Controversial S#!T

Cardi B and her sister are getting sued after labeling a group of beachgoers as "racist MAGA supporters" ... this according to a lawsuit.

Peter Caliendo, Pauline Caliendo and Manuel Alarcon are suing the rapper, her sister, Hennessy Carolina, and Hennessy's GF, Michelle Diaz, claiming they defamed them by labeling them as racist during a squabble at the Hamptons earlier this month.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiffs claim they were enjoying their time at Smith Point beach with their families when Hennessy approached them with rage ... spitting, insulting and threatening them just because one of them was wearing a MAGA hat.

At the time, Cardi tweeted a video of the altercation ... saying her sister was getting harassed because she and her friend are an Afro-Hispanic gay couple.

The group also claims Cardi B, Hennessy and Michelle edited the video and posted it on social media to falsely paint them as racists. Cardi had posted a video later that day with audio apparently showing Hennessy explaining that someone in the group told her to go back to her country.

Hennessy's side of the story was they were targeted because they "saw us parking here and we were speaking Spanish and we're mixed."

R. Kelly's renewed plea to get sprung from jail is getting push back from Uncle Sam, who says his most recent concern -- getting attacked behind bars -- has been neutralized.

Federal prosecutors just filed a reply to R. Kelly's latest request to be released on bail after he was ambushed and beaten by a fellow Chicago MCC inmate ... a guy Kelly says could've cost him his life. The government's response? Relax, it was a one-and-done.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say the attack on R. Kelly was a one-time, isolated event -- and that it can't happen again, at least not with the same guy ... because he's been moved to a new facility in Michigan.

So, in their eyes, the threat has left the building.

The feds also dispute R. Kelly's claim the attacker allegedly told a doctor on site that he needed to attack the singer for attention on his own case -- claiming the doctor denied that convo ever happened. That said, they also point out that if R. Kelly's still sour about his injuries ... he can take it up in civil court.

An autistic teen was shot by police in Utah, leaving him seriously injured ... and cops are now releasing the body cam footage of the incident.

13-year-old Linden Cameron's mother called the cops earlier this month, saying he was having a breakdown -- brought on by Asperger's syndrome -- and she needed assistance managing the situation.

On the body cam, you see one cop confront Linden on a dark sidewalk as he tells him to get on the ground. The kid doesn't obey the orders at first, and officers eventually open fire.

Eleven shots are heard on video -- it's unclear how many struck Linden, but he immediately went down and writhed in pain. He also seems to say "I don't feel good" and "Tell my mom I love her." Somehow, he survived the ordeal and was hospitalized.

Linden's mother had reportedly told cops he was easily triggered by law enforcement and that he may have had a BB gun, but she didn't think it was real. Cops allegedly told her they'd have to treat it like it was real.

Pete Buttigieg believes there may be immediate consequences for the LGBTQ community -- as well as people with preexisting conditions -- if President Trump succeeds in swiftly replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.

Mayor Pete's one of many prominent voices calling Senate Republicans hypocrites for pressing to fill the SCOTUS vacancy -- when they blocked President Obama's 2016 appointment of Merrick Garland, claiming it shouldn't be done in an election year.

Since they're now ignoring their own theory, Pete says this is an obvious power grab on the GOP's part -- one that's sparking fears for him in his own home.

Buttigieg points to his own marriage, saying it might not have even been possible if a more conservative, anti-LGBTQ Justice would have been on the High Court in 2015 instead of Ginsburg.

Then, of course, there's Obamacare, which the Supreme Court is set to make a major decision on in November. As Pete says ... lives literally depend on the case, but if Trump and Senate Republicans get their way, it won't be much of a case at all.

President Trump's suggesting Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish to not be replaced until after the election isn't real, but rather a political ploy whipped up by Democrats.

Trump made a routine pit stop on "Fox & Friends" Monday morning, and was asked about RBG telling her granddaughter -- reportedly while on her death bed -- that her wish is for the next elected President to choose her successor on the Supreme Court.

Trump says he doubts if Ginsburg -- who died Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer -- actually said those words, and instead speculates the "dying wish" was written by either Rep. Adam Schiff, Sen. Chuck Schumer or Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Ultimately, "maybe she did, and maybe she didn't," is the best Trump can offer as proof that RBG's dying wish is illegitimate ... and moved on to telling the Fox News crew he plans to move quickly in replacing her.

As we reported ... Judge Amy Coney Barrett has emerged as a frontrunner to fill RBG's vacant seat, which would give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the High Court.

