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The race for Mayor of Los Angeles will come to a close on Election Day Tuesday ... and lots of stars are sharing their endorsements in hopes they'll push their favorite candidate over the finish line with a victory.

Since the primaries wrapped up back in June, it's all come down to Rep. Karen Bass and Rick Caruso ... and while Bass seems to be feelin' the love in terms of cash support, Caruso has secured a ton of A-list celebrity shout-outs.

Since June, Bass' campaign has gotten donations from Ken Jeong, Natalie Portman, "Criminal Minds" star Kirsten Vangsness, and Dan Castellaneta -- the voice of Homer Simpson -- all at $1,500 each -- the maximum donation allowed.

Jane Fonda also chipped in $1,200 to Bass -- Kerry Washington and "Grey's Anatomy"s James Pickens Jr. each sent in $1K, while Chris Colfer from "Glee" and WeHo's Laugh Factory pitched in $500.

As for team Caruso, Paris Hilton's father and Kathy's husband, Rick, donated $1,500 -- as did a bunch of Hollywood execs from Warner Bros. - Discovery, Sony Music, Universal and more.

Caruso got a big celebrity endorsement Sunday from Chris Pratt ... calling him "the guy for our city."

As we reported, a slew of celebs shelled out for both Bass and Caruso during the primaries over the summer, with Tiffany Haddish, John Legend, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, and Samuel L. Jackson being a few that went team Bass ... while Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Elon Musk, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Snoop Dogg went with Caruso -- just to name a few.

Elon Musk has made good on his promise to charge Twitter users a fee ... and he's now trying to lure other customers with a celebrity sales pitch.

Musk -- who purchased the social media giant for $44 billion last month -- has officially launched Twitter Blue for $7.99 a month to users with verified accounts.

Twitter announced the move Saturday ... and tried to make it appealing to the masses with a reference to star power.

The statement began ... "Get Twitter Blue if you sign up now. Blue checkmark: Power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you follow."

The company then mentioned plans to cut half the ads and make the remaining ones much better. "Since you’re supporting Twitter in the battle against the bots, we’re going to reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant.”

It also pledged to allow users to post extended videos and give them priority rankings for quality content in the form of replies, mentions and searches.

Musk is hoping that by charging the monthly user fee he can offset the major losses he's accrued since his massive purchase of Twitter in late October.

Elon insists the San Francisco based-company is hemorrhaging $4 million a day, leading to him firing half the workforce -- or roughly 3,700 employees.

After receiving an ominous email about the pending layoffs, Twitter workers filed a class action lawsuit to try to save their jobs, arguing Musk had given them insufficient notice, which was in violation of federal and California law.

Looks like Bhad Bhabie has a future in addressing prestigious debate clubs, because she crushed it at Oxford University, and the student body greeted her with thunderous applause.

Folks at the event tell TMZ ... Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Bregoli, chatted it up with a chamber full of students Wednesday night, and it was standing room only. Some kids waited for hours in the rain to get their spot inside.

You can tell the crowd was thrilled to have her. Danielle took part in a Q&A with the president of the Oxford Union, where she spoke about her alleged abusive experience at Turn-About Ranch, what it was like becoming famous so young, making 50 million bucks on OnlyFans ... and her new scholarship fund.

Afterward, they opened up the floor to questions from students and, not shockingly, Ye was a hot topic. Gotta admit, she had a pretty funny response when asked about what she thinks of him -- shouting out the rapper's early 2000s hits, and then keeping it moving.

No, Ye's antisemitic comments didn't come up -- most likely due to the huge applause her answer drew.

Danielle's in pretty elite company -- one night before her, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai was at Oxford. BTW, similar turnout for both young women.

As we reported, Danielle was invited to speak back in September -- the Oxford Union prez offered the opportunity, saying "It would be an honour to welcome you to continue this fine tradition."

Nikolas Cruz, the monster who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The 24-year-old's sentencing was made final Wednesday ... following an emotional couple days of victims' parents and loved ones addressing Cruz directly.

