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Erin Brockovich -- the famous paralegal turned activist who helped a massive PG&E scandal in the '90s -- has seen the aftermath in East Palestine ... and according to her, it's grim.

We got Erin at LAX Friday, where she'd just arrived from a visit in Ohio ... meeting and helping folks while surveying the damage and assessing the needs of the community. As she put it to us flatly, the situation is dire there ... and residents are without clear answers.

Based on what EB's seen, she says the area -- including groundwater and residential wells -- is very much contaminated ... despite government agencies and other politicians trying to tell the folks living there otherwise. Erin says there's contradictory information flying all over.

She even describes some symptoms of sickness she says she felt just by being in East Palestine for an extended period of time -- and it sounds very hazardous and dangerous.

So, on the question of next steps ... Erin says a lot of people living in the town have already lawyered up, which is her specialty. Apparently, there are massive class action lawsuits in the works, and it sounds like Norfolk Southern -- the company whose train derailed -- might have to pay out the nose for damages these people are alleging ... assuming they settle.

Two teens led police on a wild high-speed car chase through Minneapolis that ended with them crashing through an overpass railing and tumbling down an embankment ... and it was all caught on video.

Check out this surveillance footage showing the 14-year-old driver and 15-year-old passenger in a Kia ... racing along Interstate 94 as police gave chase. The Minnesota state trooper tried to pull over the stolen Kia, but the driver kept going, reaching speeds of 94 MPH.

At some point, the Kia lost control during the pursuit and crashed through the fence of the overpass, flipping over on the embankment. The teens ran across the busy highway from the wreckage, but police soon captured them. It's unclear what charges they may face.

Matthew McConaughey and his wife were on board the Lufthansa flight that sent 7 to the hospital after plummeting thousands of feet in severe turbulence ... and she's detailing their frightening experience.

Camila Alves McConaughey shared a pic of the damage aboard Lufthansa's flight 469 after pilots were forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday in Washington D.C. -- they'd taken off from Austin, TX bound for Germany before the turbulence and drastic drop in altitude.

Camila's photo shows the cabin in complete disarray, with food and cloth all over the place. She says she was told the aircraft dropped almost 4K feet, adding "everything was flying everywhere."

She also posted an update on their rescheduled flight, which got off to a troubling start -- the pilot told them they'd be in 45 minutes of turbulence while flying outta D.C. ... which had to trigger some PTSD for passengers on the previous flight.

Oscar Pistorius could be released from prison at the end of this month ... the ex-Olympic sprinter is now up for parole in South Africa -- 10 years after he killed his girlfriend.

A hearing will go down on March 31, according to Pistorius' attorney, Julian Knight ... who added that if parole is granted during the proceedings, the convicted killer could be out from behind bars that same day.

Pistorius has completed more than half of the 13-year, 5-month sentence that he was given for shooting and killing 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in Feb. 2013.

You'll recall, Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed "Blade Runner," admitted to shooting her in his South African home -- though he claimed it wasn't on purpose ... saying he thought she was an intruder. He was eventually convicted of manslaughter, which was later upgraded to murder.

According to The Independent, Steenkamp's family is against Pistorius' early release ... though South African law will allow Pistorius to seek it nonetheless, as offenders in the country can apply for parole once they've served at least half of their sentences.

Billy Bush thinks T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach clearly have something good between them, not just romantically but from a business standpoint ... so maybe a new show should be in their future -- so says Bush, who had a walk in the same shoes a few years ago.

We got the "Extra" host at LAX Thursday, and he says it's a shame they got the boot from ABC.

Billy might be the perfect person to give advice to T.J. and Amy ... as you know, NBC's "Today" pulled the plug on him back in 2016 after an infamous video/audio leaked of him and Donald Trump from back in 2005 -- laughing on a hot mic while Trump bragged about groping women.

Our photog asked Billy if he's learned his lesson about talking on a hot mic -- remember he was dragged for joking about Kendall Jenner's Halloween costume -- one where she dressed up as Jessie from "Toy Story" and there were "a lot of woodies," according to him.

Billy is unbothered, saying he will stay true to himself, whatever people think, and he clearly believes lots of folks in this country share that point of view.

