Breaking News

Here's a side of Bill Belichick you rarely see ... the 6x SB winning head coach just made a public appeal to the U.S. -- pleading with the government to "take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan," and stop the Armenian genocide.

The 68-year-old coach was meeting with the media on Wednesday ... when he was asked about new Defense Secretary Christopher Miller using Belichick's famous "Do Your Job" quote in a memo to the Defense Department.

Belichick said he was honored by the inclusion ... before making the impassioned plea.

"I’ll just say, while we’re on the subject, I read his point about combating traditional threats. And, I couldn’t help but think and hope that we’ve seen from other countries around the world, and I hope that our country will take action against Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unprovoked and deadly attacks on Armenians," Belichick said.

"We’ve seen that when a humanitarian crisis and things like that, like ethnic cleaning, go unpunished, that they just continue to happen. I hope that we can put a stop to that."

Of course, the situation between the countries is extremely tense ... and despite attempted cease-fires, many people have been injured or killed.

This isn't the first time BB has expressed support for Armenia. Back in 2015, Belichick wore an Armenian flag while meeting with President Obama.

One of the reasons the subject hits close to home for the coach ... one of his closest advisors, Patriots staff member, Berj Najarian, is Armenian.

It turns out the Lakers had their eyes on more than the Larry O'Brien trophy in 2020 ... 'cause 'Bachelorette' star Tayshia Adams says a player on the championship squad slid into her DMs!!

But, before you go there, Adams says it wasn't LeBron James ... even though she WISHES it was.

The reality show star made the big reveal on the "Click Bait with Bachelor Nation" podcast recently ... saying a member of the Purple & Gold hit her up following her rise to fame.

"Well, I’m not going to say the name ... but I’ve talked to a Laker," Adams told Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin.

That's when Lindsay immediately asked if it was Kyle Kuzma, who she says has a reputation for hitting up 'Bachelor' alums.

"Maybe, maybe not," Adams said. "I have talked to Kuz."

Of course, the ladies *had* to ask if it was King James ... and Adams denied any contact with the 4-time champ.

"I wish it was LeBron James," Tayshia said, laughing.

"No, believe me, no one exciting, I wish someone really good. But, no, nobody exciting."

Hey, we're not judging the culprit here. Adams is gorgeous, or as current 'Bachelorette' contestant Chasen would say -- "a smoke show." But, by the way she describes the cyber interaction, the mystery player may need to work on his DM game.

The hosts threw out one more name in hopes of cracking the case -- Anthony Davis -- but no dice.

"No, nobody exciting. The tea is dry. It’s cold. I’m so sorry, I wish."

Playing for the god awful NY Jets took a real toll on Jamal Adams -- who says he battled depression during his sad run with Gang Green.

"Bro, I fought depression in New York," the star safety said on the 'All Things Covered' podcast with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson.

"And I’m man enough to say it. I came home after a tough loss and just sat in my room in the dark -- no phone, no TV. [My dad] hated to see me like that. It killed my pops so much."

Adams spent 3 years with the Jets before forcing the team to trade him to Seattle before the 2020 season. The Jets were 16 and 32 during his time in NY and have only gotten worse.

"[My dad] was calling my agent at the time and saying, 'Hey man, I don’t like seeing my son like this. I need him out of this situation.' It took a toll on my life outside of football."

The Jets are currently 0-9 and have become the laughing stock of the NFL. This year's team could go down as the worst team in NFL history.

Adams described the organization this way -- "They do not want to win."

The good news ... Adams seems to be in a much better place mentally in Seattle, praising the organization on the podcast.

"This is how the NFL is supposed to be. This is the dream I was dreaming."

"You're never going to meet a nice woman -- especially in basketball."

That's LaVar Ball's fatherly advice to his NBA sons -- explaining why they're only going to meet "hoes" while living the jet-setting life as pro basketball players.

"You’re not going to find nobody like I found your mom," LaVar explained on the "Endless Hustle" podcast while talking about the advice he's given his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo.

"If you’re in this profession, you got all this fame and notoriety -- how are you going to meet a good girl? You’re not."

LaVar says the only places NBA players meet women during their busy careers are at restaurants, clubs or in the arenas -- "So, I hate to tell you but you’re going to meet a hoe. Just how it goes, son."

"So son, that’s the bad part of the life you’re going to get -- you're never going to meet a good woman."

LaVar also warned that by the time his kids understand what he's talking about -- it'll almost be too late ... because if they meet a woman who's 30 and single "You gotta wonder why she's by herself at 30."

"So there’s something that’s dangerous no matter how good they look -- but have a good time son. I feel bad for you -- but hey I love the fact you made it!"

When asked how he'd react if his sons brought home a "hoe" -- LaVar said that's already happened more than once.

