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President Biden's first National Christmas Tree Lighting is going to be more lively than Donald Trump's last one ... but bringing back a live audience is gonna cost taxpayers a bundle.

According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ, the National Park Service shelled out $139,000 to a company in Ohio to locate, transport and transplant this year's National Christmas Tree just outside the White House.

The feds got a jump on their holiday shopping, signing the tree contract back in September. BTW, the last pre-pandemic National Tree, in 2019, set us back just over $160k -- so, the government actually can spend less!!! Talk about Christmas miracles.

After a virtual tree lighting ceremony in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, it looks like things are getting back to normal with a live audience this year ... and that means another big bill.

The docs show the National Park Service dropped an additional $171,000 on "event support" for the 2021 National Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities.

The official ceremony and lighting is set for Dec. 2 ... and LL Cool J is hosting, with holiday music from Billy Porter, Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., Juanes, Keb' Mo', Kristin Chenoweth, Maren Morris, and Patti LaBelle.

On a smaller scale, the White House also spent $41k on holiday decorations for the Eisenhower building and Jackson Place.

Joel McHale knows a thing or two about 'Tiger King' -- and he also knows this ... just because Carole Baskin's husband might still be alive, she's not totally off the hook.

We got the comedian/actor at LAX and asked him about this big revelation in the 'TK' sequel -- namely, what the documentary asserts is a legit form from the Dept. of Homeland Security that alleges Don Lewis is actually alive in Costa Rica. Not just that ... but apparently he's chillin'!

Our camera guy asks what a lot of people thought when they saw this ... that Carole has been vindicated from all the claims of having something to do with his disappearance/presumed death.

Joel -- who hosted the original 'Tiger King' post-show special -- says not so fast ... as he sees this in a different light, and actually convinced our photog to come on over to his side.

Check it out ... Joel says that if this document is legit -- and if DL is, in fact, alive in CR -- then it's still a harsh indictment of Carole, especially if she's known about it all along.

Now, in Carole's defense ... she seemed to know nothing about this alleged DHS form -- and has maintained since the beginning ... she did her part in trying to find Don, and had absolutely nothing to do with his disappearance in the '90s.

The former 'Soup' host thinks this doesn't really paint her in that fond of a light. And, he even has suspicions about how the guy could've remained missing for so long if he is actually out there somewhere.

BTW, he isn't saying Carole deserves any sort of retribution -- but he does insist this latest development wouldn't make her any kinda saint.

Antwain Fowler -- the viral kiddo who famously asked "where we bout to eat at?" -- could soon have a restaurant opened in his honor ... that's the big plan from the late kid's mother.

Christina Burns, Antwain's mother, tells TMZ ... his GoFundMe was created in March during one of his many stays in the hospital and it's now raised $72,000, with $22k being donated since he passed away on Sunday. She wants to put the money towards keeping his legacy alive, in the form of a restaurant called, "Where We Bout To Eat At."

Antwain's mom says the $22k raised in the past few days will be put towards kickstarting the business, with the other $50k helping pay off Antwain's hospital bills and other family expenses. Christina says she will help create the menu, but needs help managing the other aspects of a restaurant. The menu will be versatile with seafood, chicken and other grub -- so you won't have to look much further when you're asked "where we bout to eat at?"

The viral sensation had a ton of catchphrases, which will be reflected on the menu ... for example, Antwain's mom is already planning some "You Have Cheese Like Me" mozzarella sticks.

After Antwain went viral, his mom says she tried starting a seafood truck biz ... but after mapping things out, she just didn't have the time to commit to getting the biz up and running because she was busy taking care of him and her other 3 children.

As we reported ... Antwain died Nov. 21 after fighting a rare autoimmune deficiency his mother says caused him to be consistently in and out of the hospital ever since he was 4 months old. He was only 6.

His mom is shedding more light on his death ... she says Antwain was home when she heard his ventilator sounding off an alarm. Typically, Antwain alerts his family when he's experiencing pain or has trouble breathing, but this time he was silent.

Antwain's mom says police and an ambulance responded to their home and attempted to resuscitate him, but had no luck ... he was taken to a hospital where doctors fought to keep him alive, but were ultimately unable to.

The Twitter posse is at it again ... this time trying to cancel Seth Rogen for daring to call out a YouTuber who called Seth's stomping ground a "crime riddled 3rd world s***hole of a city."

Seth saw a post from Casey Neistat, who groused that his car had been burglarized and then added some choice comments about the City of Angels. He said his 7-year-old daughter's birthday party decorations were taken and the burglar left bloody handprints on the car.

