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Gay marriage, which is on the U.S. Supreme Court's chopping block, may have gotten a reprieve, because the United States Senate just voted to create significant same-sex marriage protections into federal law ... and even a number of conservatives gave a thumbs up.

The vote was lopsided --  61-to-36 -- with 12 Republican senators voting in favor during Tuesday night's vote. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was NOT among them.

The House of Representatives has already passed a bill protecting gay marriage, but the Senate added a provision that religious organizations won't have to open their door for gay marriage. The bill now goes back to the House to approve the change.

The House is expected to approve the change and it will then go to Biden's desk for signature. Biden said earlier this month ... "Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love."

The bill does not create a mandate that all states must legalize same-sex marriage. What it does is require every state to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. So, Alabama does not allow gay people to marry within its borders, but if 2 gay people got married in California and moved to Alabama, they would have all the legal protections that a straight couple would have.

The clock has been ticking ... Republicans will control the house in January, so the fate of the bill would be dicey ... and that's why there's a swift move to sign the bill.

Cops investigating the murder of a 15-year-old girl's grandparents and mother don't believe the teen was complicit in their killings in a stunning catfishing case ... and are urging other possible victims of the man responsible to come forward.

Riverside PD Officer Ryan Railsback tells TMZ his department has no reason to believe the publicly unidentified teen who came into contact with Austin Lee Edwards last week is anything other than a victim at this time given her age and the evidence they've gathered.

RPD won't yet say whether the teen was abducted or went voluntarily with Edwards, as they don't have enough information.

As for Edwards -- a cop from Virginia who's said to have driven cross-country to meet the girl -- Railsback doesn't believe it was his first time committing a catfishing-type crime.

We're told the cops think there could be some pattern of behavior from his past that could help explain things ... so they're investigating any digital fingerprints that he may have left on his phone, computer, or any social media sites he used.

At the moment, we're told cops don't know how Edwards first connected with the teen, or what may have caused him to kill her family and set their home on fire.

Edwards was involved in a shootout with cops Friday after a 911 call came in about a distressed teen in his car ... he was killed in the gunfire, and the teen was uninjured.

Autopsy results have not yet been released regarding the girl's mother's and grandparents' cause of death.

A pilot and a passenger are hospitalized in serious condition Monday after an insane plane crash, but they're clearly counting their blessings.

The small plane hit an electrical tower Sunday afternoon in Montgomery County, Maryland and became lodged in the structure, 100 feet above the ground. It appears the pilot was on final approach to a nearby airport, although it's unclear if he simply misjudged the altitude or experienced a mechanical problem. Visibility was poor because of fog.

It took rescuers 7 hours to remove the pilot and passenger from the precariously mounted aircraft as they gingerly went about extricating them.

Both were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries -- trauma and orthopedic injuries as well as hypothermia.

The crash knocked out power to 120,000 customers in the area.

In order to rescue the occupants, clamps were mounted on the cables to prevent static electricity from causing a catastrophe.

A man suffered a medical emergency Friday and fell onto train tracks in NYC -- but he and a police officer were miraculously saved moments before they were crushed under the wheels of an oncoming subway.

Dramatic NYPD bodycam footage captured the moment 2 officers and a Good Samaritan jumped onto the tracks to help the injured man to safety inside the East Harlem station. The cops were originally on the southbound platform and ran over to the northbound side after seeing the man take a tumble.

Video shows the trio lifting the man and rolling him onto the platform. The good sam and one of the officers then climbed back onto the platform. But, the other cop got stuck on the tracks as his belt was briefly caught under the platform's ledge.

Moments later, the train rolled into the station, but, thankfully, the good sam grabbed the officer's arms and hoisted him onto the platform before he was struck.

The man who fatally shot 6 of his Walmart co-workers was so angry at some of them he reportedly kept shooting them after they were already dead.

Walmart manager Andre Bing went on his Tuesday night killing rampage inside the Chesapeake, Virginia, department store ... but, for some reason he spared the life of one of his colleagues, Jessica Wilczewski.

Wilczewski gave an interview to the Associated Press, explaining she was in the employee break room when Bing entered with his semi-automatic handgun.

She said, "The way he was acting -- he was going hunting. The way he was looking at people’s faces and the way he did what he did, he was picking people out."

Wilczewski watched in horror as Bing committed overkill. "What I do know is that he made sure who he wanted dead, was dead," she said. "He went back and shot dead bodies that were already dead."

