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Former President Jimmy Carter has apparently been in and out of the hospital of late -- pertaining to a number of ailments and injuries -- but now ... he's entering hospice care.

A statement issued by the Carter Center reads in part, "After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention."

It adds, "He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers." It's unclear what Carter's recent hospital stays are related to -- but it's sad news nonetheless.

The obvious implication is that Carter is on his last legs, and may well pass away soon -- that's usually what entering hospice care means ... so, naturally, the well-wishes and salutes to his legacy are pouring in all over social media right now.

In 2019, Carter suffered a hard fall that left him rattled and in need of stitches. At the time, he also received surgery to relieve pressure in his brain, the result of internal bleeding from that same fall. Carter also beat skin cancer, which he'd been diagnosed with in 2015.

Carter, who's now 98 years old, served as the 39th President, beating incumbent Gerald Ford. He served one term and was succeeded by Ronald Reagan.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah is getting processed for intake at the federal prison where she just arrived to serve her sentence for a telemarketing scandal.

Jen surrendered to begin her 6.5 years behind bars ... arriving at FPC Bryan in Bryan, Texas. Her lawyers had previously requested that she report to FPC Bryan, so it all worked out.

As we reported, the reality star pled guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. Prosecutors said she was targeting and scamming people out of cash with the scheme.

Feds wanted her locked up for 10 years, listing off numerous reasons why she's the "most culpable person charged in this case."

She was sentenced in January -- along with 6.5 years in the pen, Jen will also do 5 years of supervised release once she gets out.

She got emotional in court, apologizing for what she did, adding ... "With the proper medication I can now see what happened."

Her sentence came with some special conditions post-lockup ... most notably she'll have to participate in a mental health treatment program.

Jen did an interview with White Collar Advice shortly before reporting to FPC Bryan. She talked about why it took her a year to admit she was guilty, what she's going to bring to prison with her and her plans to document everything she experiences.

BTW, Jen got tatted up Wednesday before surrendering ... inking the names of her husband and sons on her arm. Her son Omar also got one -- the Hawaiian word for "child."

Paul Pierce's bank account is about to take a huge hit ... the ex-NBA star has agreed to pay $1.4 MILLION after authorities accused him of improperly promoting crypto on his social media page.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the settlement on Friday ... after it charged the former Celtics forward over the way he promoted and spoke about EMAX tokens on his Twitter account.

According to the SEC, Pierce touted the EthereumMax products "without disclosing the payment he received for the promotion." It also said Peirce made "false and misleading promotional statements" about the product as well.

Specifically, the SEC said Pierce was paid more than $244K to promote the items ... while claiming he tweeted an image of a bank account with large figures, despite his account having a significantly lower total.

The SEC said Pierce ultimately agreed to fork over $1.409 million "in penalties, disgorgement and interest" to settle the charges.

"This case is yet another reminder to celebrities: The law requires you to disclose to the public from whom and how much you are getting paid to promote investment in securities, and you can’t lie to investors when you tout a security," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement.

"When celebrities endorse investment opportunities, including crypto asset securities, investors should be careful to research if the investments are right for them, and they should know why celebrities are making those endorsements."

Ryan Seacrest is somewhat shockingly leaving the gig that propelled him from the West Coast to the East Coast -- "Live with Kelly and Ryan."

RS made the announcement Thursday on the show, saying he'll be packing it in at the end of the season ... presumably in May.

Sources connected to Seacrest tell TMZ ... Ryan only planned to stay for 3 years and actually went well beyond that, but he has plenty on his plate to keep him busy.

We're told Seacrest will probably move back to L.A., at least part-time, although he sold his Beverly Hills estate back in November for around $51 million.

Unlike Michael Strahan's departure from 'Live,' Ryan's is all kumbaya. He said on the show, "Working alongside Kelly over the past 6 years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career. She has been an amazing partner, friend and confidant."

Seacrest said on Instagram, "I'll be transitioning out of Live this Spring to shoot the 21st season of American Idol in L.A., continue my radio show on KIIS-FM and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve, and focus my summers on opening three more Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country."

There's something else ... sources close to Ryan say he's in hook, line and sinker with olive oil. He owns property that produces it, and it's a passion that aligns with his passion for food.

