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Cops in Ohio are being hailed heroes -- and rightfully so -- after rescuing a woman trapped inside a sinking van in a freezing river ... and body cam footage caught the tense moments.

The rescue went down Sunday night in Alliance, Ohio -- about an hour south of Cleveland -- where a 24-year-old behind the wheel of a Dodge minivan fell asleep, veered off the road and plunged into nearby Mahoning River. The video begins with 2 cops making their way to the sinking van ... braving the near-freezing temperature and chilly waters.

You can see one of the officers holding a hammer and when he gets within feet of the van he starts to panic and struggles to breathe ... but the cop behind him calms his partner. The cop closest to the van then uses the hammer to break the window and pulls out the driver, Alexis Schreckengost.

Alexis called 911 to report she was trapped in her van. You hear her panicking while on the phone with dispatchers as the van fills up with water.

Scary morning at the Dallas Cowboys' facility ... the team has canceled practice and its media availabilities after a staff member reportedly suffered a serious medical issue Tuesday.

The team has been mum on the circumstances surrounding the incident ... but NFL insider Josina Anderson reports a strength and conditioning staffer "had to receive serious medical attention."

"There is concern for this individual's well-being, per sources," Anderson added.

The Cowboys did say in a statement the medical emergency is NOT coronavirus related.

Canceling practice is a big deal for the Cowboys ... they play for 1st place in the NFC East against the Washington Football Team on Thursday, and every rep on a short week matters.

Dallas is coming off a huge victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday ... and is now looking to go on a win streak that could get it into the playoffs despite a 3-7 start.

Megan Thee Stallion's "Body" challenge is taking the Internet by storm, but one take on her viral dance stood out above the rest ... a Starbucks employee getting down!

MTS posted a video Tuesday of a guy named Hunter Gallagher doing her "Body" dance moves from her latest music video ... and he did it from a Starbucks drive-thru window while he was on the clock and interacting with customers 😆.

Don't worry, there's no unprofessionalism here -- the two women he was twerking it for were actually more than eager to see him put on a show. Apparently, as he was handing them their coffee (for free) -- he told them to stream "Body" ... and they one-upped him by having him do the #bodyodychallenge right then and there.

Hunter didn't hesitate -- he sprung right into action and showed off what he was working with, and it looks like he was well-prepared for this moment.

A few days ago, he posted his own vid of him doing the dance side-by-side with Meg from her video ... and, as you can see, he's been practicing. Meg and her choreographer, Jaquel Knight, caught wind of his Starbucks performance when it blew up online and reposted it.

Kim Kardashian West is using her celebrity and legal connections to help a death row inmate who is currently in a battle to stave off execution.

Kim came face-to-face with Julius Jones in Oklahoma City Monday. Jones, a black man, was 19 when he was arrested for the shooting death of a 45-year old white man named Paul Howell in 1999. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2002 and sentenced to death.

Sources familiar with the meeting tell us Kim spent time with both Jones and his attorney, Dale Baich, and promised to do whatever she could to assist his legal team. After the meeting with Jones, Kim met with some of his family members at a local church.

During the meeting at the church, we're told Jones' mother got emotional in recounting the night of Howell's murder ... and said Julius was home with her the whole time.

Our sources say, Kim became interested in Julius' case after watching "The Last Defense" in 2018 -- a Viola Davis produced docuseries about his arrest and his trial. Kim also helped to push a Change.org petition in support of Julius from a couple hundred thousand signatures to millions.

Many who have been critical of Julius' case say it was racially charged from the beginning with little evidence to tie him to the scene and a poor legal defense. Julius has also stated he believes he was framed for the murder and didn't fit the appearance of suspect given by Howell's sister ... who stated it was a young black man with a red bandana.

Jones filed a petition for clemency in 2019 and is now waiting on The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to recommend his sentence be commuted and reduced ... a final decision would then fall with Governor Kevin Stitt.

Jones does not yet have a scheduled execution date.

If you truly wanna go off the deep end, head for Poland ... which now has bragging rights on pierogies AND the world's deepest swimming and diving pool.

