News

A massive fire broke out in the Malibu Canyon of Los Angeles on Monday night, causing an apocalyptic scene that was captured on video and prompting mandatory evacuations throughout the ravaged area, authorities said.

The inferno erupted around 11 PM several miles north of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu before it spread over 10 acres of land, then expanded across 100 acres due to dry brush and the Santa Ana winds, according to the L.A. County Fire Department. Early Tuesday morning the fire had consumed at least 1,800 acres.

As the blaze grew ever stronger, firefighters went door to door and used loudspeakers to order residents to immediately evacuate their homes.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is refusing to support the narrative painting Brian Thompson's suspected killer as a modern-day vigilante ... slamming the notion as the murder case continues.

The politician spoke out in a press conference Monday after Luigi Mangione, the top person of interest in the fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, was arrested in Pennsylvania that same day.

While addressing reporters, Shapiro made it clear Mangione was "no hero," adding ... "In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint."

A motorcycle crash involving a Palm Springs, CA police officer left ten people, including the officer, hospitalized during an annual holiday parade over the weekend.

The accident occurred around 6 PM Saturday as hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the 32nd annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade. Dramatic video posted on social media showed the officer losing control of his motorcycle before barreling into a crowd of nearby people.

The police officer’s hand was reportedly severed during the accident.

The dark eyes of the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have come into full focus -- highlighting his steely gaze and bushy brows based on new images released by the NYPD.

New York City's finest released two photos late Saturday with the first image showing the suspected shooter in the backseat of a cab in Manhattan.

The alleged gunman is peeking through a window divider and staring directly into a security camera mounted inside the taxi. He is wearing a blue medical mask that covers his nose and mouth while his eyes and brows are totally exposed.

US-UK relations got a little stronger with a handshake, as Donald Trump greeted Prince William at the ceremonial reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Trump was spotted making his way down the line of world leaders, eventually reaching Prince William, placing his hand on the royal's shoulder as they shared a handshake and a quick conversation Saturday.

The last time Trump and Prince William met was in 2019 when Trump was in office.

A jarring event took place in NYC on Saturday ... when an apparent look-alike contest was held -- and very much attended -- for the suspect who killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood this week.

Online reaction to the gathering is a mixture of shock and celebration ... putting a fine point on how polarizing the murderer has become.

Several people in Washington Square Park came dressed in clothing that resembled what the suspect -- who remains at large -- wore when he fatally shot Thompson outside his hotel.

Internet sleuths believe they have found the jacket worn by the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and now it is morbidly flying off the shelves.

On Reddit, a user speculated the suspect's jacket was a Sherpa Lined Two Picket Hooded Trucker Jacket by Levi's ... sold at Macy's for the retail price of $225.

The jacket's popularity has since spread like wildfire on the company's website ... where more than 6,000 people were viewing the jacket at the same time -- and nearly 700 were sold in the past 48 hours, according to an item popularity tool on Macy's site.

Daniel Penny -- the man who choked Jordan Neely to death on a NYC subway -- has avoided a conviction so far this week after a jury of his peers could not come to a unanimous decision Friday in his trial ... and prosecutors decided to drop the top charge in the case as a result.

The prosecution moved to dismiss the second-degree manslaughter charge after the jury twice told the judge today they could not come to a unanimous verdict.

The judge agreed to drop the charge ... and the jury will reconvene Monday to consider the lesser charge in the case -- criminally negligent homicide. If convicted, he could face up to 4 years in state prison.

Private security firms have been inundated with calls since the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... but the high-profile case won't necessarily change how companies protect execs long-term, TMZ is told.

In the days since Thompson was shot dead on the streets of NYC ... multiple private security firms have been flooded with service inquiries and price quotes.

Ian Dahlberg, owner of Dahlcore Security Guard Services, tells TMZ ... there has been a noticeable uptick in calls -- from executes looking for private security to film studios wanting to beef up guards on the lot.

A pilot in Brazil is being applauded for his calm response to a vulture crashing through the windshield of his plane ... skillfully touching down on the ground, instead of letting the situation turn into a total cock-up.

Check it out ... the pilot calmly and coolly begins his descent into the Brazilian city of Eirunepe ... even though the carcass of a dead bird dangles in his face.

The bird, which appears to be a local vulture, is clearly deceased -- as it remains lifeless and bloody while hanging from the glass shards of the shattered windshield as wind gushes through.

The suspect who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have disappeared into Central Park after the shooting Wednesday morning in a premeditated attempt to evade cameras ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... The suspect rode an e-bike on Center Drive into Central Park after the shooting seemingly with the knowledge the multi-block blackout area would provide cover as he disposed of evidence.

We're told there are no surveillance cameras INSIDE the park, but there are some at the entrances and exits of the famous Manhattan oasis. This may surprise many people in a city known for its multitude of cameras on streets and businesses everywhere.

A sultry Colombian assassin, known as "The Doll" and tagged as a "dangerous hitwoman," has been arrested for a string of gangland hits -- including the murder of her ex-lover.

Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodriguez, AKA "The Doll," was busted and taken into custody for her alleged role in a series of high-profile murders in Barrancabermeja, which were said to have been ordered by the Los de la M gang, according to local reports from Libertad Digital.

The femme fatale's takedown comes after the July 23 ambush-style murder of her ex-BF, Deyvy Jesus. Cops claim she lured him in with a fake peace offering, claiming they’d settle a money dispute.

The main suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have possibly stayed in a hostel, but it looks like he had some money ... 'cause he had an expensive backpack with him.

The backpack appears to be an Everyday Backpack from Peak Designs ... a bag meant for serious photographers but designed for casual use as well.

According to reports, it's not a new model of the backpack ... with some saying there's a good chance the bag was purchased between 2016 and 2019.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is walking back a controversial policy decision regarding coverage for anesthesia in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder.

In a statement released Thursday, the company defended its decision to reverse the policy as a response to "significant widespread misinformation" ... though, it was notably timed amid the hunt for Thompson's shooter.

ABCBS shared the now-controversial policy was never meant "to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services" ... rather, the "proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines."

Taylor Lorenz -- a controversial journalist formerly of the Washington Post -- is clarifying some of her comments about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ... and she says his brutal killing isn't the real tragedy here.

Taylor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked her what she meant by two social media posts that have gotten a lot of attention in the wake of Thompson's killing ... including one that lots of folks interpreted as her calling for more violence against healthcare executives.

She says she wasn't calling for murder when she shared a photo of the Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck above a post about BCBS announcing it wouldn't cover anesthesia for the entirety of some surgeries.

The wife of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson says he had received threats before his shocking assassination on the streets of NYC.

In a phone conversation with NBC News read out by the anchor ... Paulette Thompson said, "There had been some threats basically. I don't know. A lack of coverage? I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ there’s no official record of any threats being reported by Brian or any other UnitedHealthcare executives.