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Van Jones is taking progressive to a new level -- the activist and CNN commentator is a proud new dad, and he and the baby's mother just might inspire a new movement in parenting.

Van tells TMZ, "After the COVID lockdown, I got clear that I wanted another kid. I discovered that my friend Noemi also wanted a baby. So, we decided to join forces and become conscious co-parents. It’s a concept that I hope more people will explore and consider."

He continues, "This month we welcomed to Earth a baby girl, whom we will raise as co-parenting partners. This is a special time for our families. I feel grateful, joyful and blessed."

Now, sources connected to Van tell us the mother's full name is Noemi Zamacona, and they've been friends -- through a shared interest in criminal justice advocacy -- for several years. In fact, we're told their decision to have a child together was literally made over a friendly meal. Ya know what they say about friends in need!

One source described Noemi and Van's current relationship this way -- "It's a very modern arrangement. They're not a couple, but they are a team that wants to raise a kid together."

Van has 2 children from his previous marriage, and we're told this is Noemi's first.

In his statement, Van adds ... "As we create a safe and loving environment for this blessed young soul, I respectfully ask for privacy. Thank you for all the love and support.”

No word on the baby girl's name yet, but we're really wondering if either Van or Noemi plan to trademark "conscious co-parenting."

Jeff Zucker just dropped a bombshell at CNN -- he's resigning as network president, because of a romantic relationship he kept hidden ... one that only came to light during the Chris Cuomo investigation.

Jeff, who is also stepping down from his post as chairman of WarnerMedia's news and sports division, blasted out a memo to co-workers Wednesday ... saying that during the Cuomo probe he was asked "about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years."

He doesn't say the relationship itself is the problem, he says it's because he lied. Jeff wrote, "I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong."

Jeff did not name the colleague who he had a relationship with in his memo ... but CNN says the person is Allison Gollust, the network's chief marketing officer.

CNN says Allison is keeping her job.

It's interesting the Cuomo investigation also took down Zucker ... remember, Jeff initially stood by Chris when the anchor came under fire for advising aides to his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to fend off a sexual harassment scandal.

But, as the investigation dragged on, Jeff eventually distanced himself from Chris and dropped his support.

"Jeopardy!" ignored the recommendations of Alex Trebek when it came to picking a new host, and one of the people he picked is now talking about it.

CNN's Laura Coates was someone Alex thought was up to the task. TMZ interviewed Alex for an episode of "OBJECTified" back in 2018, and he said, referring to Coates, "There is an attorney, Laura Coates, she's African American and she appears on some of the cable news shows from time to time. Very bright, very personable."

Well, Coates appeared on 'Tamron Hall' and said she was thrilled beyond words, and decided to make her own luck by calling the show and putting her name in the hat. She says, "I asked for the opportunity. I was told 'no.'"

And, Alex had a second pick ... Alex Faust, the L.A. Kings play-by-play announcer. He too, was not invited to try out.

As for Laura, she was thrilled to hear Alex picked her, saying, "I thought, 'My God. This person that I have watched my whole life really, even knows my name let alone thinks that I would be worthy enough to fill his shoes which frankly can't be filled.'"

She also said she reached out to Alex when he was bravely fighting pancreatic cancer.

'SNL' is nothing if not predictable, and they were true to form Saturday night when they skewered 2 recently-unemployed brothers.

Dr. Anthony Fauci -- no, really it was Kate McKinnon -- was offering advice on how to navigate the holidays in the midst of another COVID surge. There was some pretty funny role-playing ... such as a worried passenger wonders out loud to a flight attendant about COVID and whether the mile-high club can get you pregnant.

But then the brothers Cuomo appear, and they introduce themselves this way ... "Hello, I am disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo. I'm disgraced former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and we both lost our jobs because of COVID."

Ted Cruz is hilarious, as he pretends to have the last laugh in his war with Senator Bob Dole, who died last week. Dole famously said no one liked Cruz ... well, watch the rest.

It is now clear what forced CNN's hand in firing Chris Cuomo -- the guy was accused of sexual misconduct this week ... this is as he was already on thin ice.

Attorney Debra S. Katz came forward Sunday to reveal she'd been retained by a woman who wanted to go public with an allegation against the ex-anchor ... something she was apparently inspired to do after hearing about his involvement in his brother's own scandal.

