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CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss is defending her decision to kill a "60 Minutes" segment hours before its scheduled air time Sunday night ... the report focused on the treatment of Venezuelan deportees from the United States to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison.

The long-running news program was set to run the segment Sunday night, but pulled it hours before airing, and promos online were scrubbed. On an editorial call on Monday, Weiss said the segment "was not ready" to air, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Weiss added the show's producers needed to get on-the-record statements from the the White House, the Dept. of Homeland Security and the State Dept. for it to be ready to go on air. She said ... “While the story presented powerful testimony of torture at CECOT, it did not advance the ball."

"60 Minutes" Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reported the completed segment, and she blasted Weiss' decision in an internal company email Sunday. Alfonsi noted the segment had undergone fact-checking and legal review, was determined to be factually accurate ... and she described Weiss' choice as "political."

She wrote in her memo the show's producers had requested comment from the Trump administration, which didn't respond to inquiries. Alfonsi said their refusal to comment had resulted in a de-facto “veto” of the story.

Before these two festive sisters -- acting 'Goofy' in front of the Christmas tree -- turned into superstars ... they were just growing up in Beverly Hills and admiring their famous 'rents ...

You first saw them on a Bravo reality TV show, but now you can't flip a magazine (or scroll socials) without seeing their hot bods! One's a model, and the other's a singer ...

"Owning Manhattan" star Jade Shenker is dishing out the deets on co-stars Ryan Serhant and Jordan March's heated argument in NYC earlier this month ... and she reveals cameras were not up at the time of the altercation.

Jade hopped on the TMZ "Previously On..." podcast and tells us Netflix is currently "not filming at all" for the show, meaning the fight was as real as it gets. She adds this is not the first time they've had an argument, but it is the first time "9-figure lawsuits are being thrown around" -- though she didn't get into specifics.

Check the clip -- in the video obtained by TMZ, you can see Jade walk down the steps and into the guys' heated convo ... and she tells us all she was thinking in the moment was "please don't throw a punch or don't do anything stupid."

James Ransone -- an actor best known for his role in the hit show "The Wire" -- has died by suicide, according to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ has independently confirmed the star passed away Friday ... and the M.E.'s website lists the manner of death as suicide by hanging. We've also learned the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call to a residence, where officers completed a death investigation report and no foul play was suspected.

Ransone started appearing in small roles in the early 2000s ... grabbing parts in the TV shows "Ed" and "Third Watch" ... before landing his breakout part in "The Wire."

During its final episode of the year, "Saturday Night Live" paused to pay tribute to late producer Rob Reiner ... flashing a title card with an old photo of Rob before the show's "goodnight" segment.

The in memoriam gesture comes less than a week after Reiner and his wife -- Michele Singer Reiner -- were found dead in their Los Angeles home. Their son -- Nick Reiner -- is now facing first-degree murder charges after being arrested in connection with their deaths.

Reiner hosted SNL’s third episode back in 1975 during the show’s early days ... and unlike hosts George Carlin and Paul Simon at the time, he fully joined in the sketches ... helping set the style that would forever define the series.

As we reported, the couple's daughter, Romy, is the one who discovered Rob and Michele's bodies and called 911. She told police her brother Nick was "dangerous" and should be considered a suspect.

Nick was arrested about 6 hours after police responded to the call. He's currently held on suicide watch at Men's Central Jail in L.A. without bond and awaits his January 7th hearing.

Bowen Yang bawled like a baby during his final "Saturday Night Live" sketch, hours after confirming he was moving on from the show.

Check out his touching final scene -- he plays a Delta One Lounge employee working his last shift, an obvious parallel to his real-life situation. He gets a phone call from Ariana Grande, and they reminisce about all the "eggnog" he's made over the years ... another obvious parallel to the sketches he's contributed to over this 7-year run on the show. He and Ariana then break out into song, dueting Charles Brown's 1960 song "Please Come Home for Christmas."

His "Wicked" co-star then joins him right before he breaks down in tears, saying how much he loved working at the Delta One Lounge. He raves ... "I just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer. Especially the people. I've loved every single person who works here, because they've done so much for me, especially my boss."

"Saturday Night Live" is once again parodying President Donald Trump -- this time, taking jabs at his recent holiday speech that included the announcement of his "Patriot Games" ... in light of the Jeffrey Epstein files dropping Friday.