The FBI recovered a trove of evidence against accused Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger at his Pennsylvania home, including a gun, knives and black face masks.

Newly unsealed search warrant docs, obtained by TMZ, show the Bureau's itemized list of property belonging to Kohberger that agents found inside his family house after he was arrested for the brutal stabbing murders of four University of Idaho students while wearing a mask.

Among the items listed were a Glock 22 semiautomatic .40 Caliber pistol, three empty Glock .40 Caliber magazines, a Smith & Wesson pocketknife, Taylor cutting knife with a sheath, black masks, black gloves, a black hat and a criminal psychology book.

The docs also say the FBI searched his white Hyundai Elantra, finding a knife. The warrant does not address whether the knife is the murder weapon. Authorities also found tire irons, a shovel, goggles, a Ziploc bag and other items in the car.

A gunman casually executed a homeless person on a St. Louis street in broad daylight ... and the horrifying attack was all caught on video.

Check out this footage -- shot by a witness -- showing Deshawn Thomas brandishing a gun while standing just behind the homeless man outside a downtown building on Monday morning.

Thomas struggled at first to load the weapon as the homeless man sat on the edge of the sidewalk ... oblivious to the danger around him.

With the gun loaded, Thomas pointed the barrel at the head of the homeless man and pulled the trigger.

The witness reacted with sheer terror, screaming, "Oh my God, he just killed him!!"

Thomas fled on foot, but police later captured him and recovered his gun as he tried to enter a library near the crime scene. He was booked into the county jail for first-degree murder.

The woman whose trial testimony helped send Charles Manson and several of his murderous cult members to prison for life has died in Washington state.

According to a death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Linda Kasabian passed away at a hospital in Tacoma on January 21 and her body was cremated. Her cause of death was not disclosed.

The certificate noted that she had changed her last name to "Chiochios" apparently to protect her identity after dissociating herself from the Manson Family.

Kasabian was given immunity in exchange for becoming a key prosecution witness in the 1970-71 Manson trial. She participated in the 2 nights of mayhem perpetrated by Manson and his crazed minions who massacred 7 people in Los Angeles.

During 18 days of testimony, Kasabian described in graphic detail how the 1969 slayings went down under Manson's direction.

Kasabian testified that Charles "Tex" Watson drove her, Patricia Krenwinkel and Susan Atkins to filmmaker, Roman Polanski's house in Benedict Canyon. She testified that Tex, Krenwinkel and Atkins fatally shot and stabbed 5 victims, including Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate.

Kasabian testified that she witnessed the bloodshed, but she never physically harmed anyone.

Polanski was working on a movie in Europe at the time his wife and unborn child were killed.

What's more, Kasabian testified that she was the driver on the second night of the Manson murders, in which Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were butchered inside their L.A. home.

In the end, Kasabian's crucial testimony sealed the fate of Manson and his accomplices, all of whom were convicted of the murders and handed life sentences.

Manson died in prison at 83 after he went into cardiac arrest due to complications of colon cancer in 2017.

More alligators have been removed from the Florida retirement community where an elderly was attacked and killed ... with additional searches underway.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rep tells TMZ ... two additional gators have been yanked from water at Spanish Lakes Fairways in Fort Pierce since last week's deadly incident ... and not just that, but we're told they'll probably be killed.

The FFWCC rep notes there've been a total of 5 gator complaints that a licensed nuisance alligator trapper (NAT) is currently working at the community.

The way they gauge which ones they'll go after and which ones they'll leave be is based on the public safety risk these animals might pose ... and, for now, only three of them have been taken out.

Remember, we'd been told by a neighbor at Spanish Lakes that ALL of the gators were being fished out of the surrounding lakes and ponds there ... and it certainly sounds like they're on the hunt for more.

Those who speculated COVID-19 might've arisen from a lab in China -- meaning it was created by scientists and accidentally escaped -- appear to have been right all along.

Per the Wall Street Journal -- which says it's reviewed an internal report by the U.S. Energy Dept. that was apparently shared with the White House and Congress recently -- the lab leak theory seems to hold true, at least based on their own investigation and findings.

