GOP Representative Doug LaMalfa Dead At 65

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Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican who served in Congress for more than a decade, died Monday.

The politician's death was announced by President Donald Trump during a gathering of House Republicans at the Kennedy Center Tuesday. POTUS said he felt "tremendous sorrow" following LaMalfa's death, NBC News reports.

The cause of LaMalfa's death was not released. He was reportedly in good spirits leading up to the holidays.

Stephen Miller Does The U.S. Need Greenland? Hell Yeah, We Do!

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Stephen Miller said Greenland would "obviously" be better off as a part of the United States while speaking with CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday evening.

Although Tapper asked President Donald Trump's Homeland Security advisor if he'd rule out using military action to take Greenland by force, Miller initially sidestepped the question and pointed to how Trump had been "clear for months" about his desire to take control of the island.

Miller said Greenland should be part of the United States' "overall security apparatus" and said the United States likely wouldn't face any military resistance to taking over Greenland.

Miller then questioned Denmark's right to maintain governance and "assert control" over Greenland.

The island became part of the Danish Kingdom in 1953, and it currently operates as an autonomous territory under the Danish Crown.

Trump first floated the idea of taking control of Greenland during his first term in office, and he told The Atlantic the United States "absolutely" needed control over the island earlier this month.

Trump's proposed takeover of the island has been met with opposition from the governments of both Denmark and Greenland, and various European leaders issued a joint statement on Tuesday to assert the territory "belongs to its people."

Donnie McClurkin Named In Former Assistant's Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

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Donnie McClurkin, a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer and pastor, has been sued by a man accusing him of sexually abusing him over a period of several years ... according to a report from NBC News.

Giuseppe Corletto has alleged he first met McClurkin when he joined the pastor's Perfecting Faith Church in Long Island, New York, during his early 20s. Corletto said McClurkin served as a mentor figure while he struggled with his sexuality as a young man.

Corletto claimed he eventually started working as McClurkin's personal assistant and said the singer began groping him during what were described as "pray the gay away" spiritual sessions.

Filmmaker Bela Tarr Dies At 70 After A 'Serious Illness'

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Bela Tarr, a film director whose work was marked by long takes and oftentimes bleak imagery, has died at age 70.

The filmmaker's death was announced Tuesday by fellow filmmaker Bence Fliegauf -- who was speaking on behalf of Tarr's family -- on Hungary’s national news agency MTI, Deadline reports.

The European Film Academy wrote Tarr had died after battling "a long and serious illness."

Tarr was born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1955, and he later moved to Budapest. He began his career in film working at the Balázs Béla Stúdió, and he made his directorial debut at the age of 23 with the release of "Family Nest" in 1977.

He garnered further attention for his work on the 1988 feature "Damnation," and received international acclaim for directing the 1994 epic film "Sátántangó," which runs for nearly seven and a half hours.

Tarr's final feature film, "The Turin Horse," was released in 2011, and he subsequently established a film school in Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Despite the often bleak tone of the director's work, he personally saw comedy in his films, and he told The Guardian viewers could "laugh a lot" while watching his movies.

Tarr was 70.

RIP

Cher I Don't Know What Kristen Bell Sees In Dax Shepard ... But He Is A Good Dad!

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Cher's been through love and loss throughout her life ... but when it comes to Kristen Bell's love life, the singer can't believe she ended up with Dax Shepard -- and thinks she can do better than him!

The topic was mulled over during Monday's episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast, and Dax point-blank asked Cher to give an example of a "dream partner" she'd match up with Kristen -- and noted he wouldn't disagree with whoever she picked.

While Cher stayed tight-lipped about a potential partner for Kristen, with whom she costarred in "Burlesque," she admitted she trusted the actress' judgment before adding Dax had to have "something that I don’t see" ... maybe it's just confidence?

Oh, and when Dax said he didn't think anyone exactly measured up to Kristen's standards, the actress piped up and said he was "almost too good" for her -- hey, it's high praise!

Sen. Mark Kelly My Pay's Being Cut Because I Appeared In A Controversial Video!

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The Pentagon has moved to downgrade Senator Mark Kelly's military rank and pay for his involvement in a highly controversial video released last November.

The politician, along with five other Democrat members of Congress, all of whom were former military and intelligence personnel, appeared in a widely circulated video encouraging service members to refuse to follow illegal orders.

The video resulted in widespread reactions from the Trump administration, and the President reposted a comment which apparently called for the Congress members to be hanged, although he later claimed he wasn't advocating for them to be sentenced to death.

