Breaking News

If you thought all this talk of digital goods and wealth was just some sort of nerdy fad, think again -- because the retail market space is going all in on VR ... including Walmart.

The big-box behemoth has reportedly filed a number of trademark apps in recent months seeking to gain exclusive rights to sell virtual goods on their digital shelves -- and we're not just talking about their website either. Sounds like Walmart is ramping up for a full-blown online experience, where their customers can actually own stuff ... within this dimension itself.

Per CNBC, 7 separate applications were filed of late ... and in addition to being able to hawk Walmart-related products in this forthcoming virtual reality, they're also apparently gunning to offer their own lines of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and even a unique cryptocurrency.

No word on what those tokens might look like ($5 DVD bin NFT, perhaps?) or when all this is supposed to be rolled out ... but it seems they're getting their 4D ducks in a row for what most everyone in Corporate America is scrambling for ... a seat at the metaphysical table.

Several different companies have been doing the exact same thing recently -- including other big shots like Nike (which is said to be developing a VR venture called "Nikeland"), Gap, Under Armor and even smaller outfits like Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie and Ralph Lauren.

Essentially, everyone took Zuckerberg's announcement about the metaverse last year and ran with it ... looking to protect their brand within this new frontier ... and to make money there too, obviously, if they can. So far, it seems to be a very popular/lucrative endeavor.

Funny enough, Walmart actually had a vision for what an augmented shopping reality might look like in their cyberworld about 5 years ago, when they commissioned a tech company called Mutual Mobile to create a demo of Walmart in the metaverse ... before that term was even a thing.

A gunman has reportedly taken several people hostage at a synagogue in Texas, and his demands are simple ... free his sister, who was once suspected of terrorist activities.

According to ABC's Aaron Katersky, the armed man who wandered into the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville Saturday has allegedly been ID'd as Muhammad Siddiqui, whom he says is claiming to be the brother of convicted felon Aafia Siddiqui.

She was sent to prison in 2010 after being found guilty of attempted murder of a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan -- among a slew of other charges -- and is serving out an 86-year sentence in the Fort Worth area. She's alleged to have had ties with al-Qaeda over the years ... and has been placed on federal law enforcement terrorism watch lists in the past.

Per Katersky, the gunman is demanding her release. Other reports say the perp claims to be armed with bombs, among other weapons ... the full extent of which is still unknown. Local law enforcement has descended on the scene to negotiate, as has the FBI.

Even crazier ... there was apparently a bar-mitzvah going on when the guy busted in, which was being live-streamed to the synagogue's FB account ... a stream that has since been deactivated. Still, some of the snippets that were captured are now surfacing, and you can hear what is presumably the hostage-taker railing on America, and saying he's willing to die.

The fact this man crashed a synagogue for hostages is not lost on those who covered the Siddiqui case. She is reported to have had strong objections to Jewish people representing her in her defense. She also asked for Jews to be tossed from the jury pool at the time.

At the moment, the synagogue's rabbi and three others are believed to be among those being held captive. No word on injuries or deaths yet, but SWAT units have arrived.

Prince Harry is giving the British government an ultimatum when it comes to his security across the pond ... afford me and my family protection one way or another, or else.

The Duke of Sussex's lawyers fired off a "pre-action protocol letter" to the Home Office department of the United Kingdom Government -- think Homeland Security for comparison -- in which they made clear ... if Harry and his family are not offered public security, from police officers and the like, while in the U.K. ... they'll be seeking a judicial review.

The move to essentially threaten the government with legal action reportedly comes after Harry, of late, has offered to pony up the cash for his own police security detail ... which was apparently denied from high-ups in HO, despite Harry insisting it was absolutely necessary.

Harry's reps released a statement explaining why he was doing this, arguing that he has taken on an inherent risk that he acquired from birth ... and which he'll carry for the rest of his life. Now, that he's got a family with Meghan Markle, that risk extends to them as well.

His reps also said this ... even though Harry and Meghan pay for their own private security here in the States -- where they now live since Harry stepped away from his Royal duties -- but unfortunately ... those bodyguards/that intel does not suffice when they visit his native land.

They cite a security breach in July 2021 -- when he was in town for a statue unveiling for his mother -- and once again insist ... he needs to be able to protect himself and his family.

Harry's team goes on to say he wants to bring his children, Archie and Lilibet, to the U.K. to visit ... but because of this ongoing issue -- which has apparently been playing out BTS for at least a couple years now -- he isn't able to, as they say, it's too dangerous.

A volcano eruption off the island of Tonga has sent literal shockwaves around the world -- so much so, that now authorities have warned ... we here in the U.S. could be at risk.

