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Barack Obama is ripping Donald Trump and Republicans for continuing to make baseless claims of a fraudulent election ... he says it's a very slippery slope.

The former president broke his silence on Trump's unfounded claims of voter fraud in an interview with "60 Minutes," telling Scott Pelley he's troubled by the large number of Republicans going along with Trump's claims and humoring him.

Obama says Republicans are not only trying to delegitimize president-elect Joe Biden and his incoming administration, but also democracy in general.

What's more, Obama says what Trump and the GOP are doing is putting America on "a dangerous path."

Ahmaud Arbery's mother says the father and son accused of murdering her son did not give him a chance to go home ... so they shouldn't get to go home either.

Wanda Cooper-Jones spoke in a Georgia courthouse Thursday at the end of a long bond hearing for Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, who are trying to convince the judge they should be released. They've been in jail since May when they were charged.

Ahmaud's mom says the 2 men are trying to present themselves as the good guys and her son as the criminal, while ignoring what she believes is an absolutely unjustifiable killing.

According to Cooper-Jones ... the McMichaels are just as dangerous now as they were on the day Ahmaud was killed, and it would be another injustice to let them go home while they wait for their trial.

Earlier during the hearing, a handful of character witnesses spoke on behalf of Travis and Gregory and why they believe they should be granted bond. Travis' mom and friends said he's a great father and a happy person who would pose no threat of fleeing.

Likewise, Gregory's wife and coworkers said he poses no flight risk, and his landlord said he's always been a good tenant.

The judge did not make a decision yet, but is expected to when the hearing continues Friday.

William "Roddie" Bryan, the man who authorities say recorded Ahmaud's slaying, was not involved in this hearing, but was first denied bond back in July, when a judge deemed him a flight risk.

As we've reported ... all 3 men were indicted by a grand jury back in June, and they're facing 9 felony charges ... including 4 counts felony murder, 1 count of malice murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count of false imprisonment and 1 count of criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The 3 defendants last appeared in court together in July, when they all entered not guilty pleas.

Authorities say Travis fired the fatal shots during a struggle with Ahmaud on February 23 while Bryan recorded the incident. A GBI detective previously testified Bryan told police he heard Travis call Arbery a "f***ing n*****" after shooting him.

Protesters gathered in front of the courthouse Wednesday before marching and chanting "no bond."

Costco is giving members a new thing to bitch, moan and fight about ... anyone who can't wear a face mask, has to wear a face shield.

The superstore's nationwide face-covering policy update goes into effect Monday, and the new rules require all members, guests and employees to shield their faces, even if they have a medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask.

Costco was one of the first retailers to roll out mask mandates early on in the coronavirus pandemic, but originally folks with medical conditions could get a pass on face coverings.

It'll be interesting to see if the change sparks a new round of Costco shoppers losing their minds over face shields ... like this guy who got booted from a Costco back in May after refusing to mask up.

Tom Brady is new to Florida ... so how'd the G.O.A.T. handle his first huge storm?! Here's a hint ... he didn't secure his jet skis, and they floated hundreds of yards away.

Brady met with the media Thursday afternoon ... and he was asked how he dealt with Tropical Storm Eta -- which slammed into Tampa early this morning -- wreaking havoc.

"The hurricane, that was a trip last night for me," Brady said.

"I had a dock and it broke, floated away. I had these jet skis on, I saw those things sitting in the middle of the bay and I was going, 'Wow, that's pretty surreal' and I was kinda laughing. 'Well, you'll get the jet skis back.'"

"A lot of people are dealing with a lot worst than that, but just waking up and seeing kinda what happened to the yard, it got pretty messed up. Be really nervous if a big one hit!"

Of course, Eta caused flooding and lots of property damage ... and was even responsible for 1 death, according to reports.

Tom -- who was raised in California and spent his entire professional career in New England -- says he is NOT looking forward to the next one ... but has learned a valuable lesson on storm preparation.