Shortly before President Trump's North Carolina rally, a group of his supporters were rolling deep and screaming racist rhetoric in the streets, not too far from where he'd touch down.

A convoy of pickup trucks decorated with Trump 2020 stickers and American flags roared through downtown Elon, NC Saturday ... where some folks in their vehicles screamed out "white power!" to bystanders watching them go by. You hear it clearly, at least twice.

According to the Triad City Beat, which first posted the incident, a local professor was standing quietly on the corner -- which you can also see in the video -- holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign. That appears to be what triggered all the honking and hate speech.

TCB reports the convoy was organized by local neo-Confederate activist Gary Williamson.

Mind you, Trump held a rally in nearby Fayetteville, NC ... just a couple hours south of Elon.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants folks to turn their despair over Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death into rocket fuel for November ... and she's got a step-by-step plan on how to do it.

AOC posted a lengthy video of herself addressing her constituents, fans and anyone who's willing to listen -- but, more importantly, anyone who's worried about what the death of RBG might mean for this election. She makes it clear ... the stakes are higher than ever.

She explains how some people might think there's nothing they can really do, but quickly corrects them and points out that EVERYONE can make a difference in their own small way. She's not talking in platitudes or vagueries ... she lays out specifics.

First off, AOC literally begs people to make sure they're properly registered to vote ... even if they think they're already good. It doesn't hurt to check and to update one's info.

She then touches on organizing, or at the very least ... supporting those who do organize on the ground. Then comes what might be her biggest and most doable suggestion -- lobbying people you know, and helping spread awareness in your own circles.

We'll let AOC speak for herself -- and frankly, it's worth watching her full, 41 minute-plus talk. Her overarching message ... everyone has someone only they can reach, and that in this crucial time, it's time to do that.

She also said this is an even bigger issue than voting for Biden ... it's about voting to preserve democracy.

Kanye West has a new vision for what record deals oughta look like in the music industry -- and his guidelines are heavily in favor of the artist and making them money.

Ye tweeted several pillars that we guess would be in his own terms and conditions as a record label exec -- except, this is what he believes the biz as a whole should adopt STAT ... so artists can stop getting screwed and have an equitable share in the product they put out.

For starters, Kanye says the artists would automatically own the copyright to the songs and recordings they churn out for a label in his ideal world, and that they'd lease them to companies for a maximum period of time of just one year.

He also says the record label/publisher would NOT get the lion's share of any profits during that one year ... Ye thinks it should be split 80/20 in the artist's favor.

There's more. Kanye also thinks artists shouldn't need anyone repping them as they navigate their own deals -- as he feels if you're working in music, you should understand it from top to bottom, with no help. He also wants contracts to be written in plain English, not lawyer talk. He says lawyers are supposed to make things easier ... not convolute the process.

He goes on to say that artists deserve equity in the companies they partner with, and their songs and licenses should serve as stock in a way. Kanye also wants portals for artists to become a one-stop shop for all things royalties, deals, assets, songs, etc.

The frontrunner to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court -- if Donald Trump gets his way -- has all the signs of voting to repeal Roe vs. Wade.

The 48-year-old jurist currently sits on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is a committed strict constructionist of the Constitution, meaning she interprets the document as the framers intended. That's code these days for saying abortion is not mentioned as a right in the Constitution, therefore the right does not exist.

Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Roman Catholic and mother of 7, told Senators during her confirmation hearing for the Court of Appeals ... her religion would not, pardon the expression, trump the Constitution ... presumably trying to give assurance that she would not overturn Roe based on her religious beliefs. Nevertheless, there's evidence she's opposed to abortion.

She's been against ObamaCare's birth control mandate, calling it a "grave violation of religious freedom."

Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a fiercely conservative, strict constructionist. She was a professor at Notre Dame School of Law for 15 years before her appointment by Trump in 2017 to the 7th Circuit.

She was in the running to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat back in 2018 and many conservatives favored her. Trump ultimately went with Brett Kavanaugh.

If Barrett gets the nod and is approved by the Senate, conservatives were be cemented on the High Court with a 6-3 majority. It could mean the end of ObamaCare and Roe, and that's just for starters.

New York's Attorney General is indignant local authorities in the Daniel Prude and other cases have kept body cam video under wraps for months, and she's changing that in a big way.

Letitia James just announced her office will release body cam video in excessive force cases early ... way earlier than the months delay in the Prude case. She made it clear ... she's not going to wait for local authorities to act ... James wants the video released quickly so the public can evaluate what happened by the footage, and not hearsay or speculation.

