Emmett Till Mississippi Grand Jury ... Declines to Indict White Accuser

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Emmett Till's accuser will likely NOT face criminal charges over his lynching -- because a grand jury in Mississippi just determined there wasn't enough evidence to indict her.

88-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham skirted what many say would've been justice Tuesday when a Leflore County grand jury declined to hand down an indictment, charging her in connection with the 1955 killing of the 14-year-old Till ... which rocked the nation.

Local prosecutors presented newly discovered evidence in the case -- including an old arrest warrant with Donham's name on it from back then -- but after 7 hours of listening ... the jurors felt it wasn't sufficient to bring forth any charges.

Kidnapping and manslaughter were on the table for Donham. The unearthed arrest warrant from 1955 -- which also included the names of the men who were ultimately tried and acquitted -- was never executed, so Donham was never taken into custody at the time or charged with any crime.

Remember, her accusation that Emmett whistled at her in a convenience store is what triggered the atrocity.

There are conflicting accounts as to how Donham sees her role in the Till tragedy ... some claim she has recanted and said she never intended for things to escalate as much as they did, but she's denied that on several occasions. Emmett's family has been calling for her to pay for what she started, but now ... it seems she'll escape prosecution.

The Mississippi Attorney General has already gone on record to say she will not be reopening the case, kicking the matter down to the county.

In the wake of all this ... a new film about Emmett Till is finally making its way to theaters.

Serena Williams Retiring From Tennis ... After U.S. Open

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Serena Williams is moving on from the sport she's dominated for decades -- the superstar just announced she's "evolving away" from tennis after the U.S. Open.

The 40-year-old shared the news in an essay with Vogue on Tuesday ... saying it's time to move on and focus on other challenges -- raising a family and business ventures off the court.

"I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst," Williams said. "But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words. You have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies."

"I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you."

Serena currently has 23 individual Grand Slams and 14 in doubles alongside her sister, Venus. She won her most recent singles title while two months pregnant in 2017.

Serena is by far one of the greatest to ever do it ... and has changed the sport of tennis forever since making her debut in 1995.

In fact, she is the highest-earning female athlete of all time ... and was ranked 31st on Forbes' list of top earnings among all pros in 2022 with $45.3 million.

Her off-court ventures have proven to be just as successful -- in 2009, Serena and Venus became minority owners of the Miami Dolphins, making them the first black women to hold any ownership of an NFL team.

Serena is also one of the owners of the Angel City FC soccer team ... and earlier this year, committed millions in hopes of helping a big do buy Chelsea FC in London.

Recently, Williams started Serena Ventures, which raised $111 million in outside funding this year.

A movie about the Williams sisters' upbringing, "King Richard," was released in 2021 to positive reviews ... and earned Will Smith an Oscar for his portrayal of their father, Richard. Both sisters were executive producers for the flick.

Serena -- who gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017 -- is married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian ... and says she would like to have more children.

Serena wishes she had more time to say goodbye to the sport ... but given her goals of expanding her family, she's left with no choice.

"Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family," she added. "I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity."

The U.S. Open kicks off at the end of the month ... and it will truly be the end of an era.

Donald Trump FBI Agents Raiding Mar-A-Lago ... They Broke Into My Safe!!!

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Donald Trump's Florida home was crawling with FBI agents Monday ... with the feds raiding his Mar-a-Lago resort as part of a search warrant.

The raid reportedly involves Trump's failure to turn over classified and unclassified government documents and other materials that he improperly took from The White House to his Florida home. Trump belatedly turned over 15 boxes of government property a few months ago, but obviously the feds think he still has stuff he shouldn't have.

It's an absolutely stunning turn of events ... in order for the FBI to search Trump's home, they had to first get the approval of the Attorney General himself, and then go to a federal judge and submit hard proof there is PROBABLE CAUSE to believe A CRIME WAS COMMITTED. That deserves all caps, because it's never been done before in the history of our country -- a former president in the active crosshairs of a federal criminal investigation and one that was serious enough to trigger a search warrant.

The former President is currently in New York City. He acknowledged the raid, grousing the FBI broke into his personal safe. Trump is blaming the raid on the Democrats and those who do not want him to run for the White House in 2024 ... and he's trying to compare the raid to Watergate.

It's unclear what FBI agents seized from Trump's home or safe.

As you know, the Justice Department is also investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 national election.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who worked in the Obama administration, recently predicted Trump will eventually be indicted on criminal charges as a result of the DOJ investigation.

The DOJ is also investigating Trump's role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, with a number of former Trump administration officials recently testifying before a grand jury as part of the probe.

Story developing ...

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson Call It Quits After 9 Months Together

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Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are calling it quits on their relationship after 9 months together ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to the couple say the pair decided to end things, and according to E!, who first reported the split, the pair's constantly busy schedules and distance apart made it really hard to keep up their romance.

