Donald Trump Evidence He Might Debate Republican Candidates ... Secret Service Shows Up at Upcoming Venue

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Donald Trump may be thinking about going head-to-head with the other Republicans who are challenging him for the presidential nomination because we've learned the Secret Service has already scoped out the venue.

The next debate is scheduled for December 6 at the Moody Music Building Concert Hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The debate will be carried live on NewsNation. The network announced last Thursday it will host the debate, and sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... that same day Secret Service agents came to the venue and walked the premises ... inside and out.

The only candidate who has Secret Service protection is Donald Trump, who, as a former President, will be shadowed for life by the agency.

Trump has passed on the previous debates this year and there has been no obvious evidence he'll change course, given he's light-years ahead of the other candidates in the polls. But the Secret Service walk-through suggests he's thinking about showing up.

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NO RESPECT

What's especially interesting ... one of the 3 moderators of the debate is Megyn Kelly, who famously sparred with Trump during a Republican debate back in 2015. The ratings went through the roof for that debate, and Trump is obsessed with ratings, so who knows?

Stay tuned ...

Justin Timberlake 'Trolls' Premiere w/ Biel, *NSYNC ... 1st Outing Since Britney Memoir

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Justin Timberlake showed face for the first time since Britney Spears' explosive memoir claims -- and he did so alongside some of the people who love him most ... his wife included.

The singer attended the 'Trolls' premiere in L.A. Wednesday with none other than Jessica Biel right by his side ... smiling wide and putting on a united front with her hubby. They were holding hands in front of cameras, and their power-couple presence was certainly felt.

Ditto for JT and his ex-boy band members ... who were also there on the carpet. Indeed, all the *NSYNC guys attended as well -- and they, too, got together for some group pics.

We broke the story ... *NSYNC put together a last-minute plan to show up to this event, seeing how their flick is coming out this weekend -- and the studio wanted to do some 11th-hour press to plug the movie ... this after the SAG-AFTRA strike recently came to an end.

Time will tell if them touching down in the flesh affects box office numbers, but the bigger takeaway here is Justin ... seeing how his name got dropped a lot last month by his ex.

As we reported ... a lot of "truths" came out about him in Britney's book -- including the fact that she had an abortion while they were together, which she said he pushed for at the time. She also alleged he'd cheated during their relationship ... among lots of other claims.

The dude took heat in the Twitter-sphere -- and he never came out and addressed any of it himself ... opting to lay low instead. Now, he's surfacing with the missus looking cheery.

We'll see if the widespread Timberlake hate has worn off by now ... 'Trolls 3' is out Friday.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Accused of Leaking King Charles Call ... 'Privacy' Needs Labeled BS

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry talked to King Charles this week to wish him a happy birthday -- but they're being slammed for allegedly leaking the news.

Page Six cites palace sources as accusing the Sussexes of spilling the deets of the Tuesday call to the Telegraph, which outlined what was said down to a T ... including the fact Meg herself actually hopped on the call, and that her and Harry's kids were in the mix as well.

Long story short ... they rang up Chuck to wish him a happy 75th birthday, marking the first time they'd spoken in months -- this following a non-invite to the King's UK festivities.

While things have seemed icy between both sides for a long time now -- the call itself was viewed as a step in the right direction to mend fences ... however, because news of it got out -- PS is saying the King's camp is pissed, and labeling Meg and Harry and hypocrites.

This boils down to their storied pursuit of privacy, which these Royal sources are now calling BS ... since they think the Sussexes set up this whole thing to gain some positive press.

Of course, Page Six also reports that a source close to the Sussexes is straight up denying leaking the contents of the call ... so it's a little unclear who actually leaked what here.

In any case, Harry's supposed to be talking to his dad again next week -- here's hoping this means they're on track to get the band back together. It's been a long, distant road.

GQ's Men of the Year List of Female Honorees Roasted Kim Cover Raises Eyebrows

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GQ is doing its annual 'Men of the Year' back-patting this week -- but they're including a bunch of ladies in the celebration, and it's got some people -- mostly men -- bent out of shape.

The famous magazine is hosting two different events to celebrate their honorees -- on Wednesday, they threw a shindig out in London ... and come Thursday, they'll do the same thing here in the States. For both, it's a star-studded get-together ... guys and gals, in fact.

That's what's got some people's panties in a bunch on Twitter -- if you go fishing for the outrage, you'll find it ... with a good handful of folks asking why there's such a strong female presence in GQ's spotlight of their "men."

