News

Tom Brokaw got a very rude awakening on the first day of the 2020s ... but it ultimately saved his life.

The former "NBC Nightly News" anchor and his wife awoke to a blaze in their Upper East Side building Wednesday morning, which was reportedly 2 floors above their 12th-floor apartment.

Brokaw tells The Post he and his wife were "very, very fortunate" to escape the fire, and he heaps praise on the FDNY for putting it out and getting everyone to safety.

He says their dogs woke them up a bit after midnight and when they went to the hallway, firefighters were on their way to fight the blaze ... which was really scary.

Overall, 100 firefighters were called to the scene and were able to get it under control by 2:30 AM. The fire resulted in one minor injury, and a civilian and 5 firefighters were taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries ... according to FDNY.

A gunman opened fire during a church service in Texas this weekend, but was quickly met with bullets coming from across the room ... and the moment was captured on camera.

The shooting took place Sunday at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, TX, near Fort Worth. It was being live streamed from the church's website, and still images of the gunman starting to shoot and everyone ducking were captured and spread online.

In the screenshot, you see the shooter in one corner of the room holding what appears to be a semi-automatic weapon of some sort, while wearing a dark coat with a hood. As they aim at the crowd, a security guard across the way lifts his own weapon and fires.

The live-stream has since been removed, and the church's site is down at the moment.

According to reports, the gunman was actually sitting inside during the service and stood up with his firearm as communion was being distributed. The exact weapon has reportedly been described as an apparent rifle or a shotgun. Motive remains a mystery for now.

At least three people were shot in the gunfire, including the gunman. It's unclear if there are any fatalities at this point, but the situation was swiftly subdued ... and countless lives were undoubtedly saved. No word yet on who the victims might be.

Sunday's shooting has echoes of the 2017 mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX ... where a gunman killed 26 people after storming the First Baptist Church. On his way out, he was fired upon and chased by nearby bystanders, and died shortly thereafter.

LSU's offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger lost his daughter-in-law in a plane crash this weekend just hours before his team was set to take the field for a football game.

Carley McCord -- who was also a New Orleans-based sports reporter -- was among five people killed in Lafayette, LA Saturday morning as the private aircraft slammed into a parking lot and burst into flames in what's said to have been an emergency landing after takeoff.

The plane was heading to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, where Ensminger and the Tigers are facing the Oklahoma Sooners. McCord's husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., confirmed to AP she was one of the people killed. Only one passenger has reportedly survived.

Witnesses on the ground captured footage of the fiery wreck, and it looks like the plane landed in the lot of a Post Office, which was near a Walmart. Per local reports, the plane skidded and hit a nearby vehicle before stopping in a field. The driver of that car has reportedly died, and another bystander was transported to a hospital in critical condition.

Residents in the immediate area also reportedly lost power due to the crash. First responders were quick on the scene, which had been filled with smoke as well as onlookers.

As for McCord, she's reported to have been a staple in the NOLA sports scene -- and was even an in-game host for Saints and Pelicans broadcasts. She'd done freelance sideline work for several different stations, including Cox Sports Television, ESPN3 and WDSU-TV.

Her father-in-law is expected to coach despite the tragedy -- he's on the field at the moment. The team hasn't released a statement as of yet ... kickoff is just a few minutes away.

McCord was 30.

A UK couple joined in a frantic rescue effort that saved a family from drowning.

Duncan Bannatyne -- who was one of the sharks on the UK version of "Shark Tank" -- and his wife, Nigora, were enjoying their vacation at Sandy Lane beach in Barbados Thursday when they came upon what looked like a tragedy ... a mother and her 2 young sons near death after being pulled out of the water by an off-duty lifeguard.

Duncan and Nigora joined in the best they could. The lifeguard is the true hero here. Not sure which one he is, but it appears to be the man in the black bathing suit cradling one of the kids.

The family was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance where they're being treated.

Seamus the pit bull mix has a lot to be thankful for this Christmas ... he got adopted after spending 5 years in a shelter.

The 9-year-old pooch was scooped up at the Fresno Bully Rescue after spending half his life in a cage at the facility.

It's a no-kill rescue shelter that houses 40 dogs. The folks at the shelter have placed a number of other animals in foster homes.

As for Seamus, it's a Godsend. He's had trouble handling the weather of late ... the winter is too cold and the summers are too hot for him. Now he has a home and lots of comfort.