She says while Gov. Cuomo's mess played out in public, Chris came on the air for his own show and said, "I have always cared very deeply about these issues and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that." Katz adds, "Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo’s on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct against her to CNN."

According to NYT, the woman -- who is remaining anonymous for now -- is a former junior colleague of Chris' from another network, and her claims are unrelated to Gov. Cuomo.

Katz goes on to describe how she contacted CNN on Wednesday -- a day after he'd been suspended -- to report her client's allegations against Chris ... and by Friday, she says she was already in discussions with the network to provide evidence and making the woman available for an interview with CNN's outside counsel.

She finishes by saying, "My client came forward at this time because she felt in sharing her story and related documentation, she could help protect other women. She will continue to cooperate with CNN’s investigation into her allegations. Given the nature of her allegations, she wishes to remain anonymous, and we ask that you respect this decision."

Chris Cuomo is without a cable news job -- the longtime CNN anchor just got fired ... and it sounds like there's more to the story on the help he offered his brother this year.

The network just announced Chris' termination, saying they retained a respected law firm to conduct the independent review of his conduct -- and in light of that digging, they say they found further evidence that they felt warranted kicking him to the curb.

CNN writes, "While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light. Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate."

This is a stunning turn of events, but perhaps not totally unexpected ... as the writing appeared to be on the wall here. The fact Cuomo had been suspended indefinitely raised red flags to many, who felt like his days at CNN were limited.

Of course, this all comes on the heels of an investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office ... which published its reports, plus transcripts, which suggested Chris' involvement in his bro's scandal back in the Spring was way more intricate than previously thought.

There are text messages he's purported to have sent to Andrew's staffers, including one that read "I have a lead on the wedding girl" -- pertaining to one of the ex-Gov's accusers.

Chris Cuomo will be off the air for the foreseeable future on CNN's airwaves -- the cable news network just suspended the guy ... all over his efforts to protect his brother.  The question ... does Chris survive this at CNN?

CNN just announced they're benching Chris indefinitely over newly released evidence put out by the New York Attorney General's Office, which shows purported texts Chris sent to people on Andrew Cuomo's team in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal.

They say the new transcripts and exhibits that were dumped Monday "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."

CNN goes on to add Chris told them he admitted he'd offered advice to his brother's staff, breaking their rules ... which the network acknowledged publicly some time ago.

A network rep says they understood where he was coming from at the time, but in light of this -- they say, "[T]hese documents point to a greater level of involvement ... than we previously knew." As a result, he's suspended pending further evaluation.

ICYMI ... Chris was revealed to have texted about specific accusers, including Anna Ruch -- who accused Andrew of kissing her at a wedding. CC allegedly wrote to a staffer of Andrew's ... "I have a lead on the wedding girl," which implies he was looking into her.

The NY AG docs also suggest Chris was reaching out to his media industry sources to get recon on who else might be coming forward with allegations against his bro.

As you know ... Gov. Cuomo ultimately resigned from his post, maintaining he never purposely did anything inappropriate. However, he has since been embroiled legally as well ... now facing criminal charges over some of the claims against him.

Cuomo's ratings have tanked over the last few months, and the fact CNN is characterizing his suspension as "indefinite" opens the door to the question ... will CC ever return to the CNN anchor seat?

Big Bird is one of the first on Sesame Street to get protection against COVID-19 -- and while some might question why he's late to the party ... the timing makes sense for his audience.

The 8-foot costumed character made the big announcement on Twitter Saturday -- the first time he's tweeted from his account since March. So, yeah ... major development for the reclusive BB.

Big writes, "I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy." He adds, "Ms. @EricaRHill  even said I’ve been getting vaccines since I was a little bird. I had no idea!"

No photo proof or anything showing Mr. Bird getting his jab, but we'll take him at his word here ... and even give him props for spreading the word on vaccine awareness.

Now, if you're wondering why he mentioned CNN's Erica Hill specifically -- it's because she and other CNN personalities hosted a "town hall" Saturday morning called "The ABCs of Vaccines," which featured a number of 'Sesame Street' puppets talking 'rona and the shot.

Of course, that includes Big Bird too -- and the reason they're all being recruited to even talk about vaccines at all is because the Pfizer jab was just approved for kids between 5 and 11 the other day ... and the government is encouraging parents to inoculate their children.

