Wild Porsche Crash Driver Wrecks Taycan at 118 MPH ... Speed Test Gone Wrong!!!

PEDAL TO THE METAL

Divert your eyes, Porsche lovers -- this crash during a speed test of the new electric model is gonna hurt.

A man in Turkey got behind the wheel this month of a Porsche Taycan Turbo S -- it's an all-electric whip, so it's fast as hell, and he seemed so giddy about it he had a camera rolling. The speed test starts off just fine ... topping out around 120 mph ... but it had an ugly, dangerous ending.

Less than 20 seconds after hitting the throttle ... BOOM!!!

For some reason, the guy went hurtling into a roundabout and lost control. He was lucky enough to survive ... the Taycan was not as lucky. You can see significant damage to his ride and the concrete.

BTW, the Taycan starts around $185,000. Hope it was worth it, pal!!!

Melania to President Trump Let. Go. Of. My. Hand. She Seems Ticked in Post-Debate Vid

ALL HANDS OFF DECK
C-SPAN

Melania Trump apparently wasn't in the mood to get handsy with President Trump after the debate -- and the new debate is about whether she dissed him on camera.

The moment, as they walked off the stage Thursday night, was hardly subtle -- the candidates' spouses had joined them for the ol' smile and wave photo op. When the Prez and First Lady turned to walk away they were holding hands, but after a couple steps ... it looks like Melania yanked her left hand away from Trump.

POTUS had to settle for giving Melania a friendly pat on the back as she sped away from the scene. You might recall after the first debate ... Melania barely embraced her husband as Joe Biden got a warm hug from Dr. Jill.

It should also be noted ... Melania's known for putting POTUS in a no hand-holding zone, like back in 2017 after touching down in Israel. There was also that one time she tried avoiding holding his hand at a White House event in 2018 ... but she relented.

Hand-holding. It's not for every couple.

NYPD, LAPD Bracing For Election Day Protests, Riots

Cops in New York City and Los Angeles are worried about Election Day protests devolving into chaos ... even though police brass are saying the opposite.

Here's the deal ... NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan and John Miller, the head of intelligence and counterterrorism, are publicly stating there's no specific credible threats for Election Day, but they both say officers will be standing by and fully prepared to protect voters from any funny business.

However, we've learned cops are busy behind-the-scenes preparing for chaos ... in other words, violence and even riots.

A senior NYPD official with direct knowledge of the plan tells TMZ ... hundreds of cops from the reserve force will be primed and ready for possible riots and demonstrations.

We're told the NYPD is especially worried about the areas around Manhattan's Union Square and Flatiron District ... two places that saw riots and looting earlier this year, as well as Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza and Barclays Center.

If Donald Trump wins re-election, we're told the feeling among NYPD's rank and file is riots could occur because lots of folks hate Trump in NYC, his hometown.

We're also told rank and file cops fear Trump protests could start peacefully but spiral out of control when darkness falls, when riots usually pick up. We're told cops are preparing for such chaos with reserve forces.

If Joe Biden wins, we're told cops also think there could be trouble ... but not as bad as a Trump win. The big worry -- protests if Trump contests election results.

Police are preparing for similar scenarios across the country in Los Angeles.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... cops are anticipating lots of Election Day demonstrations and they're afraid things could take a violent turn if Trump jumps to an early lead at the polls.

If Biden wins, we're told LAPD believes there could be issues but they're more worried about a Trump victory, which could bring more agitation and conflict among protestors.

Our sources tell us they're worried about a similar scene playing out to what we saw after the Lakers won the NBA title -- a peaceful gathering careening off the rails. As we reported ... there were 76 arrests outside Staples Center after the Lakers' clinch. It got ugly.

While we're told some cops are concerned about unrest on Election Day, our sources say LAPD will take swift action to thwart violence and lawlessness.

Sources say there will be a heavy police presence in L.A. a few days leading up to Election Day and about a week after ... reason being -- cops just don't know what's going to happen.

Par for the course in 2020.