James Austin Johnson opens the show in his famed Trump attire, standing in front of an identical fireplace as 47 was late last week ... and immediately mocks his 'Hunger Games' idea. He says, "What’s the best way to distract from the Epstein files? I know, invite a bunch of teenagers to my house!" As you know, his "Patriot Games" is meant to showcase elite high school athletes.

The actor took another shot at Trump by criticizing his name being added to the Kennedy Center, saying in character ... "People are saying, 'Why are you putting your name on so many buildings?’ And I say it’s because we had to take it off of so many files, Epstein redacted. We had so many Trumps in there!”

This likely references the suspicion that several files -- at least 16 files, according to AP -- have gone MIA from the Justice Department’s Epstein Files drop from Friday. This reportedly includes a snapshot of Trump and images that show a painting depicting nude women.

Bowen Yang has confirmed his exit from "Saturday Night Live."

The actor and comedian shared a sentimental "goodbye" to NBC's hit sketch series on Instagram Saturday ... about a day after his exit was first reported. He gushed over his time in the show, penning ... "I loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people. i was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile."

Bowen goes on to reflect on how much he has learned about himself and others during his 7-year run on the show. He then personally thanks all the friends and coworkers who have contributed to his successful run -- and even "ari" -- who we assume is Ariana Grande, considering she's pictured in his post -- "for sending [him] off in the dreamiest way [he] could imagine."

The next episode of "Saturday Night Live" will be Bowen Yang's last.

The beloved cast member will be making his final "goodbyes" tomorrow, ending a 7-year run with the NBC program, sources close to the situation tell TMZ.

Should be noted, Bowen's good friend and "Wicked" costar Ariana Grande is tomorrow night's host.

William Rush, a British actor best known for the popular UK-based series "Waterloo Road," has died.

The tragic news was confirmed by William's mom, Debbie Rush, on IG Wednesday ... writing, "As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss."

Debbie, who starred in the popular British soap "Coronation Street," also added that up until the very end, he was thinking about others as an organ donor.

The "Ghost Adventures" episode featuring Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s ex-wife, Jillian, is about to air ... and TMZ’s got the chilling first look, giving a pretty unsettling peek into her headspace before that wild run-in with cops earlier this year.

Have a look -- Zak Bagans says things took a seriously dark turn after Jillian gifted him serial killer Samuel Little's ashes, along with hand-drawn portraits of his victims that he’d left her in his will after she once wrote a book about him.

The gang's not all here for a "Stranger Things" event in New York City ... because David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown are noticeably absent.

Most of the cast was at the "Stranger Things: The Final Season Celebration" at New York City's Paley Center Thursday ... but David and Millie were nowhere to be found.

As we reported ... David was initially supposed to attend the event, but he was scrubbed as an attendee on the event website.

Move over, Charlize Theron, there's a new "Monster" in Hollywood ... and this time it's Sarah Paulson trying her hand at reimagining the harrowing story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

Check out these photos of Sarah getting into character as Aileen on the set of Ryan Murphy's 'Monster' Season 4 ... it's the first time we've seen Sarah as the serial killer.

Sarah looks mostly unrecognizable as Aileen in these shots ... she's dyed her hair and she's walking around a film set in Los Angeles wearing a bathrobe, undershirt, sweats, and slippers.

David Harbour's taking a step back from the spotlight, it seems ... skipping a big "Stranger Things" event after a truly bizarre incident where he allegedly stole a fan's hat.

The actor was initially supposed to attend the "Stranger Things: The Final Season Celebration" at New York City's Paley Center Thursday ... however, he's no longer listed as an attendee on the event's website.

A rep for the Paley Center told People he can't make it due to a "scheduling conflict."

The timing of the cancellation may raise some eyebrows among fans ... given Harbour's seemingly been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past few months.

Bonjour, everyone -- or should we say buongiorno! We know you're probably binging the fifth season of "Emily In Paris," which dropped today, and we figured we'd share some of our favorite behind-the-scenes snaps from the show's cast and crew!

ICYMI ... Emily, played by Lily Collins, decided to ditch the City of Lights for the sunshine and splendor of Rome at the end of the last season .. and her decision makes for some really juicy drama in Season 5!

Then again, the show is still called "Emily In Paris," so it'd be kind of weird not to shoot the series in the French capital -- and we don't think Collins or her costar, Ashley Park, could lose their soft spot for its landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower.

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