Politics

Drake's dad, Dennis Graham, doesn't feel his son needs to speak out about the violence in Israel and Gaza because any commentary will be held against him in the court of public opinion.

We chatted it up with Dennis at LAX and certainly didn't seem like he'd spoken to Drake, who's Jewish, about his thoughts on the Hamas terrorist attack and Israel's military response -- but he's certain it's affecting Drake just like everyone else.

Drake's silence, in particular, has been a hot topic on social media thanks to DJ Vlad ... who's been calling out Drizzy and DJ Khaled, who's Palestinian, for not using their massive platforms to speak on the crisis.

Dennis says celebs get way more backlash when they publicly address hot-button issues, and he's certain Drake would be no different.

The proud papa was still in full support of his son's work, though -- rocking "For All the Dogs" merch from head to toe. He also assured us Drake will be okay ... referring to the stomach issues prompting his hiatus from music.

Drake said he may be gone for over a year, and Dennis is his dad, not his doctor -- but he echoed much of what Drake said ... it's minor, not major.

We also inquired about Drake's co-parenting routine, on the heels of him posting a big family photo with Adonis and Adonis' mom.

A Connecticut couple was filmed going on a xenophobic rant as they harassed two landscapers -- demanding to know if they were in the country illegally.

Sharon Bourgeois-Williams and Robert Shaw were inside their Middletown home last Sunday when they heard Jose Martin and his brother making somewhat of a racket as they were groundskeeping on a property nearby.

The duo came out to confront the siblings about the noise, but they got into a confrontation and everyone pulled out their cell phones to record each other.

Check out the footage posted on social media ... it begins with the couple complaining the brothers have "no respect for anyone." Then Shaw flips them the bird and shouts, "Thanks a lot, idiot."

The clip cuts to a close-up of Shaw stuffing his phone into Martin's face while stating, "You don't like it? No? What a d—k."

Bourgeois-William starts calling them "clowns" and asking them if they're here illegally or if they have a VISA.

She then berates Martin's brother -- aggressively pointing at him while repeatedly yelling, "Are you here illegal?"

The parties finally went their separate ways before things could turn violent, but the police still got involved after reviewing the video Martin posted online.

Bill Maher went on a tear against social media Friday night, saying it's a colossal misnomer, because it should be called "anti-social media," and it's destroying our civilization.

Scoff at the 'Real Time' host if you want, but it's hard to argue the point ... when it comes to human interactions, we have jettisoned it because it's easier to live a lazier life with our iPhones.

BTW, Bill's not alone. The Surgeon General of the United States has said there's a crisis of loneliness, isolation and lack of connection. And there are health consequences, including alcoholism, strokes, and on and on.

And then there's AI, Maher says. There is now a "replica" AI GF you can have ... btw, that fake chick has 2 million boyfriends and counting.

It's interesting, Bill interviewed Tristan Harris, a tech ethicist on the show, who has talked about a phenomenon he calls "human downgrading."

Judge Mathis is applauding California's new Ebony Alert for missing Black children and women ... he says it's long overdue, and he's glad Gov. Gavin Newsom got it done.

We got the TV magistrate Friday at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills and asked him about the state's new system to report and find missing Black kids and women, which Newsom just signed into law.

Judge Mathis says missing Black girls are the most underserved group of people, and he thinks the Ebony Alert will go a long way towards righting that wrong.

Remember ... there was a ton of outrage earlier this week when the Ebony Alert was announced, with some folks saying it was modern-day segregation because it's completely separate from the longstanding Amber Alert.

Judge Mathis isn't buying that argument ... he says that's just not the way society operates, and until there's a true level playing field for all, special programs like the Ebony Alert are needed for marginalized groups.

The author behind the bill, California State Senator Steven Bradford, previously told us the new system was needed because law enforcement was doing its job when it came to missing Black folks, and there weren't enough resources either.

Rep. George Santos went toe-to-toe with a civilian Friday on Capitol Hill over the war between Israel and Hamas -- and it got heated enough, Capitol Police had to separate the men.

