Trump Tower Man Paints Over 'BLM' Mural Out Front ... Busted by NYPD

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A NYC man was so intent on painting over the Black Lives Matter street mural in front of Trump Tower ... not even cops pulling him off the ground was gonna slow him down.

This wild incident went down earlier this week in the Big Apple, right in front of Trump's signature building and residence on 5th Avenue -- where a giant 'BLM' street mural was recently etched and painted right out front. It was vandalized ... again.

The camera starts rolling right in the middle of the action, with the guy in question on his hands and knees ... frantically trying to spread white and red paint over the yellow 'BLM' lettering. He's literally spreading it with his own limbs, and doesn't care who's watching.

Eventually, some NYPD cops roll up and put a stop to it. Even when the responding officer gets right up in his face and tries yanking him up, the guys keeps at it -- smearing every last drop he can. It's insane ... eventually, more cops come and restrain him.

The officers also shoo off the people that are recording, but we get the gist of it. BTW, the guy kicks a paint can as he's being led away ... perhaps as his final act of defiance.

Cops say they arrested Mark David Hutt for criminal mischief and gave him a desk appearance ticket. This marks at least the fourth time the 'BLM' mural has been vandalized since it was painted July 9.

Of course, it's not the only place a 'BLM' mural has been tainted with paint. Another Trump-related vandalism act went down after 4th of July in the Bay Area. Those folks used paintbrushes to make a mess -- but hey, some people are old-fashioned with their dirty work.

Trump-Supporting Grandma Outs Grandson as Alleged Portland Bomber

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A 69-year-old Trumper grandma turned her grandson in after watching someone throw a bomb into the Portland federal courthouse, recognizing him and then outing him to authorities.

The woman, Karla Fox, says she noticed the alleged bomber was wearing a unique, olive vest with the word "ICONS" emblazoned on it. She saw him throw an object toward the courthouse and almost immediately thereafter there was a huge explosion and flames shot up near the front door.

The woman told the New York Post she immediately connected the dots ... "I bought the vest for him after he found one online after getting hit with rubber bullets the night before at the protest."

She even posted a glowing review of the item on Hibbett, saying, "I got this for my grandson who's a protester downtown, he uses it every night and says it does the job."

Now, get this ... she ID'd her grandson as the alleged bomber on social media, under the handle @trumpsgirl2020.

Her grandson, 18-year-old Gabriel "Rico" Agard-Berryhill, was arrested by Federal marshals and charged with felony arson. He faces years in prison if convicted.

The young man told the Post, "The device I've been accused of allegedly throwing was allegedly given to me by an unknown protester with full face coverings ... I was allegedly told that it was a strobe firework that wouldn't damage the building or harm anyone around it."

As for grandma ... she told the NY Post she didn't know her grandson's politics, which is odd since he was part of the Portland protests.

She made it clear to the Post ... "I don't condone any of this."

Tekashi 6ix9ine Look Ma, No Ankle Monitor!!! Off Home Confinement

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Tekashi 6ix9ine is enjoying his first taste of freedom in about 21 months -- his home confinement and GPS-monitored days are officially ending.

The rapper's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ ... Tekashi's federal probation officer is going to the rapper's home Saturday to remove his ankle monitor. We're told 6ix9ine will also be provided a schedule for when he needs to check in with his PO during his 5 years of supervised release.

It's a momentous occasion for Tekashi ... remember, the rapper-turned-state's witness (aka snitch) proudly showed off his ankle monitor when he dropped his first music video following his prison stint.

While T69 can now leave his house, he's not exactly free to move about the country, as they say.

Lazzaro says Tekashi will need to get permission from his PO whenever he wants to leave the state or the country, including when he travels for a performance or recording session. No business trip exceptions!

The good news for 69 is as long as he's within NY state borders, we're told he doesn't have to check in with the PO for every little thing he does. So, considering he's been locked up since November 2018 ... this is pretty damn close to his life before prison.

Wisely, we're told he's not going hog wild ... he's got nothing special on the calendar, other than hitting the studio and making music.

Shedding the ankle monitor and leaving the house is nice ... but Tekashi still has to perform 300 hours of community service. Not to mention, his team is still concerned about gang members seeking revenge.

White Supremacists Arrested for Hate Crimes ... In Road Rage Incident

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Two white supremacists were arrested Friday for attacking a vehicle with a shovel, after the woman screamed at the people inside the car, "only white lives matter," and her husband got all Hitlery with the Nazi salute, declaring, "white power."