As we reported, Pete had recently been spending lots of time down in Australia, where he's filming a movie, and Kim's balancing traveling and working around the World all while raising her 4 kids in Los Angeles.

Kim recently flew Down Under to see Pete after some time apart, but it's not clear if that's when the two decided to pull the plug on their relationship or if it was more recent.

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Buddy-buddy

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Pete were first spotted together back in October when they hit Knotts Berry Farm in L.A. with some pals. From there, Kim visited Pete in his hometown of Staten Island, where the two dined on pizza and pasta at one of Pete's local spots.

After that, the relationship seemed to take off ... the two took vacations together, and were constantly jetting coast to coast to spend weekends in NYC and in L.A.

It was in April when Kim and Pete made their red carpet debut together at The White House Correspondent's dinner.

While we hadn't seen them together as of late, Kim recently posted a set of flirty pics of her and Pete -- seemingly reminding the world they were still a thing.

Multiple sources have told us Kim and Kanye are getting along lately, though their divorce is still moving forward. We're told it's highly unlikely they'd ever get back together again ... but never say never.

Breonna Taylor Cops Charged in Her Death ... Civil Rights Violations

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The U.S. Department of Justice just made a significant move in the investigation into the police raid that resulted in the killing of Breonna Taylor ... charging several officers involved that day and in the events leading up.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges Thursday against four former and current Lousiville cops. Charges include unconstitutional use of force, unlawful conspiracies, civil rights offenses and others.

Brett Hankison, a former detective is said to have "willfully used unconstitutionally excessive force ... when he fired his service weapon into Taylor's apartment through a covered window and covered glass door."

Ex-Detective Joshua Jaynes, and Detective Kelly Goodlett and Sergeant Kyle Meany were charged with submitting a false affidavit to search Breonna's apartment and then allegedly put together a "false cover story in an attempt to escape responsibility for their roles in preparing the warrant affidavit that contained false information."

It was back in March 2020 when officers stormed Breonna's apartment in a forced-entry, shooting and killing the emergency room technician.

Hankison had previously been charged in connection with Breonna's death ... but those charges were later dropped.

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) Killed In Car Crash

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Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed in a car crash in her home state that claimed the lives of 3 others ... according to police.

The fatal, two-car wreck happened Wednesday afternoon near an intersection in Nappanee, Indiana, and it killed all 3 people riding in the Republican Congresswoman's SUV.

The Elkhart County Sheriff says Walorski was traveling with her district director, Zachery Potts, and her communications director, Emma Thomson, when another car crashed head-on into their vehicle.

The driver of the other car, a 56-year-old woman, was also pronounced dead at the scene. She was the only one in her car.

Rep. Walorski was elected to Congress back in 2012 and her death is already sending shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's "shocked and saddened" to hear of Rep. Walorski's tragic death ... remembering her as someone who was "always prepared to work together where there was common ground, always decent and straightforward, and she cared deeply about her work and her constituents."

Rep. Walorski was 58.

RIP

Jon Stewart Vet Bill Pressure Works ... GOP Senators Flip, Pass PACT Act

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Jon Stewart's passionate pleas for Congress -- especially GOP Senators -- did not fall on deaf ears ... as the Senate reversed field and resoundingly passed a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits.

The former 'Daily Show' host turned up the heat on Republicans like Senators Ted Cruz and Pat Toomey after the PACT Act was shot down in the Senate last week ... and it looks like Jon's strategy paid off.

Last week's 55-42 defeat of the legislation suddenly became an 86-11 victory Tuesday when the bill was put to a new vote. The GOP tried to pass amendments to address what they claim was a "budget gimmick" Democrats cooked into the bill, but those efforts failed.

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DISGRACE TO THE COUNTRY

Despite that, the Republicans flipped and voted in favor of the PACT Act -- designed to expand healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service.

Remember ... Jon put GOP leadership on blast after last week's defeat, calling Sen. Toomey "a "f***ing coward."

Toomey and other GOP Senators, like Cruz, said they voted against the bill because they claimed it would create $400 billion in unrelated spending.

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"OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING"

Sen. Cruz tried blaming the Democrats when we got him after the "no" vote ... and our clip lit another fire under Stewart.

It didn't take long for him to respond, calling BS on Cruz's claims.

Jon also got into a heated shouting match over the bill Monday just outside Capitol Hill, squaring off with media personality and conservative commentator Jack Posobiec.

Right before all this, Jon was being floated as a serious presidential nominee in 2024 ... an idea JS continues to shoot down -- but it's hard to argue his impassioned, vocal pressure didn't play a role in the Senate turnaround.

