TMZ Live

Lupe Fiasco says there's a lot of blame to go around in addressing Chicago's surging crime beyond bad apple cops ... according to him, gun control laws are just as much at fault.

The Chicago-raised MC came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to address the historic number of shootings happening in the Windy City in recent weeks. He told us ... yes, some policing tactics hurt more than help, but he thinks the issue is much deeper than that.

Lupe, who has multiple family members in law enforcement, says there are too many differing POVs on how to uphold the peace, and adds cops using gangster's methods -- like blatant brutality -- isn't helping matters.

He says police officers should be setting the standard in how to treat one another, but that's just not happening right now ... and it's just adding to the city's chaos.

Another issue he sees is the "gang problem," as he puts it. Too many factions have splintered off and are running amok, and he says the other part of the equation is the guns that end up in gang members' hands.

Scholar Eddie S. Glaude Jr. says starry-eyed Americans who now say they want equality will NEVER achieve it ... without accepting the truth about the country's roots in racism.

Glaude -- an author and Professor of African-American Studies at Princeton -- joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to address the major problem with our nation's history ... essentially, that it's not told honestly.

The professor cites several examples of systemic racism and injustices that are far more recent than slavery, yet are sugar-coated or downright omitted when teaching Americans about their past.

Glaude says it all manifests itself even today in something he calls the "value gap" ... which is the belief that white people are more important than others.

Again, he points to specific things happening right now that make him feel that "value gap" still isn't being addressed -- and believes that will crush any progress toward racial equality.

The good news ... Glaude believes there's positive momentum along with the Black Lives Matter movement, and offers a James Baldwin quote about hope that sums it up perfectly.

Howard University's president says Sen. Kamala Harris can have a huge impact on students at her alma mater ... where majoring in political science is the hot, new thing on campus.

Dr. Wayne Frederick joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and told us how Kamala's political rise, from poli sci major at Howard to Joe Biden's running mate, is inspiring students from all backgrounds to get involved in politics and affect change.

Kamala, who graduated from HU in 1986 and added economics to her double major, is the first HBCU grad to run on a major party's ticket ... along with being the first Black woman and person of Indian descent.

Dr. Frederick says Kamala's one of the reasons why the second most popular major for incoming freshman at Howard is political science. It helps to have a role model.

The HU Prez thinks Kamala's influence will extend far beyond minority students ... telling us why she can also inspire white students to get involved in the political process, even if they never step foot on an HBCU campus.

It's not politically one-sided either ... Dr. Frederick also explains how Kamala is helping HBCU grads play a role on both sides of the aisle.

If and when a coronavirus vaccine is rolled out, there will be people who refuse to take it for various reasons, but a Stanford Law School professor says such refusal will have consequences.

Hank Greely will appear on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... he's an expert in public health law and says people who refuse to take the vaccine could -- repeat COULD -- be denied the right to enter their workplace or their school.

Fact is ... there will probably be 3 groups of people who will refuse the vaccine -- the anti-vaxxers, the people who want to turn the vaccine into a political issue, and people who are afraid to take the vaccine because they worry it was rushed and not properly tested.

If the FDA, NIH and others show the phase 3 studies were thorough and established both safety and efficacy, Professor Greely says it will be hard for people to make the case they can refuse the vaccine and not be barred from work or school.

It's dicier, the good professor says, if phase 3 studies are less than thorough.

Andrew Yang is a big fan of Sen. Kamala Harris as a candidate, but more importantly, as a person ... and says they bonded early, when he was a political unknown.

The former presidential candidate joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and heaped tons of praise on Joe Biden's running mate, telling us what separated Kamala from the pack.

Andrew says he first met Kamala early on in the Democratic primaries and they forged an instant bond on a number of non-political issues they have in common.

He added ... there was something else about the VP candidate that really impressed him. Andrew says Kamala was always warm and friendly, which stood out to him because no one knew who the hell he was early in the Democratic primary races.

Andrew says that taught him a lot about his then-opponent's character, which is why he thinks Kamala makes a great veep.

Andrew's ready to go to bat for Biden and Harris at next week's Democratic National Convention, and broke some news about the event.

Rep. Jim Clyburn's adamant that President Trump is dead serious about remaining in office -- whether or not he wins the election -- and says it's not out of the question that military leaders will have to remove him from The White House.

The South Carolina congressman and third-ranking Democrat in the House made headlines this week when he responded to Trump's call to delay the November election by saying ... "I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini. Putin is Hitler."