The underwater explosion took place Friday, which was actually noticeable from satellites all the way up in space ... and the images captured of the moment the volcano blew are mind-blowing, giving you a true sense of how powerful this thing was -- and how devastating too.

The real-world effects were felt almost immediately ... not only did people hear and see the mighty boom, but soon -- there were massive waves crashing ashore on the island of Tongatapu. Several videos were posted of the early damage, and even then ... it was bad.

Check out some of these clips ... you can see water tearing through residential areas and ripping down gates and fences. Some areas seem to have been hit harder than others.

There's one video that looks like it's straight out of a movie (in a bad way), with massive waves bursting their way onto the city streets ... and cars having to do quick U-turns to get the hell out of there.

So far, there are no reports of injuries or deaths -- but at the same time, much of the island is without communication or internet at the moment ... that's how rocked they've been over the past 10 hours or so.

Now, the rest of the world (at least on the Pacific side) is starting to feel the ramifications from this ... including here in the States, where weather officials have issued tsunami warnings in Hawaii, Alaska, British Columbia and all up and down the west coast of the U.S.

There are reports of massive waves crashing against the shorelines in cities like Monterey and elsewhere ... and locals have been told to steer clear of the area for a while.

An inferno engulfed a 19-story apartment building in New York City's Bronx borough, leaving 17 people dead ... including a reported 8 children.

The fire went down Sunday at the Twin Park apartments, with authorities saying the flames appear to have originated from a duplex between the second and third floors ... which quickly spread throughout the rest of the structure.

At least 200 firefighters responded to the scene in what ended up being categorized as a five-alarm blaze ... as they bravely ascended the edifice any way they could to get people out, including via ladders along the walls and into open windows.

Tons of video were captured of the horrific scene ... some of which showed firefighters lowering people down ladders and to safety. Still, the damage was devastating.

More than 5 dozen people are reported to have been injured in the fire, including 13 who are said to have been in critical condition. Most of the victims are suffering from severe smoke inhalation ... this according to FDNY officials.

Newly elected Mayor Eric Adams says it's one of the worst fires in NYC history ... and it's now being compared to the Happy Land social club fire of 1990, which took the lives of 87 people.

No word on what may have caused this to begin with ... that's currently under investigation. With that said, fire officials told local media that it doesn't appear to be suspicious in origin.

Two of the most prominent strains of COVID have reportedly fused together in what sounds like a science fiction flick gone wrong -- churning out a mutated baby called ... "Deltacron."

Leondios Kostrikis -- a professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus and head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Virology there -- told local media this week that his team had discovered what they believe to be a new variant.

The way he describes it ... "omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes," which essentially means there are traces of both strains within this new monstrosity.

Kostrikis says they've identified only 25 or so cases thus far in people, with a majority of them befalling folks who were hospitalized for COVID. Their findings are being sent to GISAID, which is the leading international database for all things 'rona, to be studied further.

While it might sound pretty scary, Kostrikis says we shouldn't freak just yet ... because he truly believes it's just a bug that'll probably fall to the wayside. He explains, "We will see in the future if this strain is more pathological or more contagious or if it will prevail," adding that he thinks regular omicron will displace it in the end.

A horrendous tragedy unfolded in Brazil Saturday, after a massive rock formation came loose over a lake, careening into the water ... killing at least 7 people.

The video is terrifying ... literally, a side of a mountain cascaded down onto 4 boats in Minas Gerais. You hear boaters scream in disbelief, as the rock formation makes contact with the boats, hurling them into the air. Two of the 4 boats hit sank.

The collapse was thunderous ... as thousands of pounds of rock and debris hit the water. It's all the more horrifying that it was by all accounts a serene day and you see the boaters relaxing and enjoying themselves until disaster suddenly struck.

In addition to the dead, around 30 people were injured.

There were heavy rains in the area, and authorities are now speculating the torrent of water may have been the cause of the mountain collapse.

The man suspected of gunning down Young Dolph says he's waving the white flag to the authorities over the charges against him -- charges of which he says he's innocent.

23-year-old Justin Johnson took to his social media page Saturday to both profess his innocence, and to also announce he'd be turning himself into the cops. The strange part ... he says he won't be doing so until Monday.

Using his rap IG account, going by the stage name Straight Drop, Johnson writes ... "Turning Myself In Monday @201 I'm Innocent I'll Be Back Sooner Than You Can Blink." Shortly before this message, he posted a video of a local news package that covered his criminal history ... which included an interview with a criminal court judge from Shelby County, TN.