So, no Big Bird hasn't been holding out or "doing his own research" with vaccine hesitancy -- it's just that his core demographic is now eligible, and he wants to encourage them (and their parents) to get it done. Also, he's apparently only 6 years old or something? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Brian Laundrie's parents are "heartbroken" after their family attorney says remains found off a Florida trail almost certainly belong to their son.

Steven Bertolino, who has repped the Laundrie family for weeks now, told CNN's Chris Cuomo Wednesday, "the probability is strong, that it is Brian's remains" found by the FBI.

Bertolino says Laundrie's parents contacted authorities Tuesday night to let them know they wanted to search the trail Wednesday, and the finding of his belongings was a total coincidence.

The FBI said in a press conference Wednesday that the area where Brian's backpack and notebook were found near what appeared to be human remains was previously under water. Authorities have not yet identified the remains, and say investigative teams will be in the area for several days gathering evidence.

Bertolino told Cuomo, "It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belonging alongside from the remains. That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken."

Bertolino says Laundrie's dad, Chris, first found a white bag in the woods about 20 feet off the trail ... and shortly after, law enforcement discovered Brian's backpack.

It all raises the question ... how did Laundrie's dad zero in on something the FBI couldn't find for more than a month?

CNN anchor John King spontaneously revealed a secret he's been keeping for 13 years ... that he has Multiple Sclerosis ... and the way he's powered through it all is stunning.

King appeared on CNN Wednesday and explained he did not calculate the revelation ... rather, he was incensed when some anti-vaxxers used Colin Powell's COVID-related death as ammunition in the bogus argument that vaccines don't work.

King said, "I do not understand people who get up in the morning, who are vaccinated themselves, and willingly lie to get attention, to get clickbait, to get whatever. I do not understand it."

King went on to describe the challenges he's faced over the years ... numbness in his legs, the inability to grasp objects, falling down stairs ... yet all the while, his colleagues and viewers didn't have a clue.

Particularly shocking was King's high-profile coverage on 2020 election night, when he stood at an electronic board for hours analyzing voter turnout. He said that was an especially difficult night, yet for most people watching it was impossible to tell.

Joe Rogan had a super-interesting convo with CNN's Sanjay Gupta ... it was confrontationally civilized.

The good Doc was clearly on a mission to counter Rogan's message about the COVID vaccine. "The Joe Rogan Experience" is a huge platform -- 200 million downloads per month -- so Gupta was clearly there to challenge Joe over not getting the shot.

Rogan made it clear --- he's not anti-vaccine. In fact, he says he made an appointment to get the shot but ended up a no-show. As for why ... Rogan said, "I'm a healthy person, I exercise constantly, I'm always taking vitamins, I take care of myself."

Gupta was gentle, but clear -- asking Rogan if it's better to have the virus than to become infected. Rogan, who got COVID, conceded it was no fun going through it, but added he's been sicker with a bad cold.

That doesn't address the fact more than 700,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID, and Joe agreed certain people -- including the elderly and the overweight -- should get jabbed, but not everyone.

Then Joe dropped a theory that stunned Sanjay ... "I think it would be better to get the vaccine and recover and have amazing immunity ... you know what I think you should do? I think you should get vaccinated and then get sick ... the vaccine protects you from a bad infection and you get COVID so you get robust immunity ... get vaccinated, let it wane and hang around with a bunch of dirty people."

Gupta made it clear .... the win is for someone not to have the virus at all, and that's what the vaccine does.

Britney Spears is warning fans and viewers of a new documentary about her conservatorship to take it with a grain of salt ... because she claims a lot of the information is untrue.

According to our sources ... Britney's latest Instagram post is specifically calling out the CNN special -- "Toxic: Britney Spears' Battle For Freedom" -- that debuted Sunday night, and she has a list of reasons why she's not down with it.

Aside from Britney claiming it's loaded with inaccuracies -- even though she says she's only watched a little bit of it -- she suggests that it's all about stuff that happened in the past ... and she's trying to move forward.

Brit also seems to take issue with the dialogue not being very "classy," doesn't like the footage they used of her ... and implies the general tone of the special is unkind.

Now, while we're told she's referring to the CNN special, it's actually another one -- the new NYT documentary, "Controlling Britney Spears" -- that made more headlines for the allegation her father, Jamie Spears, recorded her bedroom conversations.