LeBron James Klutch Dinner In Malibu With Anthony Davis & Rich Paul

LeBron James was back at Nobu in Malibu on Thursday night for a fancy dinner with Anthony Davis and their agent Rich Paul.

Normally, not that big of a deal for 2 teammates to dine with their agent -- but it seems like they're making a statement in the wake of some criticism about their professional relationship.

Earlier Thursday, an anonymous NBA agent went after LeBron and Rich Paul to The Athletic -- essentially saying that Paul is just a puppet for LeBron.

The agent essentially claims LeBron is running the show at the Klutch Sports Group and Paul is just doing his bidding -- which, if true, would be illegal in California since a player is not also allowed to represent talent.

Here's a quote from the article ...

"The worst thing that LeBron is doing is forcing this power with Rich Paul and what that is, in terms of, he’s a player, but he has prowess in the media space. His company Spring Hill, that’s awesome. Doing the movies and all of the projects. That’s so commendable. I love that. But now that they’ve jumped into the agent game, which the reality is, it’s illegal for a player, particularly if you’re in the state of California, to be licensed to represent talent."

The agent suggests several young players have been "seduced" by LeBron to sign with Klutch because they idolized him growing up ... only to end up signing bad deals.

But, neither Bron nor Anthony Davis or Paul seemed to be bothered by the criticism Thursday night -- rolling up to Nobu in fancy cars and enjoying a night at one of the hottest restaurants in town.

Nobu has been the go-to spot for the Lakers since they've been out of the bubble -- the team had a victory dinner there together last week to celebrate their championship.

Sacha Baron Cohen If Giuliani Thinks That's Okay ... What's He Doing with Other Reporters?!?

PRETTY CLEAR TO US
ABC

Sacha Baron Cohen says it's pretty clear to him what was on Rudy Giuliani's mind during his notorious scene in the 'Borat' sequel ... but urges everyone to judge for themselves.

Borat himself, along with Maria Bakalova -- who plays his daughter, Tutar, in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" -- addressed Rudy's compromising appearance in the movie ... in which he puts a hand in his pants after being duped into a fake interview by Bakalova's character.

Giuliani denies any inappropriate behavior and claims he was simply tucking in his shirt after taking off recording equipment ... but Cohen calls BS.

The actor tells "Good Morning America" ... "If the president’s lawyer found what he did there appropriate behavior then heaven knows what he’s done with other female journalists in hotel rooms."

The movie was released Thursday night, so everyone can judge for themselves.

Bakalova says she's thankful Cohen busted in to save her when things started getting dicey, and he claims he was "quite concerned" during the scene ... and felt the need to protect her.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Strips Naked to Make Weight ... Fight On For UFC 254!!!

MAKING WEIGHT
UFC
UPDATE

10:45 AM PT -- Dana White just broke down the weight cut to Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ... explaining why Khabib needed to drop his drawers in order to make weight!

UPDATE

White also suggested that Brian Ortega -- who shaved his head before his fight against Korean Zombie -- says he thinks weight cut issues may have been the initial reason why he lopped off his locks!

UPDATE
EVERY OUNCE COUNTS!
TMZSports.com
UPDATE

Ortega says he donated the hair to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for kids going through cancer treatment.

UPDATE

Plus, Ortega won the fight ... so it worked out for everyone!

Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially made weight for his 155-pound championship fight with Justin Gaethje ... though he needed to strip down naked to do it!

The Eagle couldn't have looked more relieved Friday morning when he stepped onto the scale and hit exactly 155 pounds ... meaning the lightweight title fight with Gaethje will proceed as planned.

UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje is going down this Saturday LIVE from UFC Fight Island -- the main card kicks off at 11 AM PT.

Gaethje also weighed in perfectly.

Khabib has struggled with weight cuts in the past -- in fact, he pulled out of his UFC 209 fight with Tony Ferguson due to a bad cut.

But, no issues Friday ... though Khabib's people needed the famous UFC naked body ring to shield him while he stripped naked for the scale.

Justin Gaethje also made weight -- and later on, the two came face to face to "square off" for some promotional photos leading up to Saturday's main event.

