L.A. Sheriff's Dept. Man Pleads Not Guilty to Shooting Deputies Mark Cuban Makes $50k Donation to Each Deputy

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DEPUTIES AMBUSHED
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3:08 PM PT -- Murray pled not guilty to all of the charges connected to the Sept. 12 attack on the deputies. His bail was increased to $6.15 million.

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11:29 AM PT -- Mark Cuban has donated $50k to each of the Sheriff's deputies who were shot in this brazen attack. Sources close to the situation say Cuban reached out shortly after the shooting, and now the donation has been made official.

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Sheriff Alex Villanueva said both deputies are home and face a long road to recovery.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department has identified the man who allegedly opened fire on 2 of its deputies during an ambush, and he's now been charged with attempted murder.

The District Attorney's Office charged Deonte Lee Murray with 2 counts of willful, deliberate and premeditated attempted murder of a peace officer ... as well as possession of a firearm by a felon, carjacking, second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Most of those charges stem from a separate September 1 incident where Murray allegedly shot a Compton citizen and stole his vehicle.

The 36-year-old suspect was found and arrested on September 15 ... 3 days after he allegedly walked up to Sheriff's deputies while they sat in their car outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Transit Center and fired at them.

Murray's expected to be arraigned Wednesday, and prosecutors are recommending bail be set at $6.15 million. If convicted, he faces a possible maximum life sentence in state prison.

As we reported ... the deputies -- a 31-year-old woman and 24-year-old man -- were in critical condition after they were shot from point-blank range. The female deputy's credited with saving her partner's life by applying a tourniquet to his arm. They've since been discharged from the hospital and both are recovering.

Originally Published -- 11:05 AM PT

Serena Williams Pulls Out Of French Open ... 'Struggling To Walk'

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Serena Williams is officially OUT of the French Open ... the tennis legend withdrew from the tournament Wednesday, saying she has an Achilles injury that's hurting like hell.

"Struggling to walk," Serena said of the injury. "So that's kind of a tell-tale sign that I should try to recover."

The 39-year-old hurt her lower leg at the U.S. Open in New York earlier this month ... and thought she had given it enough time to heal to be effective in Paris.

But, Williams said during her opening-round victory over Kristie Ahn on Monday, she felt the tendon aching -- and decided to pull out of the event.

"I had to focus on walking straight so I wasn't limping," Serena said. "And, I tried."

The good news ... Serena says she doesn't think the injury will be a long-term thing -- she told reporters she believes 4-to-6 weeks of rest and recovery should do the trick.

"I feel like my body is actually doing really, really well, and I just ran into, for lack of a better word, bad timing and bad luck, really, in New York," Williams said.

"It happened, but my body is actually doing really, really well.”

FYI -- the next major event on the tennis calendar is months away ... with the Australian Open set to begin on Jan. 18.

Kylie Jenner Warning Cosmetics Customers ... There's a 'Security Incident'

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Kylie Jenner's cosmetics company blasted out an alarming email, letting its customers know there's been a security breach with Shopify -- the company that manages its e-commerce platform.

Kylie Cosmetics says Shopify informed them the "security incident" affected names, addresses, emails, product orders, and even the last four digits of the credit card for potentially impacted customers.

Shopify says less than 200 companies were hit in the breach, and its investigation found that it was the result of 2 rogue support team members engaging "in a scheme to obtain customer transactional records of certain merchants."

Shopify says it immediately shut down access to its network to those 2 individuals and is now working with law enforcement -- including the FBI -- in their "investigation of these criminal acts."

On the bright side ... Shopify confirms what Kylie's company email says -- full payment details were not compromised, and any orders placed on the Kylie Cosmetics site, at this time, are safe and secure.

Still, it sounds pretty serious, and Kylie Cosmetics says its customers' trust is all-important, so it's making an effort to be as forthcoming as possible.

Shopify -- one of the world’s leading commerce platforms, powering more than a million businesses worldwide -- claims ... "This incident was not the result of a technical vulnerability in our platform, and the vast majority of merchants using Shopify are not affected."

Nevertheless, the company insists it does not take these events lightly.

So, this could be a very big deal for many other companies besides Kylie's.

NY Islanders Ex-Draft Pick Rewarded By Hockey Gods ... Over Honest Penalty Call

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What goes around, comes back around ... even on the ice -- 'cause a former NY Islanders draft pick was rewarded with a goal by the hockey gods after he corrected some refs on a bad call.

