Vic Mensa Good News and Bad News ... in Brass Knuckles Case

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Vic Mensa was hit with the ol' good news and bad news sitch in his brass knuckles case and TBH ... it was more good than bad.

The good news ... he was NOT charged with felony possession of brass knuckles. The bad news ... Vic WAS charged with possession of brass knuckles ... this according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.

Vic was officially charged this week and pled not guilty. As we first reported, Vic was busted last month in Glendale after cops pulled him over for making an unsafe turn.

Cops patted him down and found the brass knuckles in Vic's pants pocket. Remember, while they're legal in most states ... brass knuckles are banned in Cali.

Now let's get down to brass tacks ... if convicted, Vic faces up to a year in county jail.

Rebel Wilson Good Genes or Good Docs?!

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Rebel Wilson's good looks are pitcher perfect!

Here is a 21-year-old version of the "Pitch Perfect" star rockin' her curly hair at a scholarship event in Sydney, Australia back in 2002 (left).

And, 18 years later ... the now 39-year-old -- will be celebrating her 40th birthday this coming week -- was recently spotted all dressed up and out on the town in Los Angeles earlier this week (right).

Wilson has spent the last year releasing several new projects, she was featured in the film "Cats" as well as the Oscar-nominated film, "Jojo Rabbit." She also starred in a new Australian television drama, "Les Norton".

She's got it goin' on!

The question is ...

Greg Oden Gives Money Advice To Athletes ... It's My Job Now!!!

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Greg Oden
AT YOUR SERVICE

Listen up, super-rich athletes!! NBA star-turned-financial adviser Greg Oden is here to give you some solid pointers on how to keep from turning into a super-broke athlete!!

(We're looking at you Boris Becker!)

Of course, the #1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft has taken his talents to the finance world ... and he's working to help his fellow pro athletes GROW their money instead of blowing it (like Boris Becker!).

We spoke with G.O. at the Kenny Smith All-Star event in Chicago about his new career ... and he says he LOVES his job.

"It's amazing," Oden tells us. "I'm an athlete adviser for a financial education company ... the company is called Edyoucore, it's based out in Baltimore and I enjoy it."

There are countless stories of players going from making millions to bankruptcy ... and Oden -- who made $24 million in his career -- is hoping to put an end to the problem.

We put Oden on the spot and asked for a quick tip for any athletes watching ... and he gave us a nugget!!

"Be engaged. Pay attention where all your money is going."

And if you're wondering why we keep referencing Boris Becker -- the former tennis star is LEGENDARY for blowing his fortune.

In fact, during his 2017 bankruptcy case in England, a court official said the former tennis star had racked up a "historic debt."

At the time, Becker's rep John Briggs begged for mercy ... saying, "He is not a sophisticated individual when it comes to finances."

Harsh, right?

Celebs Piggin' Out Happy Pig Day!

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It's pig day and there really is no better way to celebrate this wacky holiday than to share some snaps of piggies hoggin' up famous feeds!

From stars such as Khloe Kardashian and Nick Lachey to Jessica Burciaga and Anthony Anderson these celebs have helped some sweet snouts get a good whiff of their lavish life.

In honor of this big day we're sharing some of the best pig appreciation pics with you ... Dive right into our gallery of celebs pigging out to see all the famous faces making some new four-legged friends!

These guys are far from boar-ing!

Kobe Bryant Crash Site Pics Sheriff's Dept. Attempted Cover-Up Come Clean & You're Safe

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Deputies who responded to Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash site and took pictures of the remains were given a secret way out without repercussion ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... in the days after the crash, top brass at the department was aware some of their lower-level deputies had snapped shots of the scene as well as of the remains found, and were showing them to people in and out of the department.

We're told a message was relayed to the Lost Hills substations and possibly others as well ... if you got Kobe pics -- come in, come clean and delete them. Do that, and you won't be punished. That's essentially the directive we're told was handed down by commanding officers.

What's even more concerning is the fact our sources say this attempt to get rid of the damning evidence was all being done on the hush-hush, and it was only when the L.A. Times came around asking about this scandal that the department launched a formal inquiry.

We've learned the Sheriff's Dept. learned that some deputies took pics of remains days after the crash ... this after a sheriff's trainee went to a bar and thought he could impress and pick up a woman by showing her the photos. Sources say a bartender overheard this and was so irate, he contacted the Sheriff's and lodged a formal complaint.

It's clear ... the Sheriff's Dept. kept everything under wraps until it became obvious its cover was about to be blown.

On Friday, the department issued a statement saying, in part, that top dog Alex Villanueva was "deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act." They go on to say, "A thorough investigation will be conducted by the department, with the No. 1 priority of protecting the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families."