So far, at least, Britney's staying mum on that claim, but as we reported ... her attorney Mathew Rosengart will almost certainly raise the alleged recordings during Wednesday's conservatorship hearing.

Strangely, the singer's IG post takes a left turn where she focuses on her "Rose Project" and how she once kissed Madonna and suffers from social anxiety.

Then, she reveals she's wearing white for her post for "new beginnings" ... which possibly alludes to her huge court hearing and her father finally stepping down as her conservator.

Gloria Vanderbilt -- the late mother of Anderson Cooper -- lived in a snazzy, one-of-a-kind Manhattan home for more than 2 decades before she passed ... and now it's on the market.

The CNN anchor's listed his mom's 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom apartment -- located in Midtown East -- for $1.125 million ... and it's truly a sight to behold.

We could mention how the property is located in one of NYC's most coveted locations with tree-lined streets and features a gorgeous view of the river -- or how it boasts spacious rooms and high ceilings -- but it's really all about the aesthetic.

The home's filled with family treasures and artwork, and Anderson's said her long residency -- she lived there from 1997 until her death in 2019 -- is a testament to her love for the place.

Gloria -- designer, artist and heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune -- passed away from stomach cancer in 2019.

Bill Burr tore into CNN for what he claims to be a fear-driven agenda that seeks to keep viewers restless and divided ... and one which needs Trump to keep ratings high.

The comedian absolutely obliterated the 24/7 cable news station in his latest installment on his "Monday Morning Podcast," the newest episode of which he just dropped a couple of days ago. He starts out talking about his day-to-day life/observations ... and then dives into the news.

Check it out ... Bill says his mother-in-law will come over to help watch his kids, and flip on CNN habitually -- which he says pisses him off, because he considers them "f****** morons" who do nothing but talk Trump, day in and day out ... even after he's left office.

The reason for that, he muses, is because President Biden is a "bore" -- that ... and he wears a "blue tie."

We'll let Bill do the talking here -- but his rant is worth a listen. In his eyes, he considers CNN just as bad as FOX News and MSNBC ... and any other cable news outlet, as he seems to think they're two sides of the same coin -- pounding one POV into viewers' heads.

He also gets into the dreary approach to news coverage in general -- constantly harping on negative stories like fires, racial tension and the pandemic. Bill says if he ran a news show, he'd go with the 1-step forward, 2-steps back approach ... giving a positive story every now and then instead of making people want to put a "gun in their mouth," as he puts it.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour just told viewers she has ovarian cancer -- something she says she'll likely be able to survive ... all due to early detection.

The network's chief international affairs anchor broke the news Monday, announcing she'd recently been diagnosed ... adding that the reason she's been away from work lately is because she had "successful major surgery" to nip it in the bud.

Christiane says she's confident about the outcome, even as she begins several months of chemotherapy to deal with the cancer doctors weren't able to surgically remove.

As for her optimism -- CA attributes that to the fact that she found the cancer early via medical tests/screenings. Christiane made a plea to the women at home who might be watching ... urging them to listen to their bodies, and to get checked out early and often -- because detecting this disease as soon as possible is really half the battle.

The iconic journalist also encouraged women not to let doctors dismiss or diminish their concerns -- which seems to be getting at an important larger issue.

Jeffrey Toobin's back on the air at CNN ... 8 months after the network pulled him off the air, and The New Yorker canned him, for exposing himself during a Zoom meeting.

Toobin's back in his capacity as Chief Legal Analyst, and appeared in a "CNN Newsroom" segment Thursday with anchor Alisyn Camerota. He was discussing a legal matter, but they also had to discuss the elephant in the Zoom room, if you will.

Clearly referring to what went down -- Toobin allegedly masturbating back in October while on a Zoom call with New Yorker colleagues -- Alisyn said, "To quote Jay Leno, 'What the hell were you thinking?'"

Toobin admitted it was "deeply moronic and indefensible," and added he's been miserable since it all went down. However, he says he also started directly apologizing to his New Yorker co-workers on the day of the incident.

Toobin -- whose book "The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson" is the basis for the hit FX true crime anthology 'American Crime Story' -- also apologized to his wife and family ... and said he's working to be a better person and mentioned he's in therapy.