NHL's Oskar Lindblom Diagnosed with Rare Cancer ... Out for Season

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and will miss the rest of the season to focus on treatment, the team announced.

23-year-old Lindblom is a rising star in the NHL -- he already has 18 points in 30 games this season ... impressive for someone so young.

But, Friday the team announced Lindblom has been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma -- which is described by St. Jude's as "a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones (soft tissue)."

Only about 200 children and young adults are diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma each year in the United States.

The good news ... the cancer is treatable and people diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma have a good chance of beating it, according to WebMD.

The Flyers say Lindblom "will undergo further testing and evaluation next week and begin treatment immediately thereafter."

"He is not expected to return to play for the remainder of the season."

The team added, "The Flyers will do everything possible to support Oskar and assist him in securing the best care available."

"Out of respect for Oskar and his family the team will have no further comment at this time and asks that Oskar be afforded a period of privacy so that he may focus his efforts on his treatment and a return to full health."

Rupert Murdoch's Son Buys 'Beverly Hillbillies' Mansion ... Sets New Record!!!

Come and listen to a story about a man named Lachlan ... a not-so-poor media mogul who bought a house for $150 MILLION!!!

That's right ... the L.A. estate known as Chartwell -- best known for being featured on "The Beverly Hillbillies" -- is off the market, and the mansion's new owner is Rupert Murdoch's son, 48-year-old Lachlan.

The real estate transaction is not only the most expensive in L.A. history but in the history of the entire state of California. And, get this ... it sold for $200 million LESS than the initial asking price.

Chartwell was listed off-market about 2 years ago at an astronomical $350 million but dropped to a slightly more affordable $245 mil when it entered the multiple listing service. The price dipped again to $195 mil this summer, before reportedly being sold to Lachlan for the cool $150 mil.

It's now the second priciest home sale in the U.S. ... trailing only the $238 million NYC penthouse purchased by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin in January.

The exterior was used for the credits of the legendary '60s show ... and it's become a tourist destination ever since, where people peer through the gates to get a look. The estate boasts a 25,000-square-foot main house, a tennis court, a guest house, and of course -- a cement pond ... and another house to go with that.

There are also acres of gardens with tall hedges and trees for privacy.

BTW -- Chartwell is actually located in Bel-Air, not Beverly Hills, and was last owned by late billionaire A. Jerrold Perenchio, the chairman of Univision. The new owner is cochairman of his family's company, News Corp.

Jersey City Major Gun Battle Leaves 6 Dead ... Includes Cop, 2 Shooting Suspects

UPDATE

2:34 PM PT -- The number of fatalities has risen to 6. The dead include a police officer, 3 people who were inside the market and the 2 suspected shooters.

UPDATE

12:41 PM PT -- At least one police officer involved in Tuesday's shootout was fatally wounded, according to authorities.

UPDATE

More than one officer was shot as well. Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed as much in a tweet, writing ... "I have been briefed on the unfolding situation in Jersey City. Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the Jersey City Police Department, especially with the officers shot during this standoff, and with the residents and schoolchildren currently under lockdown."

UPDATE

It appears the shooting is still being treated as active, no suspects have been taken into custody. Every school in the area has reportedly been placed on mandatory lockdown as well.

There's a massive battlezone unfolding in Jersey City, in which two reported shooters are holed up and firing out at police officers ... one of whom has reportedly been hit and wounded.

Reports of a shooting trickled out Tuesday morning, with initial reports indicating 2 different gunmen were barricaded in a bodega and firing out on the street with what's been described as a "long rife." Shots ringing out were captured on video, showing just how crazy the situation really is.

Several different agencies are reportedly responding and are on the move -- including ATF, local law enforcement and other authorities with guns drawn.

According to the NYT, at least one officer has been hit in the gunfire and is being transported to the hospital. One report says the officer was hit in the head. It's unclear how the shooting started, which still sounds very active.

A large crowd of people has gathered in the blocks surrounding the incident, many with their phones out and screaming as the whole thing unfolds.

Understandable ... this is pretty damn scary.

Originally Published -- 11:26 AM PT

'Richard Jewell' Star Eastwood's a Real Sweetheart ... All Good, No Bad or Ugly!!!

WORKIN' WITH AN ICON
TMZ.com

Clint Eastwood is apparently a dear to work with ... so says the director's latest leading man, Paul Walter Hauser.