The Congressman from NY charged through a hallway in the Capitol and started shouting at a man he accused of getting in his face over Israel's policies regarding Gaza and the treatment of Palestinians there. Santos went from zero to 100, quickly pointing out the man to cops.

When the man, reportedly a Jewish D.C. resident, asked Santos what he was doing about Israel's oppression of Palestinians ... Santos yelled back at him, "What about the terrorists you tried to defend in this building? It's abhorrent that you are in this building stepping up for terrorists!!!"

The man kept his hands at his side as Rep. Santos waved and pointed a finger in his face until cops stepped in between them ... but even as he stormed off, the legislator continued yelling.

At the other end of the hallway, he continued shouting -- now at reporters -- "What is happening to the people of Israel should not be defended!!! No one defending Hamas has any business in this building whether you're elected, whether you're a civilian."

Kanye West is reportedly pissing off the people of Italy again ... and this time it's local war veterans angry over his past remarks celebrating Hitler and the Nazis.

Here's the rub ... the rapper is supposedly in secret talks to hold a concert to build a huge event stage at the RCF Arena in the city of Reggio Emilia, according to the Daily Mail.

While no plans have been set in stone, word got around town that 80,000 fans are planning to show up at Kanye's possible gig, infuriating some of the Italian war veterans who fought against Nazis during World War 2, sources told The Mail.

The vets are bitter about Kanye's comments last year, lavishing praise on Hitler and the Nazis. You might recall ... Kanye sat for an interview with conspiracy nut Alex Jones on his show, "Infowars," and made some jaw-dropping remarks.

Kanye said, "I see good things about Hitler ... Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler."

When Jones argued the other way, Kanye replied, "They did good things too, we are gonna stop dissing the Nazis." At another point, Kanye stated, "I like Hitler.

In a separate interview with Piers Morgan, Kanye doubled down on his antisemitism, blaming Jews in the music industry for his ugly feelings toward them.

Al parecer, Kanye West está cabreando nuevamente a los italianos, y esta vez, se trata de los veteranos de guerra locales, quienes están enojados por sus antiguos comentarios en los que celebró a Hitler y los nazis.

Este es el problema... Supuestamente, el rapero está en conversaciones secretas para celebrar un concierto con un enorme escenario en el RCF Arena en la ciudad de Reggio Emilia, según reporta el Daily Mail.

Aunque no hay planes en piedra, se corrió la voz de que 80.000 fans estarían planeando aparecer en el posible concierto de Kanye, lo que ha enfurecido a algunos de los veteranos de guerra italianos que lucharon contra los nazis durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, según le dijeron fuentes a The Mail.

Los veteranos están amargados por los comentarios que hizo Kanye el año pasado, prodigando elogios a Hitler y los nazis. Puede que se acuerden, Kanye estuvo en una entrevista con el loco de la conspiración Alex Jones en su programa, "Infowars", e hizo algunos comentarios asombrosos.

Dijo, por ejemplo: "Veo cosas buenas en Hitler ... Cada ser humano tiene algo de valor, que aportó, especialmente Hitler".

Cuando Jones argumentó lo contrario, Kanye replicó: "Ellos también hicieron cosas buenas, vamos a dejar de menospreciar a los nazis". En otro momento, afirmó: "Me gusta Hitler".

En una entrevista posterior con Piers Morgan, Kanye redobló su antisemitismo, culpando a los judíos de la industria musical de sus desagradables sentimientos hacia ellos.

Algunas personas piensan que Bigfoot acaba de hacer una aparición legítima en Colorado, y curiosamente, la agencia de EE.UU. a cargo de la ubicación del supuesto avistamiento ... no es totalmente descartarlo como BS, o eso parece.

Un representante del Servicio Forestal del USDA —que tiene jurisdicción sobre el Bosque Nacional de San Juan— le dice a TMZ que son muy conscientes de esta nueva "evidencia" de video grabado el pasado fin de semana, pero no están dispuestos a opinar sobre su validez.