Rogan responded, "Dude, I've lived here for over 20 years. You're nuts haha. It's lovely here. Don't leave anything valuable in it. It's called living in a big city."

Neistat fired back, saying he felt violated and wanted to know if he's allowed to be mad. Seth's response -- "You can be mad but I guess I don't personally view my car as an extension of myself and I've never really felt violated any of the 15 or so times my car was broken into," adding, "Once a guy accidentally left a cool knife in my car so if it keeps happening you might get a little treat."

That sent some cancelers into orbit, slamming Seth for acting "privileged." True, not everyone can blow off a car burglary, but Seth was responding to someone who is also a multimillionaire.

Truth be told ... L.A. is getting hammered by crime, including a massive number of burglaries -- 10,000+ in 2021, with car burglaries up 10%.

Camila Cabello is single and ready to mingle ... somewhere outside the Hollywood Hills -- she's found a buyer for her beautiful estate above the Sunset Strip.

The "Havana" singer was asking $3,950,000 for her 4-bedroom pad. She has accepted the initial offer, but the deal still has some contingencies, so it's not exactly a total lock ... at least not yet anyway, but it's on track to closing.

Camila's soon-to-be-former place is 3,570 square feet ... and comes decked out with a saltwater swimming pool, BBQ area, fire pit and a state-of-the-art recording studio with a professional vocal booth.

If the new owner doesn't sing already, they've got all the tools to learn.

The master suite has a fireplace and walk-in closet ... and the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with stone counters, a breakfast bar and stainless steel appliances. There's also a laundry room and a 2-car garage.

Camila put the home on the market earlier this month, right before she and Shawn Mendes announced their split.

A rare piece of memorabilia is hitting the auction block -- a concert ad signed by both Marilyn Monroe AND Joe DiMaggio ... and the item could sell for some serious coin!!!

Here's the backstory -- TMZ Sports is told an 11-year-old girl saw the couple having dinner at The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1952 ... and approached the Yankees legend for an autograph.

Shockingly, the girl had no idea who Monroe was ... so Joe asked if she wanted the model's Hancock as well.

Both Joe and Marilyn signed the inside of a folded concert advertisement that was on their dining table ... scribbling the words, "Warmest Regards, Marilyn Monroe" and "Best Wishes, Joe DiMaggio."

As for the ad, it's for Eddie Bergman and his orchestra at the hotel's Palm Terrace (we're assuming the dude had bangers).

Get this -- there are 9 holes in the old flyer, which came after the girl used a tack to pin her prized possession on her corkboard in her room!

Now, she's ready to part ways with the item -- it's hitting the market Dec. 11 ... and there's a chance it sells for a fortune!!!

A massive amount is not unusual for the celebrity couple ... just this summer, an autographed baseball by Monroe and DiMaggio sold for $384k.

DiMaggio was one of the greatest MLB players ever ... some of his accolades during his 13-year career with the Yanks include winning 9 World Series, 3-time AL MVP and 2-time AL batting champion.

The family of 14-year-old John Hilgert -- who lost his life at Astroworld -- are devastated by the loss of their son, and want to hold those responsible accountable ... reportedly filing a lawsuit against Travis Scott, Live Nation and others.

The suit, filed Wednesday in Houston, claims Travis and concert organizers failed to provide a safe environment for those in attendance. Among the security failures listed, according to People, a lack of personnel, barriers and emergency medical staff.

A statement from John's dad, Chris, reads, "The pain of our loss from our son John not making it home alive from an event such as this is intolerable. He was a beautiful young man who simply wanted to enjoy his first concert event with friends, whom he treasured spending time with more than anything else."

He continues, "If this lawsuit prevents even one family from having to go through the extreme pain and anguish that we have endured, then it is the least we can do to honor John's memory."

The suit, filed by attorney Richard Mithoff, is reportedly seeking in excess of $1 million in damages.

Of course, the Hilgert lawsuit is just one of dozens filed against Travis, Live Nation and others. As we reported, one filing asks for $2 billion in damages, another asks for $750 million and represents hundreds of alleged victims -- whether those injuries be mental or physical.

Hilgert was one of 10 to lose his life at the show. The main questions to be answered by investigators, what happened and who is to blame?

Sources close to Travis have been adamant, he didn't know the extent of what was happening in the crowd. There was also a clear breakdown in communication among emergency workers, after we obtained video of cops enjoying the show more than 25 minutes after the Houston Fire Chief allegedly called the concert a "Mass Casualty Event."

Bobby Shmurda is celebrating Thanksgiving outside prison walls for the first time since 2014 ... and doing so by giving back to those less fortunate.