The incident went down in Torrance, CA, when Gregory and Rachel Howell got involved in a road rage incident ... this according to the Torrance Police Dept.

Torrance Racism 7/22/20
HATEFUL RAGE

The woman inside the vehicle recorded the confrontation. The hateful comments and gestures apparently weren't enough for the married couple, because the guy went back to his truck, grabbed a shovel from his pickup truck and used it to go wild on the car, striking it several times before the driver beat a hasty retreat.

The incident went down a week ago, and the couple was arrested Friday for vandalism and hate crimes.

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?

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Do not let these two almost identical images of Jon Hamm start driving you mad ... Just take a closer look here to see if you can spot any of the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The Emmy award-winning actor was recently spotted out while grabbing a bite to eat in Los Angeles, CA ... and we have made a few changes to this pic! Get a good look around these photos and try to figure out the differences between the two super-similar snaps!

**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**

Donald Trump Enough TikTok, I'm Banning It

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Donald Trump says he's gonna ban TikTok as early as today.

Trump told a reporter on Air Force One Friday night, “Well, I have that authority ... I can do it with an executive order ..."  He reportedly followed up by saying, "We're banning them from the United States."

The pretext is that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company and Trump has it out for China. As you know, he refers to coronavirus as the "Chinese virus," and he's done everything he can to make China the scapegoat for the rampant spread of COVID in the U.S.

100 million folks in the U.S. use TikTok, which has exploded in popularity during the pandemic. On top of that, the company has hired 1,000 Americans this year, and plan to hire 10,000 more.

And, there's this ... TikTok has helped Americans deal with isolation and depression. It's been uplifting for millions of folks. It's also been a source of income for some of its users.

There have been concerns over privacy and the data collected by the company that owns the app, but Trump's M.O. is more about retaliation and deflection than privacy.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

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Trump has now floated what we've been talking about for months ... that he won't leave The White House willingly. And, there's smoke that Kamala Harris is Biden's pick for Veep. So we gotta ask ...

Master P J. Cole Training for NBA Career ... Dead Serious.

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J. Cole is currently training his ass off in hopes of getting a shot to make an NBA roster ... so says Master P, who offered the rap star some pretty sound advice.

First, let's talk J. Cole -- the "No Role Models" rapper was a solid hooper back in high school and famously tried out for St. Johns during his stint in college, but ultimately decided to focus on music.

Master P
UNDER A MICROSCOPE

Cole is a regular on the celebrity basketball circuit and is widely known as one of the best non-pro celebrity ballers in the country.

The 35-year-old recently hooked up with Master P for a Puma commercial where it's strongly insinuated that Cole is training for a shot with an NBA team ... which makes sense since P basically did the same thing back in the day.

Master P says he earned an NBA contract with 2 different teams in the '90s -- after he was already a famous rap mogul -- and he knows what it takes to get to the top level.

P -- whose music and hoops careers are documented in BET's "No Limit Chronicles" -- tells TMZ Sports he had a lengthy conversation with J. Cole about his hoop dreams ... and says he's convinced the rapper is dead serious.

"When I talked to J. Cole, he was like 'You know, big dog you did it. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?'"

"I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a lot of hate, it's gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. Cole -- he got the right size, he in the gym!"

"But, what I told him ... this a different time we're in. They're going to pick you apart! You're gonna have to be able to hit every shot and if you don't hit every shot, they -- you know in the NBA, they don't hit every shot but they believe in them. So, you're gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe in you and the players believe in you."

P says Cole won't get a pass just because he's famous -- in fact, he'll have to work even harder than everyone else to prove he's for real.

"They've been putting their whole life into this. So, you're gonna have to prove you're worthy of being on that court."

P adds, "I believe in him and I believe that he's a youngster that has a lot of desire."

Bottom line -- P says if Cole does get an opportunity, he's gonna have to show out.

"Either you're gonna be good enough to play or you're gonna get exposed."

'Deadliest Catch' Mahlon Reyes Dead at 38

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Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand on one of the "Deadliest Catch" crab fishing boats, is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Mahlon's wife tells us he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana after he suffered a heart attack last Saturday morning. Although he survived it, and was transported to a hospital ... he never regained consciousness.

His wife says the family decided Sunday to take Mahlon off life support. She says he was surrounded by loved ones.

We're told he had no existing health conditions his family knew of, so they're all completely shocked by the massive heart attack. His wife tells us Mahlon was cremated and his "Deadliest Catch" crew is going to spread some of his ashes in the Bering Sea.