"It happened pretty quick, I thought you had time to prepare for these things but apparently you don't, They're just kinda on you and then you just gotta deal with it so we pushed the schedule back today."

"Fortunate everyone made it safe and sound. Good lesson learned for someone who's been in the northeast for a long time."

So, did Brady get his jet skis back?

"They got fixed. We dragged 'em back. They were about 300 yards away at someone else's house and I got a bunch of messages from people that were like, 'Hey man, are your jet skis...?' Ya know, they floated down and found their way into someone else's dock. They got lodged, so I was very lucky."

In a year where so many good things have gone virtual, here's one tradition carrying on just like normal ... the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree!!!

The 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce was chopped down Thursday and loaded onto a huge flatbed trailer in Oneonta, NY ... about 170 miles north of its Midtown Manhattan destination.

The massive tree will be erected Saturday, though the popular lighting ceremony isn't until December 1.

Rockefeller Center organizers, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio, have yet to reveal exactly how they'll deal with holiday crowds wanting to gather for the event or see the tree up close, as the city's facing another crisis with rising COVID-19 cases.

The Mayor simply says they will take extra precautions to make sure it's safe for people to visit the spectacle in person ... which he says still evokes a "childlike wonder" for him.

A reporter and photographer are beyond lucky to be alive after raging floodwater washed away a bridge right from under their feet ... and it happened while they were live on TV.

The scary incident went down Thursday in Alexander County, N.C. on the Hiddenite Bridge where FOX 46 reporter Amber Roberts was in the middle of her live report when a huge chunk of the bridge broke off and fell into the water.

Check out the video ... Amber screams in terror as she quickly realizes the danger just a few feet away from her and her crew. The collapse left about a 10-foot wide gap in the bridge, and you can see a man on the other side fleeing to safety.

Amber didn't waste any time sending it back to the studio after narrowly avoiding catastrophe. The Carolinas are getting slammed with heavy rain ... triggering flash flood warnings across several counties. More than a dozen campers were trapped by the rising water.

Author Kate Andersen Brower is shedding some light on the frustrations Michelle Obama felt while she was First Lady ... something the former Prez even admits took a toll on their marriage.

Brower -- who's written several books on The White House -- describes a lunch event Michelle held early in Barack's first term to help launch her Let's Move campaign ... where it didn't turn out the way she hoped.

Kate says Michelle's initiative to fight obesity in America was overshadowed because instead ... the media chose to focus on her offhand comment about her husband quitting smoking.

It was a microcosm of her tenure as First Lady, according to Brower, who says ... despite Michelle's admirable drive to make a difference in the country, she regularly took a backseat to her husband or got tied to gossipy headlines.

The author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies" says it was frustrating and depressing for a modern woman like Michelle ... something Barack echoes in his upcoming memoir.

As for the current White House ... Kate's an expert on what's going down right now as President Trump's on his way out and Joe Biden's on his way in. Or at least, she's an expert on what NORMALLY goes down during this transition period.

There's nothing normal about this administration though, and Brower believes the usher's office -- responsible for moving First Families -- is having to work covertly.

As we first told you ... the White House residence staff is already walking on eggshells around Trump, and Brower hints it could get a lot worse depending on how Trump and his Chief Usher handle things as Inauguration Day approaches.

Good news for the WNBA ... Patrick Mahomes' unborn daughter already has a basketball hoop in her room!!!

The NFL superstar's fiancee Brittany Matthews is already putting together the nursery for their baby girl -- complete with 2 bassinets and a crib -- and it looks awesome!

There's a marble side table, pink drapes, some cool wall decor -- and a pink hoop by the door!

Unclear exactly when the baby is due -- but if she was 12 weeks when they announced the pregnancy in September, the kid would be due around April 2021.

The Kansas City Chiefs QB began dating Brittany back in high school and they've been together ever since.

Brit and Patrick -- who got engaged earlier this year -- recently said the wedding won't take place until 2022.

"We have a few dates nailed down but we'll be having baby in 2021 and we plan to do a wedding and all wedding things in 2022."

