Politics

Taylor Swift está saltando en las presidenciales 2024 durante este Super Tuesday, pero se está guardando de entregarle su codiciado respaldo al presidente Joe Biden o a cualquier otro candidato, en este caso.

Taylor dio la voz de alarma el martes por la mañana con un post en sus historias de IG, que decía: "Amigos, quería recordarles que voten por las personas que más los representan en el poder. Si aún no lo han hecho, hagan un plan para votar hoy".

Los expertos en política se han puesto manos a la obra para discutir el potencial de Taylor para influir en esta campaña electoral, después de ver lo extremadamente leales que son sus fans. Basta con preguntarle al comisionado de la NFL, Roger Goodell.

La administración Biden ha sido abierta sobre su deseo de obtener un respaldo de Taylor, como lo hizo en 2020, y el propio Joe se ha inclinado por la posibilidad de que lo respalde.

El equipo de Donald Trump, mientras tanto, le ha declarado la "guerra santa" a la cantante y los Swifties, según han informado algunos medios, insistiendo en que el ex presidente es "más popular" que ella y tiene fans más leales.

Taylor no está respaldando a nadie hoy, y la mayoría de los analistas políticos no esperan que lo haga hasta que nos acerquemos al día de las elecciones en noviembre.

En su llamado a los Swifties en IG, Taylor instó a todos a ir a vote.org para encontrar información sobre los lugares de votación y los tiempos, si están en alguno de los 16 estados o territorios donde se votan primarias hoy.

Charles Barkley has a pointed, somewhat violent message for any Black person backing Donald Trump simply because he got arrested ... he's gonna knock you out.

The NBA Hall of Famer issued the warning Monday night on his CNN show with Gayle King as they discussed Trump's recent remark about Black people liking him more after he was arrested in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Trump went on to brag about Black people "walking around with his mug shot" on t-shirts.

None of that sits well with Barkley, who said, "If I see a Black person walking around with Trump's mug shot, I'm [gonna] punch him in the face."

Barkley explained he feels Trump's comments are "an insult to all Black people" ... because he's comparing his arrest to the centuries of discrimination the Black community has faced.

The NBA legend is no stranger to slamming Trump ... as he's previously called out the Republican presidential candidate for using "pseudo-racist rhetoric" when discussing immigration.

Trump has been undeterred by any backlash from Barkley or any other critics, as "The Apprentice" alum remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination -- and the Super Tuesday primaries in 15 states, and one territory, could put the race nearly out of reach for Nikki Haley.

Taylor Swift is leaping into 2024 presidential politics on Super Tuesday, but she's stopping short of that coveted endorsement of President Joe Biden ... or any candidate, for that matter.

Taylor sounded the alarm early Tuesday morning with a post on her IG story, writing a note that says, "I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven't already, make a plan to vote today."

Political pundits have had a field day discussing the potential power of Taylor to swing campaigns this election season, having seen the power of her extremely loyal fan base. Just ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about it.

The Biden administration's been open about its desire to get an endorsement from Taylor -- as she did in 2020 -- and Joe himself has leaned into the possibility of her backing him.

Donald Trump's camp, meanwhile, has reportedly declared "holy war" on the singer and Swifties ... insisting the former prez is "more popular" than her, with more loyal fans.

Taylor's not endorsing anyone today, and most political analysts don't expect her to do so until we get closer to election day in November.

In her IG call out to Swifties, Taylor urged everyone to hit up vote.org to find info on polling places and times ... if you're in one of the 16 states or territories voting in today's primaries.

Solid advice.

Amanda Seales ain't holding back when it comes to sharing her thoughts on President Biden's approach to the Israeli conflict in Gaza, and she firmly believes it could cost him the election.

We got the "Insecure" actress Monday at LAX, and she says the Biden administration needs to tune in to what the majority of Americans are demanding -- pushing for a permanent ceasefire and ensuring Palestinians aren't living under constant threat of violence and death anymore.

Amanda adds that she's lost confidence in Biden due to what she sees as a lack of action on his part -- and, at this point, she thinks a lot of people might only vote for him because they're settling for the "lesser evil."

Not exactly a proud position for the Prez to be in, according to AS.