Here's the deal ... Anatoly Golyshev -- an Isles' 2016 4th-round pick -- was playing in a KHL game in Russia on Monday when his opponent was called for a tripping penalty.

The refs thought the dude swept Golyshev's legs out from under him ... and were about to reward Golyshev's Avtomobilist squad with a 5-on-3 power play.

But, Golyshev quickly skated toward the refs and told them he had tripped over the puck -- NOT his opponent -- which negated the penalty call.

Obviously, it's a bold move by Golyshev ... the 2-man advantage would've almost guaranteed his team a goal -- a huge deal in a 3-2 game.

Turns out, though, karma worked in Golyshev's favor ... 'cause just seconds after his display of honesty -- he scored a goal!!!

And, even though his team ultimately lost 6-4, he added an assist later in the game too!!!

Sportsmanship, man ... pass it on!

Breonna Taylor Case Grand Juror Wants to Speak Out!!! Blasts AG Cameron, Files Motion in Court

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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has at least one pissed off grand juror on his hands in the Breonna Taylor case ... and that person is demanding the right to talk about the proceedings.

The anonymous grand juror filed a motion Monday with the Jefferson County Circuit Court asking a judge to lift the gag order for any grand jurors who want to go public -- because this juror feels like Cameron hung them out to dry when he announced the indictment of ex-cop Brett Hankison.

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THE BLOW-BY-BLOW

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the grand juror says Cameron repeatedly told the media "the grand jury alone made the decision on who and what to charge based solely on the evidence presented to them." As you know Hankison and the 2 other cops involved were not charged with shooting and killing Breonna. Instead, Hankison was the only indicted for firing his weapon into an apartment neighboring Breonna's.

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Louisville Metro Police Department

That decision has sparked days of protest across the country, and it's clear this grand juror feels Cameron is ducking his responsibility. As he or she says in the docs, "It is patently unjust for the jurors to be subjected to the level of accountability the Attorney General campaigned for simply because they received a summons to serve their community."

Translation: You ran for this Office, Daniel Cameron, so you should feel the heat.

Although the grand juror was not specific, it sure appears they have some gripes over the way the proceedings went down. It would be really interesting to know if the grand jury heard from all 12 apartment residents who said the police did NOT identify themselves before breaking down Breonna's door. If the grand jury didn't hear from them, it would be interesting to know if that information would have prompted this grand juror to vote to indict the cops who shot Breonna.

Grand jury proceedings are always kept under wraps, so this juror's request is highly unusual.

But, as they say in the docs ... "Using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process while leaving a cold chill down the spines of future grand jurors."

In addition to the right to speak publicly, the juror is also asking the judge to release the transcript of the proceedings.

Doc Rivers Out As Clippers Coach After Disappointing Season

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Doc Rivers is officially OUT as Los Angeles Clippers head coach ... after a quick exit from the NBA Playoffs.

58-year-old Rivers has coached the Clips since 2013 ... and after adding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this last off-season, L.A. Clippers were favorites to win an NBA title.

Despite having a 3-1 lead on the Denver Nuggets, the Clippers were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Shortly after they were bounced from the playoffs, there were reports of turmoil within the team ... with PG allegedly feuding with his teammates.

Rivers addressed losing his job on social media, writing ... "Thank you Clipper Nation for allowing me to be your coach and for all your support in helping making this a winning franchise. When I took this job, my goals were to make this a winning basketball program, a free agent destination, and bring a championship to this organization."

"While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won't be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support."

"Thank you to all the players, coaches and staff for helping us get here. Most importantly, thank you to the fans. We went through a lot, and I am grateful for my time here."

Of course, Rivers -- who is 943-681 as a head coach -- won a ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

There are a few possible landing spots if Doc decides he wants to coach next season ... the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers are both teams with stacked rosters that don't have a coach.

Charles Barkley Calls Defund Police Movement 'Crap' ... 'Stop That'

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Charles Barkley called the idea of defunding and/or abolishing the police "crap" ... and the NBA legend is urging people who are pushing the message to "stop that."

Chuck delivered a speech on the matter on NBA on TNT Thursday ... bluntly saying the answer to police brutality and social injustice in America is NOT taking away money from cops.