Matthews said the two weren't "trying" to get pregnant this year -- but admitted they weren't exactly "being careful either."

Phil Collins says his ex's accusation about him reeking like hell is a blatant lie, and a cheap attempt to smear his name to get millions out of him.

The famed hitmaker filed legal docs calling Orianne Cevey a liar after she claimed Phil became a hermit and completely secluded himself from the world. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Phil calls it "a litany of demonstrably false, immaterial, impertinent, scandalous and scurrilous allegations which have nothing to do with the legal claims in this case."

In short ... Phil says Orianne's allegations have a clear malicious motive ... trying to extort him. He claims she lied about his depression to cast doubt about his mental capacity all to "deliberately make sensationalized and/or false allegations in an effort to extort money" from him.

Phil says it's all either lies or gross exaggerations, pointing out that much of it is contradicted by the fact that he says he's currently preparing to tour with Genesis again after the pandemic passes.

TMZ broke the story ... Orianne's beefing with Phil claiming he's going back on his word to give her 50-50 ownership of the home he's now trying to evict her from. To that end ... Phil argues Orianne's lies have nothing to do with the issue of whether her claim that he ever made such a promise is true. Remember ... she also claimed he stopped brushing his teeth and was not capable of performing sexually.

Tyga's no stranger to lawsuits -- particularly over unpaid bills -- but he added a new wrinkle this time, according to his landlord who says he failed to pay rent AND trashed the pad.

The landlord is suing the rapper, claiming he stiffed them on $32K in rent when he left the place back in April, after renting it for about a year. But, that's not even the worst part.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, the landlord claims Tyga left gouges in the kitchen's white oak flooring ($27,650), damaged marble flooring and counters ($15,575) and damaged walls with murals and wallpaper ($103,160.25).

What's more ... the landlord claims Tyga installed a basketball hoop that damaged the driveway, and new locks that destroyed the entry door. The landlord says Tyga never had permission to install any of that stuff.

The landlord says he tried to settle this mess through mediation in May, but claims Tyga refused to play ball. He's now suing for breach of contract and wants more than $200K in damages.

Remember, Tyga was also sued in 2018 for failure to pay rent at a Bev Hills pad. So, ya gotta wonder, who keeps renting to this guy?

We've reached out to Tyga for comment, so far no word back.

Former "Days of Our Lives" star Cody Longo came home drunk and shoved his wife ... at least that's what she told cops in Tennessee, who arrested him on a domestic assault charge, an allegation he denies.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor's wife told officers Cody was intoxicated when he arrived late to his Clarksville home last Thursday night, accusing her of being unfaithful. According to the arrest warrant, the couple started arguing and it turned physical.

Cops say Cody's wife told them he shoved her face with his forearm, and while there were no visible bruises at the time, she claimed her jaw and neck were both sore.

Cody tells TMZ ... his wife's allegations are not true, and he calls their dispute a private matter.

He was arrested on a warrant the following day and posted $2,500 bond. Cops say there's no violent history between the couple.

Huge news ... The Weeknd has officially announced he's doing the Super Bowl halftime show in February!!!

... as long as there's still a Super Bowl in February!!!

The superstar broke the news Thursday morning -- "We all grow up watching the world's biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I'm humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year."

Weeknd was booked through Jay-Z's Roc Nation agency -- which has a partnership with the NFL.

Jay also weighed in -- saying, "This is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer."

The game is set to take place on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Buccaneers.

As for fans ... the NFL has previously said it was "hoping" to have thousands of spectators on hand for the game -- but nothing is set in stone because of the COVID pandemic.

League reps have said they are preparing for all possible scenarios -- which includes few to no fans.

Obviously, that would make things weird for The Weeknd -- performing in a massive stadium, on a massive stage with no live crowd reaction.

But, even if there aren't fans in the stadium, the Super Bowl draws a MASSIVE global audience on TV -- Super Bowl 54 (Chiefs vs. 49ers) back in February pulled in 102 MILLION viewers!!

