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French Montana is looking out for the next generation and paying it forward in his home country of Morocco by footing the bill for 2 preschool classrooms.

The "Unforgettable" rapper is working with the Sabae School of Fida-Mers Sultan district ... and we're told his donation will be able to provide supplies and sustain the classrooms for at least a few years.

French grew up in Morocco and moved to the United States when he was 13. In June, he became a U.S. Citizen, but it's clear he hasn't forgotten his roots.

French's investment in education comes on the heels of the $500k he raised to help build a hospital in Uganda. The hospital opened in March and it's now servicing more than 300,000 women in 40 villages.

His latest act of altruism also follows his label boss, Diddy, announcing a new charter school in the Bronx.

Al Roker got the last laugh in the Megyn Kelly disaster because sources connected with the network tell us, Roker will be back in the anchor chair during the 9 AM hour ... after being replaced by Kelly last year.

Our network sources tell us, the network will go back to its tried-and-true formula of using existing NBC talent for the 9 AM show, and Roker will be a big part of that.

Al had the 9 AM hour, but last year he was taken off the show ... to make room for Megyn later that year. We're told Al was bitterly disappointed but still gracious.

Her ratings have been a disaster, affecting the show that followed with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford.

As you know ... Roker called out Kelly for her blackface comment ... something that was a factor in Kelly's exit.

The Monday show was anchored by Hoda and Al ... Hoda said today begins "a new chapter." It's unclear if Hoda will also be part of the 9 AM team. It seems unlikely, because she's already on from 7 - 9 AM and again at 10 AM.

Megyn's exit deal is being negotiated. TMZ broke the story ... she's asking for $50 million to settle up. She was pulling in $25 million a year.

Stacey Abrams already has Hollywood in her corner in her bid to be Georgia's new governor -- and now she's got one of its leading men canvassing for her ... Mr. Will Ferrell.

Will was on the ground this weekend, going door-to-door for Abrams' Democratic campaign and encouraging people to vote early. He was definitely in good spirits about it too -- flashing a thumbs up with a clipboard in hand and a "Stacey Abrams for Governor" T on.

Ferrell even gave his official pitch for Abrams in a video posted to the official Georgia Democrat Twitter account, telling young voters to turn out for issues that affected them.

This definitely isn't the first sign of Tinseltown backing the GA governor hopeful. We broke the story ... Abrams has received tons of financial donations to her campaign from folks like John Legend, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Jada Pinkett Smith and more.

3:35 PM PT -- The Anti-Defamation League says the shooting is believed to be the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

2:40 PM PT -- U.S. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, issued a statement, saying in part: "Hatred and violence on the basis of religion can have no place in our society. These alleged crimes are reprehensible and utterly repugnant to the values of this nation. Accordingly, the Department of Justice will file hate crimes and other criminal charges against the defendant, including charges that could lead to the death penalty."

2:20 PM PT -- Officials say 3 handguns and an assault rifle were found at the scene, and the suspect, Robert Bowers, is in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds.

1:10 PM PT -- Press conference with the Allegheny Director of Public Safety ... 11 fatalities and 6 injuries, 4 of the injuries were officers shot. There weren't any children injured or killed.

12:30 PM PT -- At least 10 dead, according to officials.

12:05 PM PT -- Pittsburgh public safety director Wendell Hissrich says there are 6 injuries, and 4 of them are officers. He described the crime scene as "horrific" and said the synagogue shooting is being considered a hate crime and will fall under federal investigation.

10:45 AM PT -- The suspected gunman has been identified by law enforcement officials as 46-year-old Robert Bowers.

9:15 AM PT -- We've seen what looks like the shooter's social media page, and it says "Jews are the children of Satan." His last post reads, "I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."

The shooter is reportedly a member of Gab, an alternative social media site frequented by white supremacists.

10:00 AM PT -- Donald Trump just said the shooting could have been prevented if someone inside the temple had a gun. He then weirdly talks about the death penalty, as if that might have prevented the shooting.

A gunman opened fire at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh during a prayer service, 4 people are confirmed dead, and this was clearly an anti-Semitic attack.

The shooter entered the Tree of Life Congregation and began spraying bullets. According to cops, the shooter came with an AR-15 and said, "All Jews need to die."

When cops arrived, the shooter began firing at them. According to CNN, at least 3 cops have been shot.

Authorities believe as many as 8 people from the synagogue might be dead, and at least 12 have been shot.

Carnegie Mellon University, which is near the temple, is on lockdown.

Authorities have the shooter in custody.

