Explains

Richard Smallwood, a singer whose work in the gospel genre brought him several Grammy nominations throughout his life, has died.

The performer died at a nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland, on Tuesday. His publicist announced the singer died after suffering complications from kidney failure, The Washington Post reports.

Smallwood was born in Atlanta, and he moved to Washington, D.C. when he was just 10 years old. He founded his first gospel group the following year, and he studied under singer Roberta Flack at Browne Junior High.

He later studied music at Howard University, where he obtained a master's degree in musicology and piano. He founded the Richard Smallwood Singers in the late 1970s; they received a Grammy nomination for their work on their 1984 album "Psalms."

Smallwood went on to receive seven more Grammy nominations throughout his life, and his most recent nomination was issued in 2012, when he was up for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song.

The performer's songs were covered by numerous artists, including Destiny's Child, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston, who recorded his anthem "I Love the Lord" for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "The Preacher's Wife."

Smallwood never married or had children. He's survived by two brothers and three foster sisters.

He was 77 years old.

The FBI has released images of numerous motorcycles seized by Mexican authorities in an operation this month -- the bikes are believed to belong to Olympian-turned-alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding.

The FBI's Los Angeles office posted multiple images of the seized motorcycles on X Monday, declaring the bikes have an estimated value of approximately $40 million altogether.

The motorcycles were seized when authorities carried out multiple search warrants. The seizures were the result of a collaboration between the FBI, Mexican authorities, the LAPD and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Wedding is a Canadian citizen and was believed to be living in Mexico.

Last week, Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced it had seized 62 motorcycles, as well as drugs, artwork, and two Olympic medals from several properties in Mexico City and elsewhere in the State of Mexico.

The items were said to have been "related to a former Olympic athlete who is among the 10 most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities."

Wedding represented Canada in the Men's Parallel Giant Slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he finished in 24th place.

He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2009, and he allegedly founded a trafficking enterprise after his release from prison in 2010. Authorities allege Wedding is responsible for shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States and Canada, CBS News reports.

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 -- the commercial flight packed full of passengers that mysteriously went missing over the Indian Ocean in 2014 -- is set to resume Tuesday.

The Malaysian Transport Ministry issued a statement earlier this month to announce the UK and U.S.-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity would be conducting intermittent seabed search operations for a period of 55 days.

Ocean Infinity will be searching a nearly 6,000-square-mile portion of the Indian Ocean's seabed during its new operation. The company also struck a contract with the Malaysian government, which will pay Ocean Infinity $70 million ... but only if it finds wreckage, reports The Guardian.

Ocean Infinity previously conducted a search for wreckage in 2018, although nothing was found over a period of three months.

The missing airplane was only an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China, on March 8, 2014, when it suddenly departed from its intended course and disappeared. Most of its 227 passengers were Chinese citizens, and passengers from various other countries, including the United States, France, and Taiwan, were also on board.

Its astounding disappearance resulted in one of the biggest underwater search operations in history being launched, and over 46,000 square miles of the southern Indian Ocean was covered during the search, which ended in January 2017.

Elon Musk's made plenty of wild comments over the years ... and a teen who was facing deportation from Denmark learned firsthand about the tech mogul's tendency to be inappropriately outspoken on Sunday.

Here's the deal ... Audrey Morris was facing deportation from Denmark, where she's lived since she was 9 years old. The 19-year-old had moved from Los Angeles to Aarhus when she was 9 after her mother began a Ph.D. program, reports The Daily Beast.

Although Audrey was allowed to temporarily live in Denmark as an accompanying family member of her mother, her permit expired last year ... and authorities decided not to extend her residence because she wasn't living with her mother while attending high school in Viborg.

Elon eventually found out about her case, and shared a now-deleted tweet on Sunday reading "8 or above level hotness should get an exemption" ... in other words, calling Audrey too cute to kick out.

Although Audrey said she was "floored" by Elon's comment, which she described as "crazy," she wasn't unfamiliar with the sentiment ... because she'd read plenty of other comments about how her appearance was apparently a fair reason for her to stay in Denmark ever since her immigration problems started.

Audrey said she wished Elon would have focused on her academic achievements as opposed to her appearance -- after all, it's kind of creepy for a 54-year-old man to be publicly commenting on a 19-year-old's hotness -- but she admitted she was fine with the attention to her case.

President Donald Trump threatened to "knock the hell out of" Iran if the country continued developing weapons while speaking at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.

Trump made his remarks about the country's offensive ambitions after meeting with Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, and said he'd learned Iran's government is reportedly trying to "build up again" in an apparent reference to its nuclear program, reports the New York Post.

However, Trump said the Iranian government was interested in making a deal with the United States, which he described as a "much smarter" move.

Trump also referenced a set of strikes carried out on Iranian nuclear sites in June, and said Iran likely wished it had struck a deal with the United States earlier.

