Election 2020 Banks, Apartments Brace for Chaos ... Warnings Go Out
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As election night draws near, banks and apartment complexes from coast-to-coast are gearing up for unrest -- cautioning folks to be ready for the worst.
TMZ has learned one bank in Washington D.C. sent a letter to its customers saying it would remain open, but with boarded-up windows "due to concerns of potential unrest" before and after the election.
It also shut down its ATM for the time being, and says it will close if it feels employees are in danger.
As we've already told you ... businesses and shops in D.C. have been boarding up in anticipation of election violence, and police across the country are bracing for protests that could get out of hand.
Likewise, an apartment complex in L.A. -- with 5 separate buildings -- sent a notice to its hundreds of residents, saying there would be an increase in security "in an abundance of caution" over potential election chaos.
The complex says it will also be cracking down to make sure only residents and their guests are able to get onto the grounds. It's warning everyone to be on alert for strangers.
There are plans to board up businesses across the country, including on Bev Hills' famed Rodeo Drive.
More signs of what you've been hearing -- this election is unlike any other in our lifetime. Buckle up!
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Floyd Mayweather Revolutionized Boxing Business ... Max Kellerman Explains
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Like it or not, Floyd Mayweather is a genius -- and played the "game of boxing" better than anyone else in the history of the sport ... changing it forever, so says Max Kellerman.
There will always be an argument about who's the best pure boxer of all time -- Floyd? Muhammad Ali? Joe Louis? -- but when it comes to the business side of the sport, Max tells us there's only one name in the conversation.
"He retired undefeated. He made hundreds of millions of dollars. He never took a bad beating. He has a very good point that he's the best ever at playing the boxing game," the "First Take" star told us in NYC.
"Boxing, at its core, is basically fans and networks exploiting fighters. And, what Floyd and [his business partner] Al Haymon did is they flipped the paradigm around. They said 'No no, you're not gonna exploit us' -- in fact, the fighters, in this case, Floyd, are gonna exploit the fans and networks. 'I know you wanna see us in the maximum kinda risk situation but in fact, I wanna put myself in the minimum risk, maximum reward situation.'"
Max points out Floyd navigated his career masterfully with 3 main factors -- "The timing of when he picked the opponents, his boxing style and then, of course, his own excellence."
Think about it ... Floyd has some incredible names on his resume -- from Canelo Alvarez to Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao even Conor McGregor.
We also asked Max -- a boxing savant -- about the upcoming Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz fight ... and if he thinks Ryan Garcia would have a shot against Teofimo Lopez.
Good stuff. Stay dry out there.
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Carole Baskin Kim Played Me Better Than Me ... Costume's So Flattering!!!
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Kim Kardashian's Halloween costume blew Carole Baskin away ... Carole tells us after seeing Kim dress up like her, she just can't live up to her own image anymore.
As you know, Kim dressed to the nines with her Carole Baskin costume, complete with animal print, a flower crown and her kids dressed as tigers ... and Carole tells us Kim's look is a "beautiful version" of herself.
Kim's best friend, Jonathan Cheban, also dressed as Joe Exotic.
Carole's getting the Halloween treatment for the first time this year ... and she says it's weird to see total strangers wearing flower crowns, cat prints and gaudy jewelry to channel their inner Carole Baskin.
You know you've made it when Kim K is dressing up like you for Halloween and not the other way around!!!
'Tiger King' is a huge hit with costumes this year -- Kelly Ripa dressed as Joe Exotic and Ryan Seacrest went as a tiger -- and Carole says Joe's the perfect icon for Halloween because he represents "pure evil."
Carole also tells us she's been so flattered by all the "clever renditions" of her look, she started a costume contest on her Big Cat Rescue Facebook page. Good luck looking better than Kim!
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Shawn Kemp I Smoked Weed During NBA Career ... Better Than Pills!!
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Shawn Kemp admits he smoked marijuana during his days as an NBA superstar ... and flat out says he has zero regrets, 'cause weed is way SAFER than pain pills.
TMZ Sports talked to the 50-year-old former hooper -- a 6x All-Star who played in the league from 1989 to 2003 -- about weed in the NBA ... and the "Reign Man" was honest when we asked if he blazed as a player.
"When I played, absolutely we smoked pot back in the day when we played. We was responsible with it but we definitely smoked," Kemp says.
