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Willie Nelson -- one of the most prolific pot puffers on the planet -- has given up smoking weed after recent health issues ... but he still gets high.

The 86-year-old recently sat down with KSAT-TV to talk life on the road ... and his weed obsession. Willie says, "I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful."

Then, he drops a bombshell, saying, "I don't smoke anymore, take better care of myself."

A source close to Willie says it's true, he's not smoking weed ... however, he still vapes and eats cannabis-infused items. We're told it's also not out of the question that Willie will decide to smoke again in the future.

As for Willie's overall health, our source says he's just fine ... and is excited to continue touring through next year.

Willie's grown a weed empire over the course of his career -- even launching Willie's Reserve -- a cannabis company selling everything from joints to weed-infused candy and vape products.

Andrew Yang celebrated opening a new office with a never before seen method in politics ... MUCH to the chagrin of his campaign manager.

The trending presidential candidate has stayed in the race with some unconventional ideas ... but this one takes the cake. He christened the new digs in New Hampshire by spraying whipped cream into the mouths of supporters on their knees.

To put it politically -- the optics are very interesting here.

Check out the vid ... the Yang fan in a MATH ("Make America Think Harder") hat clearly eggs on the Democratic hopeful, even insisting to Yang's resistant campaign manager, Zach Graumann, that the questionable celebration is "just a joke."

Andrew gleefully partakes, but then makes the jaw-dropping display even more baffling by declaring ... "That's a full-service presidential candidate!"

Yang goes on to say the whipped cream shot is how you open an office in style, then sprays it into the mouth of ANOTHER kneeling supporter ... before Graumann pulls him away.

Sherri Shepherd has some advice for hubbies looking to whip their wives in shape for the holidays with the help of a new Peloton -- go for diamond earrings instead, pal.

We talked to the comedian Tuesday night about Peloton's new severely mocked ad -- in which a wife documents the highs and lows of her fitness journey a year after her husband gifted her the workout bike for Xmas. It's hilariously awkward.

Sherri's take on the spot -- that might be why she's single. She mockingly said who wouldn't love a bike instead of diamonds and jewelry. Sherri added, she wishes a future husband would buy her a Peloton ... but you have to see HOW she says it.

If you haven't heard the criticism so far, the general idea is that this fake TV husband is pretty freakin' tone-deaf with his gift. As for the wife ... well, people think she's not all there either with how gung-ho she seems to be about the suggestive surprise.

The criticism has hurt the company's bottom-line too -- its stock price dropped about 6 percent on Tuesday.

Sherri's got a hilarious explanation about why husbands should accept their significant others for who they are. Fellas, before you order that bike ... at least listen to her take. Could save ya in the long run.

For President Trump, the gloves are off with Justin Trudeau after the Canadian Prime Minister was caught talking smack about Trump during a NATO Summit event.

The incriminating vid plays like a "Mean Girls" scene, but at Buckingham Palace instead of a school cafeteria. Trudeau, British PM Boris Johnson, French Prez Emmanuel Macron and others seemed to be chatting Tuesday night about Trump's impromptu 40-minute news conference earlier in the day.

To be honest, it seemed more catty than chatty, and Trudeau went on to say Trump's team's "jaws dropped to the floor."

Of course, once Trump got wind of that convo, he went in on Trudeau, calling him "two-faced." He also floated the theory Canada's PM was just being pissy because of a NATO funding dispute.

Trump says he called out Trudeau for not paying 2 percent of Canada gross domestic product into NATO's defense spending.

He tried to play it cool, adding, "[Trudeau]'s a nice guy. I find him to be a very nice guy" -- but ya know this beef is just heating up.

The NATO Summit just turned into "Melrose Place."

The woman accused of stabbing Terrelle Pryor will remain in jail ... a judge just called her a "danger to the community" and denied her request for bail.

Shalaya Briston was arrested and charged with felony attempted homicide on Nov. 30 after a fight with Pryor ... but she had hoped to get bail on Wednesday.

