Peanut the Squirrel Human Lives Take Priority Over Rodents ... Says High-Ranking N.Y. Assemblymember

Peanut the squirrel’s heartbreaking story has tugged at the heartstrings of thousands nationwide after the rodent was seized and euthanized by authorities last week -- but a notable NYC Assemblywoman tells us despite it being a sad situation, human lives need to be prioritized.

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the Majority Whip in the New York State Assembly, tells TMZ that while she’s an ardent animal-rights advocate and sympathizes with Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo ... she believes euthanizing Peanut was the only option, since the N.Y. State Dept. of Environmental Conservation's investigation revealed the squirrel bit someone.

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UNNECESSARY USE OF POWER
TMZ.com

Hermelyn explains to us DEC had no choice but to put down Peanut so they could test the rodent for rabies, which is deadly for 99% of humans who catch it. She also notes it's well-known there are no approved methods to test animals for rabies while they're still alive.

Pregnant Gisele Bündchen Done Keeping a Low Profile ... Grabs Lunch With Joaquim Valente & Kids

Gisele Bündchen is done hiding from the world as her third pregnancy progresses ... stepping out for a sweet lunch date with her baby daddy, Joaquim Valente, and kids Benjamin and Vivian.

Check it out ... the supermodel hit Miami for a bite to eat with her modern family, who were all smiles as they made their way into the local restaurant.

For the weekend outing, Gisele opted for a more casual look ... including a white flowy top, gray joggers, a baseball cap, and flip-flops.

Jennifer Lopez Sister Hanging With Ben's Daughter ... Link Up On College Campus

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are going through a complicated divorce, but their families remain close ... look no further than J Lo's sister and Ben's daughter.

Lynda Lopez visited Ben and Jennifer Garner's daughter Violet Affleck at college in New Haven, Connecticut ... with Lynda sharing a smiling selfie from the campus at Yale University, with her hands on Violet's shoulders.

J Lo's sister shared the photo, along with a couple autumn-inspired photos of the campus, on social media Sunday ... captioning it, "New Haven with my favorite Yalie."

Big Meech Smiling In Prison Was Pointless ... But Look At My Mouthpiece Now!!!

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FRESH CHOMPERS
TMZ.com / 5 Star Smiles

Big Meech is destined for loads of interviews now that he's been released from prison, and will face the cameras with a brand new smile!!!

5 Star Smiles President Danielle Noguera tells TMZ Hip Hip the former B.M.F. head honcho came into her Miami office on Friday and walked out with an all-porcelain makeover!!!

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Danielle says Meech faced hordes of underlying general issues with his teeth during his time behind bars... and the hygienists got him a long overdue deep-cleaning to tackle the problem.

'RHOBH' Teddi Mellencamp Files For Divorce

Teddi Mellencamp is officially pulling the plug on her marriage ... because she's filed for divorce from her husband.

The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum beelined it to court Friday and filed to divorce Edwin Arroyave after 13 years of marriage.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Teddi lists October 20 as the date of separation, and she's going with the boilerplate "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

Peanut the Squirrel Sources Think Authorities Were After Porn, Not Animals

The agencies that raided a New York farm and seized Peanut the squirrel were actually there because some officials had a problem with porn ... that's what some sources connected to the drama believe.

As we reported, the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Health Dept. got a search warrant and showed up at Mark Longo's farm last week, seizing Peanut and Fred the racoon under the pretext Longo broke the law by harboring 2 undomesticated animals.

But, here's the deal ... Mark tells TMZ when officials showed up they asked questions that had nothing to do with the animals. Mark says one of the first questions -- "Do you have any cameras in your house?"

Danica Patrick Goes After Kamala's Celeb Supporters ... 'I Never Went to a Diddy Party'

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NO DIDDY PARTY FOR ME

Danica Patrick is taking shots at Kamala Harris' bevy of A-list backers ... accusing the group of Hollywood elites of having ties to disgraced music mogul Diddy.

The retired NASCAR driver slammed the Vice President's celebrity supporters during what she said was an unscripted speech at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania Sunday.

Danica confirmed to the crowd she was "winging" her address, noting she wasn't "paid to be here" and that she didn't "need a telephone" to give her speech. That was an apparent dig at rapper Cardi B, who read off her phone after facing teleprompter issues during Harris' rally in Milwaukee Friday.

Spurs' Gregg Popovich Suffers Health Issue Before Game ... No Timetable For Return

Gregg Popovich reportedly suffered a "health issue" over the weekend before the Spurs game ... with the legendary head coach being ruled out for an "indefinite period."

Shams Charania broke the news Monday morning, saying the 75-year-old coach suffered the issue prior to the Spurs matchup against the Timberwolves on Saturday ... which they won, 113-103.