The man accused of planting two pipe bombs outside of the headquarters of the Republican and the Democratic National Committees in Washington, D.C. in 2021 reportedly told investigators recently "something just snapped" inside him prior to his alleged actions.

Prosecutors said Brian Cole, who was arrested at his home in Virginia on December 4th, told investigators about how he built, transported, and planted the improvised explosive devices at the RNC and DNC headquarters in Washington, D.C. on January 5th, 2021, reports ABC News.

Cole allegedly told investigators he wasn't interested in politics prior to the 2020 election, after which he began to feel as if most Americans' political views were being ignored by higher-ups in the government.

Prosecutors said Cole came up with the idea of using pipe bombs after researching The Troubles in Northern Ireland, during which pipe bombs were frequently utilized.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly requested up to 50 years’ worth of security guarantees for his country during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday.

While a proposed 20-point peace plan would ensure 15 years of security guarantees, which are mostly focused on stalling Russian aggression towards Ukraine, Zelensky asked for further guarantees from the United States, according to CNBC.

Trump spoke to reporters following the end of his meeting with Zelensky and claimed the sit-down went well, save for "one or two very thorny issues" remaining.

POTUS stated the issues were centered on what he described as "the land" -- portions of Ukrainian soil have been occupied by Russian forces, while others are still being fought over -- and said Ukrainian officials were "better off making a deal now."

10:50 AM PT -- One of the two victims has died, according to local outlet WJZY-TV. Neither victim has been identified. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday.

Two individuals were hospitalized for potential smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a home owned by NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin in Stanley, North Carolina on Sunday night.

Lucia Riverbend Fire Chief David Toomey told The Athletic the fire was reported at 6:19 PM ET. Flames were still visible on the home's roof at 9:30 PM, and emergency personnel apparently started winding down operations about two hours later.

Toomey said roughly 40 to 45 percent of the home was burning when first responders arrived at the scene, and he said personnel from more than 10 fire departments arrived due to the lack of fire hydrants near the home in a heavily wooded area.

He also said several "really expensive cars," as well as various pieces of racing memorabilia, were located in the home's garage and were saved by first responders.

The FBI purchased several armored BMW X5s at director Kash Patel's request this year, sources told MS Now ... an expensive break from the traditional fleet of armored vehicles used by U.S. officials.

A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed the news about the lawman's new vehicles and stated the bureau had been planning to acquire newer cars. The spokesperson also said the purchase would save taxpayers millions of dollars without providing documents regarding the cost of the cars.

Patel is the first FBI director to utilize armored BMWs, law enforcement personnel told MS Now. The government reportedly had a contract with General Motors to provide Chevrolet Suburbans for officials' use.

Patel reportedly requested the cars to make his travel less noticeable to the public. FBI directors have historically been transported in Suburbans -- and have been protected by security details.

An individual said to be close to Patel said buying a new armored Suburban would have cost the government $480,000 ... which is more than twice the cost of the BMW.

Patel also reportedly requested the FBI purchase a new jet for his use earlier this year, although the proposal ended up being dropped.

James Cameron's developed a reputation for being one of the most intense guys in show biz ... but Amy Poehler apparently got under his skin when she joked about his past marriage to Kathryn Bigelow during the 70th Golden Globes Awards ceremony in 2013, based on his comments in a recent interview.

Here's what went down ... Poehler served as one of the annual awards show's hosts, when Bigelow was up for the award for Best Director for "Zero Dark Thirty." The film's cast and crew were also up for several other awards.

Poehler took a shot at Bigelow's former marriage while talking about the torture scenes in the flick ... she said the filmmaker knew all about torture's finer points, as she "spent three years married to James Cameron."

FYI ... Bigelow was Cameron's third wife, and their marriage lasted from 1989 until 1991. They remained on friendly terms following their divorce, and the "Avatar" director eventually ended up with Linda Hamilton -- who he married and divorced -- before he tied the knot with Suzy Amis in 2000.

Cameron described the dig as "ignorant" in a December 14 The New York Times interview, and said while he was cool with being the butt of a joke every now and then, Poehler's quip about his marriage "went too far."

Cameron touched on the 2010 Oscars race, when he was pitted against Bigelow for the award for Best Director -- which she ultimately won for "The Hurt Locker" -- saying the headlines focusing on their competition could have detracted from her "credibility as a filmmaker."

Five people are dead and one person was missing after a plane crashed into Galveston Bay off the coast of Texas Monday afternoon. Two people survived.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed it received a report of a plane crash west of the Galveston Causeway about 3:30 PM Monday, according to KTRK-TV. The Coast Guard launched a boat and a helicopter to look for the survivor, assisted by several local agencies.

Mexican officials stated the plane belonged to the Mexican Navy and was on a mission with the Michou y Mau Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing transport for pediatric burn patients from Mexico to Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, located just over 50 miles from Houston. At least one child was on board ... no further information was immediately available.