"Who are Black people supposed to call, Ghostbusters, when we have crime in our neighborhoods?" Barkley said ... before adding, "We need to stop that defund or abolish the cops crap."

Instead, Barkley says the solution to the issues is police and prison reform.

"I hear these fools on TV talking about defund the police and things like that -- we need police reform and prison reform and things like that," the basketball Hall of Famer said.

"Because you know who ain't going to defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods."

Barkley's take on social injustice issues didn't stop there ... he went on to comment on the Breonna Taylor case -- and said he doesn't believe it's in the same vein as what George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery went through.

"We do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop," Barkley said of Taylor.

"So, like I said, even though I'm really sorry she lost her life, I don't think that we can just say we can put this in the same situation with George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. I just don't believe that."

For his co-hosts' part on the show ... Shaquille O'Neal backed Barkley, saying, "I have to agree with Charles, this one is sort of lumped in."

"When you have a warrant signed by the judge," O'Neal continued, "you are doing your job, and I would imagine that you would fire back."

Breonna Taylor Protests Truck Plows Through Crowd ... Cops Shot and Attacked

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Protests are erupting after the grand jury's decision not to charge the cops who fatally shot Breonna Taylor, and while most were peaceful ... there were also violent and disturbing incidents in several cities.

A pickup truck accelerated and plowed through a group of protesters marching in Buffalo Wednesday night, injuring at least one person who was on a bicycle. Officials reported that person was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the truck driver is reportedly in custody.

Elsewhere in Seattle, 13 people were arrested as protests turned violent ... and one cop was brutally struck with a baseball bat in the back of his head.

The officer was on a bike when he lost balance and fell, and after someone threw a cone at him ... he shot pepper spray to keep the crowd at bay. That's when someone ambushed him from behind and cracked his helmet with a full swing of a metal bat.

Seattle police say the cop was one of multiple officers injured in the chaos, and they're still searching for the bat-wielding suspect.

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Finally, in Louisville, 2 officers were shot and wounded amid the Breonna protests. The Interim Police Chief says a suspect's in custody and both officers are expected to recover ... though one had to undergo surgery.

As we reported ... only one of the cops involved in the raid that led to Breonna Taylor's killing -- fired officer Brett Hankison -- is being charged for the incident. He's facing 3 counts of wanton endangerment for shooting into the apartment next to Taylor’s. No one is charged for shooting and killing Breonna.

Gigi Hadid & Zayn Malik Our Baby Girl's Here!!!

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Gigi Hadid's year just got a helluva lot better .... she's officially a MOM!!!

Gigi gave birth to her and Zayn Malik's first child together ... a baby girl.

Zayn is over the moon. He shared an adorable snap of his hand around his little one's, and said, "The love i feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding." He also assured everyone that their little bundle is 'Healthy & beautiful."

It was just a few weeks ago the supermodel showed off her growing baby bump. She looked pretty damn angelic and glamorous. In one of her pics, she simply captioned it, "Growing an angel :)"

She also posted a series of photos with the date July 26 ... probably the date she shot those pics. In another post, she cradled her belly and said, "Cherishing this time. Appreciate all the love & well wishes. Will never forget creating these special images with my friends @luigiandiango @gabriellak_j @erinparsonsmakeup thank you. I love you!"

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TMZ broke the story ... Gigi was around 20-weeks pregnant when we reported the news back in April. Though, at first, she didn't come out and say it herself ... only dropping hints.

Like during her 25th birthday party celebration ... when Gigi flaunted big 2-5 balloons that also had blue and pink ribbons attached. She also posted pics about dining on spicy vodka sauce, with a twist -- she wrote, "but have no vodka... so without, but still gooood." See? Hints.

It wasn't until an appearance on Jimmy Fallon when Hadid finally fessed up.

Congrats!!!

New Year's Eve Times Square Ball Drop Going Virtual ... Party On???

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It seems 2020 will alter one final tradition before it wraps up, and there will even be a countdown for it -- New York's iconic ball drop for New Year's Eve is going virtual.

Organizers of the annual festivities in Times Square have announced that in order to say good riddance to this year and ring in 2021 ... it will have to be a "virtually enhanced celebration."

According to the Times Square Alliance, there will still be some scaled-back and COVID-cautious live events ... but the goal this year, for obvious reasons, is to pull off festivities like the ball drop safely.