We got the actor Saturday in NYC, and he dished on what it was like working with Clint on his new movie "Richard Jewell" -- which documents the scandal surrounding the real-life security guard who found a bomb ... and then got accused of being the drop man.

PWH says he had a great time on set with with Clint, telling us the dude's a straight up sweetheart -- an ego-less one that. Plus, he's a freakin' icon ... that's a given.

We also ask Paul if it was intimidating to work with someone of that caliber, and surprisingly ... he says it wasn't, even if it should've been. That's interesting, considering what more seasoned actors have said about CE, which is pretty much the exact opposite.

Tom Hanks famously said in 2016 that Clint "treats his actors like horses" in the sense that he wrangles everyone up as needed, and was seemingly a bit of a hard ass on set.

Tom also said that, yes, Clint was intimidating as hell. Different strokes, we suppose!

Saweetie & Quavo Private Jet Trouble, But At Least We Didn't Have Scorpions!!!

COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
TMZ.com

Saweetie is all about silver linings after she and Quavo were grounded by some serious issues with their private jet, and she got a painful reminder ... someone's always got it worse.

The rapper was leaving Nice Guy Friday night when we asked her about the fuel leak from her private jet that had the fire department rushing to the tarmac Thursday night -- and also prevented her from getting to a scheduled Bay Area gig.

NOT SO SWEET

Saweetie told us she was disappointed, especially for fans expecting to see her and Trey Songz perform -- but she was happy she and her Migos BF avoided tragedy.

Our photog helped cheer her up, though. Watch the clip, 'cause you gotta see the look on Saweetie's face when he told her about ... SCORPIONS ON A PLANE!!!

TMZ broke the story ... a United passenger claims a scorpion somehow got into her pants during a flight from San Fran to ATL and stung her multiple times.

Saweetie was horrified, but in the end she was a little amused, too. Apparently Samuel L. Jackson references are her type ... of humor.

Peloton's 'Sexist' Ad 'Husband' Speaks Out ... I'm Afraid of Repercussions

The actor who played the husband in what some see as a "sexist" Peloton ad is afraid the backlash he's getting from keyboard warriors will have a negative impact on his career.

Sean Hunter is the man in the infamous holiday ad who gifts his wife a Peloton bike. When he's not acting he's an elementary school teacher ... and he's defending himself, and the controversial ad, in Psychology Today .. of all places.

Sean says initial reviews of his Peloton gig were mostly positive, but everything changed when the ad went viral. Now, his take is, "My 5 seconds of air time created an array of malicious feedback that is all associated with my face."

SURPRISE!!!
PELOTON

He adds, "My friend texted me today declaring that I’m ‘a symbol of the patriarchy' ... As my face continues to be screen shot online, I wonder what repercussions will come back to me."

Sean says he's "grappling with the negative opinions as none of them have been constructively helpful."

If it makes him feel better ... at least some of the memes about the ad have clearly been in jest -- and even comedian Sherri Shepherd had a laugh over it.

BIKE THIS!
TMZ.com

Anyways, the criticism is clearly doing a number on Sean, and he posed a laundry list of questions. "As I continue to reflect on the commercial, I consider these thoughts: Why are people creating so many additional narratives to the story? Am I allowed to view the commercial positively after receiving such negative feedback? If recognized on the street, what will people’s first opinions be of me?"

He also wonders if his "wife" in the ad is going through the same thing he is. For what it's worth, she's chosen to remain silent since all the buzz over the ad.

Guess Sean ain't buying Peloton's company line that folks actually like the ad.

George Zimmerman Suing Trayvon Martin's Family ... For $100 Million

George Zimmerman is going after Trayvon Martin's family, claiming they defamed him and created a conspiracy in an attempt to convict him of murder.

Zimmerman's suing Trayvon's parents, along with prosecutors and a book publisher, for $100 million in damages. In the suit, he alleges false evidence was used against him during his trial and cites a documentary that accuses the Martin family of engineering a phony testimony.

As you'll recall, Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida on Feb. 26, 2012, and was returning from a store with candy when he was killed by Zimmerman, who had reported him to cops as suspicious.