Demi Lovato Adds She/Her Pronouns to They/Them ... 'I've Been Feeling More Feminine Recently'

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Demi Lovato has been more in touch with her feminine side lately ... so much so, she has decided to include "she/her" pronouns with "they/them."

It was a little over a year ago when Demi announced she was nonbinary, but just opened up about her own personal change on "The Spout Podcast" -- saying she now goes by the pronouns they/them/she/her.

Demi said, "Recently I've been feeling more feminine, and so I've adopted she/her again... But, I think what’s important is, like, nobody’s perfect. Everyone messes up pronouns at some point, and especially when people are learning, it’s just all about respect."

We're told Demi actually made the decision to include she/her back in April ... but this is the first time she's spoken about the change in depth.

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BIG REVELATION

Demi says last year she didn't necessarily feel like a woman or a man, when she was faced with a choice, like walking into a bathroom. Back then, she felt her masculine and feminine "energy" was balanced.

In her eyes, the most important thing was just feeling human at the core.

Future F1 Star Oscar Piastri I'm Not Joining Alpine In 2023 ... 'This Is Wrong'

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Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri is calling B.S. on his own team ... saying he will NOT be taking Fernando Alonso's seat next season -- just hours after the organization initially announced the move.

The 21-year-old Australian prodigy went to social media on Tuesday to address Alpine's statement ... saying it's not true and he did not sign off on it.

"I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year," Piastri said on Instagram.

"This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year."

The denial comes after Alonso's shocking exit from Alpine for Aston Martin next season ... and amid rumblings of McLaren's interest in bringing Piastri in.

Alpine's original statement read ... "BWT Alpine F1 Team confirms 21-year-old reserve driver Oscar Piastri as Esteban Ocon’s teammate starting from 2023."

"In line with the commitments made by the team to the young Australian, Oscar will be promoted to race driver and step in Fernando Alonso’s seat from next year onwards."

A Formula 3 and 2 champ, Piastri's F1 debut is highly anticipated to say the least ... but by the sounds of it, it won't be in the blue and pink BWT car.

UFC's Kamaru Usman I'm A Movie Star Now!!! ... Lands 'Wakanda Forever' Role

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Kamaru Usman is going from passionate Black Panther fan to acting in one of the blockbuster franchise's films -- 'cause the UFC welterweight champ has landed a role in "Wakanda Forever!!!"

35-year-old Usman is a huge fan of the comic book superhero ... and dating back to 2018, has shown interest in being a part of upcoming flicks.

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TMZ Sports has confirmed that dream is becoming a reality ... with "The Nigerian Nightmare" securing a role in the flick coming out this November.

Of course, the movie will be an emotional one ... after T'Challa himself, Chadwick Boseman, tragically passed away in 2020 due to colon cancer.

The teaser for the "Black Panther" sequel was released this past weekend ... with fans of the franchise praising the short clip.

No word on how significant Usman's role will be ... but regardless, it's an amazing experience for the 20-1-0 superstar.

Before the flick hits theaters, Usman will be facing off against Leon Edwards in August ... so it's an action-packed end to 2022 for him to say the least.

MMA Fighting first confirmed the news.

Top H.S. Recruit Aidan Mizell Commits To Florida ... Brings Out Gators For Ceremony!!!

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Forget hats and hidden T-shirts ... top high school football recruit Aidan Mizell just changed the college commitment game forever -- bringing out live gators to announce his college choice!!!

The four-star wide receiver, who plays his H.S. ball in Orlando, officially pledged to the Univ. of Florida on Friday -- and he did it in arguably the most memorable way ever.

The wideout -- who was down to Florida, Tennessee and Alabama -- walked behind a curtain ... and then carried out two live alligators to reveal he's headed to Gainseville in 2023.

The crowd went crazy ... cheering as he walked to the podium with the reptiles in his arms.

Don't worry -- Mizell's very valuable hands were safe during the announcement ... the gators had small pieces of tape wrapped around their jaws so they wouldn't be able to bite him.

Mizell has one more year of high school ball left before he joins Florida -- we can't wait to see what he does with TD celebrations from here!

Beyoncé ‘Renaissance’ Album Leak Beyhive Says Not So Fast!!!

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Beyoncé’s upcoming album has sprung a leak two days before it's supposed to drop around the world ... and her most loyal fans are pissed.

A French fan posted a pic of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album -- in CD format (yep, they still make those) on Wednesday -- alerting fans worldwide that the album wasn’t being confined to Friday anymore.

Songs titled "Alien Superstar," "Church Girl" and "Cuff It" began to make their rounds on social media, disrupting the natural order of the music world.

Of course, it is 2022 … meaning for the album to leak, the “fan” would have to first find a CD player, rip the tracks into MP3s and then spread them across the web.

As a method to fight the leaks, Bey's trusty Beyhive fan club sent out alerts threatening to swat down any possible leak links they see appear.