Two gunmen killed one person and wounded three others Wednesday night during a mass shooting at a Texas mall ... and video captured the chaos as it unfolded.

The suspects were taken into custody by heavily armed police following the deadly attack inside the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso. Cops have not disclosed their identities or motive.

Dramatic video shows frantic shoppers running for their lives as gunshots rang out inside the mall.

In another clip, police in tactical gear were seen walking through the mall with high-powered rifles. Other footage showed a paramedic wheeling a gurney while in a rush.

Interim El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas held a briefing, saying that cops were alerted to the shooting at 5:05 PM and responded within minutes -- thanks to two off-duty officers who were working security inside the mall. One of the officers immediately apprehended a suspect without using a firearm.

Witnesses shot footage of what appeared to be the other perpetrator kneeling on the sidewalk with his hands behind his head as cops stood over him.

Pacillas said one victim died at the scene and three more were rushed to a local hospital. Two of the survivors were listed in critical condition. The condition of the third was unclear.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted a statement, thanking first responders for "protecting their fellow Texans" and offering full state support.

What's more ... the mall is located next to a Walmart where Patrick Crusius fatally shot 23 people and injured dozens more while targeting Hispanic people in a 2019 hate crime. Crusius later pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges and is serving 90 life sentences.

An already emotional scene was ramped up after a man inside the courtroom lunged at Buffalo mass shooter Payton Gendron during the monster's sentencing hearing.

Barbara Massey, who lost her sister, Katherine, during the attack in May 2022 which left 10 dead, addressed the shooter directly Wednesday inside an Erie County Courthouse. Massey exclaimed, "My sister Katherine Massey was a great person, Kat didn't hurt anybody ... You don't know a damn thing about Black people, we're human, we like our kids to go to good schools, we love our kids. We never go in neighborhoods and take people out."

At that point, a man dressed in grey who was standing next to Barbara pushed her aside and lunged at Gendron, only to be restrained by several officers protecting the murderer.

As the incident happened, you can hear several people in the crowd become emotional ... and both Gendron and the man who lunged at him were escorted out.

Gendron, who is white, killed 10 Black people and wounded several others during a mass shooting at a Buffalo-area grocery store.

Gendron live streamed his brutal attack, carrying out the killings with an automatic weapon inscribed with racist words and phrases -- including the N-word and "Here's your reparations."

He's expected to be sentenced to life in prison -- pleading guilty to charges including domestic terrorism motivated by hate and murder.

The hearing resumed after a brief pause to settle the courtroom.

Lewis Hamilton isn't phased by a new rule in Formula 1 requiring drivers to get permission before making political statements during race weekends ... saying, he "won't be silenced."

“Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I feel that I’m passionate about and issues there are,” the seven-time F1 champion said Wednesday.

The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, implemented a rule in December prohibiting drivers from making political, religious, or personal statements without permission.

The idea is statements political in nature can be divisive (after all, much of the world is split when it comes to politics), and F1 doesn't want fans alienated. It's like the old Michael Jordan quote ... "Republicans buy sneakers, too."

Hamilton, one of the most vocal superstars in the sport, said he wasn't surprised when he learned of the FIA's new rule, and he doesn't plan to abide by it ... "I’m still going to be speaking on my end."

“I feel the sport does have a responsibility, still always, to speak out as a means to create awareness on important topics, particularly as we are traveling to all these different places, so nothing changes,” Lewis says.

Hamilton's had a contentious relationship with FIA ... he found himself in a battle with them last season after they (attempted to) crackdown on drivers wearing jewelry during races.

The Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 driver said that he's aware he would be penalized if he violates the FIA's new rule ... but contends he won't allow that to deter him from speaking out on issues.

Connor Smith -- a former MTV star from "Are You the One?" -- is again being accused of trying to engage in sex acts with a minor ... and now, cops are looking for him.

The ex-reality show contestant -- who was prominently featured on 'AYTO' way back in 2015 -- is wanted in the state of Illinois ... where the Lake County Sheriff's Office says they've issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of trying to meet a child for a sexual encounter.

According to LCSO, Smith interacted with an undercover detective online for the past several weeks ... thinking the cop was a girl under the age of 15, and allegedly sending explicit material of himself -- and then planning to meet up with the fake kid to engage in sex acts.