"I already seen 'em! They already brought a few through here!"

LaVar says his boys will never be able to meet a woman at a typical job or at church because the demands of the NBA are too time-consuming -- plus, the constant travel also makes things tough.

History will be made on Monday night when the NFL’s first all-Black officiating crew takes the field for the Rams vs. Bucs game in Tampa Bay.

The league specifically put the crew together to honor the contributions of Black officials, as the NFL celebrates its 100th year anniversary.

Jerome Boger, who is in his 17th year as a league official, will lead the 7-man crew. He'll be joined by umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, field judge Dale Shaw, side judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed.

"This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of Black officials to the game, their exemplary performance, and to the power of inclusion that is the hallmark of this great game,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations.

It's interesting, the Rams and Bucs will be playing in this historic game since the Rams were the first NFL team to reintegrate in 1946 after a 12-year span where NFL owners had banned black players from the league (read about it here) -- and the Bucs are the first team in NFL history with 3 Black coordinators.

Even the President of the United States can't escape complaining sports parents!!

... just ask Barack Obama who says he quit coaching his daughter's 4th-grade hoops team after too many parents whined that he gave Sasha's squad an unfair advantage!

Obama spells out the whole thing in his new memoir, "A Promised Land" -- saying around 2010, he realized Sasha's team needed some help and volunteered to take over as head coach along with his personal aide, Reggie Love.

FYI, Love played college basketball at Duke!!

"After observing an adorable but chaotic first couple of games, Reggie and I took it upon ourselves to draw up some plays and volunteered to conduct a few informal Sunday afternoon practice sessions with the team,” Obama says in the book.

Obama says ... during the workout sessions, he and Love drew up plays and worked on "dribbling, passing, making sure your shoelaces were tied" -- you know, the basics.

The good news ... Obama ended up coaching Sasha's squad (which included Joe Biden's granddaughter, Maisy) all the way to the championship game, which they won in an 18-to-16 "nail biter!"

"[We] celebrated like it was the NCAA finals," Obama says.

The bad news ... Obama says other parents from opposing teams complained, claiming their kids were at a distinct disadvantage because they didn't have the leader of the free world on their squad!!

At one point, Obama says Love joked about the opposing parents saying, "They must think being coached by you is something they can put on their Harvard application."

Obama eventually says the bitching became too much -- so he stepped away from the coaching gig and returned to running the country full-time.

Elon Musk had a great day on Wall Street to start the week -- helping him leapfrog Mark Zuckerberg on the list for world's richest and landing him in a comfortable third overall.

The Tesla and SpaceX executive saw his overall net worth skyrocket late Monday by a whopping $15 billion after the S&P announced it was bringing his automaker company into the fold among the most prestigious companies on the market.

It'd been a long time coming. Folks anticipated this to happen a few months ago ... but it didn't 'til just now, causing Tesla's stock to jump 14% in after-hours trading. As a result, Elon's personal value -- seeing how he owns a good chunk of stock -- also bumped up.

At the moment, he's on pace to have a net worth of $117.5 billion ... way more than Zuck at $106b, which was edging Elon out not too long ago by about $4b, or so. The two people higher than EM on the list currently -- Bill Gates at $129b and Jeff Bezos $184b.

Some estimates as of Monday morning have Elon's net worth slightly lower because of what Tesla's trading at currently -- around $460 a share -- but either way ... he's in at #3.

It's been quite a ride for the tech wiz these past few days -- not only did he see his fortune balloon to new heights, he also saw one of his own rockets take 4 astronauts into space over the weekend ... a feat that promises to firm up SpaceX's role in future orbital travel.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura says he's received "hateful and threatening messages" after Sunday night's loss to the Patriots ... and he's begging fans to back off.

The Ravens' comeback against New England was derailed after two crucial bad snaps from Skura late in the game ... which the 27-year-old apologized for in a message to Ravens fans on Monday

"I want to take ownership and apologize for my mistakes in last nights game," Skura said. "I always strive and work to be the best I can be in any and all situations. I appreciate those who have sent encouraging messages to me since the game."

But, Skura says some fans have taken things WAY too far -- insinuating some of the trash talk has crossed a line because it involves his family.

"Please know my family is off limits when it comes to hateful and threatening messages," Skura posted on social media ... "They do not deserve to be scrutinized for something they did not do."

He added, "I want to move on from this and grow so that I'm able to be at my best for the rest of the season."

FYI -- the weather was not on Skura's side Sunday night. There was a heavy rain downpour throughout the game ... making the ball a slippery mess.

But, Skura is ready to put the past behind him ... saying, "Now, it's on to the Titans."

COVID-19 is about to get tag-teamed -- a second vaccine is on the way, and Moderna says this one has an even higher success rate than the first.

