TMZ Live

Flying cars could be soarin' into the market much sooner than we thought ... according to one Aerospace CEO who's working hard to make this sci-fi dream a reality.

Doron Merdinger, CEO of Doroni Aerospace Inc., joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" -- filling us in on how his company's new flying cars could be up for sale in the next 2 years ... adding his team has already been testing its flagship project in Florida.

Their vehicle is aptly named the Doroni H1, a 2-seater that can travel a couple hundred feet off the ground with the use of joysticks -- not a steering wheel. The futuristic whip can come in handy in a bunch of ways, according to Doron.

The ride will set you back a few hundred Gs, though ... but Doron says his crew is doing everything they can to make it a true bang for your buck -- which includes its seriously-impressive top speed.

For those unaware, President Biden asked for a $27.2B budget for NASA last week, with some of the funds to be used to test flying cars, and Doron's company is one of the many working with NASA towards a future in the skies.

BTW -- Biden's budget request came after Trump called for the government to invest in the tech ... saying we've gotta beat China to the punch. In addition, there are other start-ups developing flying cars too.

A Black couple's hoping their recent settlement of a lawsuit becomes a game changer in real estate -- one that forces appraisers to quit lowballing home values for Black and brown homeowners.

Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin made headlines a few years ago when an appraisal firm valued their Northern California at $995K. Feeling like that number was too low, they asked a white friend to pretend they lived in the house ... and suddenly, the appraisal came in at $1.48 million.

That $500k difference prompted the Austins to sue the appraisal firm for discrimination.

The couple joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss their settlement in the case, for an undisclosed amount, and said their goal was always to hold folks accountable for what they saw as clear racial bias.

Paul and Tenisha pointed out POC have been cheated out of real estate wealth for generations ... largely due to systemic racism -- be it conscious or unconscious -- despite the fair housing law being passed in the '60s.

Going forward, they hope to be a cautionary tale for home appraisers -- letting the industry know there could be consequences for perpetuating these historical biases.

Aaron Carter's mom is not buying the notion he died of an overdose -- she's incensed the police aren't investigating his death as a homicide, and believes photos from the death scene contain some leads.

Jane Carter joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and shared her thoughts and suspicions about what really went down the day her son died back in January. As we reported, she just made the decision to release pics of his bathroom ... where he was found dead in the tub.

Jane tells us, while she knows Aaron was a drug addict, she doesn't believe he wanted to die ... nor does she think he would huff enough aerosols to kill him.

Instead, she's absolutely convinced someone was out to get him, and points out there were plenty of people -- including alleged drug dealers -- harassing Aaron online. Jane also claims cops did not do a thorough welfare check when they went to Aaron's home the night before his body was found.

Aaron's mom desperately wants investigators to take a much closer look at all possibilities of foul play, because, to her eyes, some things just don't add up ... especially when she sees how much water was left in the tub -- as seen in the photos -- after his body was removed.

The elementary school students who targeted Black classmates with horrifically racist drawings aren't being held accountable, despite multiple other incidents of bigotry ... so says the SoCal school's PTA President.

Robin Allen joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, and unloaded on the school district for failing to issue any meaningful punishment for the students at Pepper Tree Elementary in Upland, CA. She also shot down the theory parents are behind the racist drawings.

Robin pointed out 6th graders made the offensive drawings on their own, completely unsolicited by teachers -- in other words, this was NOT a Black History Month lesson gone awry.

As we reported ... the drawings included captions like, "You're my favorite monkey," and "To my favorite cotton picker."

Even more disturbing ... Robin says the group of students responsible for the drawings have been calling Black kids monkeys and making animal noises all year -- not just this month.

Unfortunately, she claims the school district has let them get away with it for far too long.

One pair of parents of a Black student is blaming the parents of the offending students for teaching them bigotry -- but, as we said, Robin isn't letting the kids off that easy ... and wants the school district to prove it really does have a zero tolerance for hate.

Robin also feels the principal's apology for the incidents was far too delayed, coming 2 weeks after news of the drawings.

Interventionist Ken Seeley is urging all the folks in Britney Spears' inner circle to get on the same page and get her some help ... saying if she continues to spiral, it could cost her her life.

The "Intervention" star joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and, like many folks, he shared some major concern for Britney after someone in her world called off the planned intervention for her.

