Bill Belichick Taylor Swift Is Tough As Nails!!! ... Amazed After Attending Rainy Concert

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WASN'T READY FOR IT
The Greg Hill Show

Bill Belichick might be telling his locker room to be more like Taylor Swift ... 'cause the legendary Patriots coach can't get enough of the pop superstar's toughness after seeing her perform!!

Belichick raved about T-Swift during his appearance on WEEI's "Greg Hill Show" on Monday ... admitting while he's usually a Bruce Springsteen kinda guy, he had to hit up Gillette Stadium when the "Eras" tour rolled through earlier this year.

"I saw a little bit of Taylor," BB said ... stopping short of calling himself a full-blown "Swiftie," but praising the 12-time Grammy winner for putting on a helluva show, despite the heavy rainfall that night.

"That was pretty impressive. She's tough, man. She just stood out there and played right through it."

In fact, Bill even mentions how he can relate to one song in particular ... and who knows, he may need to use the mantra during games this upcoming season.

"I'm definitely on the 'You gotta calm down,' that's pretty good. 'You gotta calm down.' There's a lot of times when that's very appropriate. 'You just gotta calm down.'"

In other words, Belichick has learned over the course of his Hall of Fame career that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout other teams is no fun.

Hurricane Hilary Buries Dodger Stadium In Water

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IT'S A WET ONE
Twitter / @DodgerAerial

No baseball was played at Dodger Stadium on Sunday due to Hurricane Hilary ... but a swimming meet coulda broken out -- 'cause the epic storm nearly flooded the historic venue.

As the squall made landfall in Southern California, it pelted Los Angeles with so much rain, it left L.A.'s ballpark covered in water.

Footage shot from up above the downtown stadium shows the parking lot surrounding the site was underneath feet of water ... though, thankfully, it appeared the diamond and its surrounding seats survived the inclement weather.

Of course, the Dodgers moved their Sunday afternoon game against the Marlins to Saturday ... so there were no issues with the team's schedule -- though it's unclear if the effects of the weather will impact L.A.'s next slate of games at Dodger Stadium next week.

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As for Hilary, it's still bombarding the southwestern U.S. with rainfall ... causing major flooding on roadways and severe damage to buildings elsewhere.

Fortunately, however, the storm is set to let up later Monday.

Los Angeles Hurricane Hilary Levels-Up With a DAMN Earthquake!!!

Mother Nature has a bone to pick with Los Angeles, not only sending Hurricane Hilary to the city of angels ... but hitting its residents with an earthquake at the SAME DAMN TIME.

That's right, just as Angelinos were trapped inside, watching their favorite Netflix shows, surfing social media or deciding where to order some Uber Eats, a 5.1 magnitude quake, centered in Ojai rocked the city.

Luckily, at the time of this post, there doesn't seem to have been any significant damage ... but the whole thing's gotta be scary nonetheless as rain continues to come down.

Most West Coast folks also got a firsthand taste of the earthquake warning system on their phones when an alert was blasted out reading, "Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself."

The National Weather Service has been using push notifications for the storm since it hit L.A. early Sunday morning. Just 2 hours before the earthquake alert went out, residents' phones blew up with a warning for flash floods in several areas.

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For those unaware, Hilary, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, made landfall in Mexico, while the neighbors to the north are getting rained down ... officials say it could be the most devastating storm to hit the state in years.

Safe to say, SoCal dwellers have a lot on their plates at the moment ... and the earthquake was the wet and rainy icing on top!!!

DoorDash Hurricane Hilary Suspends Deliveries

DoorDash customers in L.A. who didn't stock up on groceries before Hurricane Hilary are gonna have to find a new way to eat ... 'cause the company's suspended deliveries.

DoorDash says it's activated its "Severe Weather Protocol," putting a temporary pause on operations in places like Los Angeles County, San Diego, Palm Springs, and Barstow as the storm continues to pass through southern California.

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The food delivery halt went into effect at 3:45 PM Sunday, and the company says it's expected to resume work at 11 AM on Monday, depending on how the weather's looking.

People jumping on the app might end up a little hangry -- a popup message is now appearing, explaining the interruption, and all the restaurants are only listed as "pickup" options.

In other words, go get your own damn food!

Hurricane Hilary Flooding in Baja, 1 Death ... Headed for Cali

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Hurricane Hilary has already proved deadly ... triggering massive floods in Baja, Mexico and claiming at least one life.