The plane, which was carrying four navy officers and four passengers, was reportedly operating in heavy fog and "experienced an accident" prior to the crash.

While five people were confirmed dead and one was left unaccounted for, two people were recovered alive. Their conditions were not immediately disclosed.

One survivor was pulled from the water by a Good Samaritan who'd been boating on Galveston Bay.

Former Republican senator Ben Sasse publicly revealed he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last week in a lengthy message posted on X Tuesday morning.

Sasse didn't mince words while talking about the diagnosis ... describing it as a "death sentence," and adding he is "gonna die." The cancer has metastasized, already spreading to other parts of his body.

Sasse acknowledged he has "less time than I’d prefer" and admitted he is concerned about the future well-being of his family.

He added he wouldn't be "going down without a fight" and pointed to the advances in research into cancer treatment over the past few years as a sign of hope in his situation.

Sasse said his family has embraced "gallows humor" about the whole situation and wrote he'd have more to say about his health in the future.

Sasse's note was met with support from many of his former colleagues, as well as Vice President J.D. Vance, who replied he's "very sorry" to hear about the former senator's diagnosis.

The "60 Minutes" segment reporting on El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison -- that was abruptly abruptly pulled from the program hours before it was set to air in the United States Sunday night -- was aired in full in Canada, and later became available on a Canadian streaming service.

The segment, titled "Inside CECOT," investigates the brutal treatment of Venezuelans who were deported from the U.S. and sent to CECOT.

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss yanked the segment and promotional materials were scrubbed online. She said in a statement to CBS employees Sunday the segment wasn't ready for air -- even though it had been vetted and legally reviewed and was cleared by the network on Friday night -- and said the show's producers needed to get on-the-record statements from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, and if possible, televised interviews.

The segment was included with the rest of the episode in its original version released on Global TV's streaming service, and it was available as of Monday evening, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The original program had shipped Friday night to international media partners ... before it was pulled on Sunday from American air.

Viewers have reportedly been taking videos of the segment and posting them on platforms like YouTube and X in the hours since it was made available on streaming. CBS took steps to have the program removed from YouTube and elsewhere, but the content has spread wide.

Longtime character actress Helen Siff, who filled small roles in dozens of films and shows throughout her multi-decade career, has died.

The performer's Thursday, Dec. 18 death was announced by her family, who told The Hollywood Reporter she'd died from complications from a surgery for a "long, painful illness."

Siff was born in Woodmere, New York, in 1937, and she began acting professionally nearly 40 years later, when she appeared in a commercial for Subaru in 1976.

She went on to play small roles in numerous films throughout the 1980s, including "The Karate Kid" and "Big Top Pee-Wee."

Siff continued well into the 2000s, filling parts in movies like "Hail, Caesar!" and "You Don't Mess With The Zohan."

Siff also appeared in scores of television shows, including "Will & Grace," "Modern Family," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," as well as various stage productions.

Her family said she had the ability to make "even the smallest part memorable." She's survived by two sisters, five of her children, and seven grandchildren.

Siff was 88.

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss is defending her decision to kill a "60 Minutes" segment hours before its scheduled air time Sunday night ... the report focused on the treatment of Venezuelan deportees from the United States to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison.

The long-running news program was set to run the segment Sunday night, but pulled it hours before airing, and promos online were scrubbed. On an editorial call on Monday, Weiss said the segment "was not ready" to air, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Weiss added the show's producers needed to get on-the-record statements from the the White House, the Dept. of Homeland Security and the State Dept. for it to be ready to go on air. She said ... “While the story presented powerful testimony of torture at CECOT, it did not advance the ball."

"60 Minutes" Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reported the completed segment, and she blasted Weiss' decision in an internal company email Sunday. Alfonsi noted the segment had undergone fact-checking and legal review, was determined to be factually accurate ... and she described Weiss' choice as "political."

She wrote in her memo the show's producers had requested comment from the Trump administration, which didn't respond to inquiries. Alfonsi said their refusal to comment had resulted in a de-facto “veto” of the story.

Chris Rea, who maintained a multi-decade career as a singer and songwriter, has died.

A spokesperson for the performer's family told BBC News he died Monday in a hospital after a "short illness." His family -- including his wife Joan and daughters Josephine and Julia -- was at his side when he died.

Rea was born in Middlesbrough, England, in 1951, one of seven children raised by an Irish mother and an Italian father who owned an ice cream factory and cafes.

He began his musical career at an early age, and he joined several bands before his first single, "So Much Love," debuted in 1974. He released his debut album, "Whatever Happened To Benny Santini?", four years later.

Rea's first major hit, "Fool (If You Think It’s Over)," was released the same year, and it ended up reaching the number 12 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rea received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist the following year.

Rea released several albums throughout the 1980s, and his most enduring hit, "Driving Home for Christmas," debuted in 1986.

The musician was also a noted fan of motorsports and took part in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship, reports The Guardian.

Rea was 74 years old.