Megyn Kelly's spectacular fall at NBC will NOT affect the movie about Roger Ailes that features her ... because we're told her character as written is "very flawed" and consistent with what people know.

Sources connected with the production tell TMZ, Megyn's character, played by Charlize Theron, will not be rewritten in the wake of her racially insensitive comment that ultimately did her in at the Peacock network.

We've spoken with people who have read the script and they say Megyn is not portrayed as a hero in the story of FNC honcho Roger Ailes and a pattern of sexual harassment that went on for years.

We're told the script for the movie -- with the working title, "Fair and Balanced," showcases Megyn as "ambitious, hard-working and not highly intelligent." It's unclear from the script if her character is self-serving or righteous.

Kelly has said, during her tenure at FNC, Ailes tried to physically grab her and make out with her. She has said Ailes made lewd jokes and sexually suggestive comments to her. She says after repeatedly rebuffing his overtures, he asked her when her contract was up. Kelly never gave in and kept her job.

We're told Kelly's character does not come off as "an Erin Brockovich." She doesn't come off as a hero or, as one person who read the script said, "It's not like you say, 'Oh my God I love that girl!'"

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a scare Friday when their plane was forced to abort its landing in Sydney ... because another plane was on the runway.

You see in the video the Qantas plane just seconds from landing at Sydney Airport when it suddenly throttles up and regains altitude.

Gotta give credit to the pilot who put a good face on the emergency ... according to BBC journalist Simon Atkinson who was on board, the pilot told passengers, "You'll get another great view of the harbour."

Megyn Kelly is a day away from settling with NBC, and we've just learned something shocking -- NBC was paying her $25 million a year and the network may end up settling for close to $50 MILLION.

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ ... Megyn's deal is 3 years firm, and she has around 1 year and 10 months to go. We're told her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is going to have a call with NBC brass tomorrow and demand the network pay her full remaining salary, or face a lawsuit.

We're told Freedman's case is that Kelly was targeted early on after she made critical remarks about Matt Lauer on her show after he was fired for sexual harassment. Lauer was well-liked at NBC, and the staff and talent became royally pissed off at Kelly because they felt she was attacking Lauer "with glee."

Our sources say Kelly believes her comments about NBC News Chairman Andy Lack pissed off Lack and other brass, and they had it out for her.

As for ending the relationship over her blackface comment, Kelly and Freedman will argue she was treated with gross unfairness, pointing to a town hall meeting Wednesday where NBC talent, including Al Roker, blasted her and she wasn't invited to defend herself.

They also point to other NBC talent that got a pass for insensitive comments, such as Joy Reid, who made homophobic comments in a blog before she started at MSNBC, but was never punished.

And, TMZ can confirm, attorney Freedman sent an email to NBC News Prez Noah Oppenheim saying he wanted a face-to-face to discuss a settlement and wanted Ronan Farrow in the room. Farrow is about to release a book highly critical of NBC and the way it handled his Harvey Weinstein reporting. NBC shut down that request.

We're told the showdown between NBC brass and Freedman will go down Friday during a phone call.

There are a lot of pissed off NBC staffers, who are watching the network cut costs left and right, yet they made a $75 million deal with Kelly to do 2 shows, neither of which showcased the skill set that made her famous.

Newt Gingrich does not seem to lay any blame at the doorstep of 1600 Pennsylvania for the recent bomb attacks ... he's more focused on the media, Maxine Waters, and Robert De Niro.

We got the former Speaker of the House Thursday morning in D.C., and didn't exactly say the people who received the bombs were asking for it ... but he's in that vicinity.

Gingrich, an FNC contributor, is towing the Trump party line ... don't talk about Trump's words -- e.g., celebrating a Congressman body slamming a reporter -- focus on the media and his critics.

Dan Abrams says there's plenty to be scared about in this country in the wake of a spate of attempted bomb attacks ... because all signs point to a single, demented individual.

We got the host of "Live PD" Thursday AM in NYC, and he was quick to say it's dangerous stuff to assume the bombings are some sort of organized, widespread attack. Dan's view seems to be what authorities believe ... that the bombs are all identical in nature, and seem to be the work of a single individual.

A 21-year-old University of Utah track star was abducted and shot to death on campus late Monday night -- and her parents believe it was all because she discovered a horrible secret about the killer.

Lauren McCluskey -- a 2017 honorable mention Pac-12 All-Academic -- had been dating a man named Melvin Rowland for about a month ... until Oct. 9, when she found out he was a registered sex offender.