According to the docs, Zimmerman claims the Martin family and prosecutors lied about the true identity of the woman Trayvon was talking to on the phone at the time of the shooting, In his suit, Zimmerman alleges they presented Rachel Jeantel as the witness during the trial, but he claims it was actually Brittany Diamond Eugene on the phone.

Of course, Zimmerman was eventually found not guilty in 2013 of second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's fatal shooting. Still, he's suing for defamation and conspiracy. He's also suing the state of Florida for malicious prosecution.

The shooting of Trayvon remains a lightning rod, as Zimmerman has maintained he was attacked by Martin and was defending himself ... but police, prosecutors and much of the general public viewed it as an unjustified killing of a kid in a hoodie.

Zimmerman's named Harper Collins and author, Ben Crump, as defendants due to their recent release of "Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People."

SFA Hero Nate Bain Thanks Fans for $150k GoFundMe ... We're Changing Lives!

LOVIN' THE SUPPORT
TMZSports.com

Nate Bain says his family is absolutely STUNNED at the $150,000 in donations he's received since Stephen F. Austin State upset Duke ... and he's telling us how the money will be spent.

Of course, Bain's story went viral after the Duke game -- his family home and church in the Bahamas were destroyed in Hurricane Dorian -- and people raced to his GoFundMe to help them rebuild.

The good news ... Bain tells TMZ Sports his family home is covered by insurance, so the GoFundMe cash (currently around $150k) will be used to help the scores of people who need help the most.

"That money is to help other families within the church and on the school," Bain says ... "It's going to help a whole lot of families."

In fact, Bain had this special thank you message to everyone who contributed ...

"To those people who are watching right now or you’ll see this later, just thank you so much! You have no idea how [many] folks you’re helping. How [many] families and lives you’re gonna change ... because there’s still folks back home without constant water, without shoes, without clothes that this money is going to go towards."

"You’re making an impact inside a little kid’s life, you’re changing somebody’s life for the better. Shows there’s still great people inside this world, still humane people that are still thinking about others so I just wanna say THANK YOU! My whole country thanks those who are still contributing!"

As for the basketball team, Bain says they've become rock stars on campus since the upset -- but they're not looking to slow down any time soon!

"The whole campus has been loving on us! But, the season isn't over!"

SFA is 6-1 and taking on Arlington Baptist University on Monday night -- and after beating Duke, they're expected to win big!

Good luck!

Rosa Parks Statue Unveiled in Montgomery, AL ... On 64th Bus Anniversary

Rosa Parks was memorialized in the city where she was once arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person ... and where a statue of her now stands tall.

The bronze life-size figure was unveiled Sunday in Montgomery, Alabama with the help of Mayor Steven Reed -- who recently became Montgomery's first black mayor -- as well as Alabama's governor, Kay Ivey. There were other important people there too, though.

Mary Louise Smith was on hand for the unveiling as well -- she's one of the original plaintiffs in the Browder vs. Gayle case that ultimately desegregated buses in Montgomery a year after Parks was arrested. The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision after the city of Montgomery and the state of Alabama appealed the original ruling, declaring segregated buses were unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

On Dec. 1, 1955 ... Rosa Parks refused to follow a city bus driver's order to surrender her seat -- which was already in the "colored section" -- to a white passenger because the front part of the bus was already full. She stood her ground and got taken to jail for it.

Her refusal and the subsequent arrest sparked the Montgomery bus boycotts, which lasted for a whopping 381 days ... and severely hurt the transit companies' bottom line. The city eventually changed its segregation bus law once SCOTUS weighed in the following year.

Rosa died of natural causes in 2005 at the age of 92. She remains a central figure in the civil rights movement of this country.

J Balvin Addresses Protests in Native Colombia ... 'Listen to the Youth'

Colombian superstar J Balvin properly addressed the political unrest plaguing his native country ... taking the opportunity to do it in his own hometown to a packed house.

The reggaeton singer was performing Saturday night in Medellin, where he hosted tens of thousands of Colombians in the city's Atanasio Girardot Stadium -- which looked quite full.

He's on an international tour right now, and it's clear he wasn't about to pass up the chance to speak on the nationwide protests that have broken out down there over the last week or so ... which has left at least one student dead and several others injured.

The anti-government protests are in response to President Ivan Duque's policies, which many feel are stymieing economic opportunity, access to higher education and better healthcare. Violence is also a major issue. It's a dense topic, but people have taken to the streets.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Enter J Balvin, who's caught a bit of criticism for throwing up sympathetic social media posts on the situation ... but not actually using his voice and clarifying his opinion.