Brigitte Macron Wanna Spread False Claims About Me? Then You'll End Up Being Convicted!

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Ten people have been found guilty of cyberbullying France's first lady, Brigitte Macron, by spreading false claims about her gender.

A Paris court found the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron had been subjected to "particularly degrading" comments by the defendants, some of whom reportedly suggested Brigitte was transgender and a pedophile, reports the Associated Press.

The defendants were accused of sharing online comments to falsely claim Brigitte was born as a male. They also reportedly compared the 24-year age gap between Brigitte and Emmanuel to pedophilia.

Several defendants claimed their comments were intended to be humorous during their two-day trial, which took place last October.

Chelsea Handler Leo's Bromance With Jeff Bezos ... A Titanic Mistake!!!

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The Critics' Choice Awards show's a great time to celebrate some of the most talented people in the biz ... and last night's show was apparently the right place for Chelsea Handler to roast Leonardo DiCaprio.

Here's the deal ... Chelsea, who's hosted the Critics' Choice Awards four consecutive times, blazed through some of the biggest names in Hollywood during her opening monologue before turning her attention to Leonardo, who was up for the Best Actor award, reports the New York Post.

Chelsea pointed out Leonardo almost didn't show up to the show after being "trapped on a boat in St. Barts," which she compared to being on the Titanic, just worse ... because he was hanging out with Jeff Bezos.

Donald Trump I Still Think The U.S. Should Control Greenland!

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Donald Trump reiterated his desire to establish U.S. control over Greenland while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.

The President stated the country needed control over Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, from what he described as a "standpoint of national security," reports Fox News.

Trump also said Denmark was "not going to be able to do it" without specifying what the country's government would be doing.

Trump's comments were addressed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who issued a press release to urge the president to "stop the threats" against its allies in Denmark.

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen released a lengthy statement on Sunday and said Trump had to respect the territory's right to autonomy.

Nielsen also wrote the threats of annexation were inappropriate, especially between "close and loyal friends."

Trump's floated the idea of having the United States take over Greenland numerous times in the past, and claimed the island was "surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships" in a recent interview with The Atlantic.

Tim Walz I'm Dropping Out Of The Governor's Race!

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced he was dropping his bid for re-election and wouldn't seek a third consecutive term on Monday.

The politician, who has been in office as Minnesota's governor since 2019, shared a statement on his social media accounts to explain his reasoning for dropping out of the gubernatorial race, which he joined last September.

Walz stated he wouldn't be able to devote all of his effort to his re-election campaign while fighting for his own political interests, and said he'd prefer to "focus on the work" and let another politician fill the governor's seat.

Walz said he had "zero regret" about the decision and said he was confident another Democrat would be elected in the future.

He denounced what he described as "political gamesmanship" from Donald Trump and other Republicans and said his political allies would continue to fight back against pressure from the other side of the aisle.

Walz also singled out Trump's "demonizing" of Minnesota's sizable Somali population as an instance of divisiveness being present within the state's politics.

He added he'd likely find ways to make political contributions to Minnesota's government after his term as the state's governor ends next January.

Although Walz didn't name a successor in his message, he reportedly spoke with Senator Amy Klobuchar about the prospect of her running for governor over the weekend, according to The Guardian.

Meat Market Robbery Nude Suspect Exposes His Piece Of Meat ... Trail of Underwear, Cash Leads to Arrest

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A Florida man has been accused of committing a robbery ... while wearing almost nothing  but his birthday suit.

Officers from the Lake City Police Department responded to reports about a robbery at a meat market Tuesday evening ... according to the arrest affidavit obtained by TMZ.

Authorities said Kobe Latrey Watkins walked into the meat market in the nude -- save for a covering on his face. He was also holding something wrapped in a cloth, which the store's employees believed was a weapon.

Watkins reportedly broke into the store's cash box and stole $1,000 before he took off. No one in the store was hurt during the incident.

Donald Trump Mess With My Supporters? You Can Go 'Burn In Hell!'

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President Donald Trump told Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein to "rot in hell" in an incendiary message posted on Truth Social Wednesday.

Trump began his message with sympathy for Tina Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison last year after she was convicted of election interference on multiple charges following a security breach of Mesa County election equipment after the 2020 presidential election.

Peters let an unauthorized individual gain access to a secure system to help support false claims about the election being stolen, Newsweek reports.

Trump wrote Peters was "trying to stop the massive voter fraud that goes on in her State" and added it'd be difficult to wish her a happy new year.

