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Jane Fonda's "Fire Drill Fridays" arrest streak is over -- she avoided handcuffs this week, but only at the behest of the climate change movement for which she's become the face ... TMZ has learned.

The actress showed up Friday in Washington, D.C. and -- like she has week after week -- she urged Congress to act on climate change. Then she started marching with other protesters, and this is usually when police step in and issue 3 warnings ... before taking Jane and others into custody.

But, it never happened. Jane simply got into a waiting SUV and bounced.

Why? Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... protest organizers urged Jane not to get arrested for what would have been her 5th time in as many weeks because she risked more than a month in jail. Jane currently has an open court date later this month, stemming from her third arrest, and because of that she could have faced 30 to 90 days behind bars.

We're told the "Fire Drill Fridays" folks made it clear to Jane she was more valuable to the them leading the weekly protest -- drawing a spotlight to the cause -- than she would be rotting in a jail cell.

Ben & Jerry's cofounders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield also joined Jane. So far, they have avoided getting hauled away. We're told the police appear to be giving everyone a pass this week because the dozens of weekly arrests just become a nuisance for law enforcement.

To that point, Ben and Jerry definitely charmed at least one Secret Service agent on the scene with their weapon of choice ... a cup of their world famous ice cream. Brilliant move.

As we've reported here, here, here and here ... the protests were inspired by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg. Jane's 4th arrest last week meant she had to spend a night in jail.

Celebrities alike have joined Jane at the nation's capital and see the arrest as a badge of honor. Jerry told us earlier this week on "TMZ Live" it didn't take much pressure from Jane to join her on the frontlines.

As you probably know by now ... Ben & Jerry's have been calling for climate change action for YEARS now. They even launched a Save Our Swirled flavor to shine a spotlight on saving the planet.

Well, here it is. 14 years ago today, we pushed a button and TMZ.com went live and has been on a wild ride ever since.

We have broken thousands of stories over the years, many of which we can proudly say have changed the political and social climate. Our Ray Rice story had profound implications on the way the NFL and others deal with domestic violence. Our Donald Sterling story changed basketball for the better.

Some of the stories we've posted have been jaw-dropping. Those of us who worked at TMZ back in June 2009 were thunderstruck when we realized Michael Jackson was dead, and our investigation into doctors who enabled the singer was super disturbing.

Check out just a few of the stories we've broken that have made national and in many cases world news.

Sometimes you just know. When we got the Beyonce/Jay-Z elevator video back in May 2014, we knew it would generate crazy interest. What caused Solange to attack Jay, and how do you deconstruct Bey's reaction? Bey and Jay eventually righted the ship, and now all's well.

Click here to read more!

Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice got in trouble for attacking his girlfriend, but the public had no idea how serious it was until we got video of Ray viciously knocking out his fiancee in an elevator. The story hit like an atomic bomb. Prosecutors gave Rice a slap on the wrist, and the NFL gave him a measly 2-game suspension, which it later increased after a torrent of public criticism. The story triggered big changes in the way the NFL and other sports deal with domestic violence.

Click here to read more!

Michael Jackson long had trouble with drugs but kept a lot of it hidden from public view. On June 25, 2009, we got a tip he went into cardiac arrest and made about a hundred calls and eventually determined he was dead. After we broke the death story, the L.A. Times posted a story that Jackson was in a coma. The rest of the media had to then choose ... who to believe.

A Brooklyn home featured on the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire" is up for grabs ... and any Nucky, Chalky, Mickey or Lucky buyer out there can scoop it up for more than a million dollars less than it was last year.

The Park Slope house -- which was also featured in the 1993 Martin Scorcese film, "The Age of Innocence" -- was fittingly built in 1900 and is a 5-story, 8,014-square-foot family dwelling with 5 beds and 5.5 baths.

It ain't cheap -- currently listed at $7.51 million -- but in 2018 it was priced at $8.8 mil ... seems like a deal Al Capone would be excited about.

And, get this ... it even comes with the same wallpaper the set designer used on the show.

Other features of the limestone townhouse include a 2-story kitchen, a library, a gas-burning fireplace, Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass and a private roof terrace.

"I thought the train was going to cut him in half, honestly."

That's how a city employee described the scene after he saved a man from an oncoming train after the Oakland Raiders game Sunday -- and footage of the whole ordeal is WILD.

