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U.S. Central Command is trying to steady the ship after a wave of bad press over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln ... praising the crew and pointing to comparatively low numbers of mental health cases.

CENTCOM Admiral Brad Cooper says his recent visit aboard the carrier was "awe-inspiring" ... adding Americans would be proud to see the crew's camaraderie, teamwork and resilience firsthand.

Cooper says that among the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has one of the lowest numbers of mental health-related cases.

President Trump says Karoline Leavitt is irreplaceable ... though he may have found her successor standing on the other side of a Fox News microphone.

During a Fox News interview, correspondent Alexis McAdams asked Trump whether Leavitt could be replaced. Trump said no, praised her work and joked he was concerned because "she likes her children more than she likes Trump."

When McAdams pressed him on who he wanted behind the White House podium next, Trump turned the question right back on her -- "You? How about you?" -- before saying she could do the job.

Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to hang up his cleats ... revealing this will probably be his final year of soccer after a quarter-century on the pitch.

The bombshell came almost as an aside during a joint Vogue interview with his new wife, Georgina Rodríguez. When the newlyweds were asked whether marriage would change anything, Ronaldo announced ... "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy."

The 41-year-old superstar says he already has his post-soccer future mapped out ... acknowledging the game could leave a major hole in his life, but saying he plans to fill his time with family, travel, padel and simply enjoying everything he and Georgina have earned.

Sid Wilson appears to be making his Slipknot exit Instagram-official ... changing a key line in his bio following the band's split with its longtime DJ.

Wilson's Instagram bio previously identified him as being with the Slipknot "gang since 1997." Now, the wording has been changed to "1997-2026" -- a pretty telling update following his departure from the band.

The change comes just weeks after TMZ exclusively reported that Sid is permanently booted from Slipknot.

Brandy came to support her brother Ray J ahead of his boxing match ... but Adrien Broner nearly turned her quick hello into the opening bout.

The clip shows Brandy walking into the kitchen and acknowledging Broner before moving along to greet everyone else ... but the boxer apparently wanted a warmer welcome, telling the room, "She just walked past me, but it’s alright."

Brandy immediately doubles back and corrects him ... saying, "I didn’t walk past you. I spoke to you" ... but Broner keeps the awkward moment alive while repeatedly insisting everything is fine.

A shooting at a downtown Lexington park left one person dead and four others injured Saturday evening ... prompting an outpouring of grief from Kentucky leaders and a renewed push for community support.

Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said five people were shot at Charles Young Park, including a 4-year-old child and a 14-year-old. Two adults suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, while another victim later died at a hospital.

Police responded to the area around Midland Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday. Authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the public, but the investigation remains active.

Taylor Swift traded the stadium spotlight for the English countryside this weekend ... turning up for the wedding of two longtime music-industry insiders at Peter Gabriel's legendary Real World Studios.

Swift was among the star-studded guests celebrating recording engineers Oli Jacobs and Laura Sisk at the sprawling studio complex outside Bath, Gloucestershire ... showing off her bridal boulder of a ring and socializing with fellow celebs.

Sisk has been a longtime fixture in Swift's musical world, collaborating with the superstar and her frequent creative partner Jack Antonoff dating back to the "1989" era. More recently, Sisk and Jacobs worked with Swift on "The Tortured Poets Department," also including sessions with Antonoff.

The Fab Four are back on Abbey Road ... well, sort of.

Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan were spotted recreating The Beatles' legendary Abbey Road album cover, giving fans a first look at the actors stepping into the shoes of the iconic band.

Dickinson is portraying John Lennon, Mescal is playing Paul McCartney, Quinn is George Harrison and Keoghan is Ringo Starr in the highly anticipated Beatles film project.

10:54am PT -- The New York Yankees released a statement saying "The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans."

They add ... "While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher, which included consecutive 20‑win seasons with the Yankees. We pause to remember the totality of his legacy — his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer."

The statement concludes ... "The Yankees extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, including wife, Cheryl, daughter, Tamara, and sons Tommy III and Travis. We also keep his son Taylor in our hearts.”

Tommy John, the MLB icon whose groundbreaking comeback helped give his name to one of baseball's most famous surgeries, has died at 83.

John passed away peacefully at his home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, surrounded by his wife, Cheryl, and family, according to a statement released by his agent, Mike Maguire.

The news comes just days after we reported John was in hospice care at his Florida home and had shared an emotional farewell message with his fans.