Before the sentencing was handed down, the judge spoke directly to the victims and families -- reminding them that they're a part of a strong community -- adding those they've lost will never be forgotten.

As we reported, the jury recommended life in prison for Cruz in October -- they were unable to unanimously decide on the death penalty. At the time, Family members of Cruz's 17 victims were very obviously angry sitting inside the courtroom -- many shaking their heads and crying in disbelief. Cruz sat expressionless.

You'll recall, Cruz pled guilty last year to 34 counts -- 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

Elon Musk is about to throw down the guillotine at Twitter -- with layoffs expected to be announced soon ... this ahead of a crucial date when employees are due to cash in.

The NYT reports that EM may start getting rid of people as early as Saturday, with some departments due to get slimmed down more than others ... although it's unclear which ones are on the chopping block. It's also unclear how many workers, exactly, he's cutting loose.

What is reportedly happening, however, is Musk tasking managers with creating lists of subordinates they could do without -- and he apparently wants 'em gone before Tuesday.

The reason for that is interesting ... the Times says on Nov. 1, Twitter employees are apparently due to receive stock grants as part of their compensation packages. No word on what those stocks look like or how often they're dished out, but it seems Elon wants to avoid handing out any more than he needs to by trimming the fat before the deadline.

Remember, there were reports this month that Elon was aiming to reduce the Twitter workforce by as much as 75% ... but there's been conflicting accounts since, suggesting he was reconsidering. Twitter has about 7,500 full-time employees that span the globe.

While this is pretty serious news for the staff ... Elon's carrying on like usual, with a lot of deadpan humor. He tweeted Saturday that free speech was back now that people could say carbs are actually good. EM also said comedy is now legal on Twitter again -- and he even poked fun at the Twitter firing hoax last week that took some media outlets for a ride.

He clearly saw the joke in the names ascribed to the fake Twitter employees who pretended to be canned en masse. Now, though, it looks like some real job loss is on the horizon.

Multiple people are feared dead after dozens of lifeless bodies required CPR in South Korea Saturday during what appears to be a mass gathering that turned into a crowd surge.

Several videos and photos are circulating on social media right now showing countless people laid out on the floor in the streets of Itaewon -- a popular neighborhood in Seoul -- and receiving chest compressions from both first responders and bystanders alike.

The images are scary ... as a lot of these folks don't seem to have any signs of consciousness -- and you can tell how frantic of a scene it is by the reaction.

Reports on the ground say upwards of 100 people were injured total -- with a significant amount purportedly having gone into cardiac arrest as well. There are signs multiple fatalities could result from this -- some photos show cops putting tarps over what seem to be dead bodies ... but there's no official count of lives beyond just 2, per NYT.

The reason all these people congregated here is because it's one of the biggest Halloween get-togethers there in Seoul -- reports say tens of thousands of people had packed into the relatively tight alleyways, which some speculate likely triggered a stampede of some sort.

One rumor floating around -- which hasn't been substantiated -- is that the crowd crush was caused by folks rushing toward a bar there in Itaewon after word of a celeb sighting ... although it's unclear who exactly it might've been, if anyone.

S. Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has dispatched emergency services to Seoul, and the mayor is on his way back from an international trip to survey the damage and get briefed.

A Missouri radio anchor had to go live on the air to report on the St. Louis school shooting this week -- while knowing her daughter was inside the school, and being uncertain she was alive.

St. Louis-based reporter Debbie Monterrey -- who works for KMOX news -- received alarming texts from her 17-year-old, Caeli, who's a senior at the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience ... notifying her there was an intruder on campus and she was hearing loud bangs.

Her texts read ... "OMG THERE’S AN INTRUDER IN THE BUILDING," while a couple others said, "OMG IT’S NOT A DRILL," and "OMG THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF."

This was all happening while Monterrey was live on the air covering this exact incident as it was unfolding -- and she says there was actually a period of silence while she composed herself before she finally spoke again to continue her job ... keeping it together.