Now, mind you, VP Kamala Harris did make a very direct call on Sunday for Israel and Hamas to reach an "immediate ceasefire," and for Israel to increase the flow of aid to Gaza.

Still, Amanda's not pulling any punches with the administration on this issue. She's labeling the whole situation demoralizing and inhumane, and calling for some real action and empathy from the top.

Donald Trump permanecerá en la boleta electoral en Colorado para las elecciones presidenciales de 2024, y eso va para todos los demás estados. Esto es algo que el Tribunal Supremo acaba de establecer.

Los nueve jueces fallaron por unanimidad el lunes a favor de Trump en su apelación contra el Estado de Colorado, que había tratado de arrancarlo de su boleta electoral de noviembre, citando la cláusula de insurrección en la Constitución y decidir que había participado en una el 6 de enero.

El alto tribunal no se pronunció sobre si eso era cierto o no, lo único que decidió aquí fue sobre si inhabilitar a funcionarios federales por una insurrección le correspondía al Congreso y no a los Estados. En otras palabras, dijeron que Colorado malinterpretó la ley.

Escriben en su opinión: "Por las razones expuestas, la responsabilidad de hacer cumplir la Sección 3 contra los titulares de cargos federales y candidatos corresponde al Congreso y no a los Estados".

Continúa: "La sentencia del Tribunal Supremo de Colorado allí no puede mantenerse". Continúan diciendo que la decisión de Colorado de inhabilitar a Trump ahora es revocada, y que obviamente sentará un precedente con otros estados que también intentaron hacer esto los últimos meses.

Maine e Illinois también le prohibieron a Trump aparecer en sus papeletas, citando la misma cláusula de insurrección.

Donald Trump will remain on the ballot in Colorado for the 2024 presidential election, and that goes for every other state as well ... something the Supreme Court just set in stone.

All nine Justices ruled unanimously Monday in favor of DT in his appeal against the State of Colorado -- which had tried to boot him from their November ballot ... citing the insurrection clause in the Constitution and deciding he had, in fact, participated in one on Jan. 6.

The high court didn't weigh in on whether that was true or not ... all they decided here was this issue of disbarring federal officials from office over an insurrection was for Congress to decide, and not for the States. In other words, they said Colorado misinterpreted the law.

They write in their opinion ... "For the reasons given, responsibility for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates rests with Congress and not the States."

SCOTUS continues, "The judgment of the Colorado Supreme Court there cannot stand." They go on to say that Colorado's decision to disqualify Trump is now reversed, and that'll obviously set a precedent with other states that attempted to do this in recent months too.

Maine and Illinois also barred Trump from appearing on their ballots -- citing the same insurrection clause -- but now that the Supreme Court has weighed in ... they lose as well.

A super rare, historic 1945 report on the development of the atomic bomb, signed by 24 Manhattan Project contributors like Oppenheimer, Fermi, Lawrence, Chadwick, Urey, and Rabi has hit the auction block.

RR Auction got their hands on that historic report titled "Atomic Bombs: A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Atomic Energy for Military Purposes Under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940-1945" by Henry D. Smyth.

The historical report was privately printed in August 1945 and written before the testing of the first bomb at the Los Alamos "Trinity" test site.

The report is signed in ink on the cover by 24 prominent scientists and administrators engaged in developing and deploying the most dangerous weapon ever created.

The names include J. Robert Oppenheimer and Nobel Prize winners Enrico Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, James Chadwick, Harold Urey, and Isidor I. Rabi.

The author's signature is also displayed on the title page in fountain pen ... 'cause he played a crucial role in the early development of nuclear energy, including participation in the Manhattan Project, membership in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and served as U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Gen. Leslie Groves' War Department secretary in Washington, Nellie V. Sanderson, obtained all the signatures.

This report was first released days after the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and is likely the very first publicly available report on the creation of the bomb.

The creation of the nuclear bomb in the United States culminated in a successful test of the doomsday weapon in July 1945.

Weeks later, America dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, putting an end to World War II. The villages were obliterated, with roughly 200,000 people killed.

Taylor Swift es la mayor estrella del mundo, así que no es de extrañar que pueda desencadenar un conflicto entre dos naciones soberanas, y todo por el lugar donde actuará el próximo fin de semana.