The storm hit in the town of Santa Rosalia and clearly packed an enormous punch, flooding streets and damaging or destroying property in its path.

You could feel the intensity from comments on social media .. "Holy sh** 👀 #HurricaneHilary Baja California, Mexico. I hope everyone’s okay."

The good news ... Hilary seems to be losing its intensity ... it's currently a category 1 hurricane but by the time it hits Cali later Sunday it will be downgraded to a category 4 storm -- still intense, but not a hurricane.

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There's still a tropical storm warning for millions of folks in SoCal, and there's fear it will cause flash flooding, as well as landslides.

There are some areas of California that will get more rain in 24 hours than they usually get in a year. Palm Springs is particularly problematic.

There's also an alert for Catalina Island ... 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles.

It's a weather event Cali hasn't seen in more than 80 years.

Surfer Kai Lenny Critical Of Government Response In Maui ... Leading Citizen Recovery Effort

Pro surfer Kai Lenny has stepped up in a major way after wildfires devastated Maui ... something he says he was forced to do after help from federal and local government never came.

"For some of us, we were kind of sitting back, waiting for help to arrive, but nothing was happening. We were sort of in shock," the 30-year-old Maui resident told CBS News.

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WE NEED YOUR HELP

Lenny, born and raised in Hawaii (Paia, Maui County), says he began receiving requests for assistance and knew he had to help.

"When I started getting texts and messages from friends on the other side saying, 'Hey, no one is here. Do you know anyone you can call? Can you help us?'"

That's when Kai and other locals started collecting resources, including jet skis and charter planes to transport supplies like clothing, medicine, and food.

Inexplicably, Lenny says the government initially intervened, blocking the airplane from transporting medicine like Insulin ... before ultimately relenting and approving the delivery.

As for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the organization says they have 300 people on the ground in Maui. The Red Cross also says they have 250 disaster workers in the area, too.

Despite what FEMA claims, Kai says he hasn't personally seen a government presence.

"I haven't seen one state, one county, one federal official at any one of the donation hubs where people are most suffering."

The death toll has already reached 99 people, but there are fears it will rise sharply in the coming days, as many people are still missing. Over one thousand structures have also burned to the ground, and the community is shaken.

"At one moment you're in beautiful Hawaii, and it's just another great day, and the next, this amazing tragedy occurs, and it's so violent, I don't know what to do. I haven't prepared for a whole town going up in flames."

Lionel Richie Nixes MSG Show Cites Crappy Weather

Bad weather threw a monkey wrench into Lionel Richie’s plans to perform at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

The iconic R&B singer was set to hit the stage with Earth Wind & Fire Saturday night — but the act of nature derailed their sold out show and an hour after it was supposed to start Lionel made his disappointing announcement.

Lionel posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight.”

He went on, “I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.”

The 20,000 strong audience was totally bummed too. Video from inside the venue shows fans booing as an MSG official announces the show had been canceled.

But come August 14 —  Lionel will have them hooting and hollering.

Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez 'Heartbroken' Over Maui Wildfires ... Donate $100 Mil for Relief

Jeff Bezos is taking some much-needed action to help Maui recover and rebuild after the horrific wildfires -- not only by donating a huge sum of money, but also by creating a fund to keep the relief effort going.

Jeff's fiancee Lauren Sanchez announced they're donating $100 million and launching the Maui Fund, saying ... "Jeff and I are heartbroken by what's happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated."

The deadly fires -- which have claimed at least 59 lives and wiped Lahaina off the map -- have left thousands homeless and without any personal belongings. The humanitarian crisis would be enough to draw Bezos' attention, but he also has a personal tie to the island.

He purchased a 14-acre estate for $78 million in 2021 ... which is about 20 miles south of where the fires are raging.

Lauren says she and Jeff are thinking long term -- "The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen -- even after much of the attention has subsided."

Oprah Hands Out Supplies At Maui Fire Shelter ... After Devastating Blaze

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HELP FROM OPRAH
Instagram / @Kakoo_Haleakala

Oprah is helping her ohana on Maui ... personally delivering crucial supplies to folks who lost everything in the deadly wildfires that wiped out an historic town.

The media mogul, who is one of Maui's biggest private landowners, visited wildfire victims Thursday at a makeshift relief shelter ... passing out cots, pillows and toiletries.

Video shows Oprah giving a man in a cot a pillow, and he appears bandaged. Oprah reportedly offered to buy supplies for the shelter, which is overrun with folks who lost their homes in the deadly blaze.