The fittingly named Deepspot opened in Mszczonów over the weekend, featuring a depth of 45.5 meters ... which is nearly 150-feet deep. The pool holds 8,000 cubic meters of water, which is more water than 25 Olympic-sized swimming pools!!!

Ya might've figured this isn't your local YMCA lap pool ... the venue will serve as a training facility for military and firefighters -- and give otherwise landlocked scuba and free divers a place to explore.

Deepspot also features manmade underwater caves, faux Mayan ruins, and a reproduction of a shipwreck. It's open to visitors as well, and includes a hotel with underwater views, a tunnel for spectators ... and a restaurant.

Ricky Schroder's getting so much hate for helping accused murderer Kyle Rittenhouse make bail, he reported it to cops ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... deputies responded to a call from Schroder Sunday and stopped by his home to review various negative social media posts directed at the "NYPD Blue" actor.

While they weren't life-threatening, some of the comments were pretty nasty ... "Tbh thought he was dead. Would've been better," "This was a racist move pure and simple," and "Ricky Schroder can shove that silver spoon right up his own ass."

Celebs including Bette Midler weighed in too, saying, "Who knew he could be so malevolent?"

We're told cops determined none of the online comments rose to the level of a criminal threat ... so the officers just took a suspicious circumstances report and left.

Our sources say Schroder will be in contact with authorities if things escalate, and we're told police are monitoring the situation.

As we reported ... Schroder donated $150k to the 17-year-old's bail fund, which the teen's attorney, Lin Wood, said helped them post $2 million bail to get Rittenouse out of jail while he awaits trial for murder.

Some of the outcry is obviously harsher than others ... but you get the idea.

Cue up Richard Strauss' 'Also Sprach' and the enchanting wailing sirens, because it sure looks like Stanley Kubrick's classic SciFi flick is coming to life ... in the Utah desert.

A sleek metallic monolith was discovered last week in the middle of freakin' nowhere -- an incredibly remote area in the southeastern part of the state, according to officials at the Utah Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau.

Of course, that instantly reminded them and everyone else of "2001: A Space Odyssey" -- which featured a similar monolith as a crucial part of the plot.

The government officials found it while they were helicoptering over the land to count bighorn sheep (no, they weren't suffering insomnia) when someone spotted the monolith down below.

No word if there were any pre-evolution apes roaming around and killing each other with bones!

The object -- which is estimated to be anywhere from 10 to 12 feet tall -- is said to have been "installed" in the red rock ground ... almost like it had been planted there. The UDPSAB team says it doesn't know who put it there -- no clues at this point.

Now, before you go jumping to alien theories ... you should know the scientists say it's like an art installation piece placed by someone (aka homo sapien) rather than any type of out-of-this-world phenomenon. In fact, they go so far as to scold whoever might've done it because it's illegal. Still, they can't find a culprit.

Tristan Thompson signing with the Boston Celtics isn't a game-changer for him and Khloe Kardashian ... other than the historic Boston-L.A. rivalry hitting closer to home.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Khloe and True will not be uprooting themselves from Los Angeles by moving to the East Coast with Tristan.

We're told Khloe plans on making extended visits to Boston with her 2-year-old tot to see her daddy when schedules allow for it ... but L.A. will remain home.

Our sources say True has her routine, her family and especially all of her beloved cousins in L.A. ... and both Khloe and Tristan don't want to take that away from her. Instead, they're set on making long-distance work.

As you know ... Khloe spent a lot of time in Cleveland with Tristan when he was on the Cavaliers -- including when she gave birth -- but returned to L.A. amid the fallout of him cheating on her, and has remained there ever since.

The 2 managed to reconcile over the pandemic months in L.A. after Tristan's NBA season ended -- signaling they were a couple again by doing things like taking hikes together. Nevertheless, we're told Khloe's steadfast on staying put with True.

How do you get 200 turkeys to people in need in Hawaii?

HAND 'EM TO MARSHAWN!

The ex-NFL star grabbed his Beast Mode shorts, some PPE and a few friends -- and hit the streets of Oahu on Monday to distribute 200 turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving.