The judge recounts how Johnson had previously carried himself in a separate case, making it seem like he was compliant and, later, a well-behaved prisoner after accepting his fate ... only to be released on probation early. Johnson seems to think the judge's words here are actually vouching for his character, because he wrote ... "Next time post the REAL… BS ass Blogs."

Of course, Johnson's timeline of taking the weekend to himself definitely isn't gonna fly with the feds ... who are actively pursuing him in a manhunt right now, and probably don't want to wait until Monday to have the guy in their custody.

It's unclear where Johnson is at the moment, but he obviously has access to his Instagram page, and presumably his phone too. By the same token, he's also eluded the cops thus far -- so perhaps he really is on his own schedule at this point.

As we reported ... Johnson was announced as the prime suspect in Dolph's killing, and he's currently wanted on a slew of charges -- including first-degree murder.

He also appears to have shot a music video once upon a time at the same home where the authorities retrieved what they believed to be the getaway vehicle used the day Dolph was shot and killed.

The fate of the 3 men responsible for the murder Ahmaud Arbery has been decided, 2 will spend the rest of their lives behind bars and the third has a possibility of parole.

The Brunswick, GA judge just sentenced Travis and Gregory McMichael to life in prison without parole, while William "Roddie" Bryan has the possibility of parole down the road. The judge decided to cut Bryan a slight break as he was unarmed and had showed some remorse for being involved in the incident from the beginning.

Each of the men sat solemn while their sentences were read, faces covered with masks, and neither made any sort of statement to the court.

After the sentence was read, the prosecutor asked the judge to prohibit each of the 3 men from being able to make any money from the case -- whether it be through book deals, interviews or promotional material ... a decision the judge has not yet made.

During the victim impact statements, Ahmaud's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, gave an emotional testimony to the life of her son ... saying raising him was the greatest honor of her life.

Wanda went on to describe her son as a curious, loving and thoughtful child -- she had asked the judge for life without parole for each of the 3 involved.

While all 3 men were convicted of murder and several other charges back in November ... only Travis, the son of Gregory, was convicted of malice murder. Travis is the one who pulled the trigger on his rifle, killing Ahmaud.

Under GA law, each of the men are required to serve 30 years in prison, so for 52-year-old Bryan ... even with the possibility of parole, he could still die behind bars.

Sidney Poitier, the actor and activist who broke color barriers in Hollywood and starred in some of the most iconic movies ever made, has died.

The office of the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs has confirmed Sidney's death to TMZ ... however, the circumstances surrounding his passing are not yet known, nor do we know where he died.

Poitier was the first black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor for his starring role in "Lilies of the Field" in 1963.

Sidney's roles are legendary ... starring as Mark Thackeray in "To Sir With Love," and Detective Virgil Tibbs in "In the Heat of the Night" in 1967. You know, he delivered the famous line, "They call me Mr. Tibbs."

He also starred in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," also released in 1967.

Just think about that ... all 3 incredible movies were released the same year.

Poitier was a tireless civil rights activist ... he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Obama for his work.

Poitier, who is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the Bahamas, served from 1997-2007 as Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.

Poitier is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joanna and 6 daughters.

Sidney was 94.

President Biden traveled to the U.S. Capitol on the 1st anniversary of the insurrection, and he made it clear ... Donald Trump is a loser who couldn't accept his loss and was willing to destroy democracy to maintain his grasp of power.

Biden painted a picture of his predecessor watching the riot unfold with satisfaction ... a riot fueled by Trump inciting his supporters in an effort to invalidate the election results. It was extraordinary ... the president called the former president a flat-out liar.

Biden did not mince words ... saying Trump was a loser whose ego went into overdrive as he spread lies about the vote count.

It was possibly Biden's strongest speech ever ... squarely calling Donald Trump a liar who tried to ruin the United States.

Billie Eilish will fill a headliner spot at this year's Coachella -- making her the second out of three names -- and a big question mark for Travis Scott's status with the festival.

A source with knowledge tells us Eilish has signed on as one of the event's big names for 2022. 2020's edition had Frank Ocean, Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott as the three headliners before it was canceled because of COVID-19.

Frank is now committed to 2023's festival, and Rage Against the Machine is reportedly not headlining 2022's edition ... which left 2 empty spots with Travis.

The first was filled by Swedish House Mafia, who announced their return to music a couple months ago -- and now the 2nd will be Billie.

Elizabeth Holmes is one huge step closer to doing hard time -- the jury found her guilty on 4 of the 11 charges she was facing in her fraud trial.

The founder of the blood-testing startup Theranos was facing two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud for deceiving investors, patients and advertisers ... all in search of money and fame.

After a week of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict Monday ... convicting her of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 3 counts of wire fraud.

The jury found Holmes not guilty on 4 counts ... including 3 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. One charge was also dropped.