"Renaissance" marks Beyonce's first solo album in 6 years and is set to feature Jay-Z, Drake, Pharrell, Tems and more dream teamers behind the making of the music.

Leak or not, the album is still projected to achieve massive success ... and will drop Friday.

Vince McMahon Retires From WWE

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UPDATE

5:17 PM PT -- Stephanie McMahon addressed the WWE universe for the first time since her father, Vince, retired earlier today, thanking him for his commitment to the company over the decades and leading the fans in a "Thank you, Vince" chant.

UPDATE

Vince McMahon -- the longtime chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment -- is retiring from his role with the company, he announced Friday.

"As I approach 77 years old, I feel it's time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE," McMahon said in a statement.

"Throughout the years, it's been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you."

"I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand."

Vince bought the company from his father, Vincent J. McMahon in 1982 ... and has been the face of the brand ever since.

Vince was responsible for the "Attitude Era" in the 1990s, which turned professional wrestling into a mainstream phenomenon ... and helped Superstars like The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Chyna and more become household names.

The billionaire is also the mastermind behind WrestleMania ... which just had its 38th installment this past April.

McMahon bought WWE's biggest competitor, World Championship Wrestling, in 2001 ... making his company the most dominant organization in the sport.

"Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment," he added. "I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment."

Vince recently stepped away from his role as chairman and CEO ... amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. His daughter, Stephanie, was named interim CEO and interim Chairwoman.

The investigation comes after a report claiming McMahon allegedly agreed to pay $12 million in "hush money" to 4 different women over a 16-year time period ... so they would not discuss their relationships with him.

McMahon appeared on "WWE SmackDown!" shortly after he voluntarily stepped down ... and made a speech that felt like a goodbye message to fans.

Story developing ...

Originally Published -- 1:16 PM PT

Thomas Lane Former Officer Involved In George Floyd's Death Sentenced To 2 1/2 Years In Prison

Published

Thomas Lane, one of the former Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, has been sentenced to 2 and a half years in prison on a federal civil rights charge.

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EXCESSIVE FORCE

Lane was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson following his conviction in February -- as you'll recall, Lane held Floyd’s legs as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd for nearly 9 1/2 minutes back in 2020.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a sentence of up to 6 1/2 years.

Lane's attorney had requested a little over 2 years for his client, insisting Lane had the least to do with Floyd's death and pointing out Lane asked the other officers twice if Floyd should be turned on his side instead.

Derek Chauvin has already been sentenced to 21 years in prison for the death of Floyd ... the two other officers convicted, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, have yet to be sentenced.

Uvalde Shooting Video of Police Retreating From Gunman During School Massacre

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POLICE FLEE SHOOTER

New video shows the horrific scene inside the Uvalde school where a gunman murdered 19 children and 2 teachers, and you see the police try and approach the shooter and then run for cover when the gunman shoots at them.

KVUE TV obtained the surveillance video ... 3 minutes after the shooter entered the school and began firing rounds into 2 classrooms, you see the police enter the hallway inside the school and approach the door outside the classroom where the shooter was firing rounds at the children.

The shooter then begins firing rounds outside the classroom, presumably at the cops. The police then flee the immediate area and retreat a distance away ... looking for cover in the hallway.

Two cops touch their head and neck area, as if to see if they were shot.

For the next 45 minutes, you see reinforcements arrive ... but they never try to breach the classroom. They eventually set up right outside the classroom but don't attempt to enter for another 30 minutes. That's when they enter a classroom and they see the shooter emerging from a closet and a Border Patrol cop shoots him dead.

As you know, parents of the murdered children are demanding answers from City officials ... like why the cops stalled the way they did? So far, those answers have not been forthcoming.

SoFi Stadium Body Found In Lake ... Cops Investigating

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An investigation is underway at SoFi Stadium after dive teams found a body in the lake in front of the Rams and Chargers' home venue in L.A. on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles County Fire Dept. says firefighters were dispatched to the stadium at around 6 AM after they received reports that someone had jumped into the man-made body of water in Inglewood and never resurfaced.

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THE SEARCH IS ON

Dive teams searched the lake for hours, using sonar operations, and eventually recovered the body of what officials said was a 45-year-old male.

Inglewood Mayor James Butts said Wednesday afternoon a motive for the man jumping into the lake was unknown. Butts added surveillance video showed it "kind of" looked like the man "didn't know how to swim."

"This is someone that made a conscious decision to trespass onto the property, get into the lake and he ended up having some distress and difficulty," Butts said. "So I don't think there's anything SoFi could've done to prevent this."

The lake -- located just south of the stadium -- is 5.5 acres big, around 15 feet deep and holds up to 11 million gallons of water.

It was reportedly designed to capture rainwater to water the plants around the stadium.

Story developing ...