Ken tells us the key to pulling off a successful intervention is a united front from all the folks involved. He says if one person isn't on board, the whole thing crumbles ... and that's exactly what happened in Brit's situation.

Remember ... TMZ broke the story, those closest to BS wanted her to get help -- for mental health struggles and substance abuse -- but someone pulled the plug. Her lawyer Mathew Rosengart was mum about the failed plan when we asked what went wrong.

As we reported, some fans and folks close to Brit have become increasingly alarmed by her erratic behavior ... like her Tuesday post speaking in an Aussie accent while running around yelling, "Never be a rollercoaster!"

Josh Flagg isn't backing down when comes to calling out the "Selling Sunset" crew -- and while he admits they might have actual real estate licenses, he insists they're still far from the real deal!!

The 'Million Dollar Listing' star joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to dig deeper into his ongoing beef with Jason Oppenheim's Netflix crew. Josh fired the first shot, claiming the 'Sunset' folks were mostly bogus because they didn't have licenses.

Josh cleared the air with us ... saying whether or not they have licenses isn't really the issue, it's more about their selling prowess, or lack thereof.

He proudly pointed out the folks on his show "actually make a ton of sales," and have been doing so for a long time.

JF says the "Selling Sunset" team just needs to be transparent, and in his mind, that means telling the audience they're NOT about real estate ... they're about drama and entertainment.

Ya want real estate, he says check Bravo for 'MDLLA.'

Of course, Oppenheim himself told us there's no real beef with Josh despite his opinion of the show, and Josh didn't deny that. Instead, he clarified there's no animosity behind his remarks, just brutal honesty.

Jillian Michaels is not a fan of the latest weight loss trend -- celebs and millions of non-celebs using diabetes meds to slim down -- and she says actual data proves it's just not worth the risk.

The fitness guru joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and shared concerns about the diabetes drug Semaglutide -- sold as brands like Wegovy and Ozempic -- which got FDA approval in 2021 for "chronic weight management" in adults with weight-related health conditions.

Jillian tells us the injectable drug has significant side effects ranging from typical to severe ... including thyroid cancer, kidney issues and pancreatitis.

Set aside, for just a moment, the fact the diet craze  -- which folks like Chelsea Handler, Elon Musk and Michael Rubin have copped to joining -- is making it harder for diabetes patients to fill potentially lifesaving prescriptions.

But, JM says the drugs don't actually help folks achieve significant weight loss goals. She adds, the real kicker is one study shows some users regained nearly 70% of the weight they'd lost by taking the drug.

Ultimately, Jillian says you can reach achieve much more effective, long-lasting weight loss by getting active and making better dietary choices.

With the recent takedowns of unexplained flying objects in the sky -- and mass speculation they may be of another world -- one former Navy pilot says the convo is long overdue.

We talked to Ryan Graves -- a retired naval lieutenant who used to fly F-18s and who's attested to seeing UAPs -- to help make sense of these latest mysterious incidents ... namely, the U.S. government shooting objects down but not knowing what they are.

On "TMZ Live" Wednesday, Graves weighed in on the latest piece to this wonky puzzle ... the alarming cockpit audio that was just released, where the pilots are baffled by what they were seeing over Lake Huron this past weekend ... ultimately calling it an apparent balloon.

According to RG, they probably only landed on "balloon" because that's the best thing they could refer to describe this -- even though it's clear that whatever they saw fell outside the parameters of a typical orb they might normally see floating around.

With the White House now explicitly saying "alien" -- specifically, to deny that the UFOs that were shot down were E.T.-related in any way -- Graves says this topic is finally breaking through in a meaningful way ... this after years of military personnel having seen them.

He tells us there are likely things in this world, and universe, that we simply don't understand and can't quite explain ... and now that we're zeroing in on some of this stuff -- by actually seeking it out, he adds -- it's going to be a difficult road in making sense of it all.

The best thing Uncle Sam can do, he suggests, is to be upfront and transparent about what we know or don't ... as that's the best way to maintain trust and get to the truth.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin says the latest mass shooting in Michigan has her full of rage -- and she's hoping this one is the tipping point for Congress to pass common sense gun laws.

We talked to the Congresswoman -- who represents Michigan's 7th district, encompassing Michigan State University, where 3 students were gunned down Monday -- and she said, sadly, it was like déjà vu. She cited the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School, also in her district.

Rep. Slotkin told us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... although her community has experienced this in the recent past, the same gut-wrenching feelings were sparked anew as she and her team got reports of the gunman.