On the heels of Pfizer's announcement it has a coronavirus vaccine more than 90% effective in preventing COVID infections, Moderna's apparently one-upping it ... claiming to have one that boasts a 94.5% success rate.

The pharmaceutical giant released its early data Monday, which Dr. Anthony Fauci calls "as good as it gets."

Fauci says vaccinations could begin as early as the second half of December for high-risk groups, and be available for the rest of the public starting in late April.

Moderna's vaccine trial included 30,000 study participants -- 15k of which were given the vaccine, and 15k were given a saline placebo.

Among the placebo subjects, 90 of them developed COVID-19 over several months, and 11 of those patients got a severe case.

Among those given the vaccine, only 5 got COVID and none were severely ill. Moderna says its vaccine did not have any serious side effects, but a small percentage of people experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches.

The incredibly high efficacy -- for Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines -- is great news ... the stock market is soaring. However, think about this ... a reported 30 percent of Americans don't trust a vaccine, and won't take it. So, it's plausible some people will pick their social circles based on who does get vaccinated. Just a thought.

Moderna plans on applying for FDA authorization later this month after more it gathers more safety data.

A gas pipeline went up in flames this week along a Mexican highway that killed at least 6 people ... and video of the incident is absolutely horrendous.

It went down Monday in the Mexican city of Jala, right on the edge of a mountain bordering the Tepic-Guadalajara Highway between Chapalilla and Ixtlan del Rio. It's unclear what set off the explosion, but it was big enough to stop a bunch of drivers dead in their tracks.

One video circulating right now shows a couple guys running toward what appears to have been an initial discharge that caused traffic to come to a screeching halt. As they approach, an even bigger explosion goes off ... sending a massive fireball into the air and everyone running for their lives.

Another angle shows the aftermath from a further distance, and it becomes clear pretty quickly just how massive this thing was. There's plumes of black smoke emanating from every which way as the flames rage. It's a terrifying sight, to say the least.

There are different reports on the official body count -- we're seeing estimates from 6 to 14 thus far, plus several other injuries and word of missing people as well. There's also extensive damage to numerous cars that were caught up in the explosion.

Check out this shot of the aftermath -- an entire vehicle is lodged into the side of the charred mountain, and car parts are scattered about everywhere. Pieces of the concrete barrier were blown to smithereens ... demonstrating the ferocity of the impact.

SpaceX and NASA are about to once again send astronauts into space -- laying even more groundwork for what might become a regular thing ... and we'll be streaming the event live, with lift-off slated for 7:27 PM ET.

Elon Musk's shuttle program is embarking on yet another launch Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- where the SpaceX team is firing its famed Dragon capsule into orbit ... only this time, it's carrying a few more helmeted cadets on the mission.

Three American astronauts are signed up for this job -- NASA's Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover -- and so is a Japanese astronaut named Soichi Noguchi. Check out their suits, BTW ... super sleek compared to what they used to rock back in the day.

That's technology, baby!!! Also ... fashion.

The 4-person crew is heading to the International Space Station, where they'll conduct scientific research for NASA. This is the second time this year that SpaceX has sent up humans in partnership with NASA -- in May, they sent up astronauts Doug Hurly and Bob Behnken to the ISS for a couple months ... now, they're upping the manpower. It's the first SpaceX commercial crew trip to the ISS.

This latest mission is a huge milestone -- it marks a huge pivot away from our reliance on Russian space travel -- something the U.S. has been heavily reliant on in recent years.

The fact SpaceX is helping with these types of trips more regularly proves it's a leading company for a lot more travel in the near future -- which could open the door for space tourism. The possibilities are endless, really.

The launch is scheduled for 7:27 PM ET. Houston, we have lift-off ... hopefully.

Donald Trump has just shockingly conceded the election ... or did he?

Trump manically jumped on twitter Sunday AM, grousing, "He [Biden] won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn't even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more."

Trump was reacting to FNC's Jesse Watters, who said, "There’s something that just doesn’t feel right about this. Joe Biden didn’t earn it, he didn’t really even campaign. He thought was going to lose, you could see it. He ran a losing campaign. So 10 days after the election, how’s he ahead?"

Twitter was quick NOT to cut Trump a break, flagging his tweet as "disputed."

Trump later took back/clarified his "concession," saying, "I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!"

Trump's protestations have, so far, amounted to nothing. He and his team have been thrown out of court over a dozen times, because they presented no evidence of voter fraud.

As for why Trump won't concede ... well, the easy answer is that he just can't admit defeat, but the core answer is different. Trump will NEVER concede. He will convince his supporters he was robbed and he will continue beating that drum for 4 years. He will beat the drum on TV, radio and online. He will announce his run for 2024, almost like a leader in exile who makes a play to return to his country.

