News

Ben Affleck was finally able to leave his Brentwood home and chill in the neighborhood with his son and a new dog ... after a dramatic start to the new year with wildfire scares -- and subsequent security issues in the area.

It seems Ben upped his personal security in the form of a four-legged pal ... and took the K-9 out for a relaxing stroll with his kiddo -- and men from Trident Elite Protection Dogs -- on Friday.

The outing marks a strong contrast for BA who initially fled his mansion ... then had to deal with one security issue after another just outside his front door in the wake of the massive, deadly Palisades fire.

Bill Maher is furious at folks who are lecturing Angelenos to stop blaming politicians for the devastating fires ... he says that exactly where a big part of the blame lies.

The 'Real Time' host delivered a scathing review of City and State politicians whom he says share the blame. Starting at the top, B.M. scoffs at Governor Gavin Newsom, who said local officials are trying to figure out why there was no water in many of the hydrants, and why 300 hydrants were out of service and not repaired. As Bill puts it, maybe they all should have figured that out before L.A. burned.

And don't get him started on the argument people make ... well, do you want your taxes raised? Maher notes he and others pay the State of Cali 13% of their income, so start re-prioritizing what's being spent.

Looting has been a major problem amid the massive destruction from the recent L.A. wildfires ... but firefighters were able to stop some suspects -- and it was caught on camera!

Firefighters were working a mostly destroyed Altadena neighborhood from the Eaton blaze on Thursday when they came across two people they suspected were up to no good ... and their hunch led to arrests.

In video obtained by Fox 11's Matthew Seerorff ... firefighters confront a female suspect carrying items out of a burned-down house, which included an Emmy and a Sharp Award with the rightful -- unidentified -- owner's name on them.

Donald Trump's looking to keep his supporters safe on Inauguration Day ... moving Monday's events indoors 'cause it's freezing in the nation's capital -- after the country dropped a bag on security procedures for the event.

The president-elect -- who will officially become the 47th POTUS on Monday -- jumped on Truth Social to announce the change ... writing that his job is to protect all Americans, including during his inauguration.

Trump explains the windchill in D.C. combined with the already frigid temperatures could lead to record lows ... and, it wouldn't be safe for people to stand around for hours, waiting for his big moment.

Ben Affleck's block is a hotbed for all kinds of authority figures lately ... 'cause now the military is hanging outside his Westside L.A. home -- days after cops and FBI agents were seen around the house amid wildfires in the area.

The actor was photographed returning home Thursday ... and, parked just outside his house was a sand-colored military Humvee -- outfitted with a turret to mount a large machine gun if necessary.

Check out the pics ... Ben drives past like nothing's out of the ordinary -- even though a man in uniform is standing outside the vehicle in BA's affluent neighborhood.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are doing what they can to give back to those who've put their lives on the line amid the Los Angeles wildfires ... volunteering in person to feed a crowd of first responders.

The pop star dressed down and masked up to hand out sandwiches to firefighters and police officers Thursday, after multiple infernos wreaked havoc throughout the City of Angels ... as the fight continues.

The Disney Channel alum and her fiancé oversaw meal service for the dedicated firefighters and cops, and she also gave a shout-out to the brave men and women.

A lottery win in Florida went from a dream come true to a literal nightmare when an 83-year-old woman was robbed of her winnings ... moments after cashing in the prize.

Check it out ... surveillance footage released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office shows the moment the senior was allegedly confronted by suspect Diego Stalin Tavarez Fleury.

The unidentified woman is approached by the suspect just as she exits a store in Orlando Wednesday morning with her cash prize in hand. It's unclear what he says to the woman to get her attention -- but then he makes a grab for the money.

The Los Angeles wildfires have left thousands of people displaced, businesses charred, and entire neighborhoods obliterated ... and they're not even fully contained yet.

According to the latest updates ... the highest red flag level of high winds and fire conditions, labeled a “Particularly Dangerous Situation,” was declared by the National Weather Service Wednesday.

The Palisades Fire, which has destroyed massive chunks of the famed coastal community, currently stands at 19% containment -- after burning nearly 24,000 acres.