Obviously, she's working with her constituents as they process this tragedy -- but in terms of where to go from here ... Rep. Slotkin says she's still in favor of pushing through bills that'd hopefully help deter such shootings.

She says the fact this shooter -- Anthony McRae -- was a convicted felon who clearly had issues is a red flag that should've popped up in background checks, and he never should've had a gun. The congresswoman also says most Americans are on board with this idea -- realizing that enforcing these kinds of policies doesn't infringe on the 2nd amendment.

The congresswoman also fielded a truly hard question -- what to do about people who are out for vengeance and hell-bent on using a gun? In other words, if bad people are insistent on doing bad things -- legally or illegally -- can we really fight this phenomenon???

It's a tough situation, but Rep. Slotkin still believes this type of festering anger in people -- which leads them to such heinous acts -- can be weeded out from the ground up.

There's a super big game coming up, and we're not talking about the Super Bowl ... dozens of puppies will face off in the 19th annual Puppy Bowl and it's all for a great cause!!!

Dan Schachner -- the 12-year Puppy Bowl "Ruff-eree" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, and while we love Dan, we're mostly thrilled that we got a visit from some furry and adorable reps for the upcoming game. Yeah, we're suckers for puppies, but these came on a mission.

Dan tells us, the event is all about raising awareness for rescuing dogs ... because shelter animals will be competing Sunday for the Lombarky Trophy. This year, more than 122 four-legged friends will play for either Team Ruff or Team Fluff ... and they hail from 67 different rescues and shelters across the country.

If you're interested in giving one a home, all the pups are adoptable & from Paw Works.

Look for stars like Tailen Hurts, Jimmy Kibble, and Josh Allenhound -- repping for Buffalo, of course -- come game day. Heck, they even got Tom Barky to come outta retirement!!!

Dan says there's a ton of pets who need homes, and that number only increased when folks returned to work after the pandemic.

This year's bowl is super special ... 11 pups with special needs will be featured. And it's the first time ever a dog from Dominica, West Indies will compete as well as a doggy from a Native American animal org.

If you're more of a cat person, there's even a kitty halftime show featuring cats from 3 different shelters.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman says Democrats and Republicans are scared to break party lines, particularly when it comes to police reform, and it's maddening because people are literally dying as a result.

The Congressman from New York joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him if any legislation will come out of Tyre Nichols' death, which is sparking renewed calls to pass reforms written in the wake of George Floyd's death.

Rep. Bowman, a member of the Congressional Black Congress, says provisions in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would do a lot of good for Americans who have their rights violated by police ... but he says the gridlock in Washington is making it impossible.

It's pretty damning ... Rep. Bowman says there's so much tribalism going on within the Capitol, nothing can get done ... and he's blaming corporations and mega donors for the standstill.

Rep. Bowman says Democrats and Republicans agree on different aspects of police reform behind closed doors ... but he says lawmakers are too scared to piss off Congressional leaders and the folks who put them in power, and almost no one has the guts to go against the grain.

An educator before being elected to Congress in 2020, Rep. Bowman says the tribalism in D.C. is especially frustrating for him to watch because he's not a career politician ... and as he puts it, the logjam is happening as "people are freaking dying."

There's been a lot of blame placed on the armorer on the set of "Rust" -- by both the public and law enforcement -- but her attorney says she did everything in her power to ensure everyone working on the project was safe.

We had Jason Bowles, the attorney for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on "TMZ Live" Friday who talked at length about his client's case ... and shared what he believes were some of the failures that led to the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Bowles says Hannah asked assistant director, Dave Halls, to let her know when Alec Baldwin was going to handle the gun that fired the fatal shot so she could inspect it and give Baldwin proper instruction on how to handle the weapon.

Bowles says Halls never gave Hannah a heads up, simply handing the gun over to Alec without following any sort of safety procedure.

What's more -- Bowles claims Hannah was stretched very thin on set -- taking up both the duties as armorer and handling props.

Bowles tells us at one point, Hannah sent an email to production letting them know she needed to focus more of her time on the armorer duties ... a request he says was denied.

Just as Tyre Nichols' death puts a spotlight on Memphis cops, the case of Keenan Anderson is doing the same in L.A. ... where his death has his family demanding changes in the way cops deploy Tasers.