Shortly after the Raiders beat the Lions ... a nearby Oakland BART stop was so packed with Raider fans that a man got too close to the tracks and fell.

You can see in the video how dire the situation was ... 'cause a train was barreling down on the man just seconds away from his body!!!

But, BART employee John O'Conner quickly sprang into action ... grabbing the man and pulling him off the tracks with barely a second to spare.

Afterward, O'Conner admitted to CBS SF he thought the guy was going to die.

"Everybody was telling him, ‘Get out of the trackway, a train’s coming," O'Conner said. “I thought the train was going to cut him in half, honestly ... I didn’t want to see this guy die."

Fortunately for everybody involved ... both men were okay, and cameras caught the two sharing a big embrace afterward.

As for O'Conner, BART officials say he's a Transportation Supervisor who's been working for the company for two decades ... and called the whole situation "an amazing rescue."

Eddie Murphy is deep into filming "Coming to America 2" and it's gettin' everyone plenty excited.

Eddie was on set in ATL in full Prince Akeem garb. He's proudly wearing a New York Mets bomber jacket, with proclamations of his love of the Big Apple. You see Eddie hold a wad of cash ... presumably from scalping tickets.

Above you can see Arsenio Hall, who plays Semmi, and Paul Bates, who plays Oha, is also on-hand.

The movie is maybe the biggest remake in the works this year. People have been clamoring for the flick for years. It's scheduled to open wide in theaters in December 2020. Lots of people says it's gonna be worth the wait.

The heroic dog that helped take down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria will not be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Conan the Dog rose to fame when President Trump tweeted a picture of the K9 used in the special ops mission. He even retweeted a doctored photo of Conan being decorated with the Medal of Honor. And, the dog is going to The White House next week, so it seemed a medal was in the offing.

A Dept. of Defense spokesperson tells TMZ, animals are not eligible to receive hardware like the Medal of Honor. So, the only perk the pooch might get is something from McDonalds.

Trump said Conan was injured during the raid, but it doesn't seem like it was that bad, because she was back on active duty a day or so later.

Jane Fonda has been arrested for the FOURTH TIME in as many weeks as part of her crusade for climate change, but this time ... she'll also have to spend a night in the slammer.

Jane was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police Friday inside the Hart Senate Building. She, along with 45 others, were arrested after peacefully protesting and advocating lawmakers to finally act on climate change. The protest is part of Jane's "Fire Drill Fridays" ... an initiative inspired by Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg.

Jane proudly gave a thumbs up after she was hauled away ... and actresses Catherine Keener and Rosanna Arquette were also arrested and charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding.

Authorities have confirmed she'll spend a night in jail for this arrest.

As we've reported ... Jane's been flanked by some of her friends during theses protests, including "Law & Order" legend Sam Waterston and Ted Danson, both of whom were also arrested.

The arrest clearly hasn't put a damper on any of their moods ... Jane looks pretty damn proud of her weekly arrests. Ted and Sam also sported grins and even made jokes.

Beto O'Rourke is dropping out of the presidential race after months of struggling to regain the initial support he had after battling Ted Cruz for Senate ... a race that also ended in disappointment.

The Texas politician reportedly called it quits on gunning for POTUS mid-week as the rest of the Democratic presidential hopefuls were preparing to gather in Iowa. Beto's not expected to run for Senate in 2020 either, nor endorse anyone else anytime soon.

O'Rourke planned to announce his withdrawal Friday night in Iowa and send an email to his supporters ... this according to the NYT. In a draft of that announcement, Beto cites a lack of means to move forward successfully, but says he's proud of being an advocate for gun control and climate change.

Beto makes it official by saying ... "My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee."

His exit completes an interesting journey in which he shot out as a potential front-runner to challenge Donald Trump, but lost steam on the heels of some bizarre livesteam videos and his infamous "Vanity Fair" cover.

Beto's recent performance in the Dem debates didn't do much to gain him any affection back -- or boost his numbers -- so the writing was pretty much on the wall.

Katie Hill -- the California Congresswoman who's resigned amid a nude photos scandal -- says she's leaving because of "gutter politics," and she's taking a parting shot at prominent men in power.

Rep. Hill outlined her reasons Thursday for resigning during her farewell speech on the House floor ... blaming a "misogynistic culture" and right-wing media for stopping at nothing to sabotage her career.

Hill claims since her nude photos surfaced last week, along with allegations of 2 extramarital relationships, she's been holed up at home ... in fear for her life.