Así es la cosa, T-Swift está en Singapur en este momento, luego de haber completado los primeros tres de seis conciertos en el país. No cabe duda que le va muy bien en el sudeste asiático.

¿Y las razones del enojo?... al parecer las autoridades de Singapur negociaron que Taylor no actuará en otros territorios de la región, por lo que Singapur es un destino de viaje obligatorio para los Swifties Asiáticos.

Un legislador en las Filipinas no está entendiendo esa parte, criticando públicamente al gobierno de Singapur por no ser exactamente un buen vecino.

El político filipino Joey Salceda está llamando al departamento de asuntos exteriores de su gobierno para protestar por la subvención supuestamente otorgada a Swift para mantener un acuerdo de exclusividad con Singapur.

Salceda le dijo a un medio local que se supone que los gobiernos son amigos, por lo que, en su mente, esto es una traición muy hiriente de parte del gobierno de Singapur.

A propósito, el Primer Ministro de Tailandia Srettha Thavisin respalda la afirmación de Salceda, con Sky News informando que dijo que le preguntó AEG, la empresa detrás de la gira de Tay por qué ella no iba a venir, y le dijeron todo sobre el acuerdo de exclusividad.

Taylor claramente no está dejando que toda la mala sangre arruine su estado de ánimo, porque ella se mantiene centrada en sus espectáculos, ofeciendo varias actuaciones impresionantes para todos los Swifties que viajaron para verla.

Taylor Swift's the biggest star in the world ... so it's no shock she can kick off a conflict between two sovereign nations -- and all because of where she's performing next weekend.

Here's the deal ... obviously, T-Swift's over in Singapore right now, having just completed the first three of six concerts in the country. After her next three shows, she's outtie 5000 on Southeast Asia.

The reasons this is drawing ire ... a deal was reportedly brokered by Singaporean authorities that Taylor would not perform in other territories in the region thus making Singapore a must-travel destination for Swifties in Asia.

Well, one lawmaker in the Philippines ain't having that ... publicly calling out the Singaporean government for not exactly being neighborly.

Phillippines politician Joey Salceda is calling on his government's foreign affairs department to protest the grant allegedly given to Swift to keep an exclusivity deal with Singapore.

Salceda told a local outlet that the governments are supposed to be friends ... so in his mind, this is a very hurtful betrayal by the Singaporean gov.

BTW ... Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin backing up Salceda's claim -- with Sky News reporting he said he asked AEG, the company behind Tay's tour why she wasn't coming, and they told him all about the exclusivity deal.

Taylor's clearly not letting all the bad blood ruin her mood though ... 'cause she's staying focused on her shows -- putting on several impressive performances for all the Swifties who traveled to see her.

Bill Maher was HYSTERICAL Friday night, with a message to Joe Biden ... embrace your old fart self!!!

The 'Real Time' host made a barrage of solid points, in particular -- When the Prez says he's sharper than ever, no one's buyin' what he's selling.

Or, as BM says, Joe's so old his bad kid with a drug problem is 54!

So, Bill says he should stop riding bikes and hopping on TikTok. Hillary tried it and it didn't work for her.  BTW, thanks for the shout-out, Bill!

Fact is, old people vote way more than the youngins. So appeal to the "Matlock" crowd and advertise on CBS.

And then ... Bill had a brainstorm for Thursday's State of the Union, and it's genius. Biden should appear before the joint session of Congress ambling up to the stage with a walker.

Fashion icon Iris Apfel -- famous for her quirky outfits and unique looks -- has died.

The style icon passed away Friday at her home in Palm Beach, Fla ... this according to her reps. An official cause of death wasn't announced -- but the assumption is that she died of old age via natural causes.

A socialite from New York, Iris became a fashion icon in her 80s and 90s ... affectionately calling herself a "geriatric starlet." Iris' style was an eclectic mix ... combining haute couture, vintage hippy-inspired looks, bohemian styles and super bright colors.

Iris was a fixture on the fashion scene, often rubbing elbows with celebs at big-time events ... wearing her trademark circular glasses. She was also ever-present and always relevant ... considered one of the most photographed women in fashion history.