The Alliance says ... "One thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year. On December 31st, the Ball will drop in Times Square."

Sadly, there just won't be anyone physically present to see it.

Alliance President Tim Tompkins is staying positive though, and says 2020 will go out with a bang of "significantly new and enhanced virtual, visual and digital offerings."

Mayor Bill de Blasio is also praising the innovation in order to keep the long tradition going, adding ... "A new year means a fresh start, and we’re excited to celebrate."

You can say that again.

Uncle Ben's Rice Drops Racist Imagery ... Unveils Name!!!

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Uncle Ben of Uncle Ben's rice is no more -- the parent company of the food brand ditched its logo, rooted in racism, and even whittled down the name as well to something much more kosher.

Mars Inc. revealed the changes Wednesday after getting called out for its logo back in June -- like several other brands like Aunt Jemima syrup. So, ya ready for it??? Uncle Ben's is now ... Ben's Original. That's it, nice and simple.

The company also did away with the photo of an older African-American man in a bow tie as their logo -- which some felt conjured up the idea of Black servitude. Now, it's just the lettering that remains -- same font and color scheme, really. Just no image attached.

The global president of Mars Inc., Fiona Dawson, said it was the right thing to do -- even though it might not be the easiest, and knowing they weren't going to please everyone. Big picture ... she says they listened to their customers and associates and felt it was time.

A lot of food brands committed to retiring their dated logos -- including Jemima and even Cream of Wheat, which features another Black man in a chef hat ... same issue as with Ben here.

So far though, it looks like rice is in the lead as far as actually implementing change.

Tom Cruise Cleared for Liftoff to Space Station ... Gets Launch Date!!!

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Most Hollywood types say, "Let's do lunch" ... but for Tom Cruise, it's "Let's do LAUNCH" -- and now he knows when he'll make his virgin voyage to space to film a movie.

Tom's hitching a ride on a SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket and capsule to the International Space Station in October 2021 to start filming in orbit ... according to the 2020-2023 ISS official manifest.

Mr. "Mission Impossible" will be joined by "Edge of Tomorrow" director Doug Liman as the pioneering film project gets underway.

As we reported ... Tom is working hand in hand with SpaceX honcho Elon Musk and NASA to film an action-adventure flick aboard the ISS. The film, which will become the first shot in outer space, is reportedly NOT a "Mission Impossible" flick.

Hopefully, Tom takes some sage advice from retired astronauts Scott Kelly and Roy Bridges Jr. ahead of his big adventure ... remember, the famous astronauts say boning up on toilet science is extremely important!!!

Michael Jordan & Denny Hamlin Starting a New Nascar Team ... Bubba Wallace as Driver!!!

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Air Jordan is about to become Rev Jordan -- because Michael is teaming up with a NASCAR legend to start his own racing team ... with Bubba Wallace behind the wheel.

MJ and Denny Hamlin made the announcement late Monday, saying they were kicking off a new, single car NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021 ... and their first driver is gonna be none other than Bubba himself.

Michael writes, "Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters & me to races, and I've been a NASCAR fan my whole life. The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership w/my friend, Denny Hamlin, & to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me." He goes on to say that the timing seemed perfect to get more Black owners in NASCAR, which has historically struggled with diversity.

MJ adds, "In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing." Denny echoed that, saying him being the 1st Jordan sponsored driver led to the partnership, while explaining why BW was the perfect fit.

As for Bubba -- who left the Richard Petty Motorsports team earlier this year after the noose scandal that befell him -- he says it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn't pass up.

He adds, "Both Michael and Denny are great competitors & are focused on building the best team they possibly can to go out and compete for race wins. I’m grateful and humbled that Michael and Denny believe in me and I’m super pumped to begin this adventure with them."

Now for some specifics -- Denny is said to have purchased the charter from Germain Racing, with MJ serving as the principal owner and Denny as a minority partner as he continues to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bubba has been signed to a multi-year deal.

No word on a number, car manufacturer, team name or sponsor at this point ... but all that will come in time. All we can really say ... WOW!

Judge Amy Coney Barrett Frontrunner to Fill RBG Seat ... Super Conservative, Signs She'll Overturn Roe

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The frontrunner to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court -- if Donald Trump gets his way -- has all the signs of voting to repeal Roe vs. Wade.