En concreto, el Servicio Forestal dice: "El Servicio Forestal del USDA no puede especular ni hacer comentarios sobre la autenticidad del video. Nos aseguraremos de alertar a los medios y cuando un Sasquatch sea avistado por funcionarios en tierras del Sistema Forestal Nacional".

La respuesta suena muy irónica, pero es interesante: la agencia que se ocupa de las especies en peligro de extinción y otros animales salvajes no dice directamente que el video es falso. .

Para que conste, el Servicio Forestal nos dice que NO está investigando más, una señal bastante clara de que no creen que el "eslabón perdido" esté vagando por Colorado.

Por supuesto, los creyentes en el Sasquatch van a estar muy felices. La mayoría se ha reído del avistamiento, pero algunos en la comunidad de Bigfoot (sí, hay bastantes de ellos) han dicho que esta es la evidencia definitiva.

Some folks think Bigfoot just made a legit appearance in Colorado, and interestingly, the U.S. agency in charge of the location of the alleged sighting ... isn't totally writing it off as BS, or so it seems.

A rep for the USDA Forest Service -- which has jurisdiction over the San Juan National Forest -- tells TMZ ... they're well aware of this new video "evidence" recorded last weekend, but they're not prepared to weigh in on its validity.

Specifically, the Forest Service says, "The USDA Forest Service can't speculate or provide comments on the authenticity of the video. We'll be sure to alert the media if and when a Sasquatch is sighted by officials on National Forest System lands."

The response sounds very tongue-in-cheek, but it is interesting -- the agency that's all about endangered species and other wildlife, isn't straight up saying the vid is fake. It's essentially giving the ol' ... we can neither confirm nor deny.

For the record, the Forest Service tells us it's NOT investigating any further -- a very good indication it doesn't think the "missing link" is roaming around Colorado.

Of course, Sasquatch truthers are gonna believe what they want -- most have laughed the sighting off as a hoax, but some in the Bigfoot community (yeah, there's enough of 'em) have said this one's the real McCoy.

There's never been a Bigfoot body found or studied, obvi ... so, until that happens, skeptics will keep rolling eyes.

In any case, Sassie can rest easy knowing Uncle Sam ain't coming for him. Not yet.

Ja Rule thinks Drake and DJ Khaled deserve a pass, or at least time before they make any public comments about the war between Israel and Hamas ... and that's IF they want to say anything at all.

This is only an issue because DJ Vlad, who is Jewish, called out Drake for being the world's most famous Jewish person, and Khaled for being the most recognizable Palestinian. Both men have been silent on the conflict in which Hamas terrorists have reportedly beheaded babies and raped women, massacred more than 1,000 people and taken more than 200 hostages.

Ja tells TMZ Hip Hop he feels the criticism of Khaled and Drake is a bit unfair ... as some artists make the decision to stay away from anything that even hints at politics.

He also notes people -- celebs and entertainers alike -- need time to digest breaking news in order to react with real knowledge, and they deserve the time to do so without facing the public's wrath.

The "Always On Time" rapper was back home in NYC for the Pencils of Promise Gala Tuesday evening and offered up some words about the human condition and the need for peace.

Remember, Ja put his own neck on the line on the day of the September 11 terrorist attacks calling into MTV with words of encouragement ... only to become a meme thanks to Dave Chappelle years down the line.

Una madre israelí que consiguió huir de los terroristas de Hamás con su hija recién nacida rompió a llorar y a lamentarse al enterarse —en plena entrevista— de que su marido no había salido con vida.

Shaylee Atary estaba hablando con Sky News sobre su aterradora huida, diciendo que los agresores de Hamás irrumpieron en la casa de su familia en Kfar Aza el sábado después de oír caer bombas mientras se preparaba para alimentar a su bebé.

Ella dice que tomó a su hija y salió corriendo del edificio, escondiéndose durante 27 horas antes de que fueran encontradas y rescatadas, pero su marido —Yahav Winner— no lo hizo con ella.

Shaylee tenía la esperanza de que Yahav también había sobrevivido, pero la entrevista dio un giro increíblemente sombrío cuando —mientras la cámara estaba rodando— su familia recibió la llamada horrible que estaba muerto.