FYI, Hawaii's economy has been hit particularly hard from the COVID pandemic -- crushing the tourism industry for months.

Tons of people are out of work and struggling -- and Marshawn Lynch decided a little Turkey Day love could go a long way.

So, he teamed up with Young's Fish Market, Tamura Super Market and other partners to get the birds to the people who could use some help this holiday season. Ex-NFL wideout Chad Owens, who's from Hawaii, was on hand to help out with the giveaway.

The video, shot by KHON's Rob DeMello, is fantastic -- showing Lynch bouncing from car to car ... dropping off turkeys like he was Santa in November!

At one point, he even struck a QB pose using a turkey as the football!

Don't throw it. Stick to the ground game.

The director who seemingly got busted for trash-talking actor Lukas Gage's apartment on a Zoom call says he's not going to apologize for it ... because important context is missing.

Tristram Shapeero -- a British TV director best known for directing episodes of "Community," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Veep" -- is the guy on the other end of Gage's instantly infamous online audition.

Shapeero -- who apparently thought he was muted -- is heard saying, "These poor people live in these tiny apartments," referring to where Lukas was staying ... and goes on to criticize his TV before he realizes Lukas can hear him.

The director is now suggesting he wasn't talking smack and won't say sorry ... but does claim a statement will be coming out on the matter. Funny thing is, Shapeero said sorry multiple times to Lukas on the call when he was busted, and even added that he was mortified.

The actor -- known for roles on "American Vandal" and "Euphoria" -- posted the clip saying ... "psa: if youre a sh*t talking director make sure to mute ur mic on zoom mtgings."

The incident led to an outpouring of support in Hollywood for Gage, but the director seems to think it was all overblown.

David Dinkins, New York City's first Black mayor, has died.

Dinkins passed away Monday night at his home in New York City of apparent natural causes. He died less than 2 months after his wife, Joyce, passed away.

Dinkins beat longtime Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 but then lost after his first term to Rudy Giuliani in 1993. He won the '89 election with a pledge for racial healing.

He was passionate about equality, saying he was the mayor of every New Yorker, adding, "We are all foot soldiers on the march to freedom."

The former Mayor referred to the people of his fair city as a "gorgeous mosaic." He worked hard to tamp down the racial tensions, especially in multicultural neighborhoods. He fought for better housing, health care and was always available to hear the voices of people who traditionally were never heard.

Dinkins, the son of a barber, served as a Marine in the Korean War. He held a variety of positions in NYC government before becoming Mayor, including Assemblyman, President of the Board of Elections, City Clerk and Manhattan Borough President.

Giuliani, who defeated Dinkins, said Dinkins gave "a great deal of his life in service to our great City."

Dinkins was 93.

Carole Baskin's got her work cut out for her cleaning up her new piece of land in Oklahoma ... it looks Joe Exotic's old zoo is in pretty bad shape, but Jeff Lowe says he has nothing to do with the mess.

Carole visited the zoo, formerly known as G.W. Exotic Animal Park, last week and it was a total pigsty ... the property was covered in graffiti and someone left a ton of rotting meat and garbage.

Sources connected to Carole claim Jeff left the place in shambles for Carole, but he tells TMZ ... "You think of all people, she would know about being accused of something without evidence."

As you can see, buildings were vandalized with phrases like "Carole Baskin takes up the butt from Donald Trump" and "Carole & Don Lewis sitting in a tree. Murdering first."

And, there's more graffiti ... "If Carole killed her husband clap your hands. Doom on you c***." Really creative stuff all around.

Carole's the zoo's newest owner, taking it over from Joe and most recently Jeff. Remember, she won control of the property on June 1, when a judge gave Jeff 120 days from being served to vacate the property. Jeff ended up getting extra time to pack his bags.

Our sources say there appeared to be animal carcasses or large quantities of meat left rotting away in a truck trailer ... leaving a stench and destroying any value the trailer may have had.