We're told Mahlon was working his butt off to recover from a recently torn Achilles, suffered while crabbing on the boat, and was doing everything he could to get back to Alaska for another crab season.

The Flathead County Sheriff's Office says his official cause of death has not been determined yet ... pending autopsy and toxicology results.

Mahlon, who worked on 2 "Deadliest Catch" boats ... the Seabrooke and Cape Caution. He's survived by his wife and 4 children.

Mahlon was only 38.

RIP

Travis Kelce's GF Kayla Nicole Unfollows, Deletes Pics From IG Signs Point To Break Up

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Have Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce and longtime girlfriend Kayla Nicole called it quits??

It sure looks that way ... with the TV host/model unfollowing the Kansas City Chiefs superstar and deleting all their pics on Instagram -- which is usually a strong indication it's over.

It's almost the same situation as Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers -- which started with a social media wipe ... and culminated in an official break up statement.

Kelce and Kayla have been together for YEARS ... and first went public back in 2017.

The couple has provided nothing but hot content in their time together -- from TikToks to boat parties to epic SB parades.

The couple even joined Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews in Lake Tahoe for a weekend of raging shortly after the QB signed his massive $503 MILLION contract.

Kelce famously tried to find love on the "Catching Kelce" reality show a few years back ... but ended up with Kayla shortly after instead.

We've reached out to Kelce and Kayla Nicole's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.

Celebrity Quarantine Birthdays Celebrate In Place

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These birthday babes haven't let this pandemic stop them from making the best of it on their special day ... even if they gotta celebrate in quarantine!

Plans might have been switched around but stars such as Rory McIlroy, Shay Mitchell, Mariah Carey, and plenty of others are getting creative in order to keep the birthday magic alive ... and they've been sharing these sweet snaps along the way!

See all the famous faces that have been making the most of their at-home celebrations by scrolling through our gallery of celebrity quarantine birthdays.

In the end, it's all about the cake!

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Adrianne Haslet 'Livid' After Tsarnaev Death Sentence Overturned

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Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet -- who lost her leg in the terror attack -- is FURIOUS after an appeals court Friday overturned the bomber's death sentence.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been sentenced to die for his role in the 2013 bombing which killed 3 people and injured more than 250 others, including Haslet.

Haslet -- a professional dancer at the time -- required emergency surgery and lost her left leg from the knee down.

Her comeback story has been nothing short of inspirational -- she trained up and completed the marathon on a prosthetic leg in 2016.

But, after learning that an appeals court had overturned Tsarnaev's death sentence Friday ... she WENT OFF in a heated IG post.

"I’m so livid at today’s ruling by the federal court," Haslet said.

"First and foremost, I cannot emphasize enough, without a shadow of a doubt, that the criminal justice system needs a complete overhaul to stop racial profiling, and the death penalty is used in far too many cases of injustice. AND. The death penalty should be used in this particular case."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"This terrorist admitted in court he was guilty of crimes committed against our country. He confessed, with his brother, to a man who testified in court that their plans were to drive to New York and bomb the city too. This terrorist gave the finger when asked if he felt guilty."

She added, "He is a threat to all of us and he needs to die."

As for Tsarnaev, the appeals court believed some of the jurors in his trial were not completely truthful about how much information they had about the case while being selected.

The death sentence was vacated -- BUT there will be a new penalty phase of the trial where it's possible the new jury could still sentence him to death.

Haslet says if need be, "I’m ready to testify again. LFG."

Nicki Minaj's Husband Judge Nixes Hubby's Curfew & Travel Restrictions ... Won't Miss Baby's Birth

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UPDATE

3:37 PM PT -- 7/31 -- Kenneth can be in the room when Nicki gives birth ... a judge just granted his request to tweak his pre-trial release conditions so he can travel with Nicki.

UPDATE

With the court's order in place, KP can travel with Nicki periodically on biz trips as her manager and be there when their baby's born.

Nicki Minaj's husband really wants to be there for the birth of the couple's first child ... a once-in-a-lifetime moment he might have to miss due to his pending criminal case.

Kenneth Petty just submitted legal docs, obtained by TMZ, begging the judge to modify the terms of his pretrial release conditions so he can travel with Nicki periodically on business as her manager and attend the upcoming birth of their baby.

As you know ... Kenneth recently registered as a sex offender in Cali after getting arrested for allegedly failing to do so when he moved to the state with Nicki. Some of the terms of his pretrial release -- he has a curfew and his travel is restricted to California.

