Controversial S#!T

A possible COVID-19 vaccine relies on shark livers, and conservationists are warning it could decimate the shark population.

A British pharmaceutical company called GlaxoSmithKline currently manufactures a flu vaccine, which includes shark squalene, which is a natural oil produced in the liver. It's known to create a strong response from the recipient's immune system.

The company plans to produce A BILLION DOSES of a coronavirus vaccine, which would include shark squalene.

An environmental group called Shark Allies, claims a quarter-of-a-million sharks would have to be killed to produce the necessary amount of squalene for one dose per person. If 2 doses are required -- which may well be the case -- we're talking half a million sharks that would be killed.

Stefanie Brendl, who runs Shark Allies, says, "Harvesting something from a wild animal is never going to be sustainable, especially if it's a top predator that doesn't reproduce in huge numbers."

The best you can call this is bad taste, and the worst is despicable because a Republican group decided to jack the moniker of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- The Notorious R.B.G. -- by instantly printing shirts supporting Judge Amy Coney Barrett with the words "Notorious A.C.B." emblazoned on them.

The shirts are courtesy of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) ... a group that raises cash to elect Republicans to the Senate.

The org tweeted a photo of Barrett with the Biggie Smalls crown.

Barrett praised RBG when she spoke Saturday after being nominated by Donald Trump -- she called her "a woman of enormous talent" -- so we're guessing she had nothing to do with the shirt. But seriously ... to riff on something that became part of the public adoration for the late Justice -- it's just wrong.

Some Dems were outraged. California Governor Gavin Newsom said, "This makes me sick to my stomach."

The NRSC is selling the "limited edition" t-shirt for a minimum donation of $25.

The crime scene left behind after Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her own apartment was a show of chaos ... so it seems from the first body cam footage released that shows the aftermath.

VICE News just posted two brief clips from hours of body camera footage they obtained from responding SWAT team members and other officers from LMPD. They showed up immediately after the deadly shooting March 13 that left Breonna dead in her apartment.

The two videos -- as well as other footage VICE will presumably release -- depict the moments after officers Hankison, Cosgrove and Mattingly fired dozens of rounds into Breonna's unit, and both are disturbing.

The first video shows what VICE says is Kenneth Walker -- Breonna's boyfriend -- being screamed at by a cop who threatened to sic a K-9 unit on him, telling him to get on his knees and not to look back. Eventually, other officers arrive -- including Hankison himself, per VICE -- and they cuff Walker. VICE reports Hankison tells Walker in the video that he's going to jail forever, but the clip they posted cuts out before any such thing can be clearly heard.

The second video shows perhaps an even more unsettling sight -- VICE reports it's Hankison again here (the cop who fired from outside the apartment) walking into Breonna's apartment after SWAT members had gone in to start investigating. He asks if any of the rounds were theirs, and seemingly tries having his run of the place before one SWAT officer tells him to scram, as it's an active crime scene and as such he shouldn't be roaming around unescorted.

In this second video, you also see the inside of Breonna's apartment ... including the hallway she and her boyfriend were apparently fired upon as Mattingly and Cosgrove first entered.

Speaking of not being escorted, VICE reports from the 40 hours-plus of footage they've scoured ... this is a trend they've seen. Namely, the seven officers directly involved in the raid -- including Hankison and Cosgrove -- were NOT separated or paired with another officer ... basically, getting them the hell away from there, which is LMPD policy. Instead several of them reportedly stayed on scene, and even conducted witness interviews ... this per VICE.

Amy Coney Barrett is Donald Trump's pick to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat, according to multiple reports, and judging by Barrett's past comments, her confirmation would squarely put abortion rights and health care on the chopping block.

Barrett, who currently serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a devout Catholic who has an intractable belief that life begins at conception. She has said Roe vs. Wade "ignited a national controversy" by jumping on the abortion issue rather than letting each state decide.

She has said in the past, she doesn't believe Roe will be overturned ... “I don’t think the core case, Roe’s core holding that women have a right to an abortion, I don’t think that would change," adding, "but I think the question of whether people can get very late-term abortions, you know, how many restrictions can be put on clinics, I think that will change.” What she didn't say ... if there's a majority on the Court that wants to overturn Roe, would she go along.