She says she's received countless vile messages -- including threats of releasing more of her private info and photos without her consent -- so she's leaving for the well-being of her loved ones and herself.

As we reported ... Hill believes the scandal that's forced her resignation was orchestrated by her allegedly "abusive," and now estranged husband, Kenny Heslep. She's also flat-out accused him of leaking of the photos, and says she's considering taking legal action.

However, during her speech, Hill made it clear there's only one investigation that deserves national attention right now ... and it's the impeachment inquiry of President Trump. The house voted Thursday, as expected, overwhelmingly in favor of going forward with the impeachment inquiry, which will now include open hearings.

The wildfires raging in California are forcing tons of farm animals to be packed up and moved to safety ... including a pig in a blanket who can play the piano.

Nearly 200 animals are being evacuated to Pierce College in Woodland Hills -- it has an agricultural program -- and the farm manager on campus, Marcie Sakadjian, tells us they've run out of room to keep the displaced critters.

Pierce College works in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control ... the institution started taking in large animals evacuated from the Getty Fire earlier this week, and more started showing up today as a result of the Easy Fire in the Simi Valley.

We're told Pierce College is housing about 170 animals on its 30-acre farm -- mostly horses in addition to goats, alpacas and a pig who arrived with a blanket and a piano. Seriously.

The piano-playing pig, Romeo, is a 15-year-old potbelly and his owner tells us he can also play the tambourine. We're told Romeo's been lifting the spirits of the Pierce College volunteers by playing his unique brand of music. Yes, Romeo's getting piggy with it.

Pierce College is housing the animals in 3 large barns, and we're told the school recently built about 50 temporary pens that are coming in handy. Students, staff and volunteers are working around the clock to feed and take care of the animals, and the good news is the critters are showing up in good health with no signs of burns from the fires.

With Pierce College at capacity, we're told other large animals are being evacuated to another location in Ventura County.

Meanwhile, an alpaca farm in Somis, CA -- about 7 miles West of the Easy Fire -- is preparing to evacuate its 38 alpacas, 2 dogs and 4 cats ... this according to "Alpacas & Beyond" owner Kim Marziole. She says 3 of the alpacas are special needs animals.

It sounds like a crazy scene at the alpaca farm ... we're told there's horses running around on the loose and smoke is filling the air surrounding the farm.

A horse is being hailed a hero after it ran into a treacherous situation to save his/her fellow horses from being burned up in one of the SoCal fires.

The dramatic footage was shot Wednesday morning as Good Samaritans worked to corral horses to safety as they tried to escape the fast-approaching Easy Fire in Simi Valley.

You can see one of the horses all but ready to get loaded onto a trailer when it busted a 180 and ran back to the foothills to save 2 confused horses caught in the chaos.

According to CBS News ... multiple horses and small animals were led to safety. Unfortunately, a 28-year-old mare needed to be euthanized on scene after breaking her two front legs from running away from the fire.

Nearby ranchers were also swiftly moving to evacuate their horses ... and the scene's pretty heartbreaking. As we reported ... the Easy Fire was triggered around 6 AM and, in just a few hours, it torched nearly 1,000 acres.

Jeffrey Epstein's family is still waiting to hear about DNA evidence to prove he wasn't murdered -- evidence they've been demanding for more than 2 months, according to the family's forensic expert.

Dr. Michael Baden, a pioneer in forensics, says the family hired him to observe the autopsy that was conducted on August 11 ... the day after Epstein was found dead in his prison cell. Dr. Baden was on FOX News Wednesday, and he confirmed something TMZ first reported more than 2 months ago.

Baden says fractures in Epstein's neck are more consistent with homicide than suicide by hanging. Specifically, he says the hyoid bone (in the Adam's apple area) and 2 bones next to his thyroid cartilage were broken ... fractures common in strangulation. As we told you, those breaks are extremely rare in hangings.

Beyond the bones, Baden says the family had asked for DNA testing results from Epstein's fingernails -- which could show if he fought back against someone choking him to death -- and from the sheets he allegedly used to hang himself. Baden says the family wants to know if someone else tied the sheets together.

Baden says, immediately after the autopsy, the Medical Examiner said more information was needed to determine the cause of death -- presumably including that DNA testing.

He says the family doesn't understand why the ME suddenly announced, just 4 days later, it was suicide by hanging -- especially because the family never got the requested DNA results.