Oprah shared moments with evacuees at War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which is being used as a shelter and a drop-off location for donations and supplies, even taking a moment to pose for photos.

Oprah owns more than 1,000 acres on Maui ... including in Hana and Kula, which is in one of the areas where the fires are raging. The blaze completely wiped out Lahaina, an historic town and popular tourist destination.

Maui's been absolutely devastated by the wildfires that ripped through the island this week, and as of Friday the death toll stands at 55. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of structures burned to the ground.

Folks on Maui were forced to flee the flames with just the clothing on their backs ... so they need all the help they can get.

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TMZ broke the story ... boxer Floyd Mayweather is paying for 68 families displaced by the fires to fly to safety and stay in a hotel for several weeks, and he's also footing the bill for their food and clothing.

Now, Oprah's stepping up too.

Hawaii Wildfires Lahaina Residents Dive into Ocean To Escape Deadly Maui Fires

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LAST SECOND ESCAPE
TikTok / @ChefJoshuaMarten

In what could be a scene directly out of a horror movie ... Lahaina residents barely escape with their lives after diving into the ocean for relief from the city's deadly fires.

The terrifying clip shows residents -- many who appear to have grabbed whatever belongings they could last minute -- getting into the water for shelter. Some cling onto pieces of wood to stick together, while others appear to be solo.

The smoke and ash make it almost impossible for residents to see, let alone breathe ... and the diving into the water shows just how desperate the situation got on Maui.

As of Thursday night, the wildfires -- which spread at an unimaginable speed because of high winds -- were about 80% contained. However, there's still been a significant loss of life, with at least 55 people reported dead and more expected once rescue efforts conclude.

Lahaina has seemingly taken the worst hit of the towns in the area -- leaving it essentially flattened and thousands of residents without water, power and forms of communication.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Britney Spears & Kevin Federline Sons Are Safe in Hawaii ... As Fires Tear Through Maui

Kevin Federline's family -- including his sons with ex-wife Britney Spears -- is safe in Hawaii amid the devastating Maui fires, but we're told the horrifying scenes in their new home state are upsetting the boys.

Sources close to Kevin tell TMZ ... he and Jayden James and Sean Preston -- along with Kevin's wife, Victoria -- aren't physically affected by the wildfires because they live on one of the neighboring islands, where they moved just 2 weeks ago.

The fam is settling into a new rental home, but we're told it's been traumatic for them to see all the death and devastation on Maui. As you'd expect, it's dominating all the news coverage on Hawaiian TV stations.

At least 36 people have died in Maui since the fires broke out Tuesday, making it the deadliest blaze in the U.S. since 2018 ... and all of the homes, schools and businesses in downtown Lahaina -- a tourism hot spot -- have been wiped off the map.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin and his sons packed their bags at the beginning of this month, flying to Hawaii with the boys, who opted to not say goodbye in-person to Britney.

We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

DJ Paul Sued Pay Up, You Posted My Tornado Vid Without Permission!!!

DJ Paul's love for natural disasters may have backfired ... the Three 6 Mafia legend is now facing a lawsuit for posting a viral clip of a tornado.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a company named Viral DRM claims it owns the rights to the clip Paul posted on his Instagram, which shows an insane dashcam view of a tornado wreaking havoc in Elgin, Texas.

It's not hard to see what drew Paul to share the clip, which apparently was first posted back in March 2022. If the close-up shots of lightning bolts weren't eye-popping enough, the sight of the red pickup truck barely making it from out of the storm's eye will surely make your jaw drop!!!

Viral DRM says the clip was shot by a man named Ronald Brian Emfinger but the company says they now own the rights to the video. They say DJ Paul posted the clip on his account in March 2022 without permission

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Viral DM is now suing for damages, claiming its ability to make money from the clip was harmed by Paul's posting.

We reached out to DJ Paul's attorney. No comment for now.

Beyoncé Pays $100k for Extra Train Hour ... D.C. Show Weather-Stricken

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FRANTIC FANS
Storyful / Fox5

Beyoncé's fans had to wait out a storm in D.C. just to see her perform live, and she returned the favor by shelling out a lot of dough to make sure they could get home afterward.

The singer's show Sunday was hit with really bad weather just before the concert was set to begin at FedEx Field in neighboring Maryland -- with lightning storms and a downpour of rain coming down in the area ... and forcing everyone to shelter in place for a hot minute.