It sounds like she got through it, because later ... Monterrey recounted the surreal experience, saying she had to maintain her composure best she could in the moment ... adding she started crying when they cut to commercial, because she'd just learned her daughter was safe.

The 19-year-old gunman used an AR-15-style weapon to shoot and kill a student and a teacher ... while reportedly injuring seven others. He was ultimately killed by police during an exchange of gunfire.

An Amazon driver is dead after an apparent dog attack in Missouri -- with the guy's body being laid out on the owner's property for hours.

Sheriff's deputies were called out to a residential home near Excelsior Springs Monday night, where neighbors reported an Amazon van had been parked in front of a house for quite a long time, with no sign of movement or change.

When they arrived, they found the driver dead on the front lawn, with 2 aggressive dogs also roaming about the grounds near the victim's body ... according to FOX 4 Kansas City.

Officers reportedly shot one of the dogs outside, but then they both scurried inside through the home's front door. First responders later killed both animals. We don't know what breed they were, or where their owners were at the time.

Rainer Schaller -- who owns Gold's Gym, among other brands -- is still missing after his plane disappeared off the coast of Costa Rica, and his gym's parent company says the plane crashed.

The RSG Group issued a statement Monday confirming Rainer, his family and two others were on board the plane when it crashed.

There is still no official word if Rainer died ... though there are reports two bodies were found, plus luggage and pieces of the twin-engine plane.

The airplane wreckage was found at sea, so the situation does not sound good.

As we reported ... Rainer's flight disappeared overnight Friday, with the plane vanishing off the coast of Costa Rica on a flight path from Mexico.

Serena Williams is flirting with a tennis return once again -- the superstar says she is NOT retired ... and the chances of her playing are "very high."

The 23-time Grand Slam winner made the comment at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco just days ago ... and it definitely sounds like she's got the itch to pick up the racket again.

"I'm not retired," Williams said.

In fact, Serena goes on to say there's a good chance fans will be able to watch her compete again ... but followed up with a joke.

"The chances are very high," Willaims said. "You can come to my house, I got a court. I got you."

Remember ... Williams said back in August she was "evolving away" from the game of tennis after 27 years, and her last match would be at the U.S. Open.

Of course, we saw that end on an emotional note as Williams lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović ... and since then, Serena says it's been challenging to adjust to her new life.

"I did wake up the other day and I went on the court and I was like, 'Oh, for the first time in my life, I'm not playing for a competition and it felt really weird,'" she said.

"It was like the first day of the rest of my life, and so far, I am enjoying it. But, I’m still trying to find that balance."

Williams has hinted at making a return in the past -- back in September, she name-dropped Tom Brady when talking about possibly coming back.

Conor Kennedy, who briefly dated Taylor Swift, recently opened up about a scary period in his life -- one where he went overseas to fight in the war in Ukraine.

Conor took to Instagram, saying he, like many others, was moved by what was happening in Ukraine, and wanted to help -- he realized the best way to do that would be to go to the embassy and enlist.

He writes, "Going in, I had no prior military experience and wasn’t a great shot, but I could carry heavy things and learned fast. I was also willing to die there. So they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front."

Conor admits his time in the country wasn't long, but calls the experience "scary" ... adding he's lucky to have made it back alive, and "I would also take all the risks we took over again."

He's been met with an outpour of love in his comments ... with many calling him inspiration for the dangerous feat.

A suspected serial killer is in custody in Northern California -- and police say they caught the guy while he was looking for his next victim ... this after 6 lives have already been taken.

43-year-old Wesley Brownlee was arrested Saturday morning in Stockton ... where Police Chief Stanley McFadden says he appeared to be scoping out a new person to kill. Stockton PD were surveilling him and stopped Brownlee after he left his house in a car around 2 AM. Upon a search, they say they found him armed with a gun and a mask around his neck.

Chief McFadden says there's no doubt in their minds he was "out hunting" and that they stopped another killing. Brownlee was booked for homicide -- although it's unclear if all of the murders are being pinned on him right off the bat.