Welp, he didn't shy away from it this weekend -- making it crystal clear where he stands. J Balvin sides with the frustrated citizens (especially the youth) and made a plea to the government ... which got a resounding cheer from the crowd. It's pretty powerful.

Speaking in Spanish, he asked President Duque's administration to listen to people, because if they're demonstrating like they have been ... there's obviously something wrong that needs fixing. He went on to request peace, love and understanding from both sides as well.

But, at the end of the day, he made no bones about it ... J Balvin says he speaks for the people now and has an obligation to use his platform to express their demands.

President Trump ISIS-Killing Dog's Medal ... Special Ops Just Made It Up!!!

President Trump couldn't give Conan, the ISIS-killing dog, a real Medal of Honor ... so U.S. Special Forces just cooked up a new award so DT could present it to the four-legged hero.

We've learned U.S. Special Operations fashioned a one-of-a-kind medal for Conan -- the Belgian Malinois canine credited with helping off ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi earlier this month in a U.S.-led raid -- which 45 gave the pooch during Monday's visit to the White House.

A U.S. Special Ops spokesperson tells TMZ ... the award has no specific name, and it was created specifically to recognize the dog for his contribution to the al-Baghdadi operation. We're told Special Ops created the award specifically for Trump to present to Conan.

HONORING A GOOD GIRL
Fox News

As you know ... Conan wasn't eligible for the actual Medal of Honor, because those only get dished out to humans.

We're told the White House and the Department of Defense had nothing to do with Conan's unnamed award ... it was purely a Special Ops creation.

Jane Fonda's 'Fire Drill Fridays' Paul Scheer Arrested ... 'Young Sheldon' Star Speaks

CUFFED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
TMZ.com/@FireDrillFriday

Just because it's Black Friday, doesn't mean Jane Fonda and her growing army of climate change activists are taking the week off ... and another celeb got arrested for the cause.

Comedian Paul Scheer was taken away in handcuffs from the demonstration outside the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. He's the latest member of the club to be arrested in the Fonda-led "Fire Drill Fridays" protest for climate change.

As we reported ... Diane Lane, Piper Perabo, and Amber Valletta were added to that list last week. We're told Scheer was one of 37 people to be arrested Friday.

JOINING THE FIGHT
TMZ.com

Also joining the force this week -- the 11-year-old star of "Young Sheldon," Iain Armitage. Iain spoke at the event about climate change's threat to farmers and the world's food supply ... as did Scheer.

Fortunately for the kid, he wasn't arrested like Paul. Like he says ... he's a little too young for a criminal record.

For the fourth straight week, Jane also avoided being cuffed by D.C. cops. As we've told you ... she's already been arrested 4 times, and the folks behind her movement are making sure she avoids her 5th arrest because it could result in serious consequences.

Other Hollywood stars to be arrested during past 'FDF's include Sam Waterston, Ted Danson, Rosanna Arquette and Catherine Keener ... and it seems like the list is only going to get longer.

'Free Solo' Star Alex Honnold Rescues Climber Emily Harrington ... After Scary Fall

Freeclimbing legend Alex Honnold -- the star of "Free Solo" -- is being hailed as a real-life hero after rescuing a fellow climber Sunday who fell off a famous rock formation in Yosemite.

Honnold was at El Capitan -- the epic 3,200-foot formation he impressively climbed WITHOUT ROPES in his documentary -- when something went terribly wrong.

33-year-old Emily Harrington -- a 5-time sport climbing champ -- lost her grip and fell from the formation while attached to her climbing rope ... suffering injuries in the process.

"I took a bad fall and pinballed a bit then somehow hit the rope w my neck," Harrington explained.

That's when Honnold and his pals sprung into action ... getting to Harrington quickly and stabilizing her while emergency personnel arrived.

90 minutes later, Harrington was transported to a nearby hospital where she was treated and is now recovering.

Harrington's boyfriend, Adrian Ballinger, has since thanked Honnold for "calmly maintaining spinal immobilization on the wall, getting things ready for an evac, and telling stories and keeping her talking throughout.”

Ballinger says Harrington is in good spirits, praising her "warrior mentality" and expects her to resume her climbing career ASAP.