The DoE's classified intelligence report concludes COVID likely slipped out into the public via a "mishap" at a lab in China -- unclear which one though, or under which exact circumstances -- and that they've reached this new determination with fresh intel. However, the report also notes their confidence is "low" in terms of being absolutely sure here.

Here's the thing ... the FBI arrived at a similar assessment in '21 on the origin of the virus -- through their own investigation -- but not every government agency agrees. In fact, there are 4 other (unidentified) agencies, as well as a national intelligence panel, that still feel it may have emerged through natural transmission ... but their confidence in that is also "low," according to WSJ. In other words, no one really knows -- but everyone has a good guess.

So, while this Energy report is far from a definitive say on how COVID came about -- it does open the door for debate ... which was widely shut down as conspiratorial 2-3 years ago, when regular folks were suggesting it might have been something man-made/man-spread.

In fact, some claimed they were being outright censored on social media for spreading this type of theory ... which was being written off at the time as misinformation, and some even went so far as to say it was racist and xenophobic in nature to even suggest the lab leak.

Glynn Turman tells us why Black elementary school kids getting racist drawings during Black History Month isn't a story that shocks him ... and he's got some incredible words for the kids that were apparently targeted.

We got the longtime actor at Wally's in Bev Hills ... and, as he puts it, hatred like this is deeply rooted in America's DNA, which is why it's an incident we should've seen coming -- and he calls out the lack of education as a reason why.

Glynn says we can't keep burying racism in this country, pointing to this vulgar act as an example. He's also got words of wisdom for Black kids who are facing hatred like this in schools today ... check it out, it's incredibly powerful.

As we reported, drawings saying things like "To my favorite cotton picker" and "You're my favorite monkey" were passed out at Pepper Tree Elementary School in Upland, CA ... needless to say, parents of the targeted students were outraged.

Another Norfolk Southern train has derailed in North Carolina, but the company says there were no hazardous materials aboard ... and that there's no danger to the public this time.

One of the freight train's 132 cars fell off the tracks Saturday morning near Lexington, which affected a few Amtrak trains' paths near Greensboro/surrounding areas. The announcement from one Amtrak train went out around 9:20 AM, but the path was partially clear again about an hour later ... so it sounds like a cleanup crew was able to get out there quickly.

Norfolk Southern confirmed it was, in fact, one of their freights that had toppled over, telling FOX News ... "There are no reports of a hazmat situation or danger to the public. Our crew is safe and additional personnel are on their way to begin cleanup. We appreciate the public’s patience and care near this area during the cleanup work."

Still no word on what might've caused this, but it's certainly not a good look for NS -- which is still dealing with the fallout from another more serious derailment in East Palestine, OH.

As you know, the EPA ordered Norfolk to cover the costs for all cleanup efforts in Ohio ... and has vowed they'll pay triple if they cut corners and don't do the job right the first time.

Meanwhile, Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg went down to East Palestine Thursday for the first time -- blasting Norfolk Southern for pushing back on safety regulations that could've possibly avoided this in the first place. He and the Biden administration continue to face criticism for the seemingly slow response to the ongoing environmental disaster unfolding.

The creator of the classic comic strip, 'Dilbert,' may have just lined up the final nail in his coffin when it comes to newspapers running his stuff ... via a racist rant about Black people.

Scott Adams posted a new episode to his podcast Wednesday, where he discussed a poll he says was put out by Rasmussen ... which cites 53% of Black Americans agreeing with the phrase "It's okay to be white," meaning almost half of the respondents surveyed didn't necessarily agree, sending Adams into a tirade about the ramifications of that, from his POV.

Check out what he said ... because it's truly something. SA launches into a tirade about how white people should simply stop trying to help African-Americans in this country, because it always backfires and only festers hate from Black people's side. That's his takeaway.

He also goes so far as to say that Black people, at large, are a hate group ... with his rationale being -- if they're not okay with the phrase, they're trafficking in racial bigotry.

Adams went on to distinguish the differences between white and Black neighborhoods -- invoking Don Lemon, no less -- and ended with the cherry on top ... namely, his suggestion that white citizens steer clear of Black people ... 'cause it's just more trouble than it's worth.