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson -- who stepped in for his boss and will now serve as interim coach -- said at the time the all-time winningest coach in league history was "not feeling well."

Quincy Jones Dead at 91

Quincy Jones, the legendary music titan who worked with nearly every icon ... from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra to Will Smith ... has died, TMZ has confirmed.

Arnold Robinson, Quincy's publicist, told TMZ ... he died Sunday night at his home in Bel-Air, California surrounded by his family.

“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”

Selena Gomez All You Body-Shamers Make Me Sick!!!

Selena Gomez came in hot, shutting down body-shamers who had the audacity to troll her look at last week’s "Emilia Pérez" premiere in L.A.

In a now-deleted TikTok post, trolls in the comments claimed Selena was "hiding" her body by posing with her hands across her stomach at the American French Film Festival -- but the actress hit back in the comments, saying it made her "sick" to see people coming for her weight.

Selena set the record straight, explaining her pose was because of a SEBO flare-up in her small intestine -- a bacterial overgrowth condition that causes bloating, pain, and other not-so-glamorous symptoms.

Kanye West, Bianca Censori Go For McD's Run In Tokyo ... BC Shines In Silver Spandex

Kanye West and Bianca Censori went out for a fast-food run in Japan ... and the couple is so famous it's easy to identify them from the back -- thanks to BC's tight, skimpy outfits.

Check out this photo posted to X early Monday morning ... it shows BC and KW from behind, standing at a kiosk ordering their meals at a McDonald's in Tokyo.

Kanye is customarily dressed down in baggy white pants and a green jacket. Bianca, on the other hand, is wearing shiny silver spandex leggings with a matching strapless brassiere.

Washington, D.C. We the People Are Boarding Up ... Businesses Prep for Election Day Unrest

Washington, D.C. is bracing itself for trouble ahead of Election Day ... with many businesses boarding up their doors as the final results loom.

Check it out ... outlets including a D.C.-based McDonald's and a Peet's Coffee have already shuttered their windows and storefronts with Election Day less than 24 hours away.

Some are even scrambling today to get plywood up to fortify their walls before any potential unrest unfolds because of the election.

NLE Choppa I'm A 🎥🎞️ Director Now!!! Stoner Comedy With Lil Wayne, Sukihana, More

NLE Choppa has added movie director to his résumé -- by remaking Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's car wash comedy "The Wash" with the help of Lil Wayne and social media influencers!!!

The "Shotta Flow" rapper recently unleashed his "NLE Choppa Presents: The Wash" on YouTube for fans to soak in for free.

The newly minted filmmaker co-directed the bit with hip hop video vet Ben Marc, and they didn't even bother with a script ... Wayne, Sukihana, Ray Vaughn, Relly B, Yaisel LM and several more improvised their parts!!!

Colts Mascot Blue Shoving Match With Youth Players ... During Game W/ Mascots

Halftime didn't mark a break in the action during "Sunday Night Football" ... as a group of mascots faced off against some youngins in a pickup game on the field -- and it didn't take long for chaos to ensue!!

The annual showdown -- which featured more highlights than the first half of the Vikings vs. Colts matchup -- served as intermission entertainment for fans ... but it was clear at least one furry creature wasn't taking it easy on the little ones.

Blue -- the Colts' mascot -- left it all out on the gridiron ... getting around a group of blockers and throwing one of the peewees to the ground.

Cardi B NSFW Rant at Kamala Rally Critics!!!

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I'm Proud Of Myself!!!

Cardi B came in hot, defending herself against haters who questioned her using her phone notes for a speech at VP Kamala Harris' rally Friday night.

The rapper didn’t hold back on TikTok, dropping some choice words for her critics as she explained she did put serious effort into her speech, but had to jot it down -- because, well, juggling life as a mom of 3 isn’t exactly light work.

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NO SECOND CHANCES

Cardi admitted she went all in for Friday -- even talking about how she rehearses in the shower for important events ... but then sometimes blanks when it's time to do the face-to-face speaking.

I, Robot Gets an I, Dog ... Goes for Casual Walk in Park!!!

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BOT'S BEST FRIEND
ViralPress

Elon Musk's humanoid robots may have a run for their money ... a robot dog-walker has taken a robot pup for a stroll in a new video making the rounds online.

Check it out ... the human-looking android stomps around a dog park in China while guiding a metallic pooch on a leash. Unsurprisingly, onlookers stare as the metal man aimlessly guides the robot pup over the grass ... not that the bot pup needs to actually do its business on the ground.

Of course, this robot outing comes weeks after Elon gave a taste of his plans for an autonomous future ... which includes Tesla's Optimus "personal assistant."