Of course, the halftime show for that game was epic -- Shakira and Jennifer Lopez!!

So, how does The Weeknd plan to follow those legends??

He's got a pretty great catalog -- with hits like "Can't Feel My Face," "Starboy," "The Hills Have Eyes" and many many more.

Barack Obama's time in The White House was full of challenges ... not the least of which he says was his relationship with the First Lady.

The former Prez opens up about his 8 years in office in an upcoming memoir called "A Promised Land" ... and one of his most interesting anecdotes is about how the Presidency took a toll on Michelle.

Obama says he could sense an "undercurrent of tension in her, subtle but constant," despite her own achievements and growing popularity ... and their roles in America's First Family amplified all of the stress involved.

Barack says ... "It was as if, confined as we were within the walls of the White House, all her previous sources of frustration became more concentrated, more vivid, whether it was my round the clock absorption with work, or the way politics exposed our family to scrutiny and attacks, or the tendency of even friends and family members to treat her role as secondary in importance."

He adds that he became wistful many nights while he was lying next to Michelle thinking about the time before he was Prez "when everything between us felt lighter, when her smile was more constant and our love less encumbered, and my heart would suddenly tighten at the thought that those days might not return."

A Trump supporter threatened to punch a woman who flipped him the middle finger over Trump flags on his pickup truck -- a frighteningly tense confrontation that shows just how divided America remains.

Their heated exchange went down in Dunedin, FL, and the video starts with the man charging out of his truck like a bull toward the woman. He immediately threatened to knock her phone out of her hand, and begged her to touch him ... presumably, so he'd be justified in knocking her out.

The video is intense as he shouts, "Touch me. I dare you. I'll remove your f**king head." He also hurled homophobic insults at the woman, and she continued to taunt him over Trump losing. She tried to record his license plate, and he tried to back his truck over her.

The insults keep getting worse, and then an older woman with an accent shows up, and the woman recording yells, "Go back to your own country, b*tch."

Well here's a new one -- Kayleigh McEnany punted a question about President-elect Joe Biden getting access to intelligent briefings, saying it's a question for The White House ... even though that's literally HER job!!!

The WH Press Secretary's absurd moment went down Thursday morning on "Fox & Friends," when they asked her if President Trump's considering looping Biden in during the transfer of Presidential power.

McEnany says she hasn't spoken to the Prez about that topic, but ... "that would be a question more for The White House."

Puzzled? Yeah, us too. So, we asked a different White House rep what gives, and got this -- "Kayleigh appeared in her personal capacity as a private citizen. She advises the campaign on a voluntary basis."

Oooookay! Now, Kayleigh's paying gig is still Press Secretary -- for the White House -- so, she essentially said ... that would be a question for ME, but at some other time. Welcome to the Twilight Zone. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Talk about awkward situations ... Melania Trump's preparing to spread Christmas cheer at the White House while a ticked off President Trump appears to be in full Grinch mode. Good luck!

A rep for the First Lady tells TMZ ... Melania is, indeed, planning on decorating 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. again this year for Christmas, as is tradition. Might seem like a no-brainer -- First Ladies have been doing it for decades -- but the difference now is ... we know it's not one of MT's favorite things.

You'll recall, Melania was recorded in 2018 -- by her then-adviser, Stephanie Wolkoff -- trashing the White House decorating tradition. She said, "Who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff and decoration? But I need to do it, right?"

At the time, the First Lady was frustrated because the media was focusing on child separations at the border, and she apparently felt like no one would give a Fievel's ass about the decorations.

Well, cut to 2020 and there's a new hot button distraction -- her husband seems convinced they're staying put for another 4 years, despite losing the election to Joe Biden.

That begs the question ... does Melania think this will be her final Christmas bow in the White House? It'll be interesting to see her 2020 theme, as it could give some insight into how she's dealing with all this drama.

In light of all that's happened this year, maybe pass on repeating last year's white Christmas. Just a thought.