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The new year's greatest debate (non-Iran related, anyway) is what's the best seat on an NYC subway -- and Graham Rogers has the perfect answer ... for men, anyway.

We ran into the "Atypical" actor in WeHo and asked him to weigh in. He did and made the pick a lot of other dudes probably would too. His reasoning's all about fellas needing space to spread out, 'cause ... y'know. Biology.

ICYMI ... the question was posed toward the end of 2019, and it's spread like wildfire online.

It's funny ... we try asking his lady friend for a woman's perspective, but she deflected back to Graham. Not a big subway rider, apparently!

Anyway, check it out, 'cause Graham's also got a backup option for his needs -- but if you think about it ... his choice could actually backfire if anyone plops down next to him.

Nicki Minaj's wax figure unveiling in Berlin has drawn the ire of the Internet, but here's the thing -- she gave it her stamp of approval ... more than 4 years ago.

Turns out, the "new" Nicki wax figure at Madame Tussauds Berlin isn't new at all ... it's the same one unveiled in August 2015 at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. We're told Minaj's wax likeness was moved to Germany because the museum loans statues out frequently to mix up the attractions at its various locations.

Also, for all the haters claiming Nicki's being disrespected because the figure doesn't look anything like her ... she disagrees. Our sources say, her team actually worked with the museum on the project in 2015, and she signed off on it before it went public.

Australia is starting to look like Mars ... thick red smoke from the devastating wildfires is filling the air above the continent, and it's causing hell for the Aussie air force.

Check out this insane video from the cockpit of a Royal Australian Air Force plane ... the flight instruments are going crazy and the pilots can't see anything but a dense orange haze.

One of the RAAF's top commanders just shared the shocking footage on social media, and he says his best pilots are facing incredibly daunting flying conditions as they try to carry out support missions to areas hit hardest by the deadly fires.

The RAAF says it's taking several attempts for military aircraft to reach parts of New South Wales and Victoria. Planes and helicopters are airlifting firefighters and rescuing folks trapped in isolated towns destroyed by the flames.

As you know ... over 13-million acres have been engulfed in flames, and the prospects for the future are grim. NSW has 146 fires alone, and the summer heat is still raging on.

It's a huge crisis ... the fires have killed an estimated half-a-billion wild animals and at least 24 people, with over 1,500 homes going up in smoke.

Gene Simmons doesn't understand why the Internet can't stop talking about his preference for ice cubes in cereal ... he says folks should be worried about more pressing issues, like Vladimir Putin!!!

We got the KISS rocker heading into Beverly Glen Deli for a quick bite to eat and had to ask about his weird eating habit -- putting ice in his cereal to keep the milk cold.

As you know ... Gene got a rise on Twitter New Year's Day by sharing his ingenious way to keep his cereal from soaking in lukewarm milk, setting off an endless debate about the practice.

Gene tells us how his "snooping" daughter got the whole thing started ... and says it makes a lot of sense why his ice usage is dominating social spheres. See if you can detect his sarcasm.

After getting serious for a moment about the dangers facing our society, Gene goes back to his happy-go-lucky ways and shows everyone how they can enjoy their breakfast like a rock star.

"Ink Master" star Oliver Peck is learning the same lesson Justin Trudeau learned about blackface ... the pictures will emerge eventually, and it's never a good look.

Oliver apparently had the audacity to wear blackface on multiple occasions ... dressing up as black people over the years for different Halloween costumes. In a set of pics, you can see him applying the black makeup to his tattoo-covered body.

Peck's penchant for blackface was once proudly displayed on his MySpace account ... and now the images are circulating on social media once again -- and it's pissing off a lot of folks.

As you can see ... Oliver's wearing blackface and an afro for a superhero costume.

Yet another image shows Oliver in blackface, wearing a sports jersey, afro wig and headband while dribbling a basketball. He also wore blackface when he dressed up as a Playboy bunny.

It's unclear when the photos were taken.

The United States Marine Corps is taking action against an emerging threat from China ... by keeping its wildly popular app, TikTok, away from Marines.

If you didn't know ... both the Army and Navy have banned soldiers from using the Chinese-owned video-sharing service on government phones because it's been deemed a cybersecurity threat by officials.