Al instante, Shaylee rompió a llorar, rodeada de sus familiares, quienes la acompañaron en su pérdida.

Según los informes, más de 2.200 personas han muerto en ambos bandos del conflicto, más de mil por el ataque terrorista inicial lanzado por Hamás el sábado. Desde entonces, otras 8.000 han resultado heridas.

An Israeli mother, who managed to flee Hamas terrorists with her newborn daughter, burst into tears and wailed as she found out -- in the middle of an interview -- her husband didn't make it out alive.

Shaylee Atary was talking with Sky News about her terrifying escape, saying Hamas aggressors broke into their family's Kfar Aza home Saturday after hearing bombs falling while getting ready to feed her baby.

She says she took their child and bolted out of the building, hiding for 27 hours before they were found and rescued ... but her husband, Yahav Winner, didn't make it out with her.

Shaylee was holding out hope Yahav had also survived, but the interview took an incredibly grim turn when -- as the camera was rolling -- her family got the horrifying call that he was dead.

Instantly, Shaylee broke down in tears, surrounded by family members as they began mourning their loss.

Reportedly, more than 2,200 people have been killed on both sides of the conflict -- more than a thousand by the initial terrorist attack launched by Hamas on Saturday. Since then another 8,000 have been injured.

The boyfriend of a missing Israeli woman who fled the Hamas-attacked music festival made a tough last-minute call to not attend the concert with her ... and his decision is tearing him apart.

27-year-old Ohad Malul told the NY Post his 27-year-old girlfriend, Shani Kupervaser, went to the Supernova music festival near the Gaza Strip over the weekend -- Malul said he decided to skip the event, because he'd just returned from a Paris trip and was exhausted.

However, Malul now says he feels like he "needed to go and be there with her. Maybe I could have done something different" -- adding, "It’s killing me inside that I am not with her."

He says she told him she wouldn't go to the festival for long and that "Everything is going to be OK." The tone changed when Kupervaser sent him a message while at the festival, claiming she saw rockets flying overhead.

From there, she fled with 3 of her friends, but came under gunfire and hauled it on foot to a roadside bomb shelter with people waving them in to come take cover.

The shelter turned out to be a horrifying trap ... Malul says according to those who made it out alive, the 30 people inside seeking refuge were met with Hamas terrorists throwing grenades inside of it.

Malul says 2 men inside the shelter -- including one of Kupervaser's friends -- bravely started catching the grenades and chucking them back at the terrorists ... but he has no clue if his girlfriend is alive, kidnapped, or dead.

As we reported, German artist and festivalgoer Shani Louk was one of many kidnapped from the event ... and was paraded and spat on by Hamas terrorists in the back of a truck.

Dodgers great Steve Garvey is channeling his inner Tommy Lasorda on the campaign trail ... telling TMZ Sports he's evoking the late Hall of Fame manager's legendary mentality as he runs for U.S. Senate in California.

74-year-old Garvey is sliding into politics as he aims to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat next year ... and while a Republican hasn't held the position in decades, he is confident he can be the one to change that.

"Everybody has always said, 'Oh, you want to run for the Senate in California? Well, that's probably the most difficult race in America. Good luck, God bless, but if anybody can do it, you can,' which I think it was always encouraging," Garvey tells us.

In fact, the World Series champion says he's been getting love from some rival fan bases who used to boo him on the baseball diamond ... which was one sign he needed to run.

"Recently, I had a San Francisco Giants fan come up to me and say, ‘Garvey, I hate the Dodgers, but I'm gonna vote for you,'" Garvey added. "And I think that closed the deal."

"That and having Democrats come up and say they've never voted for a Republican, conservative, but I'm gonna vote for you because I know you, I know you care about me and my family. And we need your voice in Washington."

Garvey says he's running a common sense campaign ... and quality-of-life issues, public safety and education will be his main focus in office.

