News

Folks in New Jersey have green on the mind -- they are eager to brush up on their marijuana skills after voting to legalize it, and their Google searches show it.

The term "how to roll a joint" saw a nearly 3,000% jump in the ultimate search engine during a solid 4 hours Tuesday evening as the Garden State overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure to make it legal to grow, smoke and sell herb starting in 2021.

Of course, like California, you'll have to be 21 to do all that ... and there's still some red tape they gotta go through -- like setting up the rules of this trade -- before anyone can partake. Still, a whole new batch of tokers are obviously itching to bust out rolling papers.

Also trending in Jersey ... the term "when will weed be legal in New Jersey." So, yeah, they're ready to burn.

Several other states are saying puff puff pass with Jersey, too -- Arizona, Montana and South Dakota also voted to approve pot measures.

Colorado, Washington, Cali, Oregon and Illinois have been leading the nation in cashing in on marijuana users ... having gone fully legal with it years ago.

Kentucky State Police used to train their cadets with inspiration from 2 infamous leaders ... Robert E. Lee and Adolf Hitler.

One of the training slides had the title, "Violence of Action," and instructed cops to be "ruthless killer[s]," like Robert E. Lee and imploring officers to have, "a mindset void of emotion" and to "meet violence with greater violence," like Hitler.

And, there's more ... another training slide reads, "The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence." That is from Hitler's "Mein Kampf" manifesto. The Dept. then linked to a Hitler page on Goodreads. There are 3 quotes from Hitler in the training program.

A spokesperson for the Dept. says the slides were removed back in 2013, adding, "Our administration does not condone the use of this material."

Kentucky has been reeling for months in the wake of the Breonna Taylor killing, where Kentucky State Police have been involved in handling the various protests.

Walmart's anticipating civil unrest ahead of the presidential election ... and that's triggered the retail giant to stop pull guns and ammo from shelves.

The nation's biggest retailer has pulled the items from its stores in an effort to keep firearms and ammo from being stolen in the event there's civil unrest. A spokesperson for Walmart said, "We have seen some isolated civil unrest, and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers."

It's important to note ... customers can still buy guns and ammo in half of the 4,700 stores where they're available, they just have to request it. The firearms just aren't on display for now.

Walmart made a similar move back in June following George Floyd's death. It's unclear how long the store will keep guns and ammo out of store displays.

There IS something worse than a SoCal traffic jam -- try getting caught behind a semitruck as powerful wind tosses it like a rocking chair, nearly tipping it over right in front of you!!!

The incredible footage shows the big rig leaning and rocking in the wind, and as you can see, at one point the entire trailer was lifted up on one side as it came oh so close to falling over.

Erik, the guy who shot the video, tells us he was driving onto the 210 Freeway Monday in Fontana, CA -- an hour east of L.A. -- when he noticed the semi struggling to cut through the strong Santa Ana winds, which gusted up to 96 MPH that day.

Erik says he started filming the semi, thinking it was only a matter of time before it blew on its side. He was dangerously close to being right.

The worst part for Erik was there was already bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway due to multiple other semis flipping in the wind.

Darnella Frazier -- the teenager who captured George Floyd's final minutes and started a worldwide movement -- is getting an award from a prestigious nonprofit.

PEN America announced Tuesday they were honoring 17-year-old Darnella with its annual PEN/Benenson Courage Award. The org's CEO, Suzanne Nossel, says, "With nothing more than a cell phone and sheer guts, Darnella changed the course of history in this country, sparking a bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and violence at the hands of police."

Nossel adds, "Without Darnella’s presence of mind and readiness to risk her own safety and wellbeing, we may never have known the truth about George Floyd’s murder. We are proud to recognize her exceptional courage with this award."

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- who reps George's family now -- praised Darnella as well on Twitter, saying she showed tremendous courage and the award was well-deserved.

As we reported ... Darnella went through a lot of backlash in the immediate aftermath of her video being posted, with many questioning why she didn't do more than record it. Her family told us they were seeking therapy to help Darnella cope with the emotional trauma.