The Marines are following suit, TMZ has learned, for the same reason. Capt. Hector Alejandro of the Marine Forces Cyberspace Command tells us TikTok has also been blocked from its government-issued mobile devices.

He adds ... "This decision is consistent with our efforts to proactively address existing and emerging threats as we secure and defend our network."

The crux of the issue -- TikTok's Chinese ownership has politicians and military officials concerned that it could be used to gather intelligence on Americans.

Because of that, the Defense Department sent a message to employees in mid-December instructing them to "be wary of applications you download, monitor your phones for unusual and unsolicited texts etc., and delete them immediately and uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information."

We're told the branches of the military made the decision to block TikTok shortly afterward.

Kelly Dodd is unsure why folks on the Internet are so triggered by her photo with Donald Trump's sons ... saying all Americans need to embrace people with different views.

The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, defending her decision to snap a photo alongside Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and questioning why it's got people in such a huff.

Kelly was in Florida for the wedding of Fox News personality Jesse Watters and Emma DiGiovine.

As you know ... Kelly's getting dragged on social media for rubbing elbows with the President's sons -- and DTJ's GF, Kimberly Guilfoyle, at a wedding in Florida.

Kelly tells us she didn't give much thought to taking a pic with Don Jr. and Eric -- she just thought it would be cool -- and adds she's been blindsided by the backlash.

Look, Kelly's not the first person to get slammed for associating with the Trumps or the GOP these days ... and she thinks the outrage is totally un-American, for a number of reasons.

It's time to start rooting for Nick Kyrgios ... because the Australian tennis star has pledged to donate $200 for every ACE he lands to help wildfire relief efforts in his home country.

"I’m kicking off the support for those affected by the fires," the 24-year-old announced ... "I’ll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer."

It's a big deal considering Kyrgios smashed 597 aces in 2019 ... so if he matches that total, we're talking around $120k.

At least 17 people (8 in the past week) have been killed in the Australia fires -- which have been burning since October -- with at least 17 more people missing.

More than 1,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed so far and officials are concerned things could get even WORSE in the coming days.

Several Aussie tennis stars have already been inspired by Nick's gesture -- and are following suit with ace-based donations.

Alex de Minaur said, "I like this I will go $250 per ace, just because I don’t think I’ll be hitting as many aces as you mate."

Pope Francis was almost held back in 2019 by an overzealous fan, who grabbed a hold of him and wouldn't let go ... that is, until Francis gave her a swat and a scolding.

The Pontiff was down in Vatican City Tuesday, ready to ring in the new year with a line of adoring fans and worshippers -- many of whom he was happily greeting and shaking hands with along his route. It was all going great, up to the point some woman got handsy.

Check it out ... it's a pretty surreal scene, especially seeing how PF handles it. Kinda feisty!

You see Francis going down the line -- and as he approaches the grabber, she actually ramps up by doing a crucifix blessing on herself in anticipation of making contact. Sure enough, he ends up shaking her hand, but she clamps on to his arm and yanks him back.

It definitely took the Pope by surprise, and not in a good way either. He slaps her hand a couple time and when his handlers finally step in, she releases him. Looks like his Holiness wasn't too pleased either ... walking away with a stern look on his face 😡

Oh, and that wasn't the only incident along the guard rails either. Apparently, some kid fell right in front of the Pope as he was walking along, and Francis was quick to attend to him and give him a pat on the head once he realized he was alright.

Celebs at the upcoming "Golden Globe Awards" won't be getting their thirsts quenched by bottles of Fiji this year ... but it ain't "Fiji Water Girl's" fault.

The artesian water brand is not the official H2O sponsor at the 2020 Golden Globes -- that honor now goes to Icelandic Glacial -- but the reason, we're told, has nothing to do with Fiji's controversy and eventual fallout with its model, Kelleth Cuthbert (real name Kelly Steinbach).

Sources connected to the awards show tell TMZ ... the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had a 2-year deal with Fiji, but it ended last year. We're told it decided to go with Icelandic because not only is the brand environmentally conscious -- though Fiji is too -- but it has also agreed to donate water to a cause picked by the HFPA.