The one thing the Sheriff has not explained ... why was this so secretive and why was punishment circumvented until the department realized the secret could no longer be kept?

Tom Brady Awkward Nervous Smile ... As Edelman Says 'He's Coming Back'

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Tom Brady's coming back for another year with the Patriots -- or so says Julian Edelman, even though Tommy's face tells a much different story.
READ MY LIPS!!!

Tom Brady's coming back for another year with the Patriots -- or so says Julian Edelman, even though Tommy's face tells a much different story.

The two Pats stars were at the Syracuse-UNC basketball Saturday and while sitting next to Jimmy Fallon ... JE started (jokingly?) telling someone below them that TB was definitely coming back. You can read his lips pretty clearly, but read Tom's darting eyes more so.

He's got this forced, awkward grin on -- which to us says, "Hahaha, shut up, dude, 'cause you know I'm definitely not." ORRR, it could be, "Bruh, you're not supposed to say that out loud. Simmer down, Jules!" Watch to the end too ... Tom mouths something back.

The whole thing is a little cringe-worthy, TBH -- very Larry David-esque.

Now, here's the truth ... we still don't know what Tom's gonna do, but what we do know -- he's taking meetings with other teams and seems to seriously be considering bailing. He'd probably make a lot more money elsewhere, and an irreparable rift seems to have formed between him and Belichick.

Stay, go ... the people at the game didn't appear to care all that much, 'cause both Tom and Julian got booed when their mugs showed up on the jumbotron, even though Jimmy got a lot of love.

Considering they're in Bills country, we imagine the folks there want him the hell out of their lives for good.

Waka Flocka Flame I Was Wack in My Heyday, Man ... But At Least I Was Real!!!

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Waka Flocka is bringing self-awareness and self-deprecating humor to a whole new level -- saying he was a wack rapper at the peak of his career ... but honest nonetheless.

The hip-hop star was chopping it up with the team at Everyday Struggle, where he made the startling declaration ... that he was wack, he knows he was wack and probably should've stopped rapping way earlier than he actually did. His words, folks ... not ours.

Check out his explanation for yourself ... WFF says he made a massive amount of money around 2012 -- $30 million, apparently -- and says he'd achieved what he'd set out to do in the rap game ... which is to get rich. He insists he didn't need to keep going.

It's funny ... the Everyday crew tries to convince him otherwise -- that he's not wack and actually contributed a lot to the game -- but he remains firm, explaining his hip-hop idols are hardcore lyricists like Nas, KRS-One and others. He says he's simply not near them.

His one saving grace, according to him, was his ability to keep it real. Waka says people probably respected that more than his rapping ability.

Waka might be a little too hard on himself here -- fact is ... the dude put out tons of songs that landed on the Billboard charts, and while they weren't the most lyrically complex ... they were fun as hell for what they were -- and enjoyed by many.

In fact,  we're gonna 'No Hands' ride ourselves out of here on that note. #WakaNotWack

Billie Jean King Sharapova's Legacy Isn't Tainted ... She Owned Up to It

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Billie Jean King
SHE'S GOT MY LOVE

Billie Jean King says Maria Sharapova's tennis legacy isn't going to be harmed one iota by her doping scandal -- and it's all because of one simple thing she did ... tell the truth.

We got the tennis legend Saturday in NYC and asked for her thoughts on Maria announcing last week that she was stepping away from the sport, which she dominated for several years. According to BJK, MS is going down as an all-time great ... despite the ding for doping.

Check it out ... Billie says the fact Maria came out right away and addressed the situation head on back in 2016 took a lot of guts, and it's clear she owned up to it sincerely.

You'll recall ... Maria tested positive in 2016 for meldonium, which had very recently been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned substance list. She said she'd been taking it for years due to a medical condition, and didn't know it'd been deemed a doping agent.

After being suspended from playing for at least a year, she returned to tennis in the following years and found varying degrees of success before hanging it up. Her streak prior to that, however, is what Billie Jean seems certain Maria will forever be remembered for.

She also talks about what may lie ahead for Maria post-tennis, and wishes her all the best.

It's interesting ... Maria has already appeared on 'Shark Tank' as a guest panelist, and she did pretty well in that capacity. Something tells us she'll be just fine going forward.

Bernie Sanders Boards the Wrong Private Jet ... Case of Campaign Brain

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Bernie Sanders is on the go all the time -- which seems to have given him a momentary case of a campaign brain fart as he accidentally boarded the wrong jet.

The Democratic front-runner was spotted Saturday making his way off of a private Gulfstream between campaign stops in South Carolina and Massachusetts -- the latter being where he held a rally at Boston Common ahead of Super Tuesday.