Shawn tells us pro athletes put a ton of wear and tear on their body, and need pain relief ... and Kemp says pot is a much safer alternative than addictive and dangerous pain killers.
"For me, with arthritis and different pains in your body, [marijuana] is the perfect solution," SK says.
"Sometimes guys don't like to pop the pills, some guys, they don't wanna take those chances, so this is another way of taking care of yourself professionally, with doing it the right way."
BTW, Shawn knows what he's talking about when it comes to smoking.
The ex-SuperSonics star just opened a dispensary -- Kemp's Cannabis -- in Seattle ... and says he plans to open 3 more shops.
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'Shameless' Cameron Monaghan Roses are Red, But Mine Were On Fire!!! Suspect Arrested for Arson
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Cameron Monaghan's quick-thinking neighbor told cops he caught a woman red-handed doing a shameless act ... and now the suspect is in jail.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD got a call last month around 9 AM from a man telling the dispatcher he was following a woman on foot, claiming he witnessed her setting the "Shameless" star's rosebush on fire, which was promptly put out.
We're told the neighbor initially saw the woman set the rosebush on fire and leave ... but when she returned to the area the neighbor followed her and called cops. It wasn't long before cops caught up to the man and detained the woman. It's unknown if Cameron -- who played William H. Macy's stepson/nephew in the Showtime hit series -- was home at the time.
According to police ... there's home surveillance of the woman lighting the fire. We're told the 44-year-old suspect was ultimately arrested and the L.A. County District Attorney's Office has now charged the woman with 1 count of felony arson and 1 count of misdemeanor possession of a smoking device.
She remains behind bars on $151,000 bail.
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Stars Dressed As Celebs ... Scary Good Double Takes!
Double the star power means double the fun ... And that is exactly what these celebs have experienced by dressing up as their favorite stars!
These celebs have decided to switch things up, and are making it clear that even famous people are obsessed with each other!
Get star struck times two with Kelly Rowland as Donna Summers, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita as Billie Eilish and Finneas, and Brad Goreski as Jennifer Lopez!
There are plenty of other scary similar snaps to see ... Just scroll through our gallery of stars dressed as stars to see who else has gotten all dressed up!
Spot on!
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Barack Obama Warms Up for Biden Rally Drills 3-Pointer ... Do It, Barry!!!!
Barack Obama was on fire this weekend stumping for his former VP in Michigan -- and that's no coincidence seeing how he was in the GROOVE after sinking a trey beforehand.
Prior to Joe Biden's Detroit rally, Barack was putting up shots in the Northwestern High School gym -- and right before showtime ... he threw up a beauty from the far right corner, and watched it fall cleanly. Quite the impressive feat, and BO was clearly feeling himself.
Shoot your shot. https://t.co/XdZz4dh82T pic.twitter.com/elpBmzu6hV
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 31, 2020 @BarackObama
The crowd cheers and someone in the distance says "Walk off!" As Barack casually saunters away, he looks back and says, "That's what I do!" Just to make sure everyone heard him, he removed his mask and said it again loud and clear. Yes, 44 owns the 3 -- take notice, y'all.
Barack must've been on one after his stirring speech earlier in the day at a previous rally in Flint -- where he blasted President Trump and his recent comments (not to mention behavior) regarding COVID. Namely, Barack couldn't believe Trump said doctors were juking up the stats in hospitals so they could get paid out for patients deemed to have died from the virus.
In his first appearance with Joe Biden on the 2020 campaign trail, former President Barack Obama attacked President Trump's pandemic response and joked about his "obsession" with crowd size.https://t.co/dcWU0sK6R8 pic.twitter.com/ffgfzUinv2
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 31, 2020 @nytimes
That actually marked the first time Barack shared the stage with Joe at an in-person rally -- before that, Barack was already on the campaign trail on his behalf, but Joe hadn't appeared alongside him until this weekend. No better time to join forces ... Election Day's Tuesday.
WATCH: Joe Biden and Barack Obama share an 'air bump' and a pat on the back when their joint rally in Flint, MI wraps. pic.twitter.com/8PSKfMuCaz
— The Hill (@thehill) October 31, 2020 @thehill
To celebrate the occasion, Barack and Joe shared an almost-elbow bump -- both jokingly trying not to touch to be distance-safe. It was a little awkward, but charming nonetheless.
Viral campaign moments ... that's what these two do!