Get well soon!!

Aniah Blanchard Cops Find Human Remains ... 'We Believe It's Aniah'

UPDATE

1:13 PM PT -- Officials have now arrested a THIRD person in connection with Aniah's disappearance.

UPDATE

David Johnson Jr. was taken into custody in Montgomery, AL and has been charged with hindering prosecution, according to prosecutors.

Heart-breaking news in the search for Aniah Blanchard ... cops believe they found the 19-year-old's body in a wooded area in Alabama.

Cops have been searching for Aniah ever since she was abducted from a Chevron station on Oct. 23. Blanchard is the step-daughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

Days after her disappearance, officials had found Aniah's car, which was covered in blood ... and believed she had suffered a fatal injury during the kidnapping.

Cops hunted down Ibraheem Yazeed -- the prime suspect -- who was seen at the gas station with Blanchard in the moments before her abduction. He was arrested in Florida after leading cops on a pursuit and suffered a busted eye during the apprehension. He's since been charged with 1st-degree kidnapping.

Now, terrible news ... cops say they found human remains in Macon County, Alabama and they believe it's Aniah.

"I can confirm that human remains have been found in Macon County on County Road 2 and we have good reason to believe they are that of Aniah Blanchard," Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes said.

Officials say the remains were found in the area between the Chevron Station in Auburn where she went missing and the spot where her car was discovered in Montgomery.

A second suspect in Aniah's disappearance was arrested on Friday -- Antwain "Squirmy" Shamar Fisher -- who's also been charged with 1st-degree kidnapping.

Story developing ...

Originally Published -- 11:52 AM PT

President Trump Honors ISIS-Killing Dog at White House Warns the Press, She Bites!!!

HONORING A GOOD GIRL
Fox News

President Trump might not be giving Conan, the ISIS-killing dog, the Medal of Honor, but he did settle for a pat on the head in front of cameras at the White House.

DT brought out Conan -- the Belgian Malinois canine who's credited with helping take out ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a few weeks ago in a U.S.-led raid -- and introduced her to the press in the Rose Garden ... going on to say he'd given the pooch a medal and plaque.

Of course, she wasn't eligible for the actual Medal of Honor -- those don't get dished out to nonhumans -- but it sounds like 45 wanted to honor Conan properly nonetheless.

He went on to explain Conan has recovered nicely after being injured in the raid, and apparently ... she's already gone on to do other missions for us. Trump also said that she's at peak age, and nowhere near retirement. These dogs go strong for around 6 years.

VP Mike Pence had the honor of petting the pooch through much of the announcement, and Conan certainly appeared to like it. She was calm and collected the entire time.

One last thing ... Trump jokingly warned at least one member of the press that they were lucky Conan was in a good mood that day, suggesting he could sic her on anyone ... as these dogs are obviously trained to attack. He wasn't serious, but still ... ease up, DT.

Dutch Christmas Parades Draw Protests Over Blackface ... Netherlands Cities Divided

The Netherlands appears to be reaching a crossroads on a longstanding, controversial Christmas tradition of dressing in blackface -- with some cities halting the practice, while others keep it going amid growing protests.

Of course, we're talking about the Sinterklaas parades that take place throughout the European country each year ... which has been going strong for at least a century. If you're unfamiliar, people take to the streets dressed as Zwarte Piet -- AKA, Black Pete.

He's supposed to be a helper for their version of Santa Claus, and he's always depicted in blackface -- with white folks all over the Netherlands donning the dark makeup.

Over the past few years though, more and more protesters have been taking to the streets decrying the tradition ... calling it insensitive, outdated and racist. The parades got started nearly a week ago, and most of them have been met with demonstrators ... as seen above.

As far as we can tell, only one major city thus far has yanked its plans to put on an official Sinterklaas parade -- that would be in the city of Utrecht -- but most haven't pulled the plug yet. Cops have been on standby to make sure things stay peaceful.

Interestingly enough, Amsterdam usually hosts a Black Pete pageant to judge who can put together the best version of the fictional character. However, as of this year ... they're not sponsoring one, making it the second year in a row that they've refrained.

Obviously, nothing like this would ever pass in the U.S. -- but in Europe, it's a whole different ball game. Still, it would appear modern sensibilities are catching up with them too.

Old news is old news!
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