The police killing of a 27-year-old black man wielding a knife in West Philadelphia set off severe unrest in the city ... and escalated to extreme violence and chaos.

At least 30 Philly police officers were injured overnight and 33 people were arrested for rioting, vandalism and looting. A 56-year-old female sergeant suffered a broken leg and other injuries when she was struck by a pickup truck.

Philadelphia PD says she's hospitalized in stable condition, and the other 29 officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries from being hit by bricks or rocks thrown at them. Cops say multiple businesses were looted and damaged, and 5 police vehicles -- along with one fire vehicle -- were vandalized.

Protesters first clashed with cops outside a police precinct as tensions rose over the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace. Around 2:45 PM Monday, cops responded to a call of a man with a weapon.

The officers discovered Wallace brandishing a knife and acting erratically, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Eric Gripp. Footage of the incident shows Wallace walking around a parked car as the officers back away with their guns pointed at him.

Wallace appeared to move toward them and they opened fire, taking him down instantly. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Gripp says the officers ordered Wallace to drop his weapon multiple times to no avail ... which you can hear on the video. One witness, Maurice Holoway, says several people were yelling for him to drop the knife, but Holoway told reporters he also thinks cops could have shot him in the leg instead of shooting to kill.

Wallace's father, Walter Wallace Sr., says his son was shot at least 10 times. He told reporters his son had mental health issues and was on medication, and questioned why he had to be gunned down instead of police using non-lethal force.

A guy is threatening to jump off the very top of a roller coaster in San Diego ... and authorities have been unsuccessful thus far in talking him down.

This is happening right now at what appears to be Belmont Park, atop the Giant Dipper attraction -- also known as the Mission Beach Roller Coaster. As you can see, there's a man up there at the highest peak (which is said to reach around 75 feet), looking out.

He's not in a car -- doesn't look like the ride is even operating right now, but somehow ... he climbed his way to the tip-top and has been screaming, making threats and acting erratically for at least an hour now, according to eyewitnesses. We're told many on the ground there believe he's prepared to jump ... and that the fire department and police are on the scene.

We're told the guy's been pacing back and forth as negotiators try speaking to him, but thus far ... no sign of him cooperating. Witnesses also tell us the man has yelled out that he's 21 years old and that he's "no fool." There's about 100 people scattered about watching.

It's a delicate situation obviously -- a fall from there would likely kill him, so the folks running point on this don't wanna scare him into anything rash.

We've reached out to the police for more details ... so far, no word back.

The deadly hornets nest discovered in Washington is no more -- because some badass wildlife experts suited up and got rid of the damn thing ... with some crazy equipment in hand.

A group of scientists and entomologists working for the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Pest Program got up early Saturday morning and headed out to where the nest was recently found at a residential area in Blaine, WA -- right near the Canadian border.

The team was up and at 'em before the sun was even out, and it was all strategic ... they wanted to sneak up on the tree where the murder hornets had burrowed themselves inside and suck them out using some sort of a vacuum, catching the hive by surprise.

There was more to it than just that though -- apparently, they flooded the trunk of the tree with a paralyzing foam, wrapped a good portion of it in plastic to contain them even further ... and then got to the business of sucking them down and in different tubes, which they later showed off to the cameras that were standing by for the mission. It's pretty neat.

The hornets that were killed are said to be going "on ice" for further study -- but rest assured, they're not active anymore and pose no threat. The WSDA deemed the task a success, so it sounds like they got all of those buggers in one shot. Remember, there were dozens spotted entering and exiting the tree ... a hornets nest is said to be able to house up to 200 at a time. That explains the abundance of protective gear ... definitely necessary.

The nest sighting comes a few months after reports of the first Asian murder hornets here in the U.S. sent folks into a panic ... this as coronavirus pandemic was just getting underway. Since then, scientists have done a great job at tracking them -- and now, killing them too.

Sure, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is alive and well, but the same can't be said right now for his wife ... who hasn't been seen in public since January.