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Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello Walking the Dog(s) Easier Said Than Done!!!
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's Halloween almost turned a little scarier than they might've liked -- and it's all thanks to her many rambunctious dogs.
The pop star couple were attempting to walk the pooches Saturday in Camila's Miami neighborhood -- where the two are currently quarantining together -- and they seemed to have a difficult time getting a handle on the three canines going down the street.
Camila was handling her Shih Tzu, Leo, and what appears to be a younger relative of hers was dealing with her long-haired Chihuahua, Eugene, while Shawn took the reins on Camila's black German Shepherd, Thunder. All 3 pups seemed jumpy about something from across the way, and Camila and co. had to hold back their leashes tightly to keep them in check.
Soon enough, the mysterious trigger was revealed ... it was another dog that its owner was also walking ... and Leo, especially, wanted to get a whiff. Watch ... chaos briefly ensued as the Shih Tzu got away from Camila and chased the other dog before they could grab it.
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All's well that ends well though (we think). Shawn threw up a Halloween photo of the two of them later in the day, and they seemed pretty chummy ... which leads us to believe nothing terrible happened in the furry fracas.
Dogs, man ... they'll drive ya crazy, in all the right ways.
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Beverly Hills Election Lockdown Cops Use Billy Clubs Against Pro-Trump and Anti-Fascist Demonstrators
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Beverly Hills may be an omen of what's coming next week, because things got crazy on the streets and cops started swinging their billy clubs at both Anti-Fascist and Pro-Trump demonstrators.
SWAT teams, local police officers and private security were deployed all throughout Bev Hills Saturday in anticipation of major unrest over the next few days. City officials had already announced they'd be doing this -- along with shutting down ritzy Rodeo Drive -- but it appears they wanted to get the muscle out well ahead of time to set a tone.
Check out these shots we got of armored trucks lining the streets, with officers in full tactical gear ... ready to rock and roll if s*** hits the fan. Not only that, but several different shops, storefronts and boutiques along Rodeo were doing a full board-up blitz as well.
Might've been a good move to get the ball rolling on this, because as it turns out ... there are dueling protests happening nearby right now, and violence appears to already be breaking out between anti-fascists and Trump supporters. The former were seen marching toward the latter near the famous Beverly Hills Sign in Beverly Gardens Park. Apparently, these clashing demonstrations have become a regular thing around there, especially lately.
What the ever loving fuck is happening in Beverly Hills? pic.twitter.com/F2637vodMk
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 31, 2020 @stillgray
We've got eyes on the ground ... and we're told cops are already breaking up some of the fights, which is leading to more aggressive behavior and violence by default. One of our brave photogs, Melanie, even got shoved to the ground by a cop -- which you see in our clip -- this just seconds after they declared the protests unlawful assemblies and started dispersing the crowds.
If this is any indication of what's to come in the next few days ... we're all in for a world of hurt.
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Vanessa Bryant's Halloween Awesome Costumes with Daughters ... 'Star Wars' & 'Madeline'!!!
Vanessa Bryant and her daughters are all smiles this Halloween -- the first without Kobe and Gianna Bryant -- and for good reason too ... their costumes are freakin' amazing.
The Bryant family did a double shot of Halloween fun this year with a photo shoot that featured two sets of matching costumes between Vanessa and her three girls -- the themes being 'Madeline' (the beloved children's book series) and a classic choice ... 'Star Wars!'
Vanessa Bryant and her family won Halloween this year. pic.twitter.com/3cAvgkODkt
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 31, 2020 @Phil_Lewis_
For the former set, Mamba Bear dressed up as the boarding school teacher, Miss Clavel, while Natalia and her baby sisters, Bianka and Capri, donned the traditional uniform of Madeline and her classmates ... y'know, from the house in Paris covered in vines.
Needless to say ... they look incredible, almost like they were torn right out of the page. It's crazy, 'cause this is actually more realistic and faithful to the illustrations than the live action movie from the '90s.
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On that latter shoot, it was less realism ... and more adorable than anything. Vanessa was a shorter version of Darth Vader, Natalia was a much taller version of BB8 -- and the two little ones were a Storm Trooper and an Ewok, respectively. These outfits were like the family-friendly ones you might find at a Target or something ... which played well for the camera.