Clyburn's sticking to that, and in our "TMZ Live" interview he compared Trump's tactics to those of a fascist leader ... who wants to remain that way for life. He says there have been talks about Trump refusing to leave, and there will be more as the election gets closer.

He points out Trump has already stated this in the past "jokingly," but Clyburn believes he means it ... and history has shown what can happen if it's not taken seriously. Coincidentally, Trump just tweeted a campaign video suggesting he's not joking either.

So, what happens if Trump loses, but refuses to accept it? Rep. Clyburn admits he doesn't have the answer yet -- it would be unprecedented after all -- but it's clear ... lots of people on the Hill are plenty worried.

Clyburn tells us he believes government officials and military leaders have already seen how Trump has misused and abused his power -- with his use of force to dispel peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park for a photo op coming to mind -- so they'll be ready.

Sharon Osbourne says seeing is believing when it comes to paranormal activity and other-worldly beings ... she wants to believe we're not alone, but needs her own hard evidence.

Sharon joined us on "TMZ Live" and we wanted to know if she's a UFO believer like her son, Jack.

While Sharon says she's seen our footage of a possible UFO over the skies of Long Beach -- lots of folks reported seeing something flying over L.A. too -- she tells us why the video alone is not enough to convince her 100 percent.

Sharon's getting the hard sell on UFOs back at home ... the famous family has a new show on Travel Channel, "The Osbournes Want To Believe," where Jack tries to convince her and Ozzy about the existence of aliens, Bigfoot, poltergeists, haunted dolls and other strange beasts.

Barstool Sports guys Dan "Big Cat" Katz and PFT Commenter are putting their bodies through the wringer, but this time ... their shenanigans are all about helping children.

The "Pardon My Take" podcast hosts hold a fundraiser like this every year -- something they call "Grit Week" -- but due to the pandemic, they had to get creative with their grittiness this year.

So, the fellas decided to put themselves to the test to show their commitment to the charity drive for the Children's Miracle Hospital Network ... with a full 24 hours of beer and hot dogs.

Starting Wednesday morning, PFT drank a beer every hour and Big Cat downed a dog ... and they live streamed the whole thing for their massive podcast audience.

The obvious questions are how'd they hold up, and which was worse -- the nonstop alcohol or the processed meat? We'll let them explain ... sounds like they're both in bad shape, but maybe Big Cat's worse off thanks to a questionable hot dog decision.

Tyga wants to throw struggling restaurants and eateries a lifeline ... he's opening a virtual restaurant and his secret chicken recipe and delivery plan could help the joints survive.

The rapper joined us on "TMZ Live" and unveiled his virtual restaurant concept ... Tyga Bites -- baked, boneless and free of antibiotics.

Here's how it works ... Tyga's targeting 500 restaurants and kitchens trying to make enough cash to survive during the pandemic. He and his company will teach the chefs how to make the oven-baked chicken tenders. He's partnering with Grubhub which will deliver the food. So, Tyga won't have a single, brick and mortar restaurant, but he'll cover the country. Kinda genius.

There will be 3 types of chicken and 12 sauces ... and that does the trick. He's marketing it as a healthy, delicious choice -- black garlic, lemon black pepper and peri-peri. He's also serving Tyga Tots (love the name) -- regular and sweet potato -- and chocolate chip cookies. And, there are beverages to wash it all down.

It could be a blueprint for other celebs to start a virtual restaurant and help struggling restaurants.

Dr. Phil has some ideas about how best to help Kanye West, or anyone coping with bipolar disorder, and says it's all about protecting him from himself ... on several levels.

The good doc joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss a tactic known as "containment." He says it's important for Kim Kardashian and co. to remember they're not dealing with the Kanye they know and love.

Phil says people going through bipolar episodes often engage in destructive behaviors that put themselves at risk -- buying 5 cars in one day would be an example -- and containment is all about blocking them from things, events or people that could have long-term consequences.

Kanye's not gonna go broke, but Phil says he could still get into bad situations that have lasting ramifications on his life. Beyond that, he says Kim's gotta hope to catch him in a moment where he'll agree to go back on his medication.

As we reported, Kanye's made it a struggle for Kim to reach him, ducking calls and turning down her pleas to join him in Wyoming, and claiming the family is trying to have him involuntarily committed.

That's why Phil says containment, even from afar, might be best for now.

Tinashe says diving headfirst into the fight for social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement helped her cope with the pandemic ... and gives her hope for a better future.

The R&B singer joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and told us how she found her purpose in the pandemic, and what she learned from going to 10 BLM protests, including nine in a single weekend.