It's a fair argument, we suppose ... fact is, their list of honorees over across the pond was made up of a lot of women. Actually, more than half were ladies -- out of 20 people named for the UK event, only 10 of them were actually dudes ... and that's raised some eyebrows.

Some of the women recognized as "Men of the Year" nominees there included ... Jasmine Jobson, Mary Earps, Simone Rocha and Bianca Saunders, just to name a few. When they run it back on Thursday ... Kim Kardashian will undoubtedly be in attendance.

You see ... she's actually one of the famous women who graced their 'MOTY' cover this year, and even that decision has gotten some pushback. Y'know, seeing how it's a men's mag.

Of course, GQ has been including women in their 'Men of the Year' lineup for years now ... so the people who are extra pissy about it in 2023 seem to be looking for something to be mad about. There also seems to be some misogyny afoot ... and maybe transphobia too.

Carry on, people.

Tyler Perry I Was Meghan Markle's 'Therapist' ... Amid Royal Drama

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PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE

Tyler Perry is dishing on his relationship with the royals, saying he acted as Meghan Markle's "therapist" after she moved back to the U.S. with husband Prince Harry.

The filmmaker sat down for a recent chat with Kelly Ripa on her "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast -- and, at one point, the conversation turned to Harry/Meghan -- and the generosity Tyler showed them.

First, Kelly brought up that Tyler "basically rescued" Harry/Meghan when the couple arrived in California in 2020 after leaving the royal family in the UK.

Tyler -- who didn't know Harry/Meghan at the time -- said he got the "tremendous sense" the Duchess of Sussex was overwhelmed by her Royal lifestyle.

He felt Meghan was "isolated and alone" because she was always under a microscope wherever she went, while also being hounded by the paparazzi 24/7.

So, Tyler reached out to Meghan through a publicist, even though everyone thought Oprah Winfrey had made the introduction.

Tyler said, "I sent them a note…  and just said, ‘If you ever need anything, I’m here.' And she called months later and just talked to me like I was a therapist you talk to, and we had a great conversation."

He continued, “It's very important for people in this business to have a safe place to land, to have a place where they can trust and talk freely and get advice that’s not going to be biased or from somebody who wants something from them."

Tyler went on to say Harry/Meghan "hid" at his Beverly Hills mansion for many weeks, checking online to see if there was any news about them, but there wasn't. Nobody knew the Royals were staying with Tyler.

“It was so great,” Tyler recalled. “They were so happy. It was such a beautiful moment.”

Osama Bin Laden 'Letter to America' Removed Online ... Gained Viral U.S. Sympathy

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10:20 AM PT -- A TikTok spokesperson tells TMZ ... "Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform. The number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate. This is not unique to TikTok and has appeared across multiple platforms and the media."

Osama Bin Laden might've not been such a bad guy after all -- at least that's what a bunch of TikTokers think ... this after reading a post-9/11 letter he wrote, if you can believe that.

Here's the deal ... correspondence that the infamous terrorist architect of Sept. 11th wrote back in 2002 -- in response to the question of why he and his al-Qaeda followers carried out the deadly attacks -- has been going viral over the past 24 hours or so, but in a strange way.

Essentially, a bunch of people online read his "Letter to America" and apparently see some merit in his arguments over why he and his fellow terrorists decided to kill thousands of American civilians ... and yes, this all has to do with the current Israel-Palestine conflict.

You can go read the letter on your own, but OBL explicitly mentions the U.S.'s role in the Middle East dating back decades ... and claims our country has basically given him and his cohorts no choice but to retaliate to what he characterizes as unjust meddling in the region.

He also notes he's a Palestine sympathizer ... and that seems to be why all these Americans now are posting TikTok responses and suggesting -- "Y'know what, maybe he had a point."

It's a wild trend, and it's gone viral -- so much so, in fact, that one of the only mainstream Western publications that still had the letter up on their site (The Guardian) actually took it down ... and their rationale boils down to it not having their original proper context.

Of course, it's understandable why they'd remove it ... seeing how it justifies committing mass murder on many, many Americans -- something some folks in 2023 seem to cool with!

Like we said, most of the folks reconsidering their view on 9/11 are echoing the pro-Palestine/anti-Israel rhetoric we've seen in protests for weeks now ... and while some are trying to walk the line of condemning Bin Laden's tactics for dealing with his grievances (aka, deadly terrorism) and supporting his root cause, others are blurring the line a bit.

If that sounds concerning ... well, that's 'cause it is. Those who are finding validity in Bin Laden's key points are now saying they were brainwashed by U.S. propaganda into hating the guy and supporting the American effort to root out radical Islamist terrorism in the '00s.