Ri Sol-ju was last with Kim for a public event at the Samjiyon Theatre in Pyongyang during a Lunar New Year celebration, but after she missed a military parade she usually attends on October 10 ... speculation's swirling about why, and where in the hell she is now.

Along with the darkest guess that immediately comes to mind, there are 3 main theories that are less disturbing -- but also maybe less believable.

One is that she's taking care of Kim's aunt who is ill. Another, from experts in South Korea, is that she's afraid of getting sick herself amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to lack of social distancing and masks at events.

And finally, there are reports she stepped out of the public eye to take care of her daughter, who's believed to have been born in 2013.

It should be noted -- about a year ago there was similar concern for Ri after she wasn't seen in public for 4 months, but then she was ... and people speculated she may have given birth.

Of course, it's hard to know what to believe when it comes to North Korea ... as we learned this past summer about her husband.

Asian murder hornets have made their way to Washington State ... authorities just found a nest, the first one discovered in the U.S., and now humans wanna kill the deadly insects ASAP!!!

The Washington State Dept. of Agriculture says they've located an Asian giant hornet nest on a private property in Blaine ... and as you can see, the murder hornets set up shop inside a tree.

The WSDA says they're gonna try and destroy the nest Saturday, after plans to wipe it out Friday were dashed due to inclement weather. It's 2020, did you really think murder hornets would go out that easy?!?

Entomologists from the WSDA found the nest after a trapper caught two live murder hornets Wednesday using a new type of trap. Two more hornets, also living, were found in another trap Thursday and entomologists attached radio trackers to the big buggers, which led them to the nest.

It's pretty scary ... the nest is inside a tree near an area cleared for a residential home, and authorities counted dozens of hornets entering and exiting the tree. These murder hornets usually nest in the ground, but sometimes they pick a dead tree for their home base.

As we've reported ... the WSDA has been on the hunt for murder hornet nests since the first insect was caught earlier this year, and authorities had to navigate a ton of false reports.

The hope here -- eradicating murder hornets before they decimate our bee population, not to mention any human casualties along the way.

Sacha Baron Cohen says it's pretty clear to him what was on Rudy Giuliani's mind during his notorious scene in the 'Borat' sequel ... but urges everyone to judge for themselves.

Borat himself, along with Maria Bakalova -- who plays his daughter, Tutar, in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" -- addressed Rudy's compromising appearance in the movie ... in which he puts a hand in his pants after being duped into a fake interview by Bakalova's character.

Giuliani denies any inappropriate behavior and claims he was simply tucking in his shirt after taking off recording equipment ... but Cohen calls BS.

The actor tells "Good Morning America" ... "If the president’s lawyer found what he did there appropriate behavior then heaven knows what he’s done with other female journalists in hotel rooms."

The movie was released Thursday night, so everyone can judge for themselves.

Bakalova says she's thankful Cohen busted in to save her when things started getting dicey, and he claims he was "quite concerned" during the scene ... and felt the need to protect her.

President Trump just released video of his failed "60 Minutes" interview where he just walked out and never came back, and when Lesley Stahl challenged Mike Pence as to why the Prez walked out and didn't get an answer, she said they insulted her show.

Mike Pence tried to steamroll through Lesley's questions over Trump's abrupt departure, but she wasn't getting answers. As she put it, she got a bunch of campaign speeches from Trump and Pence, and that clearly frustrated her.

As you probably know by now, Trump felt the interview was an ambush, and he walked out in the middle. He accused Stahl of bias, claiming all Joe Biden gets are "softball questions."

President Trump might be having a change of heart -- he's acknowledging systemic racism exists in police forces ... or, at least, he guesses it's there.

The President, who has repeatedly denied racism is a problem in America's policing, was asked about the topic during a town hall taped for Sinclair TV stations. The moderator, Eric Bolling, said, "Is there systemic racism within police departments and is there any sort of retraining they need?"