The Miami Marlins have just made a groundbreaking hire -- with the team welcoming baseball exec Kim Ng as the first female general manager in major pro sports history.

The hire makes Ng the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among all 30 MLB teams.

51-year-old Ng started her front-office career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox in 1991 ... working her way up the ladder and becoming assistant GM to Brian Cashman with the New York Yankees in 1998.

Ng joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001 ... and served as assistant GM until becoming Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for MLB in 2011.

Ng spoke about the new gig in a statement, saying, "I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next general manager."

"We are building for the long-term in South Florida, developing a forward thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, lady great foundation for success."

She continued ... "This challenge is when I don’t take lightly. When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals."

FYI -- Ng's boss is Derek Jeter ... who, of course, was on the Yanks when she worked as assistant GM from 1998 to 2001.

Ng had interviewed to be GM for other teams like the Giants, Dodgers, Angels and more in the past ... and now she's gunning for ultimate success with her first opportunity.

"My goal is now to bring championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve."

Congrats!!!

Lucille Bridges, who made a historic walk with her 6-year-old daughter, Ruby Bridges, in 1960 -- into a segregated New Orleans public school -- has died.

Ruby announced her mother's passing Tuesday night ... calling her a hero and "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Lucille's cause of death is unknown but Ruby paid a touching tribute to her saying, "Today our country lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six year old little girl."

Lucille -- who gave birth to Ruby the same year as the landmark decision of Brown vs. Board of Education to end racial segregation in schools -- is memorialized alongside Ruby in Norman Rockwell's famous painting, "The Problem We All Live With" ... which shows Ruby carrying her school supplies as U.S. Marshals escort her.

When the NCAAP requested Ruby attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School as a first-grader in 1960 ... Ruby's father, Abon Bridges, was reluctant. But, according to the National Women's History Museum, it was Lucille who insisted because she wanted Ruby to have the education she herself missed out on. Lucille walked Ruby to school every day amid hateful and racist rhetoric spewed in their direction.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said, "Lucille's strength was unbounded during this period. Lucille insisted, seeing the action as an opportunity to help all Black children, and walked Ruby, with federal marshals, past chanting and taunting white protesters and to the schoolhouse. Mother and daughter both revealed their character and courage."

Rockwell's painting came back into the spotlight during the run-up of the presidential election ... with an adapted version showing now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris walking with Ruby's shadow cast on a white wall. The painting's been dubbed "That Little Girl Was Me."

Ruby wholeheartedly approved the image saying, "I am Honored to be a part of this path and Grateful to stand alongside you, Together with Our fellow Americans, as we step into this Next Chapter of American History!"

Lucille had 5 children. Her husband died in 1978.

She was 86.

'Memba those murder hornets, and their TWO queens found in a Washington State nest? Turns out that was just the tip of the hive ... because there could be a lot more queens out there.

The WA State Department of Agriculture now says the nest they recently eradicated near had A LOT more queen hornets inside than they originally thought ... closer to 200 rather than just a measly 2. Big difference!!!

You'll recall that after an initial sweep in late October, the team went out there again when they realized they were short a female hornet ... which they believed might still be inside. They chopped down the tree in question and ended up finding two ladies in the nest -- one new and one old, they say -- plus a crap ton of larvae in different stages of development.

Welp, the WSDA now says there were actually up to 500 live specimens in the trunk -- 76 were fully developed virgin queens, 190 larvae, 108 pupae (next after larvae, almost all of which were queens) ... AND 112 worker hornets. That was the haul from this one job.

One WSDA official is quoted as saying the team got there "just in the nick of time" -- and, yeah, you can say that again. But, it leaves a major terrifying question ... how many other queens (or queens in development) might still be buzzing around, and how far did they travel???

The scientists there aren't oblivious to that -- they say they do believe there might be more nests in the area, but aren't sure where just yet. They also say they're going to scour that area for at least 3 more years to make sure the hornets are fully wiped out.

NBC's Ken Dilanian is the latest victim of the dreaded hot mic ... unwittingly unleashing a stream of curse words on live TV, but he's got an explanation and an apology.

Here's the deal ... Ken was supposed to be doing a live hit Tuesday on MSNBC about new developments in President Trump's refusal to concede and acknowledge President-Elect Joe Biden, and he cursed as Craig Melvin introduced him.

"Oh, s***, f***," Ken exclaimed while looking down at his phone. MSNBC quickly cut away after the profanity.

Ken's already saying sorry for his on-air gaffe ... he's apologizing for using profanity and says it was a byproduct of technical difficulties. He mistakenly hung up on the control room -- hence the four-letter words -- but didn't realize his mic was still hot.