Naturally, others are screaming revisionist history ... and are beside themselves that any American could see Bin Laden as an oppressed victim. Talk about never forget, huh?

Originally Published -- 5:39 AM PT

Britney Spears Not Wantin' Childhood Home ... No Plans to Scoop It Up

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Britney Spears' childhood home in Louisiana remains on the market, and well within her price range, but that doesn't mean the singer's lookin' to relive her past.

TMZ broke the story, the $1.2 million Kentwood property went on the market earlier this month ... nearly 2 and a half years after it was sold by her father, Jamie Spears, for only $289k.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Brit has no plans or interest in purchasing her family's old pad. We're told she's aware it's for sale, but didn't really have much of a reaction -- positive or negative -- when she found out about it.

As we reported, the place is being sold with some of its original furnishings, including a door that has "Christina sucks, Brit rules" written on it ... an apparent dig at Christina Aguilera!

It also has some of Britney's art, a mini-shrine to NSYNC, and even a message from the singer etched in concrete.

Many fans have been speculating Brit would put in an offer, or turn the space into a museum, given all the unique finds inside ... but no dice.

Andre Ward Praises Jake Paul For Bringing New Audience To Boxing ... Open To Exhibition Fight W/ Problem Child

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HANGIN' UP THE GLOVES

Jake Paul's a big deal in boxing, and some people don't like it ... but don't count legendary boxer Andre Ward among that group 'cause the multiple-time former world champion tells us he's a fan of The Problem Child driving new fans to the sport!

"I don't hate on it," Ward told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) this week ... of Paul's transition from YouTuber to boxing star.

"The crossover stuff like what Jake Paul, Logan [Paul] is doing, [Francis] Ngannou just did, I respect it. That takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of heart."

Ward -- who retired in 2017 with a perfect 32-0 record -- said he applauds Paul for ignoring the naysayers who have labeled him a gimmick or sideshow and want him out of the sport.

"I don't think so. It actually brings a new audience, more eyeballs," Ward said, "and if the fanbase follows them over to boxing, then more power to 'em."

"I'm a fan of it, I appreciate it and I watch it."

In fact, Ward, who is still only 39 years old, told us he'd actually be down to step back in the ring for an exhibition fight ... against Jake or Logan.

"I don't hate against it. I would probably do it for the right situation. I keep myself just good enough to where if I needed 7, 8 weeks, I can take care of my business," Ward said.

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FAITH, FIGHTING, FORGIVENESS

Although he hasn't been fighting, Ward's been busy ... in fact, he just released a brand new memoir titled "Killing The Image: A Champion's Journey Of Faith, Fighting, And Forgiveness."

Ward's book isn't just about boxing ... Son of God talks about everything from his difficult childhood to the role that faith and religion have played in his life, and how it's guided to him incredible heights -- including 5 world titles and an Olympic gold medal.

"This book takes you deep into my mind, into my life, into my upbringing [and] how I go to the point that I'm at today."

Ward's memoir dropped Wednesday!

Brian Van Holt 'Memba Him?!

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American actor Brian Van Holt was in his early 30s when he rose to fame landing feature film roles like "Black Hawk Down" starring Josh Hartnett, "Windtalkers" with Nicolas Cage and "S.W.A.T" with Colin Farrell back in the early 2000s.

He costarred as one of the 7 main characters on ABC's "Cougar Town" playing Bobby Cobb -- the ex-husband of Jules Cobb, played by Courteney Cox, with Busy Philipps and David Arquette also playing key roles on the comedic sitcom.

Holt also appeared in notable television shows like "Beverly Hills 90210," "Marital Law," and "Sex And The City."

Guess what he looks like now!

Kelly Oubre Jr. Video Shows NBAer Wincing In Pain ... After Getting Hit By Car

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WALKING WOUNDED

TMZ Sports has obtained footage of Kelly Oubre Jr. just minutes after he was struck by a vehicle over the weekend ... showing the Philadelphia 76ers forward struggling to walk as he entered his apartment.

As we previously reported, the 6'7" hooper was involved in a hit-and-run outside his Philly residence on Saturday ... suffering a broken rib and injuries to his hip and leg after a silver car swiped him with a side-view mirror.

Sources tell us Oubre returned home shortly after being hit ... and when his wife saw him in serious pain, she called 911.

In the Ring camera footage, Oubre is heard telling Shylynn he was hit by a car as he rolled a bicycle into his residence.

We're told the 27-year-old was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital ... where medical professionals began treatment.

Our sources say a couple hours after the incident, officials interviewed Oubre to get some information on what went down.