The rapper was in Brooklyn Wednesday night to help distribute 300 turkeys at the Marlboro Houses, an area with residents in desperate need of assistance. We're told Bobby spent several hours there, chatting it up and taking pics with volunteers and those who came through for groceries.

Following the bird giveaway, Bobby made his way to an outreach program in Ridgewood in Queens to talk with troubled teens. Bobby, joined by Rowdy Rebel, talked to the kids about their experiences in prison and just how important it is to stay out of trouble.

As for how the whole night came to be, we're told Bobby and his team first reached out to Maurice Ballard, who runs a nonprofit called Game of Life.

Bobby was first taken into custody in December 2014, but copped a plea deal in 2016 to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon. He got credit for around 2 years of time served before the sentence.

The woman who was violently beaten by Zac Stacy is set to testify in court against the ex-NFL player on Wednesday ... hoping a judge makes it harder for Stacy to be released from custody.

Kristin Evans will be in the Orange County, Fla. courtroom in just minutes ... arguing that Stacy's bond should be heavily increased.

A judge initially set the bond at $10,150 for Stacy -- who was charged with two felonies over the Nov. 16 attack on Evans -- but Evans argued on social media afterward that was nowhere near enough.

Evans said she feared Stacy would try to hurt her again if he was released from custody -- and now wants a judge to up his bond amount at the hearing.

Stacy, meanwhile, has been ordered to be in the courtroom in person -- and it's all slated to begin at 7 AM PT.

As we previously reported, Stacy was hit with one count of aggravated battery and one count of criminal mischief after video showed him punching Evans and then throwing her into a television in Oakland, Fla. earlier this month.

Stacy wasn't initially apprehended at the scene, but he was ultimately arrested in the Orlando area on Nov. 18.

Arizona Cardinals' defensive end J.J. Watt is stepping up in a major way ... by offering to pay for the funeral expenses of all the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

Watt was devastated after learning of the deadly incident ... calling it "horrific" and expressing concern for those who had been injured and killed.

The incident hits close to home for Watt, especially since he's a Wisconsin native and Badger alum. He also went to high school in nearby Pewaukee, just a few miles from Waukesha.

Now, the Cardinals star is putting his wallet where his enormous heart is ... 'cause he is offering to cover the funeral costs of all the lives lost as a result of the heinous catastrophe.

Of course, J.J. is known to give back -- in 2017, Watt was named the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year ... which recognizes recipients for their charitable efforts.

In 2018, he also offered to cover the funeral costs of the people who died in the Santa Fe High School shooting ... and he raised $37 million in an effort to help rebuild Houston and the Gulf region after they had been ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Watt's efforts come at a time where a community reeling from tragedy is looking for a reason to celebrate something positive.

Jake Paul let the verbal jabs fly during his presser with Tommy Fury on Wednesday ... and he did it from the comfort of his pool in Puerto Rico.

Jake tuned in remotely as he took on the whole Fury fam -- including heavyweight champ, Tyson -- and while he looked rested and relaxed while wearing sunglasses, a pineapple print hat and sipping on a coconut, it was far from cozy.

Tommy's dad started it off ... taking serious issue with Jake's wardrobe choice. It got so heated, John squared up with the TV that was showing Paul via live stream.

Jake said he's "pretty much on vacation" leading up to the December 18 bout ... saying he's been training non-stop much before the fight was announced.

Tommy's dad chimes in and tells Jake to take his shades off so he can "see the fear" in his eyes ... but Paul shut him down.

"Hey Tommy, Shut your bitches up for me," he said.

The focus switched to Tyson, as Jake bragged and claimed he made more money than the heavyweight champ this year.

Young Dolph's death has spurred a huge interest in his girlfriend's business -- which, coincidentally, was already working to help people like herself who've lost loved ones to tragic violence.

Dolph's longtime partner, Mia, started a campaign last year after her brother was killed, called the Black Men Deserve to Grow Old campaign, operating under her Momeo clothing brand. Since YD's murder, her company has blown up exponentially.

A Momeo brand manager tells TMZ ... prior to Dolph's death, the Momeo shop page was seeing about 20 orders a day, but now the transactions range anywhere from 250 to 600 daily. We're told the sales boost is largely due to one new piece of merch ... a Young Dolph tribute hoodie.

Momeo is making the most of those through-the-roof numbers, aiming to boost its charitable arm ... the BMDTGO campaign.

The brand rep tells us they're raising money for families who fall victim to gun violence -- like Mia herself now has, twice -- and this spike in sales and traffic has benefited their goals to an unimaginable extent.

For instance, we're told their goal was to sell around 3,000 products by the end of the year -- with a third of the proceeds going directly to grieving families. The boom after Dolph's murder means Momeo will achieve that number in the next week.

