living paycheck to paycheck."

Digging into homemade pasta topped with cheese singles and a basic side shredded salad, the rapper likely didn't expect to be dragged by online foodies ... who schooled him on shredded cheese and real, non-plastic plates for a more indulgent dining experience.

The salad wasn't let off the hook either, as one person likened it to old pencil shavings -- while others simply encouraged Blueface to "throw away the whole stove and whatever else she used to make this concoction." Ouch.

In one statement that hit a little close to home ... someone wrote, "I see why he cheats," in reference to his turbulent relationship with ex-Chrisean Rock.

Elsewhere, the home cooking was branded as "prison food," ... which Blueface may get all too familiar with if he breaks the terms of his 3-year probation for a Vegas shooting.

No, Aaron Rodgers wasn't carrying a bong around with him at the Jets' game despite some heavy online speculation ... recently speaking out to clear the hazy air.

The Jets quarterback set the internet alight when he was filmed on the sidelines accidentally dropping a box, and causing what many thought appeared to be a large glass bong to fall out. Of course, this gave way to heavy speculation online, as Aaron's never been one to shy away from mind-altering substances.

However, during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" Thursday, Aaron said the glass object was actually just an uber-fancy bottle of tequila he had been gifted.

"Shout out to bongs everywhere ... but that was not one of them," he amused in an apparent swipe at those online hoping the potential smoking pipe would propel him into a fresh controversy.

On the subject of online chatter, he also ridiculed the bong conspiracy as "weak" ... joking that if he was on the other end, he'd have guessed dolphin semen was in the beaker.