Politics

Killer Mike believes any new gun control laws in America will hurt Black people before any other group -- but the rapper's telling us a few other ways he thinks the spike in gun violence can be flattened.

Mike joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss potential curfews for minors in Atlanta -- something he's all for as a measure to mitigate violence ... and, he says he had curfew when he was growing up in the area.

However, he remains firmly against the passage of new legislation as a means to reduce gun-related crime. Mike says he's a Second Amendment guy, first and foremost, but adds he has another problem with tighter gun laws.

He explains why he believes those laws would impact Black Americans "worst and first."

Mike tells us he'd rather see Black families armed, and better educated on the safer use and storage of weapons.

As you know, there have already been more than 300 mass shootings in the U.S. this year ... putting the nation on track for the deadliest year ever.

Mike thinks another solution is more funding for community facilities -- such as YMCAs -- to give kids safe havens to avoid trouble.

Riley Gaines is taking her fight to keep transgender women out of women's sports to our nation's capital ... testifying for a Senatorial hearing about her encounters with lightning rod athlete Lia Thomas.

The former collegiate swimmer -- who competed for the University of Kentucky, and who also raced against Lia on the NCAA level -- described to U.S. senators what it was like having to change in the same locker room as Thomas ... who's a transgender woman.

She describes seeing Thomas' male genitalia and how jarring it was for her and others, saying nobody ever asked for their consent or input -- they, the NCAA, just let it happen.

In Gaines' eyes, this was a clear violation of their right to privacy, and she went on to pose the question -- what does this trend mean for women's sport? And, more importantly, does anyone care how it impacts cisgender women? By letting Thomas compete with them, she argues the powers that be have proven they don't.

Interestingly, Gaines says she's not advocating for trans athletes to be banned from sports altogether. On the contrary, she says they can and should be athletes -- but it sounds like she's suggesting they have their own classification and not be lumped in with cisgender competitors.

Now, as far as how the lawmakers reacted ... it pretty much fell along party lines. Dems pushed back on her characterization -- and Republicans, by and large, embraced her.

Donald Trump is floating a strange theory for why he didn’t return classified documents to the U.S. government … and it has everything to do with his golf attire.

Trump sat down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for a wide-ranging interview Monday night ... and the 45th Prez gave an odd response when the questioning turned to why he held on to sensitive materials that belong to the National Archives in D.C.

DT said he was "very busy" and needed time to sort through the boxes because his personal effects were mixed in with the top secret documents, adding ... "These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of things: golf shirts, pants, shoes."

Baier followed up with ... "Iran war plans?" Trump responded, "Not that I know."

Baier was referring to an audio recording of Trump allegedly saying he wanted to share Iranian war plans with others -- something DT fervently denied, even though it's part of his federal case. Trump also shot down the notion he boasted about having classified docs to guests at his Bedminster, NJ estate ... an allegation also included in the indictment.

Of course, Trump also suggested the feds might have planted some of the classified docs when they raided Mar-a-Lago in August 2022.

Trump told Baier ... "All of a sudden we got raided…what I’m concerned about [is] they took everything. Right? I don’t know what they took."

He continued ... "They could be stuffing it. I don’t know what they put in there. They have never treated a president like this."

As we reported, Trump was arraigned last week in a Miami courthouse on a 37-count indictment charging him with, among other things, willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and withholding a document or record.

Prosecutors claim Trump squirreled away stacks of boxes containing classified docs in his Palm Beach resort, including on a ballroom stage and next to a bathroom toilet.

It seems like conservatives have just learned the Oscars will be different going forward -- namely, having new inclusivity rules for eligibility ... and, yes, the outrage is in full swing.

Here's the deal ... the Post ran a story citing unnamed Academy voters who are apparently angry about AMPAS's forthcoming rule change for Best Picture contenders. Starting in 2024, there are certain requirements films will have to meet to be considered for the category.

As the article notes ... there are revamped criteria for Best Picture nominees starting next year, not to mention every year after that. Those rules, in a nutshell, include -- 1) having a lead or significant supporting character from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group; 2) having a main storyline that focuses on an underrepresented group; or 3) at least 30% of the cast must come from underrepresented groups (be it ethnic, LGBTQ+, disabled, etc).

There's more to it -- which you can read on AMPAS's site -- but essentially ... this is what the new classification boils down to. Movies have to reflect a diverse melting pot and POVs.

Right on cue, several right-wing media/Twitter personalities jumped on this news (which isn't actually new, but more on that later) and started to accuse the Academy of going "woke."

One such dude, Darren Grimes, writes ... "So it's no longer Best Picture then. It's now the film that appeases diversity tsars the most that wins. Award ceremonies are meaningless, Hollywood has slaughtered them on the altar of woke." Clearly, he isn't on board.