Fact is ... the S.C. primary looks like it's gonna go to Joe Biden, as he's well ahead of everyone else in the latest polls. Looks like Bernie's cutting his losses and moving on.

As for this little mix-up here, it's kinda funny. Bernie's been flying all over the country for different campaign events -- so the guy's definitely busy and has a preoccupied mind at the moment. Mistakes like this (getting on the wrong Gulfstream) are bound to happen.

Some have criticized Sanders for flying private at all -- seeing how he rails against billionaires and elites. In fact, earlier this month ... he was spotted boarding a private aircraft while Liz Warren got on her own jet as they both flew back to D.C. from different locations just 36 minutes apart. The implication ... they coulda flown together, spared the air, etc.

Down in South Carolina, someone alleged he had as many as three Gulfstreams to himself to get somewhere just a couple hours away. Unclear if that's true, but here's something to keep in mind.

Most of, if not all, the candidates fly private at some point -- so if you critique one ya gotta do 'em all. And while BS spent the most for private air travel in the last quarter of 2019, he's also bought carbon offsets to balance things out -- as have others. Pick your poison 🤷🏽‍♂️

Oprah Falls Onstage Talking Balance ... I'm Losing My Shoes!!!

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Oprah took a tumble during a speaking tour stop ... and then ditched the two things that appeared to be the cause.

The TV juggernaut was at the Forum arena Saturday in L.A. as part of her 2020 Vision speaking tour, and the topic of discussion on the monitor behind her was "Wellness: All things in balance." Welp, it looks like balance worked against her, 'cause she lost hers.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

She was talking about her definition of wellness, which included balance. She says, "Wellness to me means all things in balance. And balance doesn't mean all things are equal or at peace at all times." Oprah then went down hard, but seemed okay. She said, "Wrong shoes!"

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Video of the immediate aftermath was also posted on social media, and yeah ... it looks like the shoes she was wearing (heels, maybe) were responsible for the collapse. Again, not to worry, everyone -- O was, in fact, okay in the end, and it appears she even swapped those pesky trippers for some more reliable ones eventually.

Not before going barefoot for a bit though! Some users got pics of Oprah walking around the stage on her own two feet for a bit, with one person even saying she danced to "Old Town Road" at one point.

Hey, sometimes in life ya gotta go back to the basics to get stuff done. Oprah seems to have no problem doing that on the drop of a dime ... or a body. Protect the O!!!

Tom Steyer Backs That Azz Up with Juvenile ... At South Carolina Rally

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Tom Steyer tried one last Hail Mary to gain traction in the South Carolina Primary -- bringing up Juvenile at a campaign rally ... and shaking what his momma gave him.

The billionaire Democratic candidate held one final event Friday night in Columbia before voters went to the booth the next day, and it seems he was trying to appeal to a younger (or older perhaps) demographic ... 'cause he invited Juvenile and DJ Jazzy Jeff onstage.

What happened next is quite a sight ... in a good way, of course. Tom and some of the other staffers attempted to get down to "Back That Azz Up," Juvenile's smash hit. It was ... interesting, to say the least. Yeah, let's call it that -- a good old college try in other words.

We'll give Tommy and co. this much ... they definitely go all-in on the poor dancing, cringe and all. And hey, ya can't really blame the guy -- this is kinda his last realistic chance at staying in this thing. Especially in light of him getting thrashed earlier last week by his key opponent in the race ... ex-Vice President Joe Biden, who's banking on a big win.

ICYMI ... Joe shut Steyer down during Tuesday's latest Democratic debate in the Lowcountry -- basically telling him to pipe down when TS tried chirping up and interrupting the Veep.

If Tom doesn't walk away with a win this weekend in a state he's spent countless time and money hoping to take ... a lot of people think he needs to back his azz up outta this race.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott Sure Seems Like They're Back Together

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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are back together ... at least that's the signal she's giving, and pretty clearly giving at that.

Kylie posted a bunch of pics from the Houston Rocket's Western Conference Quarterfinals back in 2017. It's when she was pregnant with Stormi. Kylie and Trav certainly look couply. She captioned the photos, "It's a mood."

She posted pics of Travis whispering in her ear, another staring into each other's eyes ... get the picture?

Kylie also modeled shoes Travis released Saturday ... Nike SB Dunk low trainers. BTW ... they've gone from $150 a pop online to $1,000.

In case you forgot, Kylie and Travis started dating at Coachella in 2017 and it wasn't long before she was pregnant with Stormi. They broke up last year but remained close and were super-into co-parenting, but it clearly started getting romantic, and he surprised her on Valentine's Day with a bunch of flowers.

Trader Joe's Founder Joe Coulombe Dead at 89

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Joe Coulombe, the guy who founded Trader Joe’s, one of the most enduring grocery chains in the country, has died after a long illness.