Barrett also railed on the Affordable Care Act's birth control mandate, saying it's a "grave violation of religious freedom." And, there's this ... she said during her first confirmation hearing, "...the Catholic Church's teaching that abortion ... is always immoral." She signed a petition back in 2012, claiming the birth control mandate is a violation of religious liberty. She has made statements strongly suggesting the ACA is fatally flawed ... an overreach of Congressional power.

During her confirmation to the 7th Circuit, she was asked if she could shelve her religious beliefs if they conflicted with the law. She said she could, but the reality is this ... Supreme Court justices don't blindly decide cases on the letter of the law.  There is always discussion of social policy, which sometimes drives the legal discussion. It's the way it's always been.

Barrett, who clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia, was also a professor at Notre Dame School of Law for 15 years.

Thom Brennaman is officially OUT as Cincinnati Reds play-by-play man ... the 57-year-old formally resigned from his position weeks after he used a homophobic slur on air.

Remember, back on Aug. 19, Brennaman was broadcasting the Reds-Royals game ... when he was caught on a microphone referring to a place as "one of the f** capitals of the world."

Brennaman had been indefinitely suspended by the team over the comment ... but on Friday, Thom announced he was officially stepping away from the broadcasting position for good.

"My family and I have decided that I am going to step away from my role as the television voice of the Cincinnati Reds,” Brennaman told WCPO in Cincinnati.

"I would like to thank the Reds, Reds fans and the LGBTQ Community for the incredible support and grace they have shown my family and me."

It's obviously a big deal ... Brennaman had been working with the Reds since 2006 -- and was regarded as one of the best announcers in MLB prior to his suspension.

Brennaman has repeatedly apologized for his use of the slur ... and recently claimed he's now a "better person" after weeks of reflecting on the incident.

Brennaman -- who was also booted from his role as an NFL play-by-play announcer for Fox -- told WCPO he's hoping to one day return to a headset again.

"I have been in this profession that I love for 33 years," Thom said. "It is my hope and intention to return. And if I'm given that opportunity, I will be a better broadcaster and a much better person."

Charles Barkley called the idea of defunding and/or abolishing the police "crap" ... and the NBA legend is urging people who are pushing the message to "stop that."

Chuck delivered a speech on the matter on NBA on TNT Thursday ... bluntly saying the answer to police brutality and social injustice in America is NOT taking away money from cops.

"Who are Black people supposed to call, Ghostbusters, when we have crime in our neighborhoods?" Barkley said ... before adding, "We need to stop that defund or abolish the cops crap."

Instead, Barkley says the solution to the issues is police and prison reform.

"I hear these fools on TV talking about defund the police and things like that -- we need police reform and prison reform and things like that," the basketball Hall of Famer said.

"Because you know who ain't going to defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods."

Barkley's take on social injustice issues didn't stop there ... he went on to comment on the Breonna Taylor case -- and said he doesn't believe it's in the same vein as what George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery went through.

"We do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop," Barkley said of Taylor.

"So, like I said, even though I'm really sorry she lost her life, I don't think that we can just say we can put this in the same situation with George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. I just don't believe that."

For his co-hosts' part on the show ... Shaquille O'Neal backed Barkley, saying, "I have to agree with Charles, this one is sort of lumped in."

Gigi Gorgeous says 'Harry Potter' used to mean something to her, but on the heels of a new anti-trans controversy involving J.K. Rowling ... that's all changed.

The popular trans influencer was leaving Delilah in WeHo when we asked her about Rowling promoting an online store that sells transphobic merch. Gigi told us enough is enough with the author's continual acts of disrespect and dishonor to her community.

As you'll recall ... even 'Harry Potter' himself, Daniel Radcliffe, ripped Rowling a few months back over her incendiary tweets about gender identity.

Rowling has also offered opinions about, and against, transitioning and bathroom rights for trans people in the past.