Tinashe tells us why she's so grateful she got involved in the renewed push for equality ... she says protests are a great way to focus your energy during shutdowns and quarantines, and they can give people a sense of worth and purpose in an otherwise uncertain age.

The way Tinashe sees it ... having something to fight for -- social justice and BLM -- will do folks a lot of good, while creating a better world for everyone in the future.

Tinashe didn't just hold a sign at protests and post about change on social media ... she also raised money for the Bail Project with a virtual concert and sold some art to donate more funds to the cause.

KJ Smith's enjoying her time in quarantine, because thanks to Tyler Perry ... she's able to work, make new friends without worrying about her health ... and the food's good too!

The "Sistas" star joined "TMZ Live" Monday to describe what life's been like inside Perry's massive studio complex in Atlanta, where she's been the past couple weeks filming her BET dramedy series.

KJ says the cast and crew are undergoing consistent COVID-19 testing, which makes her feel safe and secure, and everyone's being treated with their best interest in mind ... beyond just focusing on the business side of things.

On that note ... the actress says the bubble-like setup for shooting "Sistas" is allowing everyone to make real human connections they wouldn't otherwise make if it was a traditional Hollywood set.

KJ even called the experience fun ... and said on set they all refer to it as "Camp Quarantine."

CNN's Bakari Sellers says bias in the health care system forced his family to make a critical decision -- one he believes helped save his wife's life hours after she had their twins.

Bakari joined "TMZ Live" on Monday and talked about why they chose black doctors instead of white ones when he and his wife, Ellen, were expecting. It's a fascinating story from his new book 'My Vanishing Country.'

The former South Carolina state legislator didn't mince words ... saying, "the pain that black folk go through is not looked at with the same urgency as white folk in this country." Case in point ... the day his twins, Stokely and Sadie, were born in January 2019. A mere 5 hours after Ellen gave birth, she passed out after hemorrhaging 7 units of blood.

Check out the video ... Bakari says it's a known fact black women are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

In his book, he explains the thought that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was a physician -- who infamously wore blackface while in medical school -- gave him pause about the kind of bias that exists, even in medicine.

Aloe Blacc likes the fact the NFL is playing the Black National Anthem before every Week 1 game, but says the league needs to go much further to fight for equality.

The singer joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and explained why there's so much more the NFL can do to create an even playing field. Still, Aloe ... who recorded the modern version of "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," says the symbolism of the league including the so-called Black National Anthem is important.

As in, an important step on the path to ending systemic racism.

Aloe told us, the anthem and the NFL's vow to donate $250 million to social justice organizations is mostly a conversation starter, and there's a real discussion that needs to be had on how to get more black head coaches, executives and quarterbacks in the league.

He did his homework, too, quoting stats that reveal the NFL's own systemic problems. It's true a black QB just earned the richest sports contract ever -- however, money isn't the issue Aloe's talking about here.

Mario says police can exercise restraint when they want to, but most cops just don't ... a lesson he's already learned first hand.

The singer joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and recounted his recent run-in with police in Miami, when guns were drawn and an intense standoff was diffused only when an officer realized he was a celeb.

Mario says he was caught off guard when police stopped the car he was riding in and held him and the driver at gunpoint ... he says he was very lucky one cop recognized him because things could have turned ugly in a hurry.

The incident left Mario shaken, and also taught him a hard lesson ... he says cops can practice restraint whenever they want, especially when another cop steps in, but for some reason most police just let their instincts take over.

Mario's also got a new single out, "Rewrite It," and he tells us the inspiration behind it, and how it ties into protests against police brutality.

The Kansas City cop who shot and killed Cameron Lamb is now charged with manslaughter, but Lamb's parents are expecting even more consequences after getting a face-to-face promise from President Trump.

Laurie and Aqil Bey were at the White House earlier this week with their attorney Lee Merritt, and had a chance to discuss Cameron's death with the President. They say he was polite and attentive during the meeting, and said he would put the feds on the case.

They say it was a heartening convo, and now they're hoping POTUS follows through. There are a lot of loose ends in the puzzling case.

Thursday evening, a grand jury indicted officer Eric DeValkenaere, charging him with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for the reckless death of Cameron, a father to 3 young boys.

ICYMI ... Cameron was backing his truck into his garage last December when 2 plain-clothed officers burst onto his property without a warrant and without announcing themselves as cops.

DeValkenaere says he fired the fatal shots because he thought Cameron had a gun in his hand, but his partner has testified Cameron's hand was empty.

Merritt says the feds need to step in and investigate the entire KCPD, because the family has good reason to believe a gun was planted in the garage to make it look like Cameron was armed.