But, the judge DENIED that request ... and now 24-year-old Briston will remain in jail until, at least, her next court appearance on Dec. 12.

As we previously reported, Briston and Pryor -- who had been dating for the past year -- got into an argument at their Pittsburgh-area apartment last week when things turned violent.

After a night out of partying, Briston returned home to find a pissed off Pryor ... and according to court docs, witnesses say they got into a physical fight.

At one point, a witness says Briston appeared to stab Pryor ... and the 30-year-old NFL player required emergency surgery to fix the wounds.

According to Pryor -- who was just released from the ICU -- he nearly died TWICE from the injuries ... but is doing better now.

Tiffany Haddish is celebrating 3 things at once, and they all center around her Jewish heritage ... something she's leaning into as she hits the big 4-0.

The comedian and actress turned 40 on Tuesday and decided to ring it in by throwing a 'Black Mitzvah.' What the hell is that? Well, it's not only the title of her new Netflix stand-up special -- which dropped Tuesday -- but it also looks like a kick-ass freakin' party.

Tiff's bday bash/bat mitzvah went down at the SLS Hotel in Bev Hills, where friends like Jimmy Kimmel, Kevin Nealon and Sinbad -- to name just a few -- helped her celebrate.

If you hadn't heard, Tiffany learned she was part Jewish a bit late in life -- age 27, apparently -- with her father revealing he was an Eritrean Jew. That spurred her to learn more about the culture, and now she's dedicated her comedy special to it.

She's also been studying Hebrew, so she seems to be taking it seriously. Funny enough, Tiff used to work at bar and bat mitzvahs -- she says she was an "energy producer" at events. You can see that's a perfect gig for her.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree ...
How much you f@#%ing cost us?!

When President Trump lights up the National Christmas Tree this week, it's not the decorations that should mesmerize you -- it's the six figures YOU spent to replace last year's tree!!!

The National Park Service planted the new nat'l tree -- a 30-foot Colorado blue spruce from Pennsylvania -- back in October on the Ellipse in D.C.'s President's Park. The old one, it turns out, was damaged shortly after the 2018 lighting ceremony, where one scofflaw went wild.

Ya might remember, the guy wreaked havoc by getting behind the curtain of lights and climbing up the tree's delicate limbs.

As we reported ... the cops got him down after a struggle, and the climber -- described as being under "emotional distress" -- was taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

Unfortunately, he caused the tree -- which had been there since 2012 -- a lot of distress too. According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ, the gov't paid a tree company $163,984 to plant the new one. It's officially our 6th National Christmas Tree, which can be visited year-round at the park. Might as well go see what your tax dollars bought.

Additionally, the cost of Trump's third lighting ceremony is up significantly compared to last year. According to the docs, the White House tab totals $180,633 ... up from 2018's total of $141,944.

We broke the story ... the 2018 ceremony's cost was only slightly up compared to 2017, with event management services accounting for the majority of the expenses. Other expenses included sound system rental and ballistic glass to protect Donald, Melania and the First Fam.

It's unclear why there's a $40k increase this year. We've reached out to Infinite Power LLC, the company providing event management services ... but no word back yet.

The new tree will be lit for the first time Thursday night -- and that cha-ching you'll be hearing ain't jingle bells!!!

Here's a video that'll hit ya in the feels ...

A little Saquon Barkley fan who was snubbed by a Dallas Cowboys superstar a couple months ago finally got to meet his NY Giants idol -- and the hangout brought the kid to tears!

If you missed it ... back on Sept. 8, 11-year-old Kamil Bautista tried to ask Demarcus Lawrence for an autograph after the Giants-Cowboys game in Dallas.

But, D-Law wasn't having any of it 'cause of the Barkley jersey Kamil was wearing ... and the Cowboys star straight-up told the kid as he was walking away, "Get the right jersey, son!"