According to the docs, Kenneth wants the judge to tweak his release conditions so he can be by Nicki's side if she gives birth outside his curfew hours.

Kenneth says the U.S. Attorney's Office and pretrial services office don't oppose his request, so now it's up to the judge to sign off.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported ... Nicki announced her pregnancy earlier this month, and it looks like she's at least 6 months along. So the baby could be coming soon.

BTW ... Kenneth's status as a sex offender stems from a 1995 New York conviction for first-degree attempted rape. Petty pled not guilty to failing to register as a sex offender, and a judge recently gave him permission to surf the web.

Now, Kenneth's hoping to go 2-for-2 with the judge.

Originally published -- 7/30 10:33 AM PT

NBA's Jonathan Isaac Stands For National Anthem Here's My Explanation

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Jonathan Isaac
LAST MAN STANDING
UPDATE

2:53 PM PT -- Jonathan Isaac just addressed the media, where he was asked to explain why he didn't kneel or wear a BLM shirt ... and he says a lot of it has to do with his religious beliefs.

UPDATE

Isaac said he believes Black lives do matter ... but doesn't believe the kneeling demonstration or BLM shirt "go hand in hand with supporting Black lives."

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UPDATE

Isaac went on to explain how the teachings of Jesus Christ influenced his life and decisions ... and insists after much thought, the kneeling demonstration wasn't right for him.

UPDATE

"I think when you look around, racism isn't the only thing that plagues our society, that plagues our nation, that plagues our world, and I feel like coming together on that message that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues as a society. The answer to it is the gospel."

UPDATE

We think what Isaac is trying to say is his priority is on following the teachings of Jesus Christ, above all else ... including the Black Lives Matter movement.

Orlando Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand during the national anthem following the season restart ... deciding against both kneeling and wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt.

The league's coaches, refs and players -- from LeBron James to Zion Williamson -- have been using the anthem demonstrations to raise awareness as games pick back up in Orlando ... a gesture that is being supported by NBA commish Adam Silver.

Isaac became the first player to choose to stand as the anthem was played before the Magic's match-up with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday ... while the rest of the team's players and staffers took a knee.

It's worth noting -- Silver says everyone will have the option to kneel during the anthem without consequence ... despite a league rule requiring players to stand.

The same goes for anyone who wishes to stand -- no one is saying the players HAVE to kneel, either.

So far, Jonathan hasn't commented on his decision to stand publicly -- because the game is currently being played. But, when he does, we'll update here.

Charles Barkley spoke about the demonstrations on Thursday during TNT's "Inside The NBA," saying, "The national anthem means different things to different people."

"I’m glad these guys are unified. If people don’t kneel, they’re not a bad person. I want to make that perfectly clear. I’m glad they had unity, but if we have a guy who doesn’t want to kneel because the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified."

The Magic released a statement in support of the demonstration, saying, "The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organization fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of color."

"We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together — bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity."

Originally published -- 1:08 PM PT

Celeb Twitter Hack FL Teen Arrested as Alleged Mastermind ... 2 More Men Charged

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UPDATE

1:57 PM PT -- While the teenager might be the ringleader of the hack, 2 others have been arrested for it as well -- 19-year-old Mason Sheppard from the U.K., and 22-year-old Nima Fazeli of Orlando.

UPDATE

The 2 men were charged in California federal court, though it's unclear if they are facing as many felonies as Clark.

Some of the most high-profile celebs, politicians and business leaders can thank a Florida teen for hacking their Twitter accounts ... according to cops, who've busted the alleged mastermind.

Graham Ivan Clark was arrested Friday morning in Tampa following an investigation into the hack that appeared to be part of a massive Bitcoin scam ... and the 17-year-old is facing a whopping 30 felony charges.

The State Attorney's Office in Hillsborough County says Clark is responsible for the July 15 hack, which as we reported, saw Twitter accounts for Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Mike Bloomberg and Kim Kardashian tweeting out a message asking users to send $1,000 to the same Bitcoin address in return for $2,000.

The scheme was pretty lucrative ... authorities say the hack reeled in more than $100,000 in Bitcoin.

Clark was arrested and booked shortly after 6:30 AM Friday ... according to jail records.

While Clark is only 17 years old, Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in some cases of financial fraud.

Twitter says the hackers fooled its employees into handing over high-level administrative credentials over the phone in a "spear-phishing attack," which allowed the hackers to target other Twitter employees with access to account support tools and ultimately tweet from the celeb accounts.

Kids these days.

Originally Published -- 1:24 PM PT