Lauren's parents say, while the two were dating, Rowland had lied to her about his name, his age and his criminal history, which included a 2004 conviction for attempted forcible sex abuse and enticing a minor over the internet.

Fast forward to Monday night at 8 PM when Lauren was talking with her mother on the phone while leaving campus ... and she was abducted in a school parking lot.

"Suddenly, I heard her yell, "No, no, no!" Lauren's mother says ... "I thought she might have been in a car accident. That was the last I heard from her. My husband called 911."

Lauren was found shot to death in her car. Witnesses report hearing several gunshots. Cops launched an all-out manhunt for the suspect and tracked him down outside of a church in Salt Lake City.

Cops say Rowland forced his way inside the building early Tuesday morning and shot himself to death.

School president Ruth V. Watkins announced all classes Tuesday have been canceled and an on-campus vigil is being set for Wednesday evening.

"As a campus community, we share grief over this tragic loss of life," Watkins wrote ... "Our deepest sympathy is extended to Lauren’s family and friends."

Police were dispatched to billionaire Democratic philanthropist George Soros' home after an explosive device was found in his mailbox ... and there's suspicion the culprits may be part of right wing extremists.

The Bedford Police Department got a call from one of Soros' employees ... saying an explosive device was found Monday at his home in a suburb north of NYC. Cops say the employee opened the package and discovered the contraption.

A flood of local and federal agents responded to the scene -- including folks from ATF and the FBI -- and bomb squads were reportedly able to disarm it by proactively detonating it.

Soros was not home at the time ... and the FBI is on the hunt.

The well-known Dem has incurred the ire of many extreme right-wing groups, and has also been target of anti-Semites. He donates lots of money to Democratic candidates and progressive causes ... as well as more than $18 billion to his Open Society Foundations to promote democracy worldwide.

It's pretty clear now ... the Saudis planned to kill Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi from the get-go, because they had a decoy ready, complete with disguise.

There's surveillance video, obtained by CNN, showing Mustafa al-Madani -- apparently part of the hit squad that tortured and killed Khashoggi -- strolling around a famous Turkish Mosque just hours after Khashoggi entered the Saudi Embassy.

Al-Madani was wearing a fake beard and wearing the same outfit as Khashoggi. The 2 men are roughly the same height and weight.

The former head of the RNC doesn't believe a word of Saudi Arabia's explanation of how journalist Jamal Khashoggi died, and he doesn't buy Trump's denial of financial ties there.

We got Michael Steele Saturday at the L.A. Convention Center during Politicon 2018 and asked what he made of Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor insisting that Khashoggi had gotten into a fist fight inside the country's consulate in Turkey ... which led to his death.

It's clear he thinks the Saudi Arabian goverment's full of it -- as he describes just how unlikely it is for such a scenario to play out ... especially in light of how brutal his murder has been described by Turkish officials. He's said to have been dismembered.

Ben Stein says the guy who attacked Mitch McConnell Friday night is like a brownshirt in the early days of the Nazi Party.

We got Ben Saturday at Politicon in L.A., and he was disgusted by the video TMZ posted, showing a restaurant patron verbally assaulting McConnell and his wife at a Louisville, Kentucky restaurant. The person who shot the video told us before the attack, the patron grabbed McConnell's doggie bag and threw it out the door.

Ben is consistent ... saying the verbal assault against Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats are just as bad as what happened to the Majority Leader.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, is outraged at this weekend's verbal assault against Senator Mitch McConnell, saying attacks like this will make politicians hostages in their own homes.

We got the former Gov on Saturday at Politicon in L.A., and he was clearly upset by what went down Friday night at a Louisville, Kentucky restaurant, where a patron apparently slammed his fists down on the table where McConnell and his wife were sitting, grabbed his doggie bag, and threw the food out the door ... then started to berate the Majority Leader.

Christie says, if politicians isolate themselves from the public out of fear they'll be assaulted, then we all lose.

Check out how Christie invokes the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... this in response to whether McConnell should have struck back.

Dozens of college students were injured when a floor collapsed Saturday night during a dance party ... and it was caught on video.

It's shocking to watch, as students plummet from the first floor into the basement of an apartment. Some of the students tried to jump to safety as the floor gave way ... mostly to no avail.

It appears as many as 30 people were injured and taken to the hospital for various injuries. Police say none of the injuries were life threatening.

Check out the aftermath video ... you hear students screaming in shock, not processing what had happened.

The incident occurred in a clubhouse at the apartment complex, a couple of miles from Clemson Univ.

One student said he felt something "weird" just before the collapse and suddenly the guy behind him just disappeared.