As for his former teammates, Garvey says the responses he's been getting from them have been "heartwarming" ... and they'll love the message he'll convey as he connects with Californians before they hit the voting booths -- as it's one they have heard before.

"Tommy Lasorda, a great manager and father figure and Hall of Famer, he used to say in key moments, 'You gotta believe.' Maybe that's going to be our theme. You know, everybody's saying, 'Oh, no, you can't win in California.' But we believe, and the people are going to believe that I can go to Washington and represent them."

Lasorda is one of the all-time greats -- he won two World Series titles as the Dodgers' skipper ... and the organization retired his No. 2 jersey in 1997.

El gran Steve Garvey está canalizando al Tommy Lasorda que lleva dentro en la campaña. Le informó a TMZ Sports que está evocando la mentalidad del legendario miembro del Salón de la Fama mientras se postula para el Senado de EE.UU. en California.

Garvey, de 74 años de edad, se desliza en la política y aspira a ocupar el escaño de la difunta Dianne Feinstein el próximo año y mientras que un republicano no ha ocupado el cargo en décadas, confía en que puede ser el que cambie eso.

"Todo el mundo me ha dicho siempre: 'Oh, ¿quieres presentarte al Senado por California? Bueno, probablemente sea la carrera más difícil de Estados Unidos. Buena suerte, que Dios te bendiga, pero si alguien puede hacerlo, eres tú', lo que creo que siempre ha sido alentador", nos cuenta Garvey.

De hecho, el campeón de la Serie Mundial dice que ha estado recibiendo el amor de algunos fans rivales que solían abuchearlo en el diamante de béisbol. Esto sería una señal para él de que debía postularse.

"Hace poco, un aficionado de los Gigantes de San Francisco se me acercó y me dijo: 'Garvey, odio a los Dodgers, pero voy a votar por ti', añadió Garvey. "Creo que eso fue muy importante para mí".

"Eso y que los demócratas se acerquen y me digan que nunca han votado a un republicano conservador, pero que van a votarme porque me conocen, saben que me preocupo por ellos y por sus familias y necesitan mi voz en Washington".

Garvey dice que está ejecutando una campaña de sentido común y las cuestiones de calidad de vida, la seguridad pública y la educación serán su principal objetivo en el cargo.

En cuanto a sus excompañeros de equipo, Garvey dice que las respuestas que ha estado recibiendo de ellos han sido "conmovedoras" y les encantará el mensaje que va a transmitir cuando se conecta con los californianos antes de que lleguen a las urnas, ya que es uno que han escuchado antes.

"Tommy Lasorda, un gran entrenador, figura paterna y miembro del Salón de la Fama, solía decir en los momentos clave: 'Tienes que creer'. Tal vez ese vaya a ser nuestro lema, ya sabes, todo el mundo dice, 'Oh, no, no puedes ganar en California', pero nosotros creemos y la gente va a creer que puedo ir a Washington y representarlos".

Lasorda es uno de los grandes de todos los tiempos, ganó dos títulos de la Serie Mundial como capitán de los Dodgers y la organización retiró su camiseta No. 2 en 1997.

Gigi Hadid is breaking her silence on the slaughter in Israel ... condemning the murder of "innocent people" ... while pledging her ongoing support for Palestine.

The supermodel shared her thoughts on Tuesday, saying she has "deep empathy and heartbreak for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation," while underscoring "a responsibility to my Jewish friends to make it clear, as I have before: While I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, none of them include the harm of a Jewish person."

Gigi, who is of Palestinian descent, goes on to say "The terrorizing of innocent people is not in alignment with & does not do any good for the 'Free Palestine' movement." She goes on to say, "The idea that it does has fueled a painful, decades-long cycle of back&forth retaliation."

She bristles at "the false idea" that being Pro-Palestine is antisemitic.

She ends the post, saying, "every human deserves basic rights, treatment and security; no matter their nationality, religion, ethnicity or where they were born."

Gigi and her sister, Bella, have been criticized for sharing their anti-Israeli thoughts online -- especially in a 2021 post that claimed Israel wasn't a country, but instead a colonized land.