BTW, this new higher profile for Mia's campaign is helping her get support from friends and strangers alike, including therapy service providers.

A SpaceX rocket blasted off Tuesday night for a mission of self-destruction ... and its end game is to save planet earth!

NASA commissioned Elon Musk's rocket company to hurl a Falcon 9 rocket into a nearly year-long journey which will end with the spacecraft bashing into a faraway asteroid.

Scientists want to see if the impact could actually change the asteroid's trajectory ... something that could be lifesaving if it were headed toward mother earth.

The spacecraft -- dubbed DART, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test -- left earthly terra firma at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Cali ... and the whole thing is kinda like a ripoff of "Armageddon."

DART is supposed to violently connect with Dimorphos -- an asteroid that measures 525 feet across -- at a speed of 15,000 MPH.

Scientists say the impact will not destroy the asteroid ... but the goal is to change its orbit.

It's complicated, but if the asteroid moves for a minimum of 73 seconds, the mission is considered a raging success!

Kanye West is up to something at his new Malibu pad -- and whatever that something is ... he wants the man living in one of the most unique homes in town to help.

James Goldstein -- who owns the famed Sheats-Goldstein Residence in the Beverly Crest hood of L.A. -- tells TMZ he recently had a face-to-face with Ye ... and not just that, but it sounds like they're gonna be working together on an architectural project.

That project, we're told, encompasses some complex plans KW has for his newly purchased mansion along the coast ... ones he believes Goldstein can advise him on, considering his experience in this field.

If you don't know ... JG's house is perhaps the most awe-inspiring in all of La La Land, due to its mind-bending construction and elaborate architecture -- most of which was undertaken by the late John Lautner, who teamed up with James years ago to bring his vision to life.

With that in mind, we're told James got a call from Kanye last week to see if they could link up and talk shop about home design -- and after sending his own architect out to inspect James' place, he tells us the man himself paid a visit on Friday to see it himself.

James says Ye toured the grounds thoroughly, taking pics and complimenting certain features he found wowing -- like the stairway and the pool -- and eventually came clean on what he wanted ... namely, for him (James) to come over to the 'Bu and help with his project.

James says Ye is interested in James' expertise and perspective, and indeed ... he accepted his request. Now, as for what exactly Kanye is cooking up, JG says he actually showed him some drawn-up rectangular-based plans -- but couldn't really make sense of it, so he's gonna swing by in person soon to talk in more detail and figure out what Ye's got in mind.

Shaquille O'Neal says his former weed business partners stiffed him out of a ton of cash -- and now he's suing them for more than $1 MILLION.

The Big Diesel spelled it all out in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which the NBA legend claims he and his fellow plaintiff, Jerome Crawford, invested $150k into a new marijuana biz way back in December 2016.

In the suit, Shaq says their investment was supposed to help the company "pursue opportunities in the field of legal cannabis."

O'Neal, though, claims that by late 2017 ... the company "seemingly had no licenses, no revenue, and no operations."

Shaq says when he and his attorneys pressed for details on how their money was being used, the company initially didn't respond.

In 2018, Shaq says after he threatened litigation, the company agreed to pay him and Crawford back in installments of $10,000 each.

The problem ... Shaq claims the company only paid the first installment of $20k -- and now, he is suing to get his initial investment back with interest ... plus a lot more for allegedly mismanaging the company.

It's no secret, Tupac Shakur was gang-affiliated -- and a piece of his own jewelry collection confirmed it ... one that's now made its way back to the marketplace with a fat price tag.

The rapper's very own gold 'M.O.B.' ring -- as it's known -- is hitting the auction block this week, courtesy of Moments in Time ... but it ain't really gonna be up for bidding, but more so ... just sold at a flat rate -- first come, first served.

The going rate ... a cool $95,000 -- so you can definitely cop it if you can afford it. And hey, the value might be spot on -- considering the late icon himself wore it on a handful of occasions, especially once he started hanging with Suge Knight and co.

For the uninitiated ... M.O.B., in the Death Row Records context, mostly stands for Member of Blood -- a street gang that Suge was certainly tied to in those days. M.O.B. can stand for other things -- money over b****es, mafia, etc -- but the Blood reference is most common.

It looks like Suge had a lot of his artists rock the M.O.B. rings back in the day -- including Pac, who's said to have usually worn it on his pinkie finger, and Snoop Dogg too (even though his roots are with the Crips). Anyhoo, this ring here was flashed quite often.

As for how it ended up in MIT's hand ... sources connected to the sale tell us Tupac actually gave this ring to a then-girlfriend he was seeing before his death ... and it eventually made its way to a private collector over the years.