A jack of all trades, Iris was a professor, brand ambassador, interior designer, textile guru and, later in life, a social media star. She was quite accomplished too ... having done White House restoration work for nine presidents in her lifetime -- so yeah, she'd worked a lot.

Iris enjoyed a long and full life ... just yesterday, she celebrated her latest birthday, putting her a couple years over the 100-year mark.

Tommy Hilfiger is remembering Iris as "a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist, but as an influencer."

Hilfiger adds ... "She has had an amazing effect on so many people with her huge heart and magic touch with everyone she meets. She will go down in history as an innovator and a leader in the world of textiles, style and innovation!"

Iris is survived by her caregivers, Jennifer and Juliet, her agent Lori Sale, her lawyer Emerson E. Burns and her friends and family. She was 102.

4:22 PM PT -- Tom Porto, the attorney for Ariel Young and her family, just released a statement on Britt Reid's commutation to TMZ Sports ... saying simply, "What’s different between this criminal defendant and every other criminal defendant in the state of Missouri?"

Ex-Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid -- Andy's son -- just had his three-year prison sentence commuted to house arrest.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson made the surprising decision on Friday ... a little over a year after Reid was thrown behind bars for his role in a DWI crash that left a 5-year-old girl, Ariel Young, with life-altering brain injuries.

A spokesperson for Parson explained the move in a statement to media outlets ... saying, "Reid had completed his alcohol abuse treatment program and has served more prison time than most individuals convicted of similar offenses."

As part of his commutation, Reid will remain on house arrest until October 31, 2025. He'll have to abide by a lengthy list of conditions in order to avoid being thrown back in prison, however -- including working at least 30 hours a week, submitting to random drug screenings, and completing at least 10 hours a month of community service.

Reid is also forbidden from making contact with Young or her family members.

Reid was first hit with criminal charges in the case after authorities said he got drunk days before the Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Super Bowl in 2021 and slammed his pickup truck into the back of a car Young had been riding in.

Authorities alleged Reid was going 83.9 MPH in a 65 MPH zone just before the wreck, and had a BAC of .113 two hours following the accident.

Dash cam footage captured at the scene showed Reid was wearing a Chiefs COVID mask and a Chiefs sweatshirt in the minutes after the crash.

Reid lost his job with Kansas City's NFL franchise a short time later ... and didn't work in the league again before beginning his sentence in November 2022.

We've reached out to an attorney for the Young family for comment, but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

Alexei Navalny -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief political rival – certainly didn't die in vain as illustrated by these emotional images from his Friday funeral in Moscow.

Navalny was celebrated by thousands of people – some holding flowers – as his body was laid in a closed coffin and carried inside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows, where they opened it up for people to see him.

 His line of supporters was truly extraordinary, stretching several blocks.

Many of the mourners defied orders from Russian authorities to not take photos of the procession or the service. Someone posted a picture on Navalny's YouTube channel showing his body in repose shrouded by flowers inside the church.

His parents were present, carrying lit candles. But his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and his two children, Daria and Zakhar, did not attend the funeral, likely for security reasons.

Meanwhile, four hundred people have been detained by Putin's police force, including some for merely displaying flowers at Navalny's various memorial sites

As you know, Navalny died February 16 while imprisoned in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. During a walk, Navalny suddenly felt sick and collapsed unconscious. Paramedics responded and gave him medical assistance, but they were unable to revive him.

His official cause of death has not been disclosed, but his mother, Lyudmila, was told by prison officials Navalny suffered "'sudden death syndrome." The condition causes heart problems that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death.

Yet, most people believe Putin was responsible for Navalny's passing. The Russian dictator jailed Navalny – his most vocal and ardent political opponent.

Dr. Phil isn't afraid to voice his concerns about a red flag in the political arena -- and that'd be Joe Biden's apparent difficulty remembering things ... and his cognitive ability at large.

The TV star and medical professional stopped off at "TMZ Live" Thursday to chat about his new book, "We've Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity" -- and the convo eventually turned to Biden's doctor recently claiming he was fit for duty without needing a physical or neurological exam.

He declared this with conviction, despite many public examples of him forgetting basic deets.

Of course, Biden's all-clear raised eyebrows among some -- including Phil ... who tapped into his days practicing in brain, central nervous system, and cognitive ability fields to weigh in on the situation.