As we previously reported, Dana White says the hype for UFC 254 is real -- it's currently tracking to be the most-watched PPV event in UFC history ... bigger than any Conor McGregor fight!

The fight is available on PPV through ESPN+.

LET'S GOOO!!!!!

THE EPIC SHOWDOWN
UFC

Originally published -- 7:08 AM PT

COVID Patients Voting From Hospital Beds

Astronauts are voting from space, millions are mailing ballots and patients battling COVID-19 are voting from their hospital beds ... welcome to the 2020 election.

Voter turnout is expected to be on the rise for what you've, no doubt, heard is the election of our lifetime ... and a non-partisan group called Patient Voting is making sure hospital patients don't get left out.

The group's founder, Kelly Wong, tells TMZ ... they've seen a huge influx in patients seeking help in casting ballots, and they're using the little-known emergency absentee ballot.

Here's how it works ... patients who are unexpectedly hospitalized without arrangements to vote by regular absentee ballot can request an emergency absentee ballot if they're unable to make it to the polls, or if it's too late to apply for regular absentee ballots.

It's pretty striking ... we're told about 200 people per day are reaching out to the organization for help, a 5-fold increase compared to the midterms. The obvious difference this year -- the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected 8 million Americans and counting.

Sadly, we're told some people who reached out for ballots and info died from COVID before casting a vote.

Then there's the case of a voter in Washington ... we're told they're hospitalized with COVID but their ballot is at home, and the volunteer org is assisting in helping the patient vote electronically so as not to infect others.

Bottom line ... there are people working hard to make sure all Americans who want to vote -- it's their Constitutional right, after all -- get to vote.

Justin Gaethje's Twin Bro We Wrecked People Together ... As Football Teammates!

GROWIN' UP GAETHJE
TMZSports.com

Did you know Justin Gaethje has a twin brother?

It's true -- his name is Marcus, and shocker -- turns out knockout power runs in the family!

We spoke to the Gaethje boys (both on Fight Island getting ready UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje) ... and they revealed how they used to destroy people together, while playing high school football back in Arizona!

Both Gaethje's were 2-way players -- Justin was a QB and strong safety, Marcus was a tight end and middle linebacker.

But, they got their kicks on defense -- where Justin says they were a "brotherly force" ... "We both hit hard!"

Marcus tells TMZ Sports he always knew his bro was a talented athlete but didn't think he'd pursue professional fighting until Justin became a star wrestler in college.

"He met one of those wrestling coaches that was kinda in the fight game and he brought some UFC fighters to the wrestling [gym] and I think that's when he made the decision that he wanted to at least try fighting," Marcus says.

"Other than that, he did a couple backyard fights with gloves on but that was really it."

Justin's career choice has panned out -- he's fighting for the UFC lightweight belt on Saturday.

Justin says he always wanted to be an NFL player -- but he just wasn't big enough.

He's still a huge fan of the Raiders and plans to take his UFC belt to the team after he beats Khabib!

There's a lot more ... Marcus also talks about what it was like growing up in the small town of Safford, AZ -- population 10,000.

FAMILY MAN
TMZSports.com

"You would never think that this was possible for someone coming from our town [to make it big] ... and then it being my brother? It's kinda cool."

"We've seen, us as a family, have seen all the hard work that he's put in since such a young age and now it's all starting to pay off so it's really cool."

Guess Who This Cutie With A Canine Turned Into!

Before this puppy lovin' pipsqueak became one of the newest additions to a long-running comedy sketch show, she was just another runt ruffin' it in Alameda County, California.

This doggone cutie is best known for her featured role on 'Saturday Night Live' for the past two seasons, where she's entertained audiences with her hilarious characters and skilled impressions. Some of her most memorable celebrity impressions include Drew Barrymore, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Carole Baskin.

You can also catch this funny female making appearances in other hit comedy series such as 'Search Party' and 'Jane The Virgin.'

Can you guess who she is?

Kid Rock & John Daly Sorry Fellas, Gotta Mask Up ... To Watch Prez Debate

Kid Rock and John Daly thought they'd be able to take in the Presidential Debate mask-free and within throwing distance from the stage ... until a staffer caught them.