Keenan's cousin happens to be Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, and she joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss his fatal cardiac arrest ... suffered 4 hours after an LAPD officer tasered him multiple times.

Cops have already released body cam of the January 3rd incident, which Patrisse believes shows an abusive use of the taser -- she says Keenan was shocked by 52,000 volts for 42 seconds.

As an activist, and a concerned family member in this case, Patrisse started researching how many people die after getting zapped by a Taser ... and she says the data is alarming.

The Coroner's Office has yet to issue a cause of death for Keenan -- and while it's unclear if it played a role, LAPD's report on the incident says cocaine was found in his system.

For now, LAPD Chief Michael Moore says he's investigating and looking closely at the use of Tasers. Patrisse says LAPD hasn't had a policy regarding how long or often officers can safely deploy a Taser.

The family has filed a $50 million wrongful death suit against the city of Los Angeles. Ironically, Keenan had actually waved down police to help after he was involved in a car accident -- but Patrisse says armed officers aren't always necessary in cases like that.

Beyonce's weekend concert ruffled a few feathers in the LGBTQ+ community, but Ts Madison doesn't see anything wrong with her getting a fat check in Dubai ... because, first and foremost, she says Bey is loyal to her fans.

The actress and activist joined us Monday on "TMZ Live," dismissing claims Queen Bey "sold out" by performing in the UAE -- where there are firm anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Madison believes most people, even those criticizing Beyonce, would jump at a $24 million payday in Dubai. In fact, she says many people in the LGBTQ+ community already do travel there ... whether it be for work or vacay. So, the whole sellout label seems hypocritical to her.

And, Madison points out Beyonce's been an ally for years ... and doesn't think she'd do something like this to hurt the very group to which she dedicated her latest album, "Renaissance."

As we reported, Beyonce made it a truly grand opening for a new Atlantis resort ... doing a 90-minute set with multiple costume changes, an orchestra and a bunch of her classic hits.

Folks banging on the concert, feel she ditched "her own progressive values" by performing in a "homophobic dictatorship" -- but Madison says those fans should separate politics from the concert ... just as Beyonce seems to have done.

"Rust" actor Douglas Stewart is adamant about who's in charge of firearms on film sets, and says Alec Baldwin's getting a raw deal ... because actors are not typically responsible for gun safety.

Douglas shared his thoughts Friday on "TMZ Live" about the announcement Baldwin will be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" set.

Douglas says whenever he's been on a set with guns there have been strict procedures in place -- procedures that clearly state a stage manager or armorer is responsible for preparing and handing guns to actors.

As an actor, he says he's never been allowed to check a gun or open the chamber ... whether for TV, film, or stage play.

Most importantly, Douglas also says that's the industry standard -- that actors trust the professionals when it comes to firearms.

If so, that could become a crucial part of Baldwin's defense, should his case go to trial.

As for Baldwin's role as an executive producer ... Douglas says his understanding is that he was not involved in safety or day-to-day production in a hands-on way -- instead, he thinks Baldwin's title was more about finances and his compensation.

Douglas also told us the charges against Alec won't change his approach on film sets -- he still won't take it upon himself to check a weapon, but will ask the armorer to double-check in front of him.

He says he simply has no choice, but to be super cautious.

The filming of "Rust" with AB and the rest of the cast is set to resume this month with Halyna's widower Matt Hutchins now listed as an EP -- one of the terms of the settlement of his wrongful death lawsuit against Baldwin.

Tory Lanez might not be staring down a 22-year prison sentence if he'd hired renowned defense attorney Jose Baez during the trial ... at least according to Baez, who's feeling good about winning an appeal.

Tory's new high-powered lawyer -- who famously won an acquittal for Casey Anthony --  joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live," saying he's ready to go all out for Tory too, but, interestingly ... said he regrets the fact Tory didn't call him in for the trial.

While Baez wouldn't reveal too many specifics prior to going before the judge, he strongly insinuated there were things he would've done differently if he were repping Lanez during his trial for shooting Megan Thee Stallion.

That being said, he told us he's confident there were procedural errors made -- partly because it was a high-profile trial -- and that will be the foundation of Tory's appeal of the conviction.

As for how Tory's doing in jail while awaiting sentencing ... Baez says his client's never been convicted before, so he's never gone through anything like this, but says he's trying to make adjustments.

As we reported, Lanez pulled out all the stops last week, retaining David Kenner, Matthew Barhoma and Baez to work on his appeal.