Well, ya really gotta see how POTUS hemmed and hawed -- "Is there? I guess there probably is, and that's very sad. There is, and I think there's not much. Hopefully there's not much."

He went on like that for a bit before finally settling on this statement ... "I guess there always is, and it's a shame."

Now, it's really interesting because what's glaringly obvious is while he danced around his answer, Trump never actually said the words "systemic racism."

On the other hand, he did -- in the end -- say it does exist. That's a shift from everything Trump has said since George Floyd was killed, sparking anti-police brutality marches around the world. He's also denied it when questioned about Breonna Taylor's death.

Just last month in Kenosha, Wisconsin -- in the wake of police shooting Jacob Blake -- the President said, "I don't believe that," when a reporter asked if racism is an inherent issue in policing.

The question ... is Trump truly changing his view on racism in policing, or pandering to Black voters 12 days before Election Day?

Rudy Giuliani might have some 'splaining to do about an apparently compromising scene in Sacha Baron Cohen's new 'Borat' installment.

President Trump's adviser admits he got duped into shooting the scene back in July -- he'd agreed to be interviewed in NYC by a conservative news outlet, which was really just a setup for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Well, now we know what happened in the scene and it's jaw-dropping.

According to Vanity Fair -- which has seen the movie in advance -- Giuliani meets up with Borat's daughter, who's posing as a journalist, for an interview in a hotel room. At one point, he holds her hands, compliments her looks and she suggests they go to the bedroom for a drink.

Then she "elaborately" takes off their microphones, Rudy lies down on the bed, and puts his hand in his pants ... according to VF.

That's when Cohen, as Borat, busts in to the room to interrupt. To be clear, Giuliani's not seen doing anything illegal -- but the report about the scene sounds embarrassing, at the least.

We knew Rudy was in the movie because he made a big deal about it when it was filmed. You might recall, he called NYPD on Cohen at the time ... claiming the actor busted in the room wearing "a pink transgender outfit."

Rudy boasted to reporters afterward, "I thought about all the people he previously fooled, and I felt good about myself because he didn’t get me." He also stated he was a fan of Borat and didn't hold a grudge over the prank.

Let's see if that holds up when Amazon Prime releases 'Borat 2' on Friday.

Jeff Bridges is battling cancer ... he just revealed he's been diagnosed with lymphoma.

The 'Big Lebowski' star just announced his cancer diagnosis on Twitter, telling fans ... "As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma."

Jeff is keeping a positive attitude despite the seriousness of the disease, adding ... "I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good."

Jeff's already undergoing treatment ... he doesn't specify which kind of cancer treatment, but promises to keep his fans updated on his recovery.

Tons of folks, including lots of celebs, are already reaching out to Jeff ... and he says he's "profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends."

The Oscar-winning actor also says he's thankful for everyone's prayers and well-wishes and he ended his announcement with a message to remember to go vote.

France's premiere soccer league -- Ligue 1 -- will pay tribute to the teacher who was killed last week in a terror attack in Paris, officials say.

47-year-old Samuel Paty -- a history teacher at Collège du Bois d'Aulne -- was attacked and beheaded on Friday while walking home from work.

Officials say the killer is 18-year-old Abdoullakh Abouyezidovitch -- who was upset Paty used caricatures of the prophet Muhammad during recent lessons.

Cops tracked down the suspect after the killing -- but when they approached, he allegedly opened fire with an airgun.

Officers fired back -- striking Abouyezidovitch 9 times, killing him. Cops say Abouyezidovitch confessed to the murder before his death.

The story has been headline news in France (and around the world) for the past few days.

Now, Ligue 1 -- home of legendary teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and more -- says the entire league will honor Paty's memory this upcoming weekend with moments of silence, armbands and more. Ligue 2 will also participate in the tributes.

"Before the matches kick off, a minute's silence will be observed in tribute to the history and geography professor beheaded on Friday in the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine attack and his portrait will be shown on giant screens in the stadiums," league officials said in a statement.

"During the match, all the players in the game (players, coaches, referees) will wear a black armband to pay tribute to him."