The get-together seemed like a pretty joyous event, but of course ... the shadow of Kobe and Gigi still loom large, which makes the shoot pretty heart-breaking at the same time. Like we mentioned, this marks the first Halloween without them around -- and yet, the Bryants carried on with the family tradition of dressing up like champs.
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Thankfully, Natalia's got a great shot of her and Gigi goofing around together this time last year. They were rockin' 'Wizard of Oz'-themed costumes -- with Natalia as the Scarecrow and Gianna as the Tin Man.
Worth a thousand words, ain't it?
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Trump Supporters Chase Biden Bus Out of Austin, TX Area ... Try to Run It 'Off the Road'
A group of Trump supporters on the outskirts of Austin reportedly ran a Biden campaign bus out of town after trying to hold an event there ... and, apparently, it got pretty scary.
A few Democratic lawmakers -- who were riding in the Biden bus and hoping to stump for JB and Kamala Harris in Pflugerville, TX on Friday -- tweeted out the frightening encounter as it was unfolding ... claiming they had to abandon their plans for security reasons.
Some more details: https://t.co/2Ecaqb1LjT
— Sheryl Cole (@SherylCole1) October 31, 2020 @SherylCole1
Those reasons, according to them, amounted to a small caravan of Trump supporters who'd been following them along their stops in Texas, and who allegedly harassed the bus when it made a stop near the Austin area. One local politician, Rafael Anchia, even claimed some of the Trumpers were armed, and appeared to be threatening the group inside if they stayed.
As the Biden bus rolled down 11th street toward I-35, Trump supporters scrambled to their trucks to follow it. @cbsaustin pic.twitter.com/idnbDqFU3L
— Jordan Bontke (@JBontkeCBS) October 30, 2020 @JBontkeCBS
Some have claimed the President's own sons were somehow responsible for inciting the crowd to do this, but it's unclear where those accusations stem from. In any case, the trouble didn't stop after the bus decided to get outta Dodge ... because the same group that was protesting them on the ground reportedly hopped in their own pickups ... and gave chase!
There's a bunch of different videos that show at least three to four Trump-flag bearing vehicles tailing the Biden bus along I-35 for a good while, and getting awfully close. A Biden campaign spokesperson even reportedly said the convoy attempted to run the bus "off the road," and was creating a dangerous situation on the freeway for surrounding cars.
In one of the videos, you see a few trucks surround the bus and attempt to slow it down. It's pretty freaky -- but luckily, it doesn't sound like anyone was harmed ... and the Biden campaign was eventually able to get law enforcement to step in and escort them to safety.
BTW, a lot of analysts are saying Texas is a toss-up this time around, and might actually go blue based on polling. Seems these people wanna sweep that fact under the rug and get any trace of Biden's surge away from the Lone Star State ... by any means necessary.
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Sean Connery Best James Bond Ever Dead at 90
Sean Connery, the first and widely-regarded best James Bond ever ... has died.
Sean's wife says he died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family. No cause of death was disclosed.
Connery became an enormous star in 1962 with the release of "Dr. No," but not without difficulty. James Bond creator Ian Fleming felt he was unrefined and wanted someone suave like Cary Grant. Fleming relented and ultimately said it was a great choice.
Sean starred in 7 Bond films between '62 and '83. Among the films -- "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds are Forever," and "Never Say Never Again."
Connery had a hard time shaking the Bond character, but was ultimately successful .... branching out and ultimately winning an Oscar playing an Irish cop in "The Untouchables." He also won 2 Bafta awards and 3 Golden Globes. He was knighted by the Queen in 2000.
When Sean was shooting "Never Say Never Again," he took martial arts classes and got into it with the instructor who then broke his wrist. Sean didn't get it treated for years ... not knowing it was really broken. The instructor -- Steven Seagal.
Among Sean's other films ... "The Hunt for Red October," "Indiana Jones" "The Last Crusade" and "The Rock."
Most fans give Sean the title of best 007 ever ... at least in the polls. And, speaking of polls, he also holds a Sexiest Man Alive crown. He also once finished third in the Mr. Universe contest back in 1953.
Fun fact ... Sean wore a toupee in "Goldfinger" because his hair had started to thin.
Sean's survived by his second wife, Micheline Roquebrune, and his son, Jason Connery. There will be a private funeral, followed by a memorial once COVID ends.