Prince William was cheesin' big time at a royal outing, just a day after his wife, Kate Middleton, revealed to the world she's in cancer remission.

William attended the inaugural Emergency and Critical Care Conference in Birmingham, England on Wednesday ... rocking his new title as Patron of the College of Paramedics -- a role that hits home after everything Kate's been through.

William mingled with College of Paramedics leaders from all corners of the field -- the whole initiative dedicated to making sharp calls in high-pressure situations. William likely drew on his experience as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot and with the East Anglian Air Ambulance crew to connect with the paramedics.

A man was arrested in Azusa -- a city just east of Pasadena where one of the largest fires in L.A. is raging -- Friday ... and, cops claim he may have tried to start another fire.

Azusa PD tells TMZ  ... officers were dispatched to a local park just before midnight in regards to a brush fire -- where they claim a witness told them the man who lit the fire was still at the scene.

Officers located the suspect -- a "transient" named Jose Carranza-Escobar -- who they claim admitted to lighting the fire. Cops then arrested Carranza-Escobar.

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach agree David Muir wearing a clothespin isn't a good look ... but, they say it might not be his fault -- 'cause there are always too many cooks in the kitchen.

The two former ABC News anchors talked about the viral moment on their show "Amy & T.J." in an episode titled "Does This Fire Make Me Look Fat?"

Holmes & Robach take a couple shots at the move ... claiming it will certainly come off as insensitive to many people who have lost homes in the Pacific Palisades wildfire and other Los Angeles-area blazes.

It was a mesmerizing and frightening moment Friday night, when a fire tornado was whipped up ... as massive blazes continued to destroy portions of Los Angeles.

The tornado -- or "firenado" -- was filmed by Fox 11 on the northern flank of the Palisades fire -- as winds whipped the massive flames into the stunning weather phenomenon.

Fox11's Adam Krueger marveled at the moment ... while explaining it occurs when a breeze meets up with an updraft -- causing a vortex, which picks up flames, resulting in the firenado.

Jennifer Garner is like an untold number of L.A. residents who live in the fire zones and feel guilty they were spared when so many of their friends and neighbors were not.

Garner, standing in front of burned-down structures in the Pacific Palisades, told MSNBC alongside chef José Andrés, "I did lose a friend and for our church, it’s really tender ... so I don’t feel like I should talk about her yet. But yeah, I did lose a friend who did not get out in time."

She went on to say she could write out a list of 100 friends who lost everything in the fire, adding, "I feel almost guilty walking through my house. What can I do? How can I help? What can I offer? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the safety that I have?"

Paris Hilton is forking over a nice chunk of change to help people impacted by the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles.

The socialite posted a message Friday to Instagram, guaranteeing she’ll donate $100,000 to support anyone who was displaced when their homes were burned to the ground. She'll also match up to an additional $100,000 from other contributors.

Furthermore, Paris says her heart is with those who not only lost their homes like she did, but also their most cherished possessions and sense of stability.

Paris Hilton's sharing the devastation of the Pacific Palisades Fire, returning to the pile of rubble that was her Malibu home -- and promising L.A. will rise stronger after this tragedy.

The socialite reality star shared a clip of herself walking through the ruins where her house once stood. The walls came crashing down in the blaze, and little pockets of fire are still smoldering -- but there's nothing left to destroy.

Paris wrote a long caption Thursday night to accompany the video, calling the heartbreak indescribable, and adding it feels like her heart shattered into a million pieces.

David Muir's new friend has his back ... no, it ain't the clothespin he's used to bunch up his coat -- it's a fellow TV pro, a weatherman admitting he does the same thing.

Greg Dutra -- an Emmy-winning meteorologist who works for the ABC affiliate in Chicago -- took to IG to defend the face of his network's national news desk after people online roasted the star for using a clothespin to seemingly make his coat fit his hunky frame better.

The veteran weatherman posted a photo to Instagram Friday taken from behind him in the middle of a live shot ... and, his coat is also cinched by a clothespin -- a move he says is pretty standard when reporting the weather.