Six men have been slain dating back to April 2021 -- all of whom were ambushed, shot and killed. Five took place in the Stockton area up through September, and the final one happened in Oakland more than a year ago. A seventh victim, a woman, was also shot in Stockton last year, but survived. A good handful of the victims are said to be homeless.

No motive has been ascribed ... none of the victims were beaten or robbed, simply shot and killed. Eventually, police declared they had evidence linking the murders -- and announced a manhunt to find the killer ... offering up as high as a $125k reward for help from the public.

Members of the SEAL Future Foundation certainly know how to entertain dinner guests ... putting together a Michael Bay-esque demonstration while onlookers stood in shock and awe.

We've obtained footage from the dinner, held Thursday at the Newport Beach Marina, and you see a helicopter swoop down just feet above the deck of a yacht, as Navy Seals jump from the chopper to the vessel, guns drawn!!!

The soldiers sweep through the yacht, as those onboard film with their cellphones, and the helicopter dashes up and down the Marina, at times circling the boat.

As for the event, it was held at Lido Marina Village, hosted by NOBU and Lido Marina Village.

Of course, those in the Marina who might not have been privy to the demonstration were probably dumbfounded ... you hear commotion from onlookers who clearly think this is some sort of raid.

The investigation into the death of 16-year-old Kiely Rodni has wrapped, with results concluding she accidentally drowned in her vehicle after it was driven into a lake.

The Nevada Co. Sheriff's Office released Rodni's autopsy report Thursday, which says, "descendent drown in a lake while inside her vehicle." What's more ... the documents, obtained by TMZ, state there was no indication of foul play in Kiely's death.

As for the toxicology results, Rodni had both THC and ethanol in her system -- though the ethanol could have been a process of decomposition.

It was back in August when Kiely first went missing after attending a party up near Lake Tahoe, California. About two weeks later, Kiely's vehicle was found by a team of YouTube divers submerged in 14 feet of water with her body inside.

The Jan. 6 Committee is releasing new video showing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dealing with a real sh**ty situation -- as she tried to get troops and Congress back to certify the 2020 election results.

The video, more than 7 minutes long, shows the Congresswoman and Sen. Chuck Schumer in several different rooms in the Capitol -- they were being moved around for their safety, but were fully aware of how intense and dangerous the insurrection had become.

While on the phone with VP Mike Pence, Rep. Pelosi told him they had reports there was "defecation and all that kind of thing" on the floor of the House.

She and Schumer also spoke to various governors, the acting Attorney General, and the Mayor of Washington, D.C. requesting they send National Guard troops immediately.

The legislators determination to complete the vote was evident, even though ... as the Speaker put it, "It could take time to clean up the poo poo that they're making all over" the House chamber.

The jury has recommended life in prison for Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 ... and the judge is delaying sentencing until November 1.

In an emotional sentencing hearing Thursday the judge read the jury's verdict of life without parole after they were unable to unanimously decide on the death penalty.

The jury of 7 men and 5 women discussed the 24-year-old's fate Wednesday and came back with their sentence Thursday morning in a Fort Lauderdale courthouse.

Family members of Cruz's 17 victims were very obviously angry sitting inside the courtroom -- many shaking their heads and crying in disbelief. Cruz sat expressionless.

As for the delay, the judge agreed to give surviving victims a chance to be heard before the judge issues the sentence.

Cruz pled guilty last year to 34 counts -- 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

In the sentencing phase, multiple witnesses took the stand to describe the pain and horror they endured as a result of the massacre. There were cell phone videos jurors saw ... showing students hiding in fear as gunshots rang out.

Attorneys for Cruz highlighted his mental health struggles, and they called witnesses who testified his illness was triggered by his biological mother's drug use while she was pregnant.

During his courtroom appearance, he went on a bizarre rant and begged the families of the victims to give him a second chance ... claiming he wanted to be spared so he could help others.

As you know, Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland in February 2018.

It remains one of the deadliest high school shootings in U.S. history.

In a separate case, Cruz also pled guilty to assault and battery charges for attacking a jail guard in 2018 after the whole thing was caught on camera.