Sean was 90. RIP
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Kendall Jenner as Pamela Anderson Don't Call Me Babe, But Do Vote!!! 'Barb Wire' on Halloween
Kendall Jenner's here to get you in the mood (to vote) just before the election -- and she's doing it with a '90s throwback that's sure to get your mouth watering ... again, all to vote.
The supermodel debuted her Halloween costume Saturday on the 'Gram, showing that she got all dolled up as Pamela Anderson from her 1996 B-film, 'Barb Wire' ... in which Pammy plays a futuristic badass boss babe/mercenary who takes the law into her own hands.
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Kendall captioned the pic with a go-to line of Barb from the movie ... "don't call me babe," while adding her own 2020 spin to it in an effort to encourage folks to hit the polls Tuesday, writing ... "happy halloween! GO VOTE!!!" She also tagged the photog, Amber Asaly.
Instead of Pam/Barb's signature Desert Eagle pistol, Kendall was rockin' "VOTE" flags in its place ... hitting the point home about GOTV. This is right on brand for her, especially of late -- Kendall's really been pushing this and spreading awareness about early voting.
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At the beginning of October, she shared a message on IG about early voting starting up in several states, writing ... "did you know that in some states you can early vote???" She added, "you don’t have to wait till November 3rd (that’s also my bday and all i want is for you to vote, pleaseeee and thanks) this is the most important election of our lives! early vote if you can!!! i know i’m going to!"
Great message, no doubt -- and as for the costume ... it's practically flawless. We only say that because as great as Kendall looks, she lacks a certain ... um, Pam-ness, let's call it, that only the '90s-version PA could bring out in all its glory. Solid effort though, we'll give her that.
Happy Halloween!!!
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Vigil for Black Man Killed By Police Trump Supporters and Civil Leader Come Together ... A Handshake Keeps the Peace
This is something you don't see every day ... Trump supporters and people protesting against excessive police force coming together and even shaking hands.
It went down Friday night in Vancouver, Washington, where a vigil was underway for Kevin Peterson, Jr., who was shot and killed the day before by police.
Approximately 1,000 people showed up for the vigil, as did Trump supporters ... some of whom were armed.
It looked tense as someone from the vigil approached the Trump supporters and implored them to stand back from the vigil and let folks pay their respects. That guy began chatting up a Trump supporter who had a gun in hand, and the conversation is pretty remarkable.
The guy -- who said he's not a member of Black Lives Matter -- almost seemed like he had a PhD in de-escalation, because he handled things brilliantly, asking the Trump supporter to respect the vigil just the way he would expect others to act if the shoe were on the other foot.
It ended with a bunch of Trump supporters shaking the guy's hand, and as far as we can tell the Trump supporters kept their distance.
Cops were not at the vigil, but it was handled ... well.
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Donald Trump Rallies Led to 30,000 COVID Cases, 700 Deaths ... According to Stanford Study
Trump campaign rallies have become major super spreader events, resulting in tens of thousands of COVID cases and hundreds of deaths ... this according to Stanford Univ.
Stanford scientists conducted a study of 18 Trump rallies all over the country. The conclusion ... 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases that resulted in more than 700 deaths.
The study offers a rough estimate because this type of tracking is imprecise, but the authors estimated by looking at the incremental COVID increases in the areas where the rallies were held.
The deaths are not necessarily limited to people who attended the rallies ... people who became COVID-positive could have spread the disease to friends and family who may have contracted coronavirus and then passed away from it.
As you know, Trump's been crowing that he's immune from COVID, at times even offering to kiss folks in the crowd. He infamously said, "I'll walk in there, I'll kiss everyone in that audience. I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women ... I'll just give ya a big fat kiss."
Trump's campaign honchos reportedly told the staff at his Tulsa rally to 86 the social distancing signs before people piled in, many if not most not wearing masks.
The virus is surging all over the country. On Friday, a new, ominous record was set ... 99,321 new COVID cases in a single day.
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Dog Meets Gopher Lovefest in SF
How is it that a dog and a gopher can get along better than human beings with divergent political views?
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Well, that was the case at Golden Gate Park in San Fran, when Fiona, a Great Pyrenees came upon a gopher hole and, low and behold, a critter emerged and mesmerized the pooch.
The gopher seems as curious as Fiona, repeatedly popping out of the tiny cave and staring at the much larger creature, who is equally intrigued.
So, as the election approaches, can we be like gophers and dogs ... sadly, doesn't seem likely.