She would not discuss the Prude case, saying it's before a Grand Jury and she will not get in the way of the hearing. She did say this should have been a case where health care professionals, not police, should have been the ones to intervene to help Prude.

The Grand Jury is deciding whether to indict the officers. She did express what she called "righteous indignation" over the deaths of Prude, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

As we reported ... seven officers were initially suspended after an investigation was launched. A couple weeks ago, James announced she was kicking the case over to a grand jury to review ... placing the decision on whether to bring charges on NY citizens.

The city of Rochester has been dealing with lots of changes lately -- namely, the top leadership at the police department was given walking papers ... this after the mayor slammed their handling of the case from the get-go. Mayor Lovely Warren even cut the Police Chief's time short and fired him before he could retire ... while admonishing some of her own staff.

Protests have been ongoing in the weeks since body cam footage of Prude's arrest and subsequent death surfaced ... showing him being handcuffed naked in the freezing streets and eventually restrained with a spit sack over his head, which led to him losing his life.

President Trump says his Supreme Court nominee is very likely going to be a woman, and his "first place" consideration to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

DT made the announcement Saturday as he was departing the White House to a rally in North Carolina, telling reporters that he hasn't decided who exactly ... but did address rumors of certain names that have been floated as possible candidates.

There's Amy Coney Barrett -- a conservative federal appellate court judge -- as well as Barbara Lagoa, another appellate judge from Florida. Trump said he liked both, especially Lagoa. He says he'll likely make the announcement this upcoming week.

Donald Trump has thrown down the gauntlet -- less than a day after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- making it clear he will try and ramrod her replacement through the Senate ... which will almost certainly make abortion rights the centerpiece of the Presidential race.

Trump made his position clear Saturday on Twitter, saying, "We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us," adding the most important decision a President can make is nominating Supreme Court justices. He said, "We have this obligation, without delay!"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear Friday night, he'll facilitate what Trump wants by making sure his nominee gets a vote by the full Senate ... a Senate currently controlled by Republicans.

This is objectively the most important vacancy in many, many decades. Trump vowed earlier this month to appoint an anti-abortion justice to the High Court. If he gets his way, it would be 6-3 against abortion rights. Even if conservatives lose a vote, they'd still have a majority, and many legal experts think that could spell the end of Roe vs. Wade.

Remember ... it was Mitch McConnell who denied an Obama nominee a Senate confirmation vote, because he said it was more appropriate for the next President to choose. Obama's nomination came 11 months before he left office. Trump's expected nominee would be sent to the Senate 4 months before he leaves office ... were he to lose. McConnell hasn't explained the obvious inconsistency, but it all boils down to politics.

Democrats are furious and are planning a full-court press to block any such nomination. As you know by now, RBG dictated a note days before she passed, saying her dying wish was that her replacement be selected by the person who wins the election. She made it clear in 2016, she was not a fan of Donald Trump.

Democrats are now talking about expanding the Court if Trump gets his nominee confirmed. They can do that, and the talk is expanding the court to as many as 15 justices.

As for the politics of it all ... coronavirus may not be the biggest issue on the ballot anymore. That's a boost from Trump, whom the majority of Americans think royally screwed up and actually did damage in his pandemic response.

And, the RBG vacancy will almost certainly become the overriding issue in many of the Senate races. The Democrats believe they have a shot at taking over the Senate, but everything must now be recalculated if abortion becomes the litmus test for voters. McConnell and Lindsey Graham are in tight races, and now it could all boil down to a referendum on abortion.

The open question ... if the nomination is not confirmed by election day, who's more motivated to vote -- the pro-choice voters, or the anti-abortion voters? That could be the deciding factor in who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on January 20, and which party controls the Senate.

What one Michigander thought was a joke could possibly land them in legal trouble after they put a toilet in their front yard and instructed folks to leave their mail-in ballots inside.

This is wild ... a Democratic election official named Barb Byrum -- a clerk for Ingham County -- filed a police report ratting out a resident in the city of Mason who recently pulled this cringe-worthy stunt, which obviously isn't meant to be taken literally or seriously.

Doesn't matter though, because Byrum contends that what this person did -- telling folks (whether in jest or not) to drop off their ballots in her toilet via signage -- is actually illegal, and amounts to election tampering. Byrum says it's against the law to take illegal possession of an absentee ballot, and feels like this display could mislead people about the process.

So, in other words ... she's worried some doofus might actually come by and drop their ballots in the toilet, thinking this is a legit way of it being counted. Sounds crazy, but hey ... Barb here is just looking out for the newbies who might be voting for the first time.