The video immediately went viral ... and when Barkley saw the snub -- he flew Kamil and his family out from Texas to New York for a game!!

The Bautistas got the VIP treatment -- sideline passes, autographs and all the hook-ups -- but the best moment was clearly Kamil's first time hanging with Barkley.

Watch the vid, Saquon is SUPER nice ... and it actually makes Kamil cry!!

After the game, the two linked up again ... with Barkley signing a few things for the kid and taking a cool picture.

As for the outcome of the night, the Giants ended up losing to the Jets ... but Kamil's father tells TMZ Sports, "Our Giants are not doing that great this year but we support them 100000% all the time from South Texas!"

Bella Hadid put on her Good Samaritan hat to help out a female photographer who fell flat on her face in front of the supermodel.

It all went down Tuesday night in Miami, where Bella was leaving Swan restaurant to get in a waiting SUV ... of course, she was greeted with tons of paps on her way out. Nothing too crazy -- that is, until one paparazzo took a nasty tumble at Bella's feet.

Bella was quick to bend down and help her up -- even before her brawny security guard could -- and a few other gals who seemed to be rolling with BH also sprung into action.

It's a pretty sweet moment as Bella and co. made sure the woman -- and her expensive camera -- were okay. Fortunately, she was ... the lady admitted to being a klutz, and was back on her feet in a matter of seconds. The group even chatted for a bit afterward.

The funny part comes when the convo ends and the photog very much tries to get back into job mode as Bella is about to leave. She got the shot she wanted ... we think.

Criss Angel is sharing some somber news about his young son's dire medical battle ... the leukemia is back after a brief dip into remission.

We got Criss and his kid, Johnny Crisstopher, at LAX Tuesday, and the famous illusionist told us his 5-year-old will be going back to a hospital next week to restart treatment for a rare form of leukemia.

Criss says before Johnny's readmitted, he's going to make sure the little guy has the time of his life in SoCal. Sounds like dad's got some fun stuff on tap.

You'll recall, when Johnny was first diagnosed with cancer back in 2015 at just 21 months old ... Criss set out to make a documentary on his son's chemo treatments, and to raise $1 million for pediatric cancer research.

Floyd Mayweather is proving he's still in prime shape -- strip club shape, at least -- for his big comeback ... by getting right back in the strip club and throwing an INSANE amount of money!!

Of course, the 42-year-old boxing superstar announced he's returning to the fight game in 2020 ... and if his moves are as sharp as his throwing, his future opponents better watch out.

Money -- with endless stacks of $100 bills in hand --- made his presence known at G5ive in Miami on Tuesday night ... letting the cash fly as the dancers put on a show.

Floyd showed off at least 5(!!!) stacks of hundos before kicking off his thunderstorm ... but it's unclear if that's what he was throwing. Regardless, there were a BUNCH of bills on that stage by the time he was done.

Meek Mill thinks the heart-wrenching stories of parents losing kids to police brutality and social injustice can create real change ... and he's hammering his point home with a powerful video.

Meek's record company, Dream Chasers, is releasing a moving PSA Wednesday focusing on the tragic death of Antwon Rose Jr. -- a Pittsburgh honor roll student who was fatally shot in the back by a police officer in 2018.

The PSA is narrated by Antwon's mother, Michelle Kenney, and she makes a case for the need for more "understanding and communication" between police and the communities they serve.

The video is part of the "Responsibility Program" launched by Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Sources involved in the production tell us Meek wanted to get involved with Antwon's story because he's from his home state of Pennsylvania -- and it turns out, Meek was Antwon's favorite rapper.

Meek tells TMZ, "My hope is this PSA will inspire people to come together and create change in our communities. Our country needs more communication and understanding – not hate and division – so it’s important that we collectively start the conversation and work to leave a lasting impact for future generations."

You'll recall ... just last month, the "Responsibility Program" teamed with Philadelphia Eagles star Malcolm Jenkins and his Players Coalition to tell the story of Pace University football player Danroy "DJ" Henry ... who was also fatally shot by a police officer.