Carole found more rotting meat outside various places around the property, we're told, which left a stench so awful it had neighbors complaining until CB and her husband, Howard Baskin, had it removed.

That's not all ... we're told there were massive amounts of trash strewn about the property, both inside and outside the buildings.

He's got TWO of the best knockouts of the year -- but UFC rising star Joaquin Buckley says he's still not ready to quit his day job ... at Walgreens!

Buckley first went viral for that insane spinning back kick knockout of Impa Kasanganay back on Oct. 11 -- a knockout Dana White praised as one of the greatest finishes EVER.

He followed that up at UFC 255 by destroying Jordan Wright in the 2nd round -- earning his second "Performance of the Night" bonus in a row!

So, when we spoke with the 26-year-old St. Louis native, we asked if he was finally ready to leave his gig at the pharmacy chain and focus on MMA full time.

The short answer ... he's not ready to part ways with the big "W" just yet!

"The thing is ... besides UFC -- and they're giving me these big checks -- I still don't have a business of my own. So, I need to just keep working," Buckley says.

The fighter says it's important for him to maintain a "working mentality and work ethic" -- "So, I'm gonna just keep holding down a job."

Buckley says if he's able to grow a real business from his MMA exposure, he'd consider walking away from Walgreens ... but for now, he's not going anywhere!

Buckley says he's working on a clothing apparel line called Solid Foundation and he's optimistic about it -- but "until my business is off the ground, we still gon' be working at Walgreens, yessir."

The craziest part, Buckley is already trying to get back in the Octagon and fight again IN JANUARY!!

He's hoping to get a crack at 34-year-old welterweight James Krause -- and it's obvious, these two have VERY bad blood.

"He's just out here spreading lies and spreading rumors [about me] ... it's getting frustrating and for him to think he can just keep talking his stuff without any type of punishment or any type of consequences, it's ridiculous!"

Before this little redhead was ruling the school on a popular teen drama, she was just another pouting princess posing for photos in Washington.

This pretty pipsqueak blossomed on-screen with her starring role on a CW television series named after a town filled with gangs, serial killers and cults. Among the popular ensemble cast, she is the only actor on set allowed to wear red for her costumes.

Her fans can always keep up on behind-the-scenes action -- and other fun aspects of her life -- by checking out her personal YouTube channel as well.

President Trump is finally cracking the door for President-elect Joe Biden's administration to begin the transition -- but he's still far from publicly admitting he lost the election.

DT's double-talk came Monday when he announced he'd given the green light to the General Services Administration to bring Biden's team into the fold. At the same time, he reaffirmed the fact he's still fighting the election results.

The clear contradiction -- Trump's finally acknowledging the need for the next POTUS to start taking the reins ... without admitting there will be a new POTUS.

The Prez says he's only relenting because GSA Administrator Emily Murphy is under heavy pressure. He claims, "She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA."

He added, "Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good... fight, and I believe we will prevail!"

Trump might be trying to hedge here, but according to the Biden-Harris transition team ... there's no question about it -- they have been determined to be the winner of the election, and the fact they've been reached out to by GSA signals that.

A rep for the transition team writes, "In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration's efforts to hollow out government agencies." Ouch!

"Jeopardy!" will have a series of interim guest hosts following Alex Trebek's passing and first up is the show's 'Greatest of All Time' ... Ken Jennings.

Sony Pictures announced the move Monday to make the fan-favorite the first guest host. More guests will be announced in the weeks to come but for now, it's Ken first up at the podium.

Mike Richards, the show's executive producer, said the franchise "will honor Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues." He added, "By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers."

Ken also chimed in after the news was announced ... fittingly saying, "there will only ever be one Alex Trebek."

Alex died a few weeks ago after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer -- but all-new episodes with him hosting will continue to air until Christmas Day ... and "best of" episodes will air until December 28.

Ken's first taping will come on November 30 when the show resumes production. He's already etched his name in "Jeopardy!" lore thanks to his 74-game winning streak. Ken also took home an all-time record in regular-season play with a whopping $2.52 million in earnings -- and earlier this year he won the 'Greatest of All Time' tournament.