If this sounds extreme and over the top ... let it be a sign of where we are in this country, with President Trump sewing doubt over the election process, especially as it pertains to mail-in voting. It would seem some people are trying to make a tongue-in-cheek gag out of it, but clearly the folks running the election process there on the ground don't find it funny.

A group of Southern California Native Americans opted not to strike back as they were being pummeled by a woman who didn't like their protest against Trump's border wall.

This was posted by a group called Defend Kumeyaay Land -- natives who originated in San Diego County -- and while members of their tribe were out by the border Friday protesting the ongoing construction of more barriers, they were confronted by a very handsy, violent lady.

The woman comes off as the aggressor, charging the group and telling them to scram -- while also hurling xenophobic remarks and telling the group this is her land, not theirs.

They tell her she's being recorded, and that angers her even more ... at which point she starts swinging on them, pushing them and locking arms with them as they try fending off her blows and peacefully restraining her. What they say they won't do ... hit back, not at all.

You have to watch this for yourself, because it is incredibly powerful -- the Kumeyaay natives repeat over and over that they're non-violent and that they will NOT reciprocate her attack.

Eventually, the woman seems to get worn down and almost bitter at the fact they're not matching her energy ... so they one-up her with kindness once more, forming a prayer circle around her and carrying on in a chant. The woman seems dumbfounded, and then mocks them.

BTW, this is far from the only peaceful face-off they've had with folks down there of late -- the Kumeyaayans have been actively discouraging the further construction of the border wall on what they deem their native land, saying they've chased off some construction workers with song and dance ... or at the very least, pausing it. It's a pretty incredible demonstration.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death and President Trump's race to fill her seat isn't just a one-issue problem ... so says Lil Nas X, who fears big setbacks for the LGBTQ community.

LNX was leaving LAX Saturday when he told a photog how he felt about the Supreme Court Justice's passing, and what it could possibly forebode ahead of the election. He says he's worried a super-conservative justice could seriously hurt progress made for gay rights.

Check it out ... Nas X is a man of few words, but the ones he does drop are powerful and speak to the anxiety being felt by various marginalized groups.

Yes, the abortion/pro-choice battle is front and center and top of mind -- but the possible dismantling of gay marriage and other LGBTQ causes that have been pushed through SCOTUS in recent years is also a very real possibility if Trump gets his way.

AJ McLean would never bust a Kanye West and pee on a Grammy ... not because he doesn't have one to pee on, but because it's just downright wrong.

We got the Backstreet Boys member leaving 'DWTS' practice this week and wanted to get his take on Ye taking a leak all over one of his Grammys stuffed inside a toilet. No matter the message Kanye was trying to send ... pretty clear AJ wasn't a fan of the move.

Check out the video ... AJ says even though the Boys don't have a Grammy -- YET!!! -- he thinks what Kanye did was way outta line.

As we reported ... Kanye whizzed all over his own Grammy statuette to underscore his message about Black people needing a seat at the table. Remember, Kanye had been ranting about African-Americans not getting their fair share of the pie and instead are being exploited by companies run by Whites. He pointed the finger at the NBA and the music biz as prime examples. He also talked about ownership of his master recordings, blasting Universal Music Group and alleging they won't even give him a chance to buy them outright.

Our photog asks AJ if artists should own their own master recordings ... and the Backstreet Boy seems to somewhat agree with Kanye.

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be bracing for more players to opt out of the Antwon Rose helmet tribute ... and the team is okay with that.

After lineman Alejandro Villanueva decided to honor a deceased Black military hero instead of the 17-year-old ... other players began speaking out about the Rose tribute.

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey said he didn't know enough about Antwon Rose before the team decided on the helmet tribute -- claiming he was given "limited information" about the situation.

Also, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said the decision to honor Rose was made by "people upstairs" in the organization ... not the players.

The controversy ... the Steelers initially pushed the narrative that Rose was shot and killed by police during traffic stop for seemingly no reason.

What was missing from the story on the Steelers' team website was the fact Antwon was allegedly involved in a drive-by shooting before the police incident ... with the victim of the drive-by claiming Rose was the triggerman.

Obviously, that part of the story rubbed some Steelers players the wrong way -- since some of them only learned about that AFTER wearing the helmet decal on "Monday Night Football."

We reached out to the Steelers organization to find out if the team would continue its original plan to wear Rose's name on helmets and hats for the entire 2020 NFL season. Here's what they said back to us ...

"We acknowledge there could be changes this Sunday for players relating to helmet decals. That will be an individual decision."

In other words, it sounds like some of the players will no longer wear the decal starting this weekend.