He described Polis as a "scumbag" and called Rubinstein "disgusting" and a "RINO" -- abbreviating "Republican In Name Only."

Trump concluded his message by wishing Polis and Rubinstein "only the worst" and called for Peters' release.

Rubinstein told The Hill Trump didn't have facts or law on his side and was simply "pounding the table."

President Trump lost the 2020 election, and lost all 62 court challenges to the results afterward.

Teenage Hiker Among Three Dead After Search On Mount Baldy

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Three hikers have been found dead on Mount Baldy -- a mountain located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles -- after a winter storm covered much of the area with snow.

A search and rescue team responded to a call to locate an injured hiker Monday, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dept.

The hiker apparently fell roughly 500 feet while hiking near the popular Devil's Backbone trail, which summits at more than 10,000 feet above sea level. A friend who was traveling with him was able to make it to an area with cell reception, called authorities and provided GPS coordinates.

An air search was launched, and the hiker was found along with two companions nearby ... but strong winds prevented the helicopter crew from completing the rescue.

An air medic was able to make it to the site Monday evening -- all three were dead. Severe winds delayed the recovery of their bodies, which were eventually retrieved Tuesday afternoon.

The hiker was identified as a 19-year-old from Seal Beach, a city about 60 miles southwest of Mount Baldy.

The mountain has claimed several lives over the years, including actor Julian Sands, who went missing while hiking on Mount Baldy in January 2023. His remains were found five months later.

Mickey Rourke Either Pay Nearly $60K Or Move Out Of My Rental Property!

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Mickey Rourke might have one less place to call home sweet home in the near future ... because he's looking at being evicted from his residence over unpaid rent.

The actor received a 3-day notice to either pay up or get out of a rented property in Los Angeles on December 18 ... but he ended up failing to comply, according to court documents.

And here's the kicker ... Mickey was apparently behind $59,100 in owed rent when the docs were filed. The homeowner's looking to be compensated for attorney fees and damages.

Although Mickey's monthly rent on the 3-bedroom home was initially set at $5,200 ... it later increased to $7,000 during his second month in the place.

The 3-day notice was posted on the property and mailed to Mickey because a "person of suitable age or discretion" wasn't found at the residence.

The house has a bit of history to it, too -- renowned crime novelist Raymond Chandler briefly lived at the property in the mid-1940s, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A crime writer and an Oscar-nominated actor who's facing eviction ... you gotta wonder about what those bits of info are gonna do for the house's property value!

Bonjour! George And Amal Clooney Are Officially French Citizens!

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George and Amal Clooney must really be feeling a real sense of joie de vivre right about now ... because they've been granted French citizenship!

The naturalizations of the Clooneys, as well as their twins Ella and Alexander, were confirmed by the French government.

And just in case you were worried George was giving up his legal status as an American, don't fret -- he'll still maintain his U.S. citizenship.

The thing is, France is familiar territory for the Clooneys ... they've owned a farm in southern France since 2021, and they've spent a significant amount of time in the country since then.

George told Esquire the move ended up being a great thing for his kids ... because he didn't want them to get accustomed to the glitz and glam -- and attention from paparazzi -- in Los Angeles.

Still, he's had a hard time dealing with the language barrier -- he told French broadcaster RTL he is "still bad" at speaking French ... even after hundreds of classes on Duolingo!

The language barrier aside, George and Amal must have it pretty good in France with their rustic lifestyle, great food and wine, and breathtaking surroundings ... hold on a minute, where do we sign up?!

Tom Hiddleston & Zawe Ashton Our Family's Expanding ... We Had Another Baby!

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Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton must really be feeling the baby love right now ... because they just welcomed a second child!

The "Loki" star confirmed the news in a recent interview with GQ and described welcoming a child as the "most beautiful, profound, earth-shattering, life-altering" experience he's ever been through.

Even though he was pretty open about how crazy welcoming a kid is, he didn't reveal his new baby's name or gender ... hey, some things just have to stay private!

FYI ... Tom and Zawe met in 2019 while starring in the same play, and they made their red carpet debut as a couple two years later at the 2021 Tony Awards ceremony. The happy couple's engagement was confirmed the following year, according to People.

Zawe revealed she was planning on starting a family with Tom when she showed off her baby bump in 2022, and she gave birth the same year ... but she kept the kid's arrival private, reports Us Weekly, and neither Zawe nor Tom have shared any info about their first child either.

Zawe confirmed she was pregnant for the second time during an interview with Vogue back in June, and she revealed the baby arrived last month in an Instagram post discussing working through "postpartum recovery."

Congratulations to the family!