Smith is accused of driving to a rendezvous point on Feb. 9 -- where he allegedly scheduled to pick up the would-be teen -- and at this point ... the Sheriff's Office says their officers moved in to apprehend him. However, they say Smith successfully fled in his pickup truck.

The following day, Lake County obtained a warrant for his arrest -- on felony charges of traveling to meet a minor, grooming and disseminating harmful material -- with a judge signing off on a million-dollar bond if he were to be captured and arrested.

LCSO says Smith indicated to them that he'd actually surrender, but note ... he hasn't done so yet. Now, they're warning the public about him -- and asking for tips on his whereabouts.

Hope Bradley Beal doesn't have expensive Valentine's Day plans -- the Wizards star was just fined $25,000 for pushing an NBA official during Saturday's game against the Pacers.

It all went down at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC ... when Beal jumped to prevent a pass from going out of bounds, and his momentum carried him to the sideline.

Beal was unable to secure the ball ... and when he landed, he made contact with an official, who was trying to avoid being caught up in the action.

In the clip, you see Bradley and the official initially avoid a nasty collision -- but the All-Star guard ended up shoving the ref, causing him to fall backward over the chairs positioned behind him.

Beal spoke with the media after his team's 127-113 victory over Indiana, but the three-time All-Star and 2012-13 Rookie of the Year contender did not seem to comment on the situation.

NBA exec Joe Dumars announced the $25K fine for Beal just minutes ago ... so it seems the 11-year veteran will not have to worry about a suspension.

The Wizards' next game is Monday at Golden State ... but with V-day on Tuesday, Beal might be reconsidering his plans.

The White House is batting down any notion that what they shot out of the skies this weekend are of another world -- but it's still not entirely clear what we're dealing with.

Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre briefly addressed this with the media Monday before clearing the podium for other Biden admin officials who discussed it further -- and it was then that she said clear as day ... these were not aliens.

Here's her exact wording ... "There is no indication of aliens or extra-terrestrial activity with these recent takedowns. Again, there is no indication of aliens or terrestrial activity with these recent takedowns."

KJP went on to note that the administration had obviously been hearing a lot about it, but again stressed this wasn't in the realm of "E.T." What she didn't clarify, however, was what the airborne objects actually were ... neither did National Security official who followed her.

John Kirby -- who serves on Biden's National Security Council -- said the U.S. had not yet fully and properly assessed what the latest downed objects are ... and that they're still out there collecting and studying to figure out the exact nature and origin of them.

What Kirby did reveal is still somewhat shrouded in mystery -- apparently, these most recent UFOs had no discernable communication systems, no propulsion systems and no real maneuvering capabilities ... and they were also unmanned. The government has also said they're definitely not balloon-type crafts -- but still can't quite pin down a good description.

We had theoretical physicist Avi Loeb on TMZ Live Monday, who provided a little clarity and comfort to those worried about the UFOs from the weekend ... telling us there's nothing to be afraid of ... at least not yet!

Former New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley -- who helped Tom Brady win a Super Bowl in the 2014 season -- was arrested in Mississippi over the weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The running back was booked late Saturday night/early Sunday morning on two charges in Natchez, according to a Natchez Police official.

It's not yet clear what the allegations are against Ridley -- but records show he was released from custody on Sunday.

Ridley, who was born in Natchez, was a Patriots third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played for New England for four seasons -- recording his biggest year in 2012, when he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 TDs.

He went on to play for the Jets, Falcons and Steelers.

The FAA temporarily closed down airspace over parts of Lake Michigan — just the latest aviation closure amid reports of UFOs being shot down.

The order was given Sunday, with the FAA shutting down access to the skies … saying it is now being used for national defense purposes. The specific area that was locked down roughly encompassed the water between Green Bay and Traverse City, give or take.

The government isn’t saying why they closed that airspace -- other than to vaguely cite NORAD operations -- but in any case … they’ve now lifted restrictions — essentially saying everything can go back to normal again, without a proper explanation.

It’s alarming … just yesterday, parts of Montana’s airspace was also briefly closed for national defense purposes — only for it to be reopened again mere hours later — but we’re all still in the dark about what exactly has the feds so spooked.