At the time, Oubre claimed the incident happened near 15th and Spruce Street .... but on Wednesday, police said there was no surveillance video to support his claim.

Sources tell us two factors play into this -- one being Oubre was medicated and not in the right state of mind when he spoke with cops ... the other being he's fresh to the area, as he just moved to Philly in September and doesn't know his way around town just yet.

All that considered, our sources say it was challenging for Oubre to pinpoint the exact location of the accident ... so he tried his best.

There's no official timetable on Oubre's recovery ... although some reports claim he could be back in action as early as the end of the month.

Oubre's teammates have rallied behind him in his absence -- most notably, Tyrese Maxey dedicated his 50-point performance to the former Kansas standout following the accident.

DWAYNE JOHNSON I'm On Capitol Hill But Not Running For Office, Yet

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Dwayne Johnson's getting acquainted with Capitol Hill, and while he's not not running for president -- or any other office, yet -- he IS taking meetings with U.S. senators to talk football and the military.

The Rock was in D.C. Wednesday for a sit-down with several top lawmakers, reportedly chopping it up about boosting recruitment in the Armed Forces, and the XFL ... which he owns.

Dwayne met with Senators Susan Collins, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Mark Kelly, Jon Tester, Tammy Duckworth and Todd Young ... along with his XFL CEO Dany Garcia.

Sen. Tester is the mastermind behind the meeting, and he told reporters Dwayne will advocate for folks to join the military. Sen. Collins had no qualms about fangirling out ... as she gushed about The Rock's following, and admitted she wanted to get a ton of pics with the movie star.

Dwayne's visit to Capitol Hill also saw him shake hands with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ... and he took a photo with Capitol Police officers.

The Army, Navy and Air Force are reportedly falling short of their recruitment goals ... and it sounds like some senators believe The Rock has the influence to convince more young people to enlist.

Dwayne's visit also comes on the heels of him saying he's been approached by political parties about a potential run for president.

For now, Dwayne says he's staying on the political sidelines -- he's open to reconsidering in the future -- because, right now, he wants to spend time with his kids.

In the meantime, never hurts to get some reps pressing the flesh on the Hill.

Kendall Jenner Spray Time in L.A.

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Kendall Jenner helped to bring the snowfall to sunny southern California ... pumping a bunch of the fake stuff right onto the set of her photo shoot!

Kendall was spotted on set Tuesday for an unknown new project  ... rocking a skirt, top, boots and a big smile on her face as she took control of the hose.

Unclear if the snow job was part of Kendall's role in the shoot, or if she just wanted to try out the task for herself, but she's clearly loving every minute of it.

If you were wondering, Kendall's boo, Bad Bunny, wasn't spotted with her at the photo shoot ... but we last saw them together grabbing some breakfast near the Beverly Hills Hotel after hosting a massive Halloween party.

Between the many hats Kendall carries as a model and entrepreneur, there's a whole lot the 28-year-old can do -- and you can add "Make it snow in L.A." to that impressive list.

Draymond Green Suspended For Rudy Gobert Chokehold ... NBA Bans Him For 5 Games

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5:52 PM PT -- The NBA is punishing Draymond Green for his putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold ... hitting DG with a 5-game suspension.

In announcing the suspension Wednesday, the NBA says ... "The length of the suspension is based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts."

Draymond will reportedly miss out on $769,970 in salary with the unpaid suspension ... and he's being fined $25,000.

Meanwhile, Rudy is being docked $25K ... as are Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels.

Draymond Green has found himself in hot water for putting his hands on someone once again.

This time, the Warriors superstar was ejected from Golden State's game against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night ... because he locked Rudy Gobert in a chokehold.

The MMA move happened just seconds into the Dubs' contest with Minnesota at the Chase Center in San Francisco ... just after Klay Thompson got tangled up with Jaden McDaniels.

The two NBA stars swung each other around right in the middle of the court ... and in an effort to break it all up, guys from both teams raced in.

But, when Green got to the fracas, he appeared to escalate things further by wrapping his arm around Gobert's neck -- and refusing to let go ... this despite repeated pleas from head coach Steve Kerr.

Eventually, Green did drop Gobert ... but refs still decided to throw him out of the game for the act -- as well as Thompson and McDaniels.

After the game -- which the Warriors ended up losing -- Gobert blasted Green for it all ... calling the Golden State star's actions "clown behavior."

"It's kind of funny because before the game, I was telling myself that Steph [Curry] is not playing, so I know Draymond is going to try and get ejected," Gobert said. "Because every time Steph doesn't play, he doesn't want to play -- it's his guy Steph. He'll do anything he can to get ejected."