We're told Roc Nation plans to present a new story every 2 to 3 weeks.

Gorilla Zoe's domestic violence case is no more -- and it's all thanks to the girlfriend he allegedly attacked.

The Monroe County Florida Prosecutor's Office tells TMZ it dropped all the charges against the Atlanta rapper after his GF made it clear she didn't want him prosecuted. She even delivered a notarized letter requesting the D.A. fall back.

We're told the reason she was unwilling to cooperate is she claims they'd simply gotten into a disagreement in their hotel room. She also said that to the arresting officers on the spot.

As we reported ... Gorilla Zoe was arrested for domestic battery after cops say they saw him pinning her down in their room. Witnesses told police they were fighting on their balcony before that, and he'd allegedly knocked her to the ground.

According to the police report, she told cops ... "We always drink and argue, nothing more. He's never gotten physical with me. Isn't that what happens when everyone drinks?"

She went on to say that he always got aggressive while drunk, but would never actually hurt her. Cops say she didn't have any noticeable injuries or marks. They still arrested Zoe based on what they and witnesses had seen.

Tyler Perry is getting showered with love from the sick man he basically rescued from a Mexican hospital -- and the guy says he'd STILL be trapped if not for Tyler.

Stephen Johnson says Tyler is his real-life superhero for covering his $14,000 hospital bill and paying to fly him home to Atlanta. Remember, Stephen fell ill while on vacay ... and says the hospital was holding him until he paid for his treatment in full.

Stephen tells us he just got out of another hospital in Georgia, and he's finally on the mend after being diagnosed with pancreatitis, diabetes and a kidney infection while in Mexico -- and he has a special message for Tyler.

It's pretty wild ... Stephen says the hospital staff in Mexico was doing the bare minimum to keep him alive before his story went viral, and caught the attention of the media and Tyler.

L.A. Clippers player Patrick Patterson hit the streets of Bev Hills with his wife this week ... in the wake of a social media war that erupted over their interracial marriage.

Some quick background -- Patterson posted an anniversary message to his wife Sarah on IG back in October ... which didn't go over well with one of his followers who suggested Sarah only married him because he's an NBA player.

"I bet she’s the only one in her family history to date a black. Stay woke my guy."

Patterson clapped back -- saying, "So I should settle for a bulldog and act like I’m happy with my life and preach ‘keep it in your race’ to the world as if Dr. King didn’t fight/die for equality, acceptance, all cultures loving one another, and no hate? No thanks. That may be your life but I don’t want that for mine or for my family. Color doesn’t matter. Wake up."

People were furious with Patterson, claiming the "bulldog" comment was insulting to black women.

30-year-old Patterson -- a 1st round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft -- apologized and said the comment was only directed at the commenter's wife ... but acknowledges he shouldn't have used the term in the first place.

Now, Patterson tells TMZ Sports he and his wife are trying to move on from the controversy  -- saying, "At the end of the day, what happened, happened. I apologized for it, I would just like to leave it at that."

We asked Patterson if he and his wife are treated differently in real life as opposed to social media.

"The only experience that matters is the one that I share with my wife right here and that's the love we share. At the end of the day, nothing else matters."

"Social media is one thing, it's a different animal. The real world's a whole new animal, so each aspect is different from another in their own way."

Texas-born Edgar Winter gained fame in the '70s when his psych supergroup, The Edgar Winter Group, released rock anthems like the hard-hitting synth smash, "Frankenstein," and the blues-riffing "Free Ride."

While Edgar Winter played practically every available instrument on stage including guitar, synthesizer, keyboard, saxophone and even drums ... he wasn't alone in the music-making. Edgar also included artists like Chuck Ruff on backline percussions, Ronnie Montrose on the electric ax and Dan Hartman on the driving bass.

Edgar's brother Johnny Winter was also a famous musician and was put into the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list.