A little about Seamus ... he loves doughnut holes, taking long walks and pilfering toys out of the shelter bin on he way back to his cage.

The Royals have had a tough year no doubt, but at least some of them tried to put on a happy face for Xmas.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte clutched the hand of parents William and Kate as they made their way to church. They joined grandpa Prince Charles as they entered the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Queen's Sandringham estate, about 100 miles from London.

Prince Louis wasn't there ... he's 18 months old and too young for the festivities. Louis hung out with Kate's parents.

Thank God for reinforced glass ... because it saved one little boy from becoming a hungry tiger's lunch.

Check out the insane video ... the boy and his father were visiting The Dublin Zoo and stopped for a quick photo-op with the big cat. You can see the tiger slowly start to creep -- then stop when the boy turns around -- and lunge into a full sprint when the boy looks away again.

The tiger is stopped by the glass before it can get to the boy, desperately pawing for a piece, before finally giving up and searching for its next meal.

A 13-year-old boy's haircut ended in gunfire in Texas after his dad got into it with the barber over a botched job.

The boy stopped in at Magic's Kutts and Fades outside Houston on Saturday for a haircut and left without issue. BUT ... his dad reportedly brought the boy back to the shop later that night and told the barber he messed the kid's cut ... super messed it up.

The barber repaired the 13-year-old's locks free of charge, but the dad and barber got in a fight in the parking lot ... ending when the dad pulled out a gun, shooting the barber 3 times. KHOU reports the barber was shot in the stomach, leg and arm but is expected to survive.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says the father left the scene in a 4-door sedan ... possibly a Honda Accord. He still has not been apprehended or publicly ID'd.

Cops are combing surveillance footage and want to speak to both the 13-year-old and his father in connection to the shooting.

Andrew Yang's done his research, and knows there's no way to completely stop foreign interference in elections, but says there's still a right way to respond ... and President Trump ain't cutting it.

In the wake of a strong showing in the latest Democratic Presidential debate ... Yang joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to tell voters why he'll get tough with Vladimir Putin and any other foreign leader who tries to screw with our elections.

Yang said he views Russia's meddling in the 2016 election as an act of hostility and aggression, one he wouldn't take lightly if he's in the Oval.

He's already thinking about who he'll need by his side to get to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- as in, who's gonna be his running mate. It's clear Yang's working on a short list, and gave us the criteria for his Veep.

Best of all, Andrew gave us his best Rocky impression.

Something happened during Thursday night's debate that had him feeling very Stallone-esque.

Carnival Cruise's insurance rates just went through the roof -- 2 of their massive ships collided, causing a huge panic on several ships ... including one where passengers were losing their minds.

The scary maritime accident went down Friday morning near the Port of Cozumel, Mexico -- the Carnival Glory, on the right, smashed into the pointed bow of the Carnival Legend. The video is pretty insane ... like a low-speed, but VERY high-priced, fender bender at sea.

The cruise line is reporting one minor injury to a Carnival Glory guest that happened while dining rooms were being evacuated.

But, someone might want to check on a passenger on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas -- which was dangerously close to the collision -- the guy aboard panicked they were about to be sunk.

Hugh Hefner's son, Cooper, is forging his own path ... and it's taking him overseas to train with the Air Force.

Cooper, who infamously quit his father's beloved Playboy to start his own media empire, has already joined the Air Force after recently abandoning his plans to launch a digital content platform for millennials ... and this week he left for basic training overseas.

Hef's son says he's stepping back from the Stag and Hefner Media Corporation to move forward with a greater service to our community and country ... this after his March enlistment.

Cooper is one of Hugh's two sons with his second wife, Kimberley Conrad, and the 28-year-old previously took over Playboy back in 2016 when his father's health declined, bringing back nudity to the magazine's spread.

We're guessing Cooper will be a popular figure at basic training, with plenty of stories to share with his new comrades.

Orlando Jones is putting the new showrunner for "American Gods" on full blast ... saying he's responsible for getting the actor fired from the show.

OJ went on the attack Saturday morning in a video he posted to his social media, saying he was fired from the STARZ series a few months ago in September ... a decision he appears to be pinning on TV screenwriter Charles "Chic" Eglee, who got tapped to head up season 3.