Gobert then called for punishment for Green.

"I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done because that’s just clown behavior," Gobert said. "Not much to say. It’s clown behavior."

Of course, Green is no stranger to these situations ... he's been ejected for physical altercations several times over his career -- and, perhaps most famously, he was fined by his own team last year for getting violent with teammate Jordan Poole during a preseason practice.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 6:19 AM PT

TAYLOR SWIFT & TRAVIS KELCE PARENTS EXPECTED TO MEET for Chiefs vs. Eagles

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are about to have their own real-life version of "Meet the Fockers" play out on Monday Night Football ... where their parents will come together!

Sources confirmed to TMZ ... the pop icon and NFL athlete are hoping to introduce their families to one another when the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs meet up.

Plans aren't set in stone yet, but we're told the hope is for Andrea and Scott Swift and Donna and Ed Kelce to all be under one roof for the first time. That's right, NFL fans, get ready for LOTS of luxury box shots of the folks.

ET was first to report the news of the family jamboree, and it makes a lot of sense. Of course, you'll remember from the last Super Bowl -- Travis plays for the Chiefs and his older bro Jason is an Eagles star.

Here's how the families get involved -- Taylor's dad is a massive Eagles fan, although his devotion seems to have cracked due to his daughter's new bae ... Scott was wearing a Chiefs lanyard while bonding with Travis at Tay's Argentina show.

On their podcast, Travis boasted to Jason ... "Got him over to the good side, baby," referring to Scott Swift's apparent switch. He piled on by adding, "Just one by one, getting all the good ones to come on over." Yes, Taylor was also once a diehard Eagles fan.

In a direct message to Scott, Jason asked: "What are we doing, Scott? You're gonna let this man's devilish good looks and relationship with your daughter sway you from a lifetime of fandom, Scott? Ridiculous."

Meanwhile, we already know Taylor has hit it off with Donna -- they've hung out at Chiefs games -- and Trav's mom was recently watching the "Eras" tour film in a theater when a Swiftee spotted her.

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ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY???

Of course, Travis will be on the field for MNF, but the big question is whether Taylor will make it for the game. She's got shows in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We know her private jet could get her to Kansas City in time for kickoff.

BILLIE EILISH Gets Restraining Order Scared for Safety of Friends & Family

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3:24 PM PT -- The request for the restraining order was granted.

Billie Eilish is not only scared for her own safety, she's worried for her friends and family after one man has allegedly leveled a series of threats ... and now she's asking the court for help.

In legal docs obtained by TMZ, Billie says a man named Shawn Christopher McIntyre has been sending hundreds of messages to her and her family since September, including "disturbing professions of love" to her and "violent threats" against her brother, Finneas.

The star is requesting a judge to grant the restraining order requiring the 53-year-old stay at least 100 yards away from her, her family, and a close friend named Zoe Donahoe ... as well as barring him from contacting her on any social media platforms.

Billie says in the court docs that some of the messages he's sent include "I'm hunting your brother and his friends" and a voice mail in which she says he professed his love for her and threatened to kill her brother and Elon Musk.

He also allegedly wrote, "I’m sorry for what’s going to happen to your brother dude I  tried you know what I’m saying I really did try…"

Billie claims he's previously stalked her outside her home and near her family's home ... and worries "if he is not restrained he will continue his pattern of harassment against all of us, act on his threats, and go to even more extreme lengths to act upon his wild fantasies."

Originally Published -- 2:20 PM PT

Arnold Schwarzenegger Sued Over Wild 2022 Crash

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is being taken to court over his nasty car crash last year ... and the woman involved claims she may suffer permanent disability from the incident.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Cheryl Augustine says she was driving near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Allenford Avenue in Los Angeles in January 2022 when she got hit by Arnold's car.

She says Arnold was "wrongfully and recklessly" driving and was to blame for the crash and her physical injuries ... including the "shock and injury to her nervous system." She believes her injuries "will result in some permanent disability," too.

Augustine is now seeking damages to cover her medical expenses, property damage, and more.

TMZ broke the story, Arnold was driving a Yukon SUV last year when it collided with a red Prius, with his ride rolling on top of it ... and continuing to roll to the left right onto a Porsche Taycan.

Witnesses said the accident was straight out of an action film -- with the woman in the Prius, whom we're told was Augustine, apparently bleeding heavily from her head before being taken to a hospital.

Law enforcement sources told us they believe Arnold was in the wrong here, BTW ... saying he was turning left before the left turn arrow switched from red to green.