Joe died at his home in Pasadena, Ca.

Joe was born in 1930, smack in the middle of the depression, and raised on an avocado ranch near San Diego, CA. He served in the Air Force and got a B.A. in economics and an MBA from Stanford. No slouch.

So here's the path to Trader Joe's. He worked at Rexall Drugs in 1958 and his job was to create a group of convenience stores ... similar to 7-Eleven. The first thing he did -- he worked in a grocery store for free ... just to get the hang of it. The chain was called Pronto Markets. Thing is ... Rexall really wasn't into it, so Coulombe bought the stores and ran them himself.

Joe jumped into the market biz at the same time 7-Eleven was exploding, and he decided to take a different approach. That's when he came up with the idea for Trader Joe's.

He opened his first store in Pasadena, and decorated it with a nautical decor after reading a book called "White Shadows in the South Seas." He was also inspired by the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Employees at the store wore Hawaiian shirts. They were called captain and first mates.

The concept of the store -- courting customers with sophisticated taste on a budget. The prices were reasonable and sometimes even low.

Joe sold the chain in 1979 to the German grocery retailer Aldi Nord and retired from the company 9 years later.

Joe met his wife, Alice Steere, in 1952 in college. They married in 1952 and were married for 67 years. They have 3 kids and 6 grandchildren.

Joe was 89. RIP. And hey, thanks for the great wine!

Mama June and Geno Hangin' at the Hard Rock ... Chowin' Down on Fries

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Mama June and Geno are still going strong, to the clear dismay of her family.

The couple was hanging out at the food court in the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Florida Casino and Hotel Friday night. FYI, it's the same hotel where Anna Nicole Smith died back in 2007.

They ordered a mountain of french fries and went to town on the greasy potato strips.

Eyewitnesses say Mama June was standoffish, but Geno seemed happy somebody recognized him. They weren't staying at the hotel — they were staying somewhere in nearby Boca Raton.

As we've reported ... the troubled reality TV star's been looking the worse for wear lately while on the road with her boyfriend, Geno Doak. Her family's been desperate for her to leave him and get help, but so far ... they haven't had any luck convincing her.

To make matters worse, the couple's been hard up for money. June recently pawned a diamond ring and sold her house for way under value. She and Geno also got booted from a hotel over an unpaid bill.

Pop Smoke Murder Investigation's a Struggle ... Big Issues with Witnesses

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Pop Smoke's murder is still a mystery, and police are making little progress in finding suspects due to a variety of issues ... but they're still pressing on.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... detectives have hit a road block in the rapper's murder investigation, specifically with regard to witness testimony. We've heard it before -- a lot of people are simply refusing to talk. But also ... a lot of the info they're getting is sketchy.

Our sources say among the potential witnesses cops have spoken with, stories have either changed or are provably untrue. Also, because nobody was outside or nearby Pop's house when the crime occurred ... they have no neutral witnesses.

To make matters worse ... we're told investigators have wasted time looking into videos posted online allegedly connected to the murder, but they've all ended up unrelated to the case.

Likewise, with the case being bi-coastal -- Smoke was killed in L.A. but lived in NYC -- cops have had to spend extra time and effort tracking down people.

Finally, even though the murder appears to be a targeted hit and not a robbery ... our law enforcement sources say they're still having trouble coming up with a motive.

Cops are working all leads and resources possible in the meantime, but it seems they're in desperate need of a break in the case.

UFC's Dominick Reyes Deserves Rematch Against Jon Jones ... Says Dana White

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Dana White on Reyes Jones
I WANNA SEE IT AGAIN

Seems a Dominick Reyes vs. Jon Jones rematch is on the horizon -- with UFC honcho Dana White saying DR earned a second crack at Jon after that legendary battle in Feb.

Oh, and another clue a rematch is in the works ... Dana had lunch with Dom's manager Tiki Ghosn in Bev Hills and yeah, they were definitely talking business!

Of course, Jon emerged victorious in his UFC 247 fight with Reyes -- though a bunch of fans and fight experts think the judges got it all wrong by giving Jones the unanimous decision.

So, what's the best way to settle things once and for all? LET 'EM RUN IT BACK!

Dana seems to be on board ... telling us, "I think [Reyes deserves a rematch]. You'd be crazy not to think he deserves a rematch."

Ghosn added, "I think there's a very good chance of that!"

As for Jones, he's got options -- but he seems to be the most interested in a fight with light heavyweight contender Jan Blachowicz.

There's more with Dana ... we also talked to the UFC boss about everything from Conor McGregor's next fight and a possible Khabib vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match.

Plus, he also explains why Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo is going to going to be an "incredible fight" when they clash at UFC 250 on May 9.