The Navy SEAL credited with firing the fatal shots on Osama Bin Laden says the killing of ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, should make Americans feel a sense of pride ... and he wants us all to bask in the glory.

We got retired SEAL, Robert O'Neill, at Reagan Airport in D.C. and he told us he's a little jealous he wasn't on the ground in Syria when U.S. forces took out the world's top terror leader.

Robert says he couldn't be prouder of all the brave men, women and K-9s who carried out the stealth mission ... and he recounts what it feels like to kill a notorious terrorist.

While Robert admits the fight against ISIS and Al-Qaeda is far from over ... he thinks it's important for Americans to pat themselves on the back for this huge victory, and he hopes those involved in the mission can come home and be with their families.

No word if al-Baghdadi's killers took a page from Robert's book and bumped The Game's "Red Nation" before the raid.

L.A. Firefighters desperately needing rest after battling the huge wildfires can hunker down on a very famous piece of property ... the Getty Center museum.

The blaze, dubbed the Getty Fire, is burning in the hills surrounding the world-renowned art museum -- but so far the Getty Center is safe, and it's hosting firefighters for rest breaks ... according to Lisa Lapin, VP for communications at Getty.

The museum is offering weary firefighters a place to shower, sleep and grab some food whenever they need a break. Law enforcement sources tell us all the firefighters are still on the front lines, battling the blaze and haven't taken breaks yet -- but the museum is standing by for when they do.

The Getty Center is built to be fireproof and earthquake-proof, so it's the safest spot in the region for firefighters to take 5.

Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet and Édouard Manet are some of the famous artists whose works are on display at the museum ... and the Getty Center tells us their art collections and archives have been closed and sealed off so smoke from the fire cannot get in and damage the art.

The Getty Fire has already torched 500 acres and prompted tons of mandatory evacuations ... including the home of NBA superstar LeBron James.

Jeff Bezos can no longer claim he's the richest person on Earth ... the distinction now belongs to Bill Gates.

The Amazon honcho lost his title during after-hours trading Thursday, according to Forbes, when the company's shares plummeted 7 percent, dropping Bezos' fortune to a paltry $103.9 BILLION. How will he ever survive?!?

Bill's net worth stands at $105.7 billion, meaning Jeff is now looking up for the first time in over a year. The horror.

The stock market isn't the only reason Jeff is now No. 2 ... he could still be on top if not for this year's insanely costly divorce with ex-wife MacKenzie, who took a huge chunk of his fortune. MacKenzie's net worth now stands at $32.7 billion, placing her among the top 20 in the world.

As we've reported ... Jeff and MacKenzie split following what they called a trial separation, and Jeff is now seriously dating Lauren Sanchez.

Gates has gotta be super pumped ... he's once again the baddest billionaire on the block after losing the world's richest label to Bezos in 2018 after holding the title for 24 years.

Don't shed a tear for Bezos ... he could soon reclaim the top spot if Amazon stock is able to bounce back.

Originally Published -- 10:24 AM PT

The famous Gentle Barn went under evacuation because of California's devastating Tick Fire ... but some of the older animals are still in harm's way.

While a majority of the creatures who call The Gentle Barn home have made it to safety ... founder Ellie Laks tells us staff members are staying behind with several animals who were unable to escape.

We're told Zeus, a famous 12-year-old pig, and Forgiveness, a 3,000-pound cow, couldn't climb a ladder to safety ... so they were forced to stay back with staffers, who are keeping them contained in a safety fence.

Check out the video ... you see Zoe the horse blanching when handlers tried to get her in the trailer. We're told Zoe was just too terrified.

11 animals remained on property at The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita ... including a bunch of potbelly pigs. Several workers spent the night with the critters who couldn't make it out.

Even some of the evacuated animals are not in the clear ... goats and sheep were taken to an "unsafe zone" where coyotes and bobcats roam. Gentle Barn workers are watching over them, and we're told they're searching for a safer area to hold the animals.

The good news ... the Tick Fire is moving away from The Gentle Barn ... but we're told staff remains on high alert and they've got their hands full assisting animals at various locations. The fire is only 5 percent contained and 50,000 residents have been evacuated.

The Gentle Barn is super popular with famous folk ... Moby and Daisy Fuentes tried to help in the evacuation, however, we're told Moby was stopped from entering the property by firefighters.