Another conservative figure, Charlie Kirk, reflected this position himself ... "Under new rules for the Academy Awards, no film can win Best Picture unless it hits arbitrary diversity quotas. Under this rule, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, or Saving Private Ryan would all be ineligible.  This is what they mean by 'diversity' but it’s the opposite of diversity. They want a uniform, politically correct monoculture devoid of any creativity or free expression."

If you hop into the 'Best Picture' trend that's on Twitter right now ... you'll see more takes like this -- anger, indignation, outrage ... and on and on. Strangely enough, word of these changes have been reported on for a few years now ... so everyone's late to the party here.

As to their point about former Best Picture winners not being eligible under these new guidelines -- yes, that is technically correct. Whether that helps or hurts the film industry, at large, though is certainly debatable ... and we're sure this convo will continue as we get closer to the 2024 award show. Ya gotta figure ... AMPAS's heart is in the right place here.

BTW, a few notable celebs have actually sounded off on this issue too of late -- including one Richard Dreyfuss ... who was recently asked about it on a PBS-ran program.

The guy didn't bite his tongue on how he felt -- however if you listen to his response closely ... it becomes clear he either misunderstood the question or conflated it with another topic in Hollywood ... namely, accurate casting. In any case -- RD isn't a fan of this either.

President Biden ended some remarks he gave this week on a strange note -- wishing health and prosperity on the Queen of England ... even though she's already kicked the bucket.

Joe was at the University of Hartford in Connecticut Friday, where he was giving a keynote speech for the National Safer Communities Summit ... where he was in front of a crowd featuring a ton of gun control activists. All was going well -- until the very end.

Watch ... JB starts to joke around with the crowd, and right before he leaves the podium -- he says, "Alright. God save the Queen, man." The crowd, weirdly enough, loved it.

Unclear why POTUS ended his speech this way -- for 2 reasons. One, he wasn't in England or across the pond, and definitely wasn't talking to a UK crowd. These were just regular old Americans. Of course, more importantly ... Queen Eliabeth II has been dead for months.

A lot of folks are circulating this clip/roasting Joe for it. On its face, it's just another gaffe.

While the Prez had kind words for the late monarch, her son probably would've appreciated Joe's well-wishes ... especially heading into the weekend, where he celebrated his first Trooping the Colour parade -- which is a celebration of his first year as the new King.

Charles was out there in his red military uniform, and even rode on horseback with one of those tall funny hats that cover your eyes. Indeed, he looked very Royal and prestigious.

The people of London packed the streets to see their new King, but in the end ... the spotlight wasn't totally on him the whole time -- thanks in large part to his grandson, Prince Louis. The kid goes viral from time to time for silly poses he does on the balcony.

As the people of Great Britain came to see on Saturday, he was at it again ... soaking in the glory. The little guy was having the time of his life -- and striking a lot of different poses.

Kodak Black was both star and sage to a group of South Florida children, whose spirits were clearly boosted at a pretty cool charity event.

TMZ Hip Hop got this footage of Kodak putting down his platinum raps at the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Teen Leadership conference, where scores of young men and women were in attendance.

The event went down Wednesday night at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, FL, and was put together by the org's Greater Fort Lauderdale Chapter to honor its top recruits.

We're told Kodak didn't give the crowd a skimpy performance, either. He rapped about 10 songs and, at the end, he stuck around and answered questions posed by the teen leaders about alternative careers ... and his own inspirations.

Kodak's on a tear right now ... his latest album "Pistolz & Pearlz" made for a Top 20 release and he also celebrated his 26th birthday this week.

Unabomber Ted Kaczynski was more than a domestic terrorist mailing package bombs around America -- he was also a staunch proponent of the First Amendment to the Constitution, at least according to the madman himself.

TMZ has obtained a never-before-seen letter he wrote while sitting in federal prison, furious the US government had seized his infamous trove of personal items from his cabin and planned to auction them off to pay restitution to his victims.

In the letter, dated April 3, 2009, the terrorist railed against the system he claimed had wronged him in his multi-year legal battle with the feds over his possessions.

He complained the government had confiscated "every copy of everything I've ever written," and, worse, the court of appeals had already greenlit the auction ... prompting him to reluctantly admit, "I've lost."

But Kaczynski also warned his case should be of "grave concern" to all Americans because it showed the federal courts totally ignored the First Amendment ... in other words, "freedom of expression," as he put it in his letter.

He went on to say something about the court's decision being politically motivated ... but didn't further explain that theory.