Check out the clip ... Orlando -- who played Mr. Nancy for the first two seasons on 'AG' -- says the new showrunner apparently felt his character's "angry, get-s**t-done" attitude was the wrong message to broadcast to black America. Clearly, Orlando thinks that's BS.

He goes on to say, "That's right, this white man sits in that decision-making chair. And I'm sure he has many black BFFs who are his advisers and made it clear to him, that if they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy, he'd start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country."

Orlando goes on to thank the OG showrunners -- Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green -- for letting him become a writer/producer on the show, as well as fans of course.

In a separate post, Orlando also blasts Fremantle Media, the production company behind "American Gods" and several other TV shows, including "America's Got Talent." Speaking of that, OJ tags Nick Cannon, Gabrielle Union, Mel B and other stars ... saying they've all claimed the company is a nightmare and treats its talent like "2nd class citizen(s)."

He seems to agree with that characterization. As far as Eglee, Orlando doesn't name drop him -- but there's only been one new showrunner announced for season 3, and it's him.

We've reached out to the guy for comment ... so far, no word back.

The guy who admitted to slapping a female reporter's backside while running a 5k race has been arrested.

Thomas Callaway of Georgia surrendered to authorities Friday and posed for this mug shot. He was booked for misdemeanor sexual battery and was released on $1,300 bond. If convicted, he faces a max sentence of up to 12 months behind bars and up to a $5,000 fine.

TMZ broke the story ... the WSAV-TV reporter -- 23-year-old Alex Bozarjian -- seemed intent of pursuing a criminal case against Callaway after his alleged "smack and grab" during the River Bridge Run last weekend ... when a shocked Bozarjian seemed to respond to contact.

She filed a police report soon thereafter, and went to blast Callaway on social media by saying she the moment was "violating" and "embarrassing." She later told "CBS This Morning" that he'd taken her power from her, and she was simply trying to take it back.

Callaway went on national TV to try and apologize, saying he had a lapse in judgment and got caught up in the moment. He said he hoped Bozarjian could forgive him. BTW, he's reportedly a teen church youth minister and a Boy Scout leader too.

His attorney said his client did not act with any criminal intentions, adding ... "Tommy is a loving husband and father who is very active in the community. We have been in touch with WSAV and representatives of Ms. Alex Bozarjian, as well as members of Savannah law enforcement."

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John gave a bunch of fans an evening that will trigger jealous rages across the country ... a "Grease" revival!!!

Olivia and John were front and center Friday night at the Meet 'n' Grease Sing-Along at the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida.

They recreated their iconic characters, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson. And, they both look really good and sound really good!!!

So, check out the video ... 71-year-old Olivia sings "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and John sings "Sandy," and then joins the male chorus in "Greased Lightning'."

Olivia, as you know, has struggled in her battle with cancer, and she's always said John has been there for her during tough times.

Harry Styles packed The Forum in Inglewood, CA Friday night ... and the resale prices were INSANE!!!

Harry debuted his new album, "Fine Line" but didn't stop there. He rejiggered the One Direction hit, "What Makes You Beautiful" into a rock version.

And then ... Stevie Nicks walks out onstage and she and Harry did a duet of "Landslide" ... which was awesome. Harry also got in the xmas spirit, singing, "Wonderful Christmastime."  As he sang, confetti fell from the rafters. Hey, it's as close to snow as Los Angeles is gonna get, right?

As for ticket prices ... get this. All seats went on sale originally for $25. The Forum sold out in seconds. And then, the resale. $400 for nose-bleed seats. $1600 for floor seats!!! And people were paying.

Harry seemed extremely grateful for it all, telling the crowd how lucky he felt to unveil his album this way.

Donald and Melania Trump threw a bash at The White House for members of Congress and ... well, let's say it looked liked it snowed in D.C.

The annual Congressional Ball went down Thursday night, although the photos were just released.

45 posed for photos with guests in the Grand Foyer of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Among those who attended ... Democratic Reps. Antonio Delgado (NY.), Susie Lee (Nev.), Elaine Luria (VA.), Jim Costa (CA), Josh Harder (CA) and Gil Cisneros (CA).

As you know the House Judiciary Committee gave its thumb's up Friday to impeachment and sent the 2 articles on to the full House of Reps. All money is on the full House impeaching Trump next week, but it's virtually a foregone conclusion the Senate will not convict him, which means Trump will remain in office.