As internet sleuths dissect Mitch McConnell's proof-of-life photo, his wife Elaine Chao surfaced in the flesh ... leaving the rehabilitation center where the Senator is recovering ... we've got a photo ... and it's authentic.
The former U.S. Secretary of Labor was spotted Tuesday making a low-key exit from the rehab facility where the longtime Kentucky Senator is recovering after suffering a fall last month. It's the first time Chao has been seen in public since McConnell was hospitalized -- aside from the now-infamous photo that sent social media into overdrive.
Chao kept things understated, wearing a face mask and keeping her head down as she left the medical center and climbed into a waiting vehicle.
A KTLA reporter giving updates on the Los Angeles heat wave proved she is not easily bugged ... powering through when a pretty big cockroach tried to bug bomb her live shot.
L.A. field reporter Rachel Menitoff was reporting live from a sidewalk in Sherman Oaks -- a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley -- when a massive bug that looks like a cockroach started crawling up her neck.
The huge insect flitted around in her hair before moving down her chest and into her shirt. YIKES!!!
An Ohio woman says she became "deathly ill" with "violent diarrhea" just hours after having a bite of a salad at a local restaurant ... as the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak continues to send people to the porcelain throne.
The woman, a Toledo resident, told 13 Action News she ordered a salad on June 24 ... and she sent it back because some leaves were brown ... but not before taking a small bite that was enough to do her dirty. She says within hours of trying the salad she was suffering from debilitating diarrhea.
Her symptoms became manageable enough for her to get through work, but the diarrhea came back with a vengeance ... she had "severe abdominal cramping" and couldn't hold any solid food down. She said she went over a week without eating solid food and finally went to the emergency room after 10 days of illness, where she discovered she had cyclosporiasis.
An Idaho woman charged with killing her 18-month-old twins and then blaming their deaths on vaccinations had a medical professional in her corner for a bond hearing ... but it didn't end up working.
Here's the deal ... Andrea Shaw faces two counts of first-degree murder after she allegedly suffocated her kids in May 2025 and then claimed they died due to adverse reactions to routine vaccinations.
According to reports, Shaw's bond was initially set at $2 million ... and her lawyer argued for a drastic reduction to $100K on Wednesday -- but the judge ended up revoking her bond entirely.
The Congresswoman from Texas told Jacob, her spidey-senses were on high alert when she heard Nolan disappeared in the presence of 3 white guys ... guys who quickly deleted their social media. And Nolan leaving his cellphone behind -- well, Crockett's not having it.
She says this is not just a problem with the Nolan Wells case ... it's a problem in Mississippi, where she says you have to be blind not to question if race plays a part in such a case.
A terrifying boat disaster unfolded in San Francisco Bay Tuesday afternoon ... leaving one person dead, two others missing and sparking a massive rescue operation near Alcatraz Island.
Officials say a pontoon style pleasure boat caught fire shortly after 3:30 PM while cruising between Alcatraz Island and the Golden Gate Bridge. The vessel ultimately sank, sending everyone on board into the bay.
According to the San Francisco Fire Department, 19 people were aboard the boat. The officials said 16 people were rescued, while one person was killed and two others remain missing.
JPMorgan Exec Lorna Hajdini is fighting back against the sexual harassment claims lobbed against her with a counterclaim of her own ... TMZ has learned.
According to new court docs obtained by TMZ -- Hajdani is suing her accuser for defamation and libel, claiming he's running a smear campaign against her.
She says in the counterclaim that the lawsuit against her is an attempt to "destroy her reputation" in order to extort her and JPMorgan Chase out of millions.
Hajdini claims her accuser didn't report any instances of harassment or assault until May 2025, even though his allegations date back almost a year before that.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is weighing in on viral streamer Clavicular's "looksmaxxing" craze ... and while she's not interested in piling on him personally, she does think the trend raises some bigger questions ... and she worries about the impact on young men.
Charlie caught up with AOC Tuesday on Capitol Hill and asked about the notorious playboy who's built a massive following around "looksmaxxing" ... and she explains why she's more concerned about the message young men are absorbing, rather than the man delivering it.
She says women have to deal with relentless and systemic body-image pressures ... and she'd hate to see young guys get dragged into the same cycle of believing they'll never measure up physically.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is asking a judge to intervene in his legal battle with his sister, Ann Altman, over childhood sexual abuse allegations ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam claims his sister has failed to turn over requested docs and schedule a time for her deposition or her independent medical exam in the case.
Sam said his lawyers have pressed for answers from his sister -- who is representing herself -- but he claims she has failed to turn over a ton of important info in the case and coordinate her schedule for the deposition and medical exam. He's asking the judge to order her to comply with the case deadlines and warn her that her case could be dismissed if she fails to do so.
The Napa County District Attorney's office is looking into Paul Pelosi's alleged hit-and-run case from the other week ... TMZ has learned.
According to the Napa County D.A.'s office, the July 5 incident -- where Nancy Pelosi,'s husband allegedly hit a parked car -- has been submitted to their office for review.
The D.A. will ultimately decide whether or not to file criminal charges against Paul.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo's traffic stop ended almost as quickly as it began ... after he identified himself by name and the officer let him drive off with nothing more than a warning ... and the police interaction is all on video.
Check out the body cam footage ... the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer walks up to Lombardo's pickup after pulling him over in May for allegedly rolling through a red light while making a right turn.
The exchange is over in a flash ... Lombardo identifies himself, the officer says he already knows exactly who's behind the wheel, and moments later the governor's back on the road. No license request. No citation. Just a roughly 15-second stop before he's sent on his way.
Well, this is one way to make it rain ... a Texas woman accidentally flooded her living room while practicing her pole dancing.
Asha Gilbert was working the pole in her Houston apartment, following along to a video tutorial on her TV, when the pole suddenly dislodged from the ceiling and hit a ceiling sprinkler.
Waiting for your permission to load the Twitter Tweet.
Water started spraying all over the place ... flooding her living room.
Nolan Wells' high school football coach, Tracy Lampley, is breaking his silence on the death investigation ... and he doubts race was involved.
Tracy joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... and we asked him if there were racial tensions at their Mississippi high school.
Nolan's coach says that's not the vibe he gets ... telling us the students "grew up together" and "played together."
What's more, Coach Tracy says Nolan got along with everyone ... remembering him for his big smile and big personality. He says people gravitated towards Nolan.
Nolan Wells' parents say they haven't gotten a meaningful update from authorities in nearly a week as the mystery surrounding their 18-year-old son's death drags on.
In an interview with theGrio alongside attorney Ben Crump, Nolan's mom, Christine Wonsley, said the family hadn't heard from investigators since last Tuesday ... and she says they only got a call after she reached out herself asking for an update.
Hear them out ... according to Christine, they were told there was essentially nothing new ... and she says they haven't heard from anyone since.
Lindsey Graham's Washington, D.C. home has been crawling with FBI agents since he died ... and, so far, there are no signs something nefarious happened ... TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... "There has been no new evidence to suggest any foul play."
Our sources also say Graham's death falls under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Department, but the FBI is lending a hand.
We're told ... "MPD is the lead and FBI has offered and provided assistance, as is routine."
Mitch McConnell's proof of life photo isn't putting speculation about his health to bed ... it's keeping it on life support.
Kara Swisherand Scott Gallowayare the latest high-profile voices to scrutenize the McConnell photo, with Scott flat-out saying, "I think it's fake." Kara calls the photo "sus" and argues officials should "just wheel the old man out."
The pair tackled the controversy on their "Pivot" podcast ... with Scott admitting he's "part of the tinfoil" crowd before doubling down and saying he believes the photo isn't authentic.