Wilczewski, who had only been working at the store for five days, said she crouched under a table to take cover when the gunfire erupted. At some point, Bing walked over to her and said, "Jessie, go home."

She then dashed out of the store before Bing killed himself with his own pistol. She later speculated Bing had spared her life because she was a new employee.

The Walmart manager who fatally shot six people inside the Virginia department store kept a manifesto on his phone -- complaining about his job and other coworkers.

Andre Bing reportedly wrote in his manifesto that he was upset about a recent, unspecified change in his employment status. He also claimed he was being harassed about the change by his fellow employees ... according to NBC News affiliate WAVY.

The report, which cites a law enforcement source, stated cops found the manifesto in Bing's phone after he killed himself following Tuesday's massacre. First responders also discovered an apparent "hit list" near Bing's body with the names of employees the killer presumably wanted to eradicate.

One of Bing's colleagues told WAVY she believes he planned the shooting, claiming he had issues with other workers.

Other colleagues told CNN Bing allegedly said he would retaliate and be remembered if he ever got fired. They described Bing as "condescending" and "quite mean" to other employees. They also said Bing was paranoid the government was watching him.

As we reported ... Bing was armed with a pistol when he entered the employee break room of the Walmart in Chesapeake, VA. He opened fire at the other workers before turning the gun on himself.

The Moscow PD just gave a much-anticipated update on the brutal killing of the 4 University of Idaho students ... and while a lot is still unanswered, cops used the time to shut down rumors that have been floating online.

Moscow PD Captian Roger Lanier spoke to the public Wednesday -- saying his team has started to cross names off the suspect list -- as many online begin to point fingers at multiple people surrounding the incident.

Captain Lanier says investigators are officially ruling out the 2 surviving roommates as suspects, same goes for the man seen in the food truck video that's been circulating on social media.

Also removed from PD's watch -- the drivers who took the victims home from their events hours before the slaying, and the friend who received frantic calls from 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves before her death.

Lanier also said they have yet to determine if Kaylee ever had a stalker -- but adds they are still looking into these claims. Rumors about victims being tied or gagged were also found by police to be false, too.

Moscow Mayor Tyler Palmer spoke during the press conference ... but began to get emotional, having to pause when talking about the 4 students.

Another mass shooting has claimed the lives of at least 7 people -- including the gunman -- this time at a Walmart in Virginia.

The shooter was an employee, possibly a manager, who entered a break room in the department store in Chesapeake, VA, Tuesday night, a law enforcement source told ABC News. He reportedly opened fire at other people before turning the gun on himself.

When the smoke cleared, 6 victims had been shot dead by the pistol-packing assailant, police said. At least 4 others are now being treated for injuries at local hospitals. Their conditions are not known.

Chesapeake Police Chief Mark G. Solesky gave a briefing Wednesday morning ... he said officers discovered the carnage at around 10:12 PM after responding to a call for an active threat situation. The scene was deemed secure about one hour later.

Solesky confirmed the shooter used a handgun to take his own life. Detectives executed search warrants at the man's home.

Investigators have not identified the victims or the shooter, whose motive is unclear.

U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) tweeted about the bloodshed ... "Sickened by reports of yet another mass shooting, this time at a Walmart in Chesapeake. I'll be monitoring developments closely."

The Army vet who stepped up and took the Colorado shooter down this weekend is still reeling from the massacre -- breaking down in tears as he recounts the blow-by-blow.

Richard Fierro was on CNN Tuesday to discuss his heroism in Colorado Springs Saturday, where he subdued suspected gunman, Anderson Lee Aldrich, with the help of other patrons at Club Q ... an LGBT-friendly establishment.

Check out how he describes the harrowing story in his own words -- it's incredibly dramatic, and it clearly still has an effect on him ... because Fierro cried several times in the interview.

Like he'd previously mentioned, RF says his military training kicked in and he went into combat mode as soon as shots started being fired ... charging the shooter and pulling him down, where they tussled on the ground until other club-goers stepped in to help.

Fierro says he told the gunman he was going to kill him as he beat him with his own gun ... furious that the guy had jeopardized the lives of his loved ones. He also describes, in tragic detail, immediately rushing to help others who'd been shot after Aldrich was arrested.

In the end, the boyfriend of Fierro's daughter, Raymond Green Vance, was one of the victims who died that night. Fierro -- who's still obviously processing his emotions -- can't believe it.