The convicted terrorist wrote and sent the letter to a journalist with whom he was contemplating doing an interview -- about his belongings and the First Amendment -- but he ultimately decided against discussing it any further.

Two years later, the auction took place and, when it was all over, Kaczynski's personal property sold for $190,000, which went to his victims and their family members. Among the items sold were his personal journals, his handwritten "manifesto" and his hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, as seen in his iconic police sketch.

As you know ... Kaczynski died by suicide inside his prison cell at FMC Butner in North Carolina last Saturday. TMZ broke the story ... 911 audio revealed first responders were unable to resuscitate him after he hanged himself.

Before his death, Kaczynski was serving 4 life sentences after pleading guilty in 1998 to killing 3 people and maiming 28 others during his nearly 20-year mail bomb campaign.

Trans influencer Rose Montoya is apologizing for taking her top off at a Pride event at the White House ... admitting her actions were unbecoming of an invited guest.

Rose broke her silence Friday, saying she regretted flashing her boobs on the lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ... and uploading a video of the act to social media.

The apology comes on the heels the White House banning Rose from future events for her stunt. She previously defended her conduct, but that was before the ban.

As we reported ... Rose was among the hundreds of guests invited by President Biden to a Pride event at the White House, causing outrage when she pulled down her dress to expose her boobs on the South lawn, with the Truman Balcony and a Pride flag in the background.

In announcing her ban, the White House ripped Rose's actions as "inappropriate and disrespectful for any event."

Donde esta la carne, Señor Trump???

AKA, "Where's the beef?" ... that's what some of Donald Trump's most fervent -- and possibly hungry -- supporters are reportedly asking after his visit to Miami's famed Versailles Restaurant.

You'll recall, shortly after his court appearance Tuesday to face the 37-count federal indictment, Trump made a stop at the Cuban restaurant, where he was greeted with cheers and "Happy Birthday" wishes. During his fairly triumphant, all things considered, pit stop, Trump yelled out ... "Food for everyone."

However, according to the Miami New Times, Trump left without picking up a single tab for anyone, outside of his campaign team. Now, it's not a "chew and screw" case, he simply never gave anyone time to order ... according to the report.

A Trump spokesperson has a much different view of what went down, or didn't, that day ... telling the NY Post, "At the end of President Trump’s visit he offered to buy food for the group of attendees inside the restaurant, but when President Trump left, the attendees followed him outside and did not place orders themselves."

Translation: You snooze, you lose! Trump was reportedly only inside the restaurant for about 10 minutes.

BTW ... Trump's senior adviser Jason Miller showed off some of the grub the campaign staff got for the road, boasting on social media, "Takeout, Versailles edition!"

Trump himself reportedly ate McDonald's later. Naturally.

All in all, nothing worth a fresh Grand Jury -- just a campaign promise that allegedly came up a little short.

Two climate activists were detained in a Swedish museum ... after taking a bunch of red paint to a world-famous Monet painting as part of their protest.

The latest art-related demonstration went down at Sweden's National Museum Wednesday in Stockholm, when 2 members of the Restore Wetlands activist group wiped bright-red paint across "The Artist’s Garden at Giverny."

The two also glued their hands to the work of art -- although a piece of glass protected it from actually getting damaged.

The 2 women, speaking in Swedish, shouted about human health being at stake while asking for peat mining to be banned and to restore the Swedish wetlands ... after some time, security came in to surround the activists.

They both were reportedly detained after the stunt, although it's unclear if anything further happened to them.

This is just the latest activist group to target a piece of art -- we've seen Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" doused in tomato soup, cake smeared over the Mona Lisa, and another Monet painting get covered with mashed potatoes.

Kodak Black thinks he can be a good President for the people of Haiti and seems to be using his Donald Trump friendship as inspiration!!!

Big Black was recently a guest on DJ Whoo Kid's "Whoolywood Shuffle" while rocking his $10K Donald Trump gold chain ... where his political expertise was challenged on the spot.

The "Super Gremlin" rapper has Haitian in his blood and explained he would end the country's history of political corruption, on account he'd already come into office with a stacked bank account!!!

Kodak also reminded fans his heart and intent are pure with every move he makes ... something his frequent acts of charity can vouch for.

As for the chain, Kodak's been rocking it since last June as a token of his appreciation for DT giving him a presidential pardon worth a get outta jail card.

French Montana doesn't want American immigrants to fall prey to mistreatment ... and the "Unforgettable" rapper is dedicating his time to that exact cause.

Thursday saw the premiere of French's partnership and promo for "Informed Immigrant" an organization that provides information, education, and support to undocumented families living in the United States.