With this in mind, he tells us POTUS if didn't have anything to hide regarding his brain power, he would theoretically have no issue undergoing a transparent neurocognitive test.

Biden's memory loss has become prime material for online roasting sessions -- especially among Republicans -- and even Jon Stewart couldn't resist taking a jab at him during his recent "The Daily Show" return to the hosting chair.

In fairness, JS also went after his opponent -- roasting Trump for being unable to remember basic stuff ... which is a pretty crucial trait to have if you're running the country.

Just don't ask Dr. Phil to throw his hat into the presidential ring anytime soon. He tells us he's been approached for the important gig several times, but he just doesn't know enough about politics to take it all seriously. With that said, he is exploring politics more lately.

Robert Downey Jr. is the front-runner to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor -- but one Academy member is openly admitting ... he's voting for him because he met him in person.

The Hollywood Reporter did their annual writeup that polls anonymous AMPAS members to see what their thought process is going into the new Academy Awards -- which are a couple weeks away -- and one of them was candid on their thoughts about RDJ.

This member said they were voting for Bob ... but it sounds like it might have more to do with his personality than his actual performance -- which is a little disheartening to hear.

They say, "I was torn between Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr., and even though it’s cheesy I’ll be real with you: I met Downey at an awards season party, we had an interaction that I did not initiate, and it tipped the scales for me."

This anonymous voter adds ... "Campaigning matters! What’s really great about him as an actor, in this film and so many others, is his ability to be believable all the time. I loved watching him turn as the story turned on Strauss."

In other words ... they liked RDJ's work in "Oppenheimer," but a little schmoozing went a long way with this person when they met Rob in real life. So, no ... it's not all on merit, it seems.

The reason that kinda sucks ... well, in a perfect world -- you'd like to think people who vote at the Oscars are only looking at what they see on screen, and are judging off of that. But, as this person is confessing, there are some politics involved in this process.

This mystery Academy member calls it campaigning ... another word for it is, lobbying.

While Downey Jr. has been considered a shoo-in from the start -- yes, his performance is actually spectacular and worthy of recognition -- this is the type of stuff you don't really wanna hear if you're Ruffalo, Robert De Niro, Sterling K. Brown or Ryan Gosling.

Robert Downey Jr. es el favorito para ganar el Oscar a Mejor Actor de Reparto, pero un miembro de la Academia está admitiendo abiertamente que va a votar por él porque lo conoció en persona.

The Hollywood Reporter hizo su escritura anual de las encuestas anónimas que los miembros de la Academia realizan para observar su proceso de pensamiento de cara a los nuevos Premios de la Academia, que son solo en un par de días, y uno de ellos fue sincero sobre sus pensamientos acerca de Robert Downey Jr.

Este miembro dijo que iban a votar por Bob. Aunque esto podría tener más que ver con su personalidad que con su interpretación, lo que es un poco desalentador de escuchar.

Ellos dicen: "Yo estaba indeciso entre Mark Ruffalo y Robert Downey Jr, y aunque es cursi voy a ser honesto con ustedes: Conocí a Downey en una fiesta de la temporada de premios, tuvimos una interacción que yo no inicié y eso inclinó la balanza para mí."

Este votante anónimo añade: "¡La campaña es importante! Lo particularmente genial de él como actor, en esta película y en tantas otras, es su capacidad para ser creíble todo el tiempo. Me encantó verlo a medida que la historia avanzaba en torno a Strauss".

En otras palabras: les gustó el trabajo de Robert Downey Jr. en "Oppenheimer", pero la balanza se inclinó un poco cuando conocieron a Rob en persona. Así que no, no es solo por el mérito, al parecer.

La razón por la que esto cae mal es que ... Bueno, en el mundo perfecto te gustaría creer que las personas que votan en los Oscar solo se fijan en lo que ven en la pantalla. Pero, como confiesa esta persona, hay algo de política en este proceso.

Este misterioso miembro de la Academia lo llama campaña, otra palabra para ello es el lobby.

Aunque Downey Jr. ha sido considerado favorito desde el principio -su actuación es realmente espectacular y digna de reconocimiento- estas no son las cosas que quieres oír si eres Ruffalo, Robert De Niro, Sterling K. Brown o Ryan Gosling.