The jury remained deadlocked -- unable to reach a verdict -- on 3 counts. Prosecutors could re-charge Holmes on those counts, or just let it go.

During the trial, Holmes testified that she meant well, and trusted the scientists behind the start-up. The jury heard from 32 witnesses in total.

Leading up to the trial and verdict, there's been a documentary, a best-selling book, and a podcast about the company's alleged fraud and deception.

The billion-dollar company made promises it could conduct cheaper and easier blood testing, but, it was later revealed its devices could only perform a mere 12 tests -- instead of Elizabeth's claim of 1,000 -- and the company shut down 3 years later.

We now know how much money Jeffrey Epstein paid to the woman who is accusing Prince Andrew of having sex with her when she was a minor.

According to just-released legal docs, Epstein paid Virginia Giuffre $500,000 back in 2009. The money was paid as a settlement of her lawsuit against the now-deceased sexual predator.

The settlement is relevant now because Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew, but he maintains the 2009 settlement in effect blocked her from suing him. Andrew's lawyer points to a clause in the 2009 settlement that extends the release to other, unnamed potential defendants, and Andrew claims that covers him.

Giuffre claims Andrew had sex with her in London, New York and in the Virgin Islands when she was still a minor. He has categorically denied the allegations.

As for the photo of the 2 of them ... he has said he doesn't recall taking it and suggested it might be photoshopped. He says he has no recollection of ever meeting Giuffre.

Prince Andrew's lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss Giuffre's lawsuit, claiming, “... Epstein negotiated for [a] broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of the merit—or lack thereof— to any such claims.”

And, Prince Andrew's lawyers say Giuffre got more than the $500k settlement from Epstein ... they claim she got \even more money in exchange for a full release from all potential defendants.

This is truly bizarre.

Antonio Brown just ripped off his jersey, ran shirtless on the field and headed for the locker room ... right in the middle of the Buccaneers' matchup against the New York Jets.

The incident happened just minutes ago ... with the 33-year-old wide receiver seemingly becoming upset on the sidelines in the third quarter as the Bucs trailed the Jets, 24-10.

Mike Evans appeared to try calming Brown down, but his efforts were unsuccessful ... as AB stripped down to just his pants and cleats and waved to the fans as he trotted through the end zone and off the field.

As it turns out, MetLife Stadium security reportedly thought AB was a streaker at first ... and initially tried to stop him before realizing he was a player.

AB had 3 catches for 26 yards before leaving the game.

Of course, Brown missed several games this season ... after the NFL said he faked his COVID-19 vaccination card.

No word from the Bucs on what happened Sunday ... but this will certainly be addressed after the game.

Beloved actress, comedian and American icon Betty White has died, just weeks before a milestone birthday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Betty passed away at her home just before 9:30 AM Friday.

A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death -- starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939.

Betty is perhaps most famous for her lead role as Rose Nylund in "The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992. She'd been in TONS of other big hits throughout her life though.

Betty got her start in radio in the '40s, making appearances on "Blondie," "The Great Gildersleeve," and "This is Your FBI." She eventually got her own radio program. In 1949, she began working on a TV variety show with Al Jarvis called "Hollywood on Television" -- which she later co-hosted -- before breaking out into more TV roles.

Her breakout comedic role came in 1973 when she played Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" ... which ran until 1977, and then she got her starring role in "The Betty White Show."

With 115 acting credits to her name, Betty had roles in productions like "Life with Elizabeth," "Date with the Angels," "The Love Boat," "Mama's Family," "The Golden Palace," "Ladies Man," "That '70s Show," "Higglytown Heroes," "Boston Legal," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Pound Puppies," "Hot in Cleveland," and many, many, many other shows and films.

Betty won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards -- including 2 for 'Mary Tyler Moore,' 1 for "Golden Girls" and 1 for her 1975 'SNL' appearance -- along with Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Comedy Awards and even a 2012 Grammy.

She's been nominated for several Golden Globes and has also been honored with lots of Lifetime Achievement Awards and celebrations through several organizations.

Betty had just made headlines this week when she told People, "I've heard Ryan [Reynolds] can't get over his thing for me" -- they co-starred in the 2009 movie, "The Proposal."

Ryan jokingly responded on Twitter ... "I'm absolutely sick of the media exploiting past relationships just to drive clicks."

The last time we got Betty on camera, she was teasing the launch of her Facebook page back in 2012.

As we've reported ... Betty had been extra cautious during the pandemic, mostly chilling at home and passing the time by reading, watching TV and doing crossword puzzles.

Betty was 99 and she would have celebrated her 100th birthday on January 17.

RIP