French has repped the Bronx his entire rap career but didn't get his U.S. citizenship until 2018 — a full year after his Diamond-selling hit "Unforgettable" dropped ... and the process was more of a headache than he could have imagined.

This Friday, French is set for another debut ... his "For Khadija" doc as part of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, which chronicles his own journey as an immigrant from Morocco.

The guy who accused Megan Fox of child abuse for letting her kids wear whatever they want is now getting an earful from the paparazzi agency that owns the pic he used to call the actress out ... and they're not happy.

Backgrid -- the agency that owns the rights to the photo in question, showing Megan with her three sons -- fired off a legal letter Tuesday to ex-GOP congressional candidate Robby Starbuck who used the pic this past weekend to claim MF was forcing girl clothes onto her boys.

The correspondence, obtained by TMZ, accuses Starbuck of infringing on their copyright to the picture -- which they say Starbuck did not purchase or license before he published it.

Backgrid shuts down any potential claim to "fair use" ... a legal doctrine that allows third parties to use copyrighted works without permission in certain limited circumstances.

They say Starbuck can't argue the pic was for political purposes, which was clearly his intent here, and does not meet the legal standard to qualify as fair use ... on multiple fronts, in fact. Bottom line -- they say his fair use claim ain't flying.

Backgrid is now demanding Robby comply with their demands -- saying the photo he posted has been viewed by millions of people, without them seeing a dime -- or else.

Donald Trump has officially arrived at a court in Miami ... getting arrested and booked for his indictment regarding the droves of classified documents authorities say he stashed away at Mar-a-Lago.

The former President was at the Miami federal courthouse Tuesday, where a crowd of protesters gathered out front earlier in the day -- some in support of Trump's indictment, while others continue to defend his claims of innocence.

He was spotted Monday leaving his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ on his way to Florida -- and he's reportedly going to head back there to give a speech regarding the case later tonight.

Trump was also posting on Truth Social on the way to the Miami courthouse early Tuesday morning -- calling it "one of the saddest days in the history of our country" ... adding it's a "WITCH HUNT!!!"

As we reported, DT's prosecutors claim he stored a ton of classified docs wherever he could at his Palm Beach resort -- photos showed piles of boxes stacked on a ballroom stage, a storage room, and even next to a toilet.

The feds say he housed information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the U.S. and foreign countries, U.S. nuclear programs, and other highly sensitive material about potential vulnerabilities of the country and its allies to military attacks.

According to the indictment, Trump's been hit with whopping 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.

As for the other six counts, he's facing separate charges for false statements and representations, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding a document or record, corruptly concealing a document, concealing a document in a federal investigation, and a scheme to conceal.

We spoke with Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson, who told us why his latest indictment shouldn't have the ability to stop his 2024 campaign trail -- and she says he shockingly could even serve as president behind bars.

For those unaware, Trump announced the indictment on Truth Social before the docs were even unsealed -- and of course, he claimed total innocence.

Trans influencer Rose Montoya won't have another chance to take her boobs out at the White House, she's been banned after flashing her breasts at President Biden's Pride event.

Rose got the boot Tuesday after footage of her going topless at Saturday's Pride party at the White House went viral ... funny enough, she's the one who posted the video.

In a statement to TMZ, a rep for the White House ripped Rose for the stunt, saying ... "This behavior is inappropriate and disrespectful for any event."

Rose was an invited guest for Saturday's Pride celebration at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue ... where she shook hands with Biden and later pulled down her white dress to expose her boobs on the South lawn, with the Truman Balcony and a Pride flag in the background.

In the video, Rose is cupping her boobs ... and she's flanked by a couple of shirtless men.

The footage didn't go over well with the White House, with the rep adding ... "It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance. Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events."

Rose reacted to some social media backlash Monday night, denying her actions were inappropriate and saying folks who have a problem with her going topless are just affirming she's a woman.

Pat Sajak is taking a bow ... announcing he's retiring as host of "Wheel of Fortune" after the upcoming season.

The longtime game show host announced the big news Monday, saying he's decided he's going to hang it up after more than four decades on "Wheel of Fortune."

Pat, who turns 77 in October, says ... "Well, the time has come. I've decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last." Pat will officially retire in 2024.

He adds ... "It's been a wonderful ride, and I'll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all."

Pat started hosting "Wheel of Fortune" way back in 1981 -- when Ronald Reagan was still president -- at the suggestion of Merv Griffin. No word from Pat's partner in crime, Vanna White, yet ... she's been working with Sajak on the show since 1982.

A couple years ago, Sajak passed Bob Barker to become the longest-running host of any game show ... and now he's going to set the mark at 41 years.

No word on who might replace Pat as the next host ... but they've got big shoes to fill.