The singer and PGA Pro -- who attended Thursday night's event in Nashville to support President Trump -- first took their seats sans mask. It didn't take long until both men were approached by an employee working the event who had fresh masks for them both.

Both John and Kid Rock finally obliged, we gotta imagine they would've been asked to leave if they refused.

Daly's lack of caution in protecting himself from the disease is a total 180 from his stance back in August when he withdrew from a PGA event in San Francisco because of COVID.

At the time, Daly said, "People keep asking why I WD from PGA??? California now #1 in cases/deaths, I had knee surgery, I’m a diabetic & I don’t feel comfortable flying. Being too close proximity to even small crowds & risk exposure with my health not worth it! God Bess & y’all be safe!"

As we reported, both President Trump and former VP Biden tested negative for COVID-19 before the debate ... so there was no need for a plexiglass barrier between the two.

President Trump, Joe Biden Test Negative for COVID Bye Bye Debate Sneeze Guards!!!

The gloves were already off, but now the sneeze guards are down for the final presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden.

The Commission on Presidential debates made the decision Thursday after Trump and Biden each tested negative for the virus just hours before the debate goes down in Nashville. The commission, after consulting with Dr. Anthony Fauci, decided it was safe to remove the 2 plexiglass barriers between the candidates' lecterns on stage.

After the commission's medical team felt it was safe, they consulted both campaigns and they too agreed it was OK to remove them ... according to NBC News.

You'll recall there were also plexiglass barriers when Veep Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris had their vice presidential debate just over 2 weeks ago. Pence had initially resisted the idea of the plexiglass but ultimately let the safety rule fly without a hitch. Well, no plexi-related hitches, anyway.

Sen. Chuck Schumer Let Voters Rock Candidate Tees ... But Guns at Polls Are a 'Very Bad Idea!!!'

NOT RIGHT
TMZ.com

Sen. Chuck Schumer is weighing in on an odd fact about most polling places in America -- where you cannot wear clothing with a candidate's face or name, but CAN carry a firearm.

The Senate Minority Leader was heading to his ride Thursday on Capitol Hill when we asked him about the rule banning voters from wearing t-shirts or caps hyping their candidate when they go to cast their vote.

In theory, it's about not coercing others to vote for your candidate ... but when we asked Sen. Schumer he seems to think t-shirts are harmless when it comes to the election process.

On the other voter intimidation hand ... there are guns. You might be surprised to know it's perfectly legal to bring your legally registered firearm to the polls. According to the L.A. Times, only a dozen states have banned guns where you vote.

We raised that with Schumer too, and again ... he answered quickly, but much differently from the t-shirt question.

If you're curious ... California, Florida, Arizona and Georgia are among the states that have outlawed guns at voting sites.

In Michigan, an open-carry state, they've enacted a temporary ban on firearms at polling places. Remember, we've already seen citizens armed to the teeth this year in Michigan's Capitol during protests ... not to mention the foiled plot to kidnap Gov. Meg Whitmer.

Even if you do live in an open-carry state it's not a guarantee guns are okay when you cast your ballot ... especially if you're voting somewhere like a school.

As they say, check your local laws.

Joe Biden Possible Assassination Plot ... By N.C. Man Arrested with Guns, Explosives

A North Carolina man may have been plotting the assassination of Joe Biden and showed an alarming fascination with domestic terrorism ... this according to the FBI.

The feds filed legal docs detailing why Alexander Hillel Treisman -- who was originally arrested back in May on child pornography charges -- should remain locked up pending trial. Among the reasons the FBI wants to keep him behind bars ... a possible plot to assassinate the Democratic Presidential nominee.

The feds claim Treisman posted a meme on social media -- asking if he should kill Biden. The feds say he had planned on traveling to a Wendy's that's 4 miles from Biden's home. The feds claim they also found a checklist that ended with the word "execute."