The latest backlash she's getting stems from tweeting a link to a shop that sells a witch-themed t-shirt she likes ... in order to support women-owned businesses.

D.L. Hughley wants Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to get something through his head -- celebs are invested in Breonna Taylor's case because they're BLACK. They also just so happen to be celebrities, not the other way around.

The comedian and author joined "TMZ Live" on Thursday and took issue with Cameron warning Kentuckians to not let celebrities, influencers and activists "capture our emotions" in wake of the Grand Jury's decision not to indict anyone in Breonna's death.

Cameron said, "There will be celebrities, influencers and activists who having never lived in Kentucky will try to tell us how to feel, suggesting they understand the facts of this case, that they know our community ... but they don't. Let's not give in to their attempts to influence our thinking or capture our emotions." By Cameron's logic, only those who live in Kentucky have earned the right to feel a certain way.

D.L. cites the great Martin Luther King, Jr. -- "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Point being ... you don't have to live in Kentucky to be a stakeholder.

D.L. says celebrities are speaking out first and foremost because Black celebrities have Black wives, Black daughters, Black nieces and nephews. His passion jumps off the screen.

But, the comedian -- like many pro athletes and other famous folks -- are outraged that, as he puts it, "the holes in the wall are getting more justice than the holes in our bodies."

A woman who refused to wear a mask at an 8th-grade football game refused to go quietly -- she fought off a cop, got tased and ultimately ... arrested.

The incident went down at a middle school in Logan, Ohio where fans in the stands, including one who was recording, were shocked as a police officer tried for minutes to arrest the anti-masker. You can hear the woman yelling, "This is bulls***" and "You're not arresting me for nothing. I ain't doing nothing wrong."

Check out the video ... when the woman -- who appeared to have a mask in her back pocket -- kept resisting, the cop tased her in the back ... and finally got handcuffs on her to haul her away.

Some of the other fans were pissed, and voiced their disapproval for the arrest "over not wearing a damn mask." The issue, legally speaking, is ... Ohio has a statewide mask mandate, and that's one of the rules that's allowed organized sports to resume there.

The school's athletic director told the Marietta Times the school hosted 300 fans for the game Wednesday and the only individuals having issues with compliance were the woman who got arrested and her mother.

Kanye West's on a noble crusade to help musicians gain control of their livelihood ... according to Austin Mahone, who has experience with the process and wants to lend a helping hand.

The singer's backstory seems the perfect example of what Kanye's been tweeting about for more than a week now ... he says he can attest to the importance of what Ye's doing to keep others from getting screwed.

Austin tells us ... he's one of the countless musicians who signed with a record label when he was breaking into the industry, and in turn, signed over the rights to his masters.

The singer signed with Birdman's Cash Money Records when he was 15, but we're told after he had a convo with his manager, Michael Blumstein, and his mentor, Pitbull, a few years later ... he realized it was so important to own his work.

Of course, it wasn't that simple, but he was one of the lucky ones ... thanks to a million-dollar loan from Pitbull and Birdman. We're told Austin's catalog has now earned him more than $5 mil, and as he says himself ... owning his masters will allow him to make cash for life.

As we've reported ... this is what Kanye is very publicly demanding for himself and his peers in the industry -- even Taylor Swift -- and has vowed to go to war with Universal and Sony to make it happen.

Sources close to Austin tell us ... he's reached out to Kanye and his team and wants in on the movement. We're told he wants to offer his story as a testimonial of the benefits of going independent and be involved in helping others with the whole process.

President Trump resorted to one of his favorite pastimes -- insulting women -- making a sexist comment about Meghan Markle ... all because she dared to encourage Americans to vote.

Meghan and Prince Harry have not officially endorsed any political candidates ... but the couple recently entered the convo by urging folks to cast their vote in November, which the Duchess of Sussex calls ... "the most important election of our lifetime."

Trump was asked about this at his Wednesday press briefing by a reporter who framed it as Meghan's words being an endorsement of Joe Biden ... and he did not respond kindly.