Surrogate McKenna West's online fundraiser is closing in on $80,000 in donations, as the surrogate continues her legal fight following the birth of the baby at the center of a bitter surrogacy dispute.

West's self-described friend -- Ellen Fisher -- launched the GiveSendGo campaign to help the single mom with legal fees, travel, living expenses and costs associated with caring for her two children. The fundraiser is approaching the $80,000 mark with a goal of $100K.

In the fundraiser, Ellen gives her account of how West allegedly found herself in a financial and legal bind after doctors discovered the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS ... claiming West was told to schedule an abortion after the diagnosis and was "terrified," believing she could face financial consequences and potentially a lawsuit if she refused.

Luigi Mangione's legal defense fundraiser is still going strong despite his recent guilty plea in the federal case tied to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and GiveSendGo says there's a simple reason why.

A GiveSendGo spokesperson tells TMZ the fundraiser was created to cover Mangione's legal defense costs across three separate cases and remains active because he still faces unresolved legal matters.

As you know ... Mangione pleaded guilty Friday to two federal stalking charges related to Thompson's death. He is still facing a separate New York state case, and his federal sentencing is scheduled for December 18.

The GiveSendGo spokesperson explains the platform's policy requires money raised through legal-defense fundraisers involving violent or weapons-related charges to be received by a licensed attorney or law firm. In Mangione's case, the spokesperson says the guilty plea does not change the status of the fundraiser while his remaining cases are active.

The spokesperson also stresses that keeping the fundraiser online should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Mangione, his alleged actions or his public statements ... adding "Hosting a fundraiser has never been an endorsement of a person, their actions, or their public statements."

GiveSendGo also says it doesn't decide who deserves financial support, and leaves that decision to individual donors.

The fundraiser has drawn continued contributions from supporters even after Mangione's guilty plea. As we previously reported ... donations increased by roughly $1,000 in the hours following his court appearance -- and another roughly $3,000 has been raised since then.

Noah Kahan turned his sold-out Rose Bowl show into an even bigger spectacle Saturday night ... bringing out Chappell Roan for a surprise performance.

The pop stars teamed up to perform Roan's song "California," and the massive Los Angeles crowd a went wild.

Check out the clip ... before the performance, Roan took a moment to shout out Kahan, saying the singer has always stuck up for her.

Caitlyn Jenner is weighing in on the increasingly heated debate over transgender athletes in the WNBA ... and she's throwing her support behind two former NBA players who say they're planning to enter the league's draft.

Jenner, a former Olympic gold medalist who transitioned in 2015, publicly backed Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as they challenge the WNBA over its policies surrounding transgender athletes.

"XX are in, XY are out. It's that simple," Jenner told Fox News, arguing that women's sports need to be protected. She also suggested the former NBA players' moves are exposing what she views as contradictions and the "hypocrisy" in the league's approach to the issue.

At least six people have died after severe storms and major flooding battered Indiana ... and President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration to help the state respond.

The federal declaration, approved on Saturday, makes assistance available to support Indiana's response to severe storms, damaging winds, tornadoes and flooding that began August 11. The aid is expected to help with emergency operations, including evacuations, rescues and critical supplies.

The federal response comes after Indiana Gov. Mike Braun issued a statewide emergency as communities across the state dealt with widespread destruction. Northwest Indiana was hit by powerful winds, while central parts of the state were slammed with torrential rainfall and significant flooding.

A teenager was busted Saturday for the mass shooting at Virginia State University that left 5 people injured, one critically, according to police. 

The Chesterfield PD said they arrested 19-year-old Camron Harris for allegedly shooting the victims outside a residence hall early Saturday morning.

Police said they found Harris hiding inside a closet at one of the residence halls after the shooting in Ettrick, Virginia. Harris is not a student at the college and his motive is currently unknown.

Ray J got the last laugh Saturday night, defeating Orlando Brown by unanimous decision in a three-round celebrity boxing matchup at Atlanta's State Farm Arena.

The fight, which aired on the Zeus Network, was part of the undercard for the Claressa Shields-Kaye Scott showdown ... and while the matchup had been heavily hyped, the action inside the ring was considerably more entertaining than it was competitive.

The victory gave Ray J a little redemption after his previous bout ended with him being knocked out by Supa Hot Fire at Brand Risk 14 in May. Ray was also hospitalized following that loss.