And, then there's this ... in docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say back in May they found Treisman's van filled with guns and explosives ... from an AR-15 style rifle and a Taurus .380 caliber handgun to a canister of the explosive material Tannerite. What's more ... the feds say Treisman had $509k in U.S. currency, books about survival and bomb-making and drawings of swastikas and planes crashing into buildings.

The feds also say they uncovered driver's licenses from 3 different states. According to docs ... Treisman's Internet searches between March and May 2020 also included information about Biden's home address and night-vision goggles, among other things.

And, if that's not terrifying enough ... the feds allege they found an October 2019 note created on Treisman's Samsung cell phone about a plan to carry out a mass shooting at a mall food court on Christmas Day or Black Friday.

The feds filed the order as reasons why Treisman should remain behind bars pending his trial on child pornography charges.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Pre-Election Day Asteroid Might Put on a Show ... It Won't Kill Us, Though!!!

SETTIN' THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
TMZ.com

Neil deGrasse Tyson is trying to ease fears about the asteroid that's got a shot of striking the U.S. before election day -- but also knows everyone wants to panic, cause it's 2020.

The famed astrophysicist joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday for a science lesson on the refrigerator-sized space rock hurtling towards Earth. Here's the truth, folks ... he says the chance of it landing on American soil on Nov. 2 is less than 1 percent.

But, does that really sound comforting with all we've seen so far in 2020?!? Didn't think so.

The good news ... Neil's got some more information that might help ease your mind. Even if the asteroid does end up in line for a direct hit, he says it's NOT killer-sized, and instead, it'll just create one helluva light show.

Neil, who hosts the new Fox show, "Cosmos: Possible Worlds," says a direct hit is even getting a little ahead of ourselves. The prediction's based on a limited amount of data -- the proverbial "small sample size" for all you baseball nuts enjoying the World Series.

Of course, NASA's also confirmed the asteroid is on a trajectory to possibly strike ... and the space agency is staying mum on the 3 possible points of impact. Thanks?

Neil's also got cool nuggets about another asteroid that could hold clues to the origin of our solar system. Fascinating stuff that's clearly not in line with Bible teachings, but he even addressed that with us.

Sorry, Mr. President, but science is pretty awesome.

Astronaut Kate Rubins I Voted From Space

Kate Rubins just cast the mother of all mail-in ballots -- she's not even on Earth and she still cast her vote!!! What's your excuse?

The NASA astronaut voted Thursday from her post aboard the International Space Station, which is about 250 miles or so above our planet ... so you could call this the definition of going above and beyond.

Like most Houston area based astronauts, Kate votes in Texas ... and there's a super cool process for getting her absentee ballot from lower Earth orbit all the way down to the Lone Star State.

As you can see, there's a secure voting booth on the ISS ... and Kate voted using a secure electronic ballot generated by the Harris County Clerk's office and uplinked by Mission Control. Kate's completed ballot is then downlinked and delivered back to the County Clerk’s Office by e-mail to be officially recorded.

Astronauts have been legally allowed to vote from space since 1997, and Kate also cast her ballot from the ISS in the 2016 election. She says if she can vote from space, folks should be getting done on the ground.

See? No excuses.

Mike Pence Lesley Stahl Rails After Trump Bails 'You've Insulted '60 Minutes''

FURIOUS EXIT

President Trump just released video of his failed "60 Minutes" interview where he just walked out and never came back, and when Lesley Stahl challenged Mike Pence as to why the Prez walked out and didn't get an answer, she said they insulted her show.

TAKIN' HEAT

Mike Pence tried to steamroll through Lesley's questions over Trump's abrupt departure, but she wasn't getting answers. As she put it, she got a bunch of campaign speeches from Trump and Pence, and that clearly frustrated her.

As you probably know by now, Trump felt the interview was an ambush, and he walked out in the middle. He accused Stahl of bias, claiming all Joe Biden gets are "softball questions."

What's unclear ... what's "60 Minutes" gonna do on Sunday? We're pretty certain the interviews will air, especially with all the publicity surrounding them. The fact that Trump released the footage only adds to the intrigue.

Old news is old news!
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