The Prez said, "I'm not a fan of hers," adding, "I wish a lot of luck to Harry, 'cause he's gonna need it."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn't believe justice was served for Breonna Taylor -- not only that, she says politics were unnecessarily brought in by the Kentucky Attorney General.

We got AOC Wednesday on Capitol Hill, shortly after the grand jury charges were unveiled ... just one officer involved in Breonna's death was charged with the unrelated crime of recklessly shooting into a different apartment unit.

AOC can't fathom how everyone basically skated on this. She says the results speak to systemic issues in LMPD, and larger ones about policing in this country -- as far as what cops are allowed to get away with ... often with the help of prosecutors.

Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron gets the bulk of her criticism here -- watch ... she goes off on him for what she believes was politicization of the case when he spoke at this year's RNC. The guy knew the spotlight was on him, and in AOC's eyes ... it was bad form.

She says quite pointedly somebody being killed and getting to the bottom of it shouldn't matter if people are on the right or the left -- but with what's true and righteous. While AG Cameron says he was impartial and stuck to the facts ... AOC just doesn't buy it.

Hankison has been booked and reportedly already released from the Shelby Co. Detention Center after paying his $15k bail.

The grand jury has indicted just one officer, Brett Hankison, on charges of wanton endangerment. Hankison was not charged for the shooting of Breonna Taylor ... he was charged with shooting into a neighboring apartment. The other 2 officers who fired shots the night Breonna Taylor was killed were not charged. In other words, no one was charged for killing Breonna.

Hankison has been indicted on three counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree -- for firing recklessly and without due regard for life. His bail has been set at $15,000. Wanton endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years if convicted.

The indictment has already sparked anger. Rev. Al Sharpton called it "grossly insufficient."

AG Daniel Cameron called Breonna's death a "gut-wrenching" tragedy but said his job is to follow the law. He said for civil rights violations, the federal government can charge officers who cross the line. But, civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt told us on "TMZ Live" a few minutes ago ... he believes the fix was in between Cameron and Trump, and Trump is not going to tolerate federal charges.

Merritt noted the medical examiner ruled Breonna's death a homicide, yet that seemed lost on the grand jury. Merritt mentioned an old legal joke -- that grand juries would indict a ham sandwich -- meaning prosecutors have an easy time securing criminal charges. The question ... did the AG press for a homicide indictment? We don't know, because the proceedings are secret.

A few key takeaways from Cameron's comments -- he says the 3 officers who executed the warrant had no prior knowledge of how it was obtained or the background of the case up 'til then. Cameron says they were brought in as extra personnel, and were briefed with basics. He also makes clear ... it was NOT a no-knock warrant, as has been widely reported.

Cameron assured the public -- the officers claimed they did knock and announce themselves, and says that was backed up by a civilian witness who was in one of the neighboring apartments. A journalist asked Cameron if one witness coming forward to say they heard the police announcing themselves was enough when no other neighbors could confirm it.

Cameron skirted that question and said it was clearly enough for the grand jury. There's more ... he goes on to say that after officers received no response at the door, they entered. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was the first one in, and apparently saw Breonna and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, standing at the end of the hall. He claims Walker was in a shooting stance with a gun in hand, and that he fired at Mattingly first, who was struck in the thigh.

Cameron says Mattingly returned fire -- shooting six times -- while another officer behind him, Myles Cosgrove, also returned fire ... unloading 16 rounds. As for Hankison, Cameron says he fired 10 rounds from outside, which went everywhere ... including into another unit.

Cameron says Breonna was struck 6 times, and that the forensic reports indicate the one fatal bullet that killed her likely came from Cosgrove's weapon. He stressed that there wasn't conclusive evidence that Hankison's bullets hit her -- it was just Mattingly and Cosgrove's, and because of that ... Cameron said his office couldn't look into any criminality around her death, as he says the 2 officers inside were authorized and justified in their use of force, under Kentucky law.

Cameron also noted that justice is not easy and not meant to appease what the public wants -- under the letter of law, it can only answer to the facts. He also pled with Kentucky residents not to allow outside influences and voices to tell them out to feel about this.