Granted, this all follows TWO unidentified flying objects being shot down in the last few days … one over Alaska and another over Canada. And, of course, this all comes on the heels on the Chinese spy balloon drama about a week ago.

People are demanding answers and transparency, while also asking … is this the new normal in the U.S. now? And more importantly … WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!?

No word from the mother ship at this point … but don’t take that big exhale just yet. Something tells us more weird stuff is afoot.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have FINALLY found their dream house ... TMZ has confirmed they're in escrow to buy an incredible property in the L.A. area.

The mansion is in the Pacific Palisades area of L.A. -- a super exclusive neighborhood only for the uber-rich.

It's listed for $34,500,000 ... we do not know the agreed-upon price, but it's a good bet it's not far off from the listing price.

The house was built just last year. The seller calls it a Hamptons-style traditional, with 7 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.  It sits on an acre, which is HUGE for the area.

The house has all the bells and whistles ... a screening room, a gym, pool, wine cellar.  it's also got a health spa -- not sure how that differs from a gym, but apparently, it does.

As we reported, JLo just listed her Bel Air home for $42.5M. Their plan was to upgrade that home, but apparently plans changed and they're movin' west.

Tom Brady is letting everyone know he's dead serious about retiring this time around ... officially submitting his retirement paperwork, seemingly closing the door on a comeback.

Brady doubled down on his February 1 retirement announcement Friday ... by sending an official retirement letter to the NFL and NFLPA, according to Adam Schefter.

Brady's formal letter to the league and the union should answer any questions surrounding the 45-year-old quarterback's future.

With TB12 officially gone from the NFL ... the 7x Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he's eligible in 2028.

Of course, Brady said he was "retiring for good" a couple weeks after the Cowboys defeated the Buccanneers, 31-14, at home in the wild card round of the playoffs.

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time," Brady said during the big announcement ... "so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record and let you guys know first."

Jalen Brunson had the best reaction to his old college teammate, Josh Hart being traded to the Knicks ... 'cause he absolutely freaked out -- yelling, "OH S***!!!"

The Portland Trail Blazers traded the former Villanova guard to the Big Apple on Wednesday ... in exchange for Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, and a 2023 first-round pick.

Brunson was back at Villanova's campus -- where he played from 2015 to 2018 -- to have his #1 jersey retired when the deal went down ... and as soon as someone showed him the news on their phone, he threw up his arms in excitement.

"OH S***!!!," the point guard yelled. "YES!!!"

FYI, Brunson and Hart won the 2016 NCAA championship together ... so it was only fitting Jalen was back in Wildcat territory when he learned about the reunion.

Unclear how Reddish feels about his now-former teammate being this excited ... but Cam barely got any playing time since he joined the Knicks last January, and only started 8 games this season.

Blazers superstar, Damian Lillard had good things to say about his new teammate after the trade, ... saying, "I've always liked Cam Reddish a lot."

"He's one of those guys you just always look like, 'Man, if he gets to the right place, could it just click?' Could you see something come out of it?' I take a lot of pride in pouring into guys [like him], especially in a situation like this."

Hart -- who's shooting 50% from the field -- is nice on defense, plus he's a rebounding machine, averaging 8.2 per game.

Jim Ross says he spoke with Jerry "The King" Lawler after he suffered a stroke on Monday  ... and the WWE legend is doing okay, but still needs support as he recovers.

Ross shared the update on Lawler's health status late Tuesday night, reassuring fans the 73-year-old, who has a history of heart issues, is trending in the right direction.

"I spoke very briefly with @JerryLawler tonight," Ross tweeted. "He’s obviously weak but I could understand his affected speech. Jerry’s prognosis is positive but he needs all our thoughts and prayers. #LoveYaKing"

As we previously reported, Lawler suffered a medical emergency, believed to be a stroke, at his Florida home and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery.

Ross and Lawler go way back ... the two formed one of the most iconic commentator teams in pro wrestling history, calling some of WWE's biggest matches and moments.

Jerry and Jim were a staple on WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw, and their on-air chemistry was unmatched.

Lawler's health scare reverberated throughout the wrestling world ... especially considering the pro wrestling icon went into cardiac arrest in 2012 and suffered a stroke in 2018.