As hostile and antagonistic as that sounds, Adams insists he's tried being an ally to Black folks throughout his life ... so much so, he apparently started *identifying* as Black too. 🤔

Welp, that was enough for some major flagship news operations to kick him and 'Dilbert' to the curb -- including Gannett, which runs and publishes USA Today ... which now says it's done with him and will no longer continue to print 'Dilbert' comics in any of its papers.

The Plain Dealer -- a Cleveland publication -- announced the same shortly thereafter ... but it's actually late to the game. Several other newspapers in recent years have already dropped Adams/'Dilbert' ... upwards of 77 under Lee Enterprises and the SF Chronicle too.

Mother Nature is adding some natural chill to wine made in Napa Valley -- some areas of California's most famous wine-growing region are covered in snow -- and the images coming out of Napa Valley are stunning.

Seriously, you've probably never seen Napa quite like this ... an unprecedented winter storm is making it snow at lower than normal elevations all across California, with some wineries in Napa Valley getting up to a foot of snow!!!

Three famous vineyards on Napa's famed Howell Mountain were blanketed in snow Friday morning ... including 10 to 12 inches at Neal Family Vineyards.

As you can see, the wineries have naturally transformed into a winter wonderland ... with Arkenstone and CADE Estate also getting tons of snow dumped from the heavens above. What's particularly crazy, Napa Valley's average elevation is just a few hundred feet above sea level ... making the snow that much more of a rarity.

Napa Valley wineries may get occasional dustings of snowfall or snow flurries every now and then ... but a foot of snow is super rare and almost unheard of around these parts.

A Disneyland superfan has etched his name in the Guinness Book of World Records -- by visiting the house of mouse nearly 3,000 times in a ROW!

50-year-old Jeff Reitz made his mark by hitting up the Anaheim resort a whopping 2,995 times consecutively, starting back in 2012 ... adding up to a total of 8 years, 3 months, and 13 days.

The Huntington Beach local and Disney fan told Guinness the idea started as a joke a decade ago when the park announced it would be holding a 24-hour event on Leap Day ... making it possible for him to spend 366 days at the park starting in 2012.

Clearly, it evolved from just a joke, though -- suddenly Jeff started picking up steam as the days went by, getting contacted by newspapers and radio stations to tell his story. He was even given a gift basket and declared an honorary citizen of the park after his first 366 days.

Jeff was hoping to reach the big 3K milestone, but his run was cut short in March 2020 when the park was shut down due to COVID restrictions ... but it's an accomplishment he's incredibly proud of nonetheless.

FYI -- Jeff quickly became a bit of a celeb in the parks, with other Disney fans and even cast members wanting to take photos and meet the guy.

Gotta admit you know you've made it when Chewbacca wants YOUR autograph. Congrats Jeff!

The Florida man accused of fatally shooting three people -- including a 9-year-old girl and a news reporter-- screamed "They're killing me!" as the police took him to the ground and disarmed him.

Check out this dramatic body cam video, released by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, showing cops driving up to Keith Melvin Moses in Orlando on Wednesday and jumping out with their guns pointed at the alleged killer.

One cop yelled, "Get on your f***king face!" Another officer shrieked, "Get on the f***king ground!"

One of the cops shoved Moses, knocking him to the ground. The cop then straddled his chest and tried to restrain him. Moses started screaming, "They're killing me" and "Let me go!"

The cops turned him over onto his chest and cuffed his hands behind his back. Moses started complaining that he couldn't breathe while the cops suggested that he could be on drugs.

An eagle-eyed deputy noticed Moses had a "zero" in his leg pocket, meaning a weapon.

Another officer asked for his knife and cut open Moses' pant leg, revealing the alleged handgun used in the shootings. You could hear the officer say the gun "is still hot."

Police say Moses embarked on his shooting rampage Wednesday morning when he murdered a woman inside a vehicle and then fled.

Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons and his photographer showed up at the scene to cover the slaying.

At some point, Moses allegedly returned to the scene and shot the journalists, killing Lyons and critically wounding his photog.

Cops say Moses then slipped inside a home nearby and shot a mother and her 9-year-old daughter. The mother was critically injured. Her daughter died.

Investigators initially said Moses knew the first victim, but a witness later contradicted that statement, saying there was no connection. Moses also had no link to the other victims.