Of course, Breonna's family's own legal team -- led by Ben Crump -- feel very differently about the results here. Crump said the fact that Hankison was charged for wanton endangerment of OTHER people besides Breonna is "outrageous and offensive."

He also made a pretty good point ... that if Hankison was charged for endangering others while firing recklessly, how is it possible he wasn't charged for endangering Breonna herself? While the AG did not specifically touch on that, presumably ... Hankison, too, was found to be justified, at least in part, when he fired from the outside in.

Crump emphasized that point by writing, "How ironic and typical that the only charges brought in this case were for shots fired into the apartment of a white neighbor, while no charges were brought for shots fired into the Black neighbor's apartment or into Breonna's residence."

He goes on to call the decision an utter travesty of justice, but goes on to hold out hope that the pending federal investigation into possible civil rights violations might bring about some actual closure the family and the Black community is looking for.

It's been a long road up to this point, which Cameron also touched on ... saying he and his team wanted to turn over every stone and conduct their investigation from scratch.

LeBron James is adamant he condemns ALL FORMS of violence ... including violent acts of revenge against police officers.

Following the Lakers game 3 playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets, Bron was asked whether he believes the spotlight he's put on bad cops and police brutality incites violence against law enforcement.

“I’ve never in my 35 years ever condoned violence. Never have," LeBron said.

"But, I also know what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong, and I grew up in the inner city in a Black community in what we call the hood or the ghetto, however you want to picture it. And, I’ve seen a lot of counts first hand of a lot of Black people being racially profiled because of our color."

LeBron has been very outspoken about several high profile police-involved shootings ... including the shooting of Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake.

Many political pundits have suggested the narrative James is pushing puts cops in danger.

While James made it clear he doesn't condone violence -- and understands there are good people in law enforcement -- he also said he has personally witnessed cops racially profiling and improperly treating black people.

“I’m not saying that all cops are bad because I actually, throughout high school and things of that nature and I’m around them all the time and they’re not all bad," James said.

"But, when you see the videos that’s going on and you can see all over the, not only my hometown, but all over America, you continue to see the acts of violence towards my kind, I can’t do nothing but to speak about it and see the common denominator."

LeBron was also asked about the L.A. County Sheriff's suggestion that James should put up a 6-figure reward to help find the person who shot 2 Sheriff's Deputies in Compton.

Uncle Ben of Uncle Ben's rice is no more -- the parent company of the food brand ditched its logo, rooted in racism, and even whittled down the name as well to something much more kosher.

Mars Inc. revealed the changes Wednesday after getting called out for its logo back in June -- like several other brands like Aunt Jemima syrup. So, ya ready for it??? Uncle Ben's is now ... Ben's Original. That's it, nice and simple.

The company also did away with the photo of an older African-American man in a bow tie as their logo -- which some felt conjured up the idea of Black servitude. Now, it's just the lettering that remains -- same font and color scheme, really. Just no image attached.

The global president of Mars Inc., Fiona Dawson, said it was the right thing to do -- even though it might not be the easiest, and knowing they weren't going to please everyone. Big picture ... she says they listened to their customers and associates and felt it was time.

A lot of food brands committed to retiring their dated logos -- including Jemima and even Cream of Wheat, which features another Black man in a chef hat ... same issue as with Ben here.

President Trump's trying to keep voters' eyes off the prize of racial equality -- at least that's how NAACP leader Bishop Talbert Swan is viewing Trump's latest defunding threat.

The President of the NAACP's Springfield, Massachusetts chapter, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and ripped POTUS for threatening to pull federal funds from Seattle, Portland and NYC ... cities he's now labeled "anarchist jurisdictions."

Swan pointed out the term "anarchist jurisdiction" has never existed in America, and believes the Trump administration made it up to rationalize his threat to cut federal funding to those cities. That threat is already facing legal challenges, but the Bishop told us it's also creating a distraction ahead of the election -- and he thinks that's exactly what the President wants.

He's imploring Americans to not lose sight of the mounting issues that truly matter -- racial inequality, coronavirus, the economy and the possibility of a Supreme Court he believes will "attack every Civil Rights gain made in the last 100 years."