The 48-year-old jurist currently sits on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is a committed strict constructionist of the Constitution, meaning she interprets the document as the framers intended. That's code these days for saying abortion is not mentioned as a right in the Constitution, therefore the right does not exist.

Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic and mother of 7, told Senators during her confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals ... her religion would not, pardon the expression, trump the Constitution ... presumably trying to give assurance that she would not overturn Roe based on her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, there's evidence she's opposed to abortion.

She's been against ObamaCare's birth control mandate, calling it a "grave violation of religious freedom."

Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a fiercely conservative, strict constructionist. She was a professor at Notre Dame School of Law for 15 years before her appointment by Trump in 2017 to the 7th Circuit.

She was in the running to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat back in 2018 and many conservatives favored her. Trump ultimately went with Brett Kavanaugh.

If Barrett gets the nod and is approved by the Senate, conservatives were be cemented on the High Court with a 6-3 majority. It could mean the end of ObamaCare and Roe, and that's just for starters.

Some Democrats have already suggested if Trump gets another justice appointed, they will move to stack the courts by increasing the number of justices. Some political strategists have warned ... talk of court-packing could hurt Democrats because it would motivate Trump supporters to get out and vote, even if Trump's nominee gets confirmed before the election.

WNBA's A'ja Wilson Chokes Back Tears After Winning MVP ... So Many Doubted Us!!!

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Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja WIlson let the emotions loose after landing her first WNBA MVP award on Thursday ... saying she was completely shocked to win!!

Wilson has been dominant all season ... averaging 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2 blocks per game ... leading LV to an 18-4 record.

Yeah, beast mode.

A'ja -- the 1st overall pick of the 2018 WNBA Draft -- couldn't believe she won and thankfully, her priceless reaction to the top honor was caught on video.

"I can't thank you all enough, honestly." Wilson said to her teammates while choking back tears. "I wouldn't be this without you guys."

"So many people doubted us, wasn't in conversations and we did it!"

The Aces are the top seed in the West for the playoffs ... and Wilson's not satisfied with just winning an MVP.

"Of course, the job's not done but we put a lot of people on notice and I wouldn't be this, I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for the Aces organization."

Wilson continued ... "If it wasn't for the [WNBA] -- like I'm truly grateful, I'm blessed."

"I'm just so glad to have y'all as my teammates, y'all my road dogs for real."

Congrats on the hardware, A'ja ... time for a bigger trophy case!!

NeNe Leakes I'm Not Coming Back to 'RHOA' ... Andy Cohen Responds

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2:51 PM PT -- Andy Cohen says he's going to miss NeNe on the show, and calls her an "icon of the genre" along with a "gif and catchphrase machine."

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Andy -- aka "Buttercup" to NeNe -- points out that she has been his most frequent guest on 'Watch What Happens Live' and is always a blast ... and he hopes to work with her again soon.

Rumors have circulated for months, but now it's official -- NeNe Leakes will not be returning to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ... she says so herself.

The longtime 'RHOA' star just posted a video stating it clearly -- she's made the call to NOT be a part of season 13. NeNe says she made the difficult decision after an "extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional" contract negotiation.

NeNe stresses things were emotional for both sides during the process, and fights back tears before reflecting on her time with the show ... which started for her back in 2008.

Though Leakes only explicitly says she's out for season 13, her message suggests this is more of a farewell for good.

She says ... "I'm just so happy that I can say that I was part of a genre that opened up a door for Black ensemble reality shows. I want to thank everybody that has looked up to me over the years. I want to thank Bravo for all the memories. Thank you to the cast for all of the memories."

The video NeNe posted on her YouTube page includes her 'RHOA' highlights from over the years.

In August, NeNe went on a tweeting spree amid her contract negotiations and seemed to call out her castmates for not protecting her or standing up for her ... though she didn't name names.

NeNe is one of the reality series' biggest stars, known most for her friendship/falling out/reconciliation with Kim Zolciak-Biermann ... and her rivalry with Kenya Moore.

'RHOA' is currently in production for the upcoming season on Bravo.

A spokesperson for the network tells TMZ ... "We wish Nene all the best in her future endeavors and thank her for sharing her journey for over a decade with the fans of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' She’s been instrumental since the start and will truly be missed, and maybe one day she’ll hold the peach again."

Originally Published 2:18 PM PT