There's tons of video showing the D.C. Beyhive huddling up by the thousands in and around the stadium as they waited for the green light ... reports say they were waiting about 2 hours.

Eventually, the elements subsided enough so that the show could start -- but even as Bey did her thing on the big stage, it was still pretty freaking wet out there, as you see.

More importantly, because things were running late from the jump ... the local Metro's train service hours had to be extended, something that doesn't come cheap -- and an expensive tab that somebody had to cover.

In the end ... Bey's 'Renaissance' tour company footed the bill, coming out to $100,000, all told. This allowed the trains at the surrounding 98 stations to run for an extra 60 minutes, and it sounds like that might've bled into the wee hours of Monday morning.

For those who stuck it out and caught the performance in person, they were able to see Blue Ivy -- who's working as a dancer on her mom's tour. Kinda cool, if you're into all that.

Ben Affleck Uncool with Classic Car!!!

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Ben Affleck is yet another victim of the scorching heat wave gripping the nation ... his classic car overheated in the mean streets of Brentwood, CA.

Ben and his son Samuel were cruising in his 1969 Cadillac DeVille Wednesday -- where temps hovered around 90 -- when the car apparently started smoking.

Ben pulled over, popped the hood and hit the pavement in search of a gas station to buy coolant.

Ben eyed the engine, looking for the radiator, and a passerby leaned in for an assist. As Ben hydrated his ride, someone couldn't resist taking a selfie with him.

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BOUJEE BUMPER CARS
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This isn't the first time Ben's had car issues with his son ... Samuel jumped into the driver's seat of a Lamborghini last year while car browsing with his dad in Bev Hills, but things took a turn for the worse when Sam put the car in reverse, backing into a BMW.

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And then there's the time last year when Ben failed to navigate a Starbucks sign at the drive-thru while J Lo rode shotgun.

And speaking of J Lo ... she had her own issues Wednesday when she got locked out of a gym. She was clearly more upset than Ben, telling photogs, "F**k you, bye."

Celebs ... they're just like us.

Lionel Messi Grand Intro At Inter Miami ... Despite Horrible Weather

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Inter Miami CF

A bunch of rain couldn't kill Lionel Messi's vibe at his big Inter Miami introduction on Sunday -- the soccer superstar was happy as ever as he made his grand entrance with his new team.

The lavish celebration was delayed two hours due to a pestering thunderstorm ... but there was no way the thousands of fans at DRV PNK Stadium were going to miss out on seeing the Argentinian striker's first appearance with the MLS club.

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ADDRESSING THE CROWD
Inter Miami CF

Messi cracked a joke about the downpour while addressing the crowd .. saying, "Tonight, we’re doing this Miami-style in the rain. This is holy water!!"

He also got serious during his speech ... saying he's thankful for all the local fans giving him a warm welcome ever since he touched down in the States.

"Truthfully, I'm very excited, very happy to be here in Miami and be with you," Messi said. "I'm eager to start training and to compete. I come here with the same desire to compete, desire to win and help the club to continue to grow."

Messi -- who's reported to make up to $150 million overall during his time with Inter Miami -- also doubled down on his decision to venture to MLS ... saying it's going to be a positive experience for both sides.

Team owner David Beckham also took the mic to share a few words ... saying it's a "dream come true" to have Messi join the family.

The whole event was filled with fireworks, flashing lights and music ... but it's safe to say the party is just getting started.

Julian Sands Dead at 65 Hikers Find Remains 5 Months After Going Missing

The mystery of actor Julian Sands' disappearance has finally come to a close ... after officials confirm human remains discovered where Sands last went hiking are his.

A statement released Tuesday from the San Bernardino Co. Sheriff's Office read, "The identification process for the body located on Mt Baldy on 24 June, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood."

As we reported, it was Saturday when some hikers in the area discovered the human remains -- more than 5 months after Sands first went missing.

There's not yet a cause of death for Sands, but extreme weather rolled into the area when he went on his hiking trip.

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AIR SUPPORT
Twitter / @sbcountysheriff

Interestingly enough, rescuers had continued to search for Sands over the last few months, with efforts happening as recently as this month.

While some of Sands' relatives had already lost hope and said their goodbyes, others released a statement, saying they were, "deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian."

Most of Sands' success came in the '80s and '90s in films like "Warlock: The Armageddon" and "Arachnophobia."

He was 65.

RIP