As you'll recall ... Kelleth went viral for photobombing almost every celeb at the 2019 show, by standing in the background smiling while holding a tray of Fiji bottles.

Some folks -- like Jamie Lee Curtis -- were unhappy with the blatant PR stunt and product placement, but the controversy got even worse when Kelleth sued Fiji ... claiming it continued to use her name and likeness for promotion without her permission.

Fiji countersued Kelleth, and as far as we know ... the case is still pending.

Our sources say bottles of Icelandic will be offered to Globes attendees on the red carpet and at every table at the venue just like the last 2 years with Fiji ... but it's unclear if the new H2O company will spark any viral moments.

Kylie Jenner blessed the internet with one more "thirst trap" to close out 2019 -- but one person clearly was not impressed -- her baby daddy, Travis Scott.

Kylie posted a couple shots of her in bed in lingerie with the caption, "just didn't feel right going into 2020 without one last thirst trap." The photo exploded like a watermelon hurled off a 30-story building ...  accumulating more than 10 million likes in just a few hours, with assists from Sofia Richie and Winnie Harlow.

Travis, however, didn't seem to take well to the post ... jumping on his own account an hour later to post an enormous "LOL" on his story.

While the meaning is somewhat unclear  ... Travis rarely posts text on his story ... so not a big leap to call it shade.

As we reported ... Travis and Kylie aren't back together as a couple ... despite spending the last few holidays together as a family with daughter Stormi.

Sharon Stone has proved she can catch a break, so why can't she catch a date?

The "Basic Instinct" actress is in the market for something that's eminently relatable -- companionship.

So, Sharon decided to try her hand at Bumble, but the users weren't buyin' what Sharon was sellin' and reported the account as fake. After all, why would an A-list star hang out on a plebeian dating site? Seriously ... it seemed so implausible to Bumble, Sharon was booted.

Sharon's reaction ... "Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary? Don't shut me out of the hive."

Luckily, 61-year-old Sharon, who divorced newspaper editor Phil Bronstein back in 2004, was invited back on. A rep for the company tells us, "Sharon Stone is back on Bumble! Our apologies for the confusion as we're so honored that Ms. Stone wants to be a part of the Hive. However, being the icon that she is, we can understand how so many of our users felt it was too good to be true once they noticed her profile photo wasn't verified."

The rep continues, "In light of our mixup, we'd like to extend an invite to Sharon for her to come to Austin and allow us to host her at the hive for a few hours of profile prep and great food!"

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.

A North Carolina man got a bonus when he went shopping for Xmas dinner -- $250,000!!!

Michael Rosenbrock went to a grocery store in Mint Hill where he bought all the traditional stuff ... ham, stuffing, the works. Oh, and he picked up what he pretty much always gets when he shops ... a lottery ticket.

When Michael got home, he scratched off the 20X The Cash ticket and it look like he came up goose eggs. Michael said, "I didn't think I won anything at first ... It's a good thing I always enter my tickets into the second-chance drawings or I would have thrown it away."

Lucky he didn't ... the ticket scored him a quarter of a million bucks.

Michael's already claimed the ticket. After taxes, he walked away with $176,876.

As for what he plans to do with the loot, he wants to start a nonprofit, saying, "Clean water, food to eat, a roof over our head. Doing nonprofit work is something I've always wanted to do."

Martin Scorsese got absolutely owned on Christmas ... by his own daughter, who poked fun at her pops with some simple gift wrapping paper.

The famed director's daughter, Francesca, shared on Twitter the wrapping paper she used for Martin's gift ... and it's hilarious -- Marvel Comics!!! In case you missed it ... earlier this year, Martin created one helluva firestorm when he said Marvel movies aren't cinema.

It was the comment heard around the world ... cause pretty much the entire universe came after Martin for shading Marvel films. Things got so bad ... the "Taxi Driver" and "Goodfellas" director was forced to write an op-ed in the New York Times to explain himself.

The storm has since passed ... that is until Martin's 20-year-old daughter went there and used wrapping paper featuring Hulk and Captain America.

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.