The city that led the country in banning smoking in bars, restaurants and most public spaces is about to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products.
A long-debated bill authorizing the flavored-tobacco ban was finally approved by the City Council last Wednesday, by a 46-to-1 vote. Mayor Bloomberg - who instigated the city's smoking crackdown in 2002 - said he will sign the bill into law soon.
The ban will likely kick in around February,… Continue
WASHINGTON — European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop.
Scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope didn't find any planets quite the size of Earth or any that seemed habitable or even unusual. But their announcement increased the number of planets discovered outside the solar system to more than… Continue
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the reopening of a newly renovated neighborhood bar and grocery, killing at least seven and injuring 20, police said Sunday.
Dozens of people had crammed into the tiny La Tombola bar in Toa Baja, a municipality just west of San Juan, and were waiting for the band to resume playing when the assailants attacked, police Col. Jose Morales said. Among those seriously wounded were a… Continue
It was supposed to be a big night for top urban fiction author Teri Woods, who had invited 175 people to party at a trendy SoHo nightclub to celebrate her new book.
But Woods ended up in tears when she found almost her entire guestlist being kept outside Greenhouse's notorious velvet rope.
Now a $1 billion class-action suit says the partygoers were denied entry because they were black.
Whitney Houston's comeback had another awkward moment Sunday, and this one couldn't be blamed on an extra-long gabfest with Oprah Winfrey - the diva experienced a "wardrobe malfunction" while performing on Simon Cowell's UK reality show "The X Factor."
Thankfully for all involved, the incident wasn't X-rated, as Houston's incident involved the back of her dress. However, it was another snag, albeit minor, in Houston's long-awaited comeback, which also included a… Continue
WASHINGTON — Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state… Continue
The mother of Akon's child has been trying (and failing) to serve him with legal papers over child support -- so now she's gonna call him out in the L.A. Times.
The lawyer for Farrah Coleman tells us they will be taking out an ad in Monday's L.A. Times to serve Akon publicly. If he doesn't respond, they will pursue a default judgment.
But we caught up with Akon in NY -- and it's all news to him. As he told our guy, "You got a hold of me and you ain't… Continue
Kelis isn't the only person trying to get money from Nas -- turns out Uncle Sam is too!
TMZ has obtained a federal tax lien filed last month against Nas for a whopping $2,584,206.31. Looks like Nas didn't pay his taxes in 2006 and 2007.
Nas is currently involved in a bitter divorce battle with Kelis. Looks like she'll have to wait in line.
TMZ has learned Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian have struck a deal with a prenup -- and even though Lamar gets to keep his earnings separate, Khloe got more than he initially offered.
We know Lamar and Khloe have orally agreed, but the deal is not yet inked. It's basically the same structure as we first reported when they began negotiating. Lamar's $33 million -- which he stands to make during his 4-year contract with the Lakers -- is out of… Continue
If you’ve ever felt like you go a little cross-eyed after taking a peek at an optical illusion, then you know they can be a pretty intense phenomenon. What your eyes perceive when looking at one of these images is actually a visual illusion; you see the image as something different than what it is because the different cells and receptors in your eyes distinguish images and colors at dissimilar speeds. The… Continue
When it comes to attracting big names for charity, Justin Timberlake has no trouble. Saturday night in Las Vegas saw the wide reach of JT's star power, with a diverse lineup of artists from Snoop Dogg to Taylor Swift taking part in his second annual Justin Timberlake & Friends Concert, benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. While last year's show boasted many… Continue
Stephanie Pratt, one of the stars of "The Hills," was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence early Sunday morning in Hollywood.
Police said Pratt, 23, was arrested at around 3:45 a.m. outside a nightclub in Los Angeles and taken into custody, with bail set at $5,000, according to Sergeant Mark Cohan of the Los Angeles Police Department. Before her arrest, Pratt was reportedly out with some fellow "Hills" stars at Empire, celebrating… Continue