It's heartbreaking to hear Fierro's account firsthand ... he says he never wanted to do this type of thing ever again postwar, noting he gave it up for a reason, and is outraged he had to enter combat here in the States, where he says people should feel safe and secure.

There was another moving moment during Fierro's CNN interview this morning ... he talked to Club Q co-owner Nic Grzecka, who thanked him for being there and doing what he did, which undoubtedly saved countless other lives. He and Fierro talked business and inclusivity.

Five people were killed during the shooting, and dozens of others were injured. Aldrich remains hospitalized in the aftermath, but he's already facing serious charges ... including several counts of first-degree murder, among others.

The Colorado gunman who shot and killed 5 people at a nightclub egged on cops to enter his mother's home back in 2021, but vowed to blow the place sky high -- further begging the question: why wasn't he disarmed under the state's red flag law???

In the video, Anderson Lee Aldrich can be seen pacing in the house wearing tactical gear -- claiming he'll set off the alleged explosives if officers breach the building.

He then shouts out, urging cops to enter -- adding, "Let's f***ing see it!" -- as we reported, Aldrich later exited the house and turned himself over to cops. No bomb was found in the home.

Aldrich was initially charged with 2 felonies, which were later dropped ... though it's unclear why.

Incredibly, Colorado's red flag law was never enforced ... which gives authorities the power to obtain "extreme risk protection orders" and take any weapons from a potentially dangerous person.

Elon Musk's Content Moderation Council will be nothing more than a paper tiger, because the Chief Twit himself told his staff ... the ultimate power on what goes on the platform and what doesn't rests squarely with him.

New video obtained by TMZ shows Elon talking to bird app staffers Saturday in a company Zoom chat. At one point, EM touched on the Council he promised late last month.

Watch ... Elon says there will, in fact, be a Council -- but he makes it clear it's advisory only ... he will pick the members and can either accept or reject their advice ... he'll make the call.

Since announcing the Council -- which was seemingly meant to calm the waters with folks concerned about misinformation/hate speech on the platform -- Elon has made A LOT of sporadic decisions about how Twitter will work, and who gets to tweet.

He's suspended users and then reinstated them, seemingly on a whim. Over the weekend he asked users to vote on whether Donald Trump should be reinstated -- a slim majority turned thumbs up and Elon gave the green light for his return.

Two points -- first, Elon never said he'd adhere to the will of the majority ... and that's consistent with his view of the Council. Second, Trump has said he'll decline the invitation, but the reality is ... he'll almost certainly return because that's where he can reach voters.

The savage killer/killers of 4 Idaho college students spared the life of a dog at the house where the frenzied attack unfolded.

The Moscow Police Department released a statement Monday night, explaining the pooch was found uninjured the night the University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed with a combat knife. The dog was initially placed in the care of Animal Services, and then handed over to a "responsible party." Further details about the canine were not disclosed.

Meanwhile, police dismissed media reports theorizing that the quadruple homicide might have a connection to the recent killing -- and skinning -- of a mini Australian shepherd named Buddy, miles from the crime scene.

Dead animals were also discovered on another residential property, but they were victims of "wildlife activity," cops said.

Moscow PD investigators have been working with the FBI and Idaho State Police to identify the still-at-large assailant/assailants. They opened an FBI tip line requesting anyone with information on the slayings to contact them immediately.

As we reported, police found the bodies of the students inside the home after responding to a 911 call on November 13. Two surviving roommates were also present, but they were apparently asleep and not involved in the attack.

They later called friends to the house because they thought one of the victims had fallen unconscious and wouldn't wake up. Multiple people inside the house spoke with the 911 operator, using one of the roommates' cell phones.

A drag queen is one of the heroes who saved an untold number of lives after a gunman opened fire at a Colorado gay nightclub ... stomping on the gunman with her high heels.

Army vet Richard Fierro -- who'd gone to Club Q in Colorado Springs with his family Saturday -- pounced on suspected shooter Anderson Lee Aldrich when the bullets started to fly ... this according to the NY Times.

Fierro clearly knew the drill -- subdue and disarm. As he struggled with Aldrich on the ground, he screamed for backup.

That's when a drag queen at the club ran over and began pummeling the shooter with her high heels. This gave Fierro a clear path, beating Aldrich with his own gun and repeatedly punching him into submission.

Fierro told the NYT he thought he killed him.

Cops swooped in and took Aldrich into custody. Fierro was also taken into custody amid the chaos, but was released an hour later. By all accounts, he's a hero, as is the drag queen.

And there's a tragic twist ... Fierro's daughter's boyfriend Raymond Green Vance, was killed in the massacre.

Turns out the 911 call that reported the slaughter of 4 University of Idaho students came from the cell phone of one of the surviving roommates ... but police aren't saying who called.

The City of Moscow PD clarified its prior statements late Saturday, acknowledging the phone that was used to make the call, but adding, "the identity of the caller has not been released."

It's unclear why cops don't want the ID known, but they have gone back and forth about whether the community is safe, given that the killer/killers are still on the loose.

Police have said they don't believe the surviving roommates were involved in the stabbings. What's puzzling ... authorities believe the murders occurred sometime around 3 AM, but the 911 call wasn't made until noon -- 9 hours later.

Weirdly, the 911 call -- logged at 11:58 AM, November 13 -- requested assistance for an unconscious person ... yet police say it was a bloodbath inside, with blood seeping through the walls onto the exterior of the house.

A big clue seems to be a series of calls made shortly after the victims returned home ... one of them called a guy named Jack a total of 7 times while another tried 3 times, but police offered no further information.

Detectives are on the hunt for surveillance video from 3 AM to 6 AM Sunday, November 13. They're looking at nearby businesses and homes in the area.

It appears some of the victims put up a fight, given they had defensive wounds. Police believe the victims were asleep when the attack began. Police said early on this was a "targeted" attack.

Cops have not found the murder weapon, although they have checked local businesses to see if a Rambo-like knife had been recently sold.

CBS has started what could be a devastating ripple effect on Twitter ... hitting the pause button, indefinitely, on posting new tweets amid uncertainty under Elon Musk's stewardship.

The network's news division, CBS News, announced Friday it'd be suspending all Twitter activity from its official profiles as it continues to monitor things. CBS News says it's doing this out of an abundance of caution and in light of all the tumultuous updates.

Word of CBS News' decision was first reported Friday during that night's broadcast of "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell," during which reporter Jonathan Vigliotti seemingly announced the move on behalf of the entire company. CBS confirmed it shortly thereafter.

Vigliotti was reporting on the rumored chaos at the bird app's HQ ... where a majority of employees are said to have quit recently, leaving Twitter as a bare-bones operation and at risk of completely shutting down. That hasn't happened quite yet, but the fear is there.

CBS News's last original tweet links to a story about ex-WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki's failed effort to quash a subpoena she's been roped into. The account also retweeted a TV segment discussing the DOJ's new special counsel investigating Trump. Both of those were posted almost a full 24 hours ago, and CBS News hasn't tweeted anything new since.

Ditto for local affiliates, it seems. KPIX -- the Bay Area's CBS News arm -- hasn't tweeted anything since yesterday either ... and that policy seems to apply to most, if not all, of CBS's stations across the country. We should note, they're still posting stories to their home pages.

The reason this is a big deal -- assuming it carries on for an extended amount of time -- is because Twitter has become the go-to source for news ... not just for users, but for news organizations themselves. A lot of outlets rely on Twitter to get news out quickly, not to mention the traffic captured as one of the key social media sites and the wide reach it carries.

CBS News refusing to tweet is a major statement, and if it catches on among other big publishers ... it could make Twitter even less relevant, sparking a true mass exodus.

A truck that had malfunctioned during a parade route in North Carolina hit a young woman in a freak accident ... only to have been stopped in its tracks by a group of brave men.

This incident went down Saturday morning near downtown Raleigh, where the annual Christmas parade was being held. Around 10:25 AM ET, a lifted pickup truck that was pulling one of the floats failed to slow down as it was trailing a dance group full of young people.

The driver was reportedly blasting his horn and shouting at people to clear the lane, as he had lost control of the vehicle and couldn't stop. It seems the brakes may have failed.

Videos of the truck wading through is absolutely terrifying, as no one seems to know what's going on or if it's part of the parade or not. It definitely wasn't ... and the truck rolled on and began picking up speed. Some of the dancers were reportedly as young as 5 years old.

Reports say the truck started to hit a downhill area just after the intersection of Hillsborough Street and Boylan Ave. -- and after the crowd realized what was happening ... cops and other bystanders sprung into action, running in front of the truck and pushing back on it.

About 6 men, including 2 cops, halted the truck to a standstill ... at which point the driver was able to exit. Some damage had already been done though -- at least one girl, who was with the dance troupe, was struck and hospitalized. The